Moving on the Boat in Nikopol, Romania (#18) (C#1)

We boarded our cruise after a 4 hour bus ride to Nikopol as the area was experiencing a heat wave of 104 degrees. The AC on our bus lasted most of the way but petered at the end of the route. We were excited about boarding our cool hotel room.

Our bus was loaded on a ferry to cross the river to get to our Nikopol dock. Unfortunately, the gate couldn't close and we kindof hung out over the edge. It was a short trip - in Romania!

Once we were safely across we were able to load onto our new home for the next 26 days.

Peaceful evening view from our boat.

Orthodox choir in historic church.

Artist shopping area

Beautiful view of countryside from bus window

Horse and buggy for a Gypsy wedding

Gypsy (Roma) wedding in park.

Cruise Stop

Arrive July 23

Depart July 24

Bulgaria Under Communism

• Didn't have the equivalent of Bloody Sunday like Romania

• Communist leader was in power 35 years prior to fall of USSR

• Bulgaria fought the Allies and USSR in WWII

• Economics improved after joining NATO in 2004 and EU in 2007

• Demonstrations in the late 1989 due to excessive pollution from factories

Nikopol, Bulgaria

Pros: Small town, close to Bucharest

Cons: Not much to do in town, staged mainly for excursions

Bulgarian Excursion to Veliko Tarnova, Bulgaria

Pros: Interesting churches, nice introduction to Bulgaria

Cons: Not enough time to shop in the town

3 stars