Day 32--Black Sea by Hydrofoil

BLACK SEA BY HYDROFOIL

Saturday, July 26, 2008
Sulina on the Black Sea

X+--At the end of its journey, the Danube river branches out into a delta in eastern Romania. Until a few years ago, the Delta region was threatened by pollution, development, and neglect. Everything that's been deposited into the river—past the cities of Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade—eventually makes its way there. 

    It's now a biosphere reserve, and scientists and engineers are working to restore it. With its miles of reed beds—the largest in the world—the Danube delta acts as a filter, cleaning the waters. It's the river's final act before it gives way to the sea, "And it's here where nature, finally, gets to triumph over man."

We ate an early breakfast together this morning and then I walked alone 3 miles to the column at the entrance to the city on the Danube. This required navigating very narrow back streets and climbing 22 steps to the column. 

A greatly enlarged view of the Tulcea monument I could see from the hotel; it was farther away than it looked, perhaps three miles

Some of the cobbled back alleyways I walked to get to the monument

I am getting closer

Through the entrance gates and up the steps; Looking down the steps and back toward our hotel--which is around the bend to the right and cannot be seen 

Some of the tourist boats along hotel row

The dome of a Christian church and right next to it the minaret of a mosque

When I finally limped back to the hotel, I was near tears from the pain in my right shin. I caught Alex and Stefania just as they were leaving on a shopping run. Steffie looked in the first-aid kit and came up with some pain relief for colds and flu. I took the pills and a brief nap, and when I awoke the pain had subsided to tolerable. My ankle is swollen also. Because Alex and Steffie were on their way to the town center when I stopped them, Alex stopped at a pharmacy and bought three anti-inflammatory pain pills which I took for the next three days with breakfast.

We all met at noon for a “light lunch” that turned out to be a HEAVY big lunch. Started with a delicious salad of curly lettuce, cukes, and tomatoes, followed by a large plate of chicken livers, two large wedges of fried cheese, mushrooms in a sauce, and chicken strips, followed by ice cream. I ate very little—mushrooms and salad, a couple of chicken livers—no ice cream.

Directly after lunch we stored our luggage in a room behind the front desk and then took our day packs to the hydrofoil. It was STIFLINGLY HOT on the hydrofoil. We were shut in with windows that would neither open or allow one to see out they were so dirty. We had a 15-minute wait in these conditions. I was ready to scream. I thought that once we got started, it would cool off, but it didn’t. So I spent an hour and a half cooking, with no room for my feet either. It was truly an ordeal for me, and I got off the hydrofoil a sodden, limping mess.

Steffie and Alex at boarding ; sardines cooking in a can

Sulina is the place where the main branch of the Danube, Sulina Branch, flows into the Black Sea. We walked a short way down the quay to our hotel, a small guesthouse and beer bar. Judy and I got a room up under the eaves again. We climbed up some very narrow steep stairs. This time our room had four beds, each with a Pokeman bedspread. There were four small, square, sealed windows at floor level that one could not see out of unless sprawled on one’s stomach, and a skuzzy bathroom, but there was air conditioning, so all was well. 

Our hotel, the Jean Bart; Judy's and my room was up under the eves, the tiny windows you see at ankle level

We quickly climbed into our bathing suits and headed for the Black Sea . . . which turned out to be 2 miles away across dusty fields of horses and cattle! I limped along a quarter of a mile behind the others as I could not walk fast with what I think is shin splints.

The group pass a pair of playful horses  and a parked motorcycle on their way to the beach; i was lagging behind because of my shin and ankle

Cow casually crossing the dusty road to the beach

Boat and Babushka on a back channel

Roadside cross; bull skiddiing down the bank to water; Boys swimming in the backwater

We probably spent no more than half an hour at the Black Sea, taking pix and wading into the very shallow warm water. Then Harold and Carolyn and Judy and I wandered the town a bit taking pix of the old lighthouse built in the 19^th century under Turkish rule, walking the quay, looking at the old, wooden houses, some of which were built between the two world wars by Greek merchants. We also toured the International Cemetery next to town as well as a beautiful Eastern Orthodox church. All of this walking, of course aggravated my shin problem, but I am determined to see what I can and worry about the shin/ankle when I hit the States.

Judy Barrett, Carolyn Martin, Fred Martin, Stefania Casadei, Rod Ulrich, Marion & Fred Shaw, Bob Poelstra, yours truly

Steffie and Alex

Judy's pic of me and my pic of Judy happily wading in the Black Sea; we had ridden our bicycles the length of the Danube to the Delta and were proud of it 

Sign showing that the Delta is a Biosphere Reserve; 1870 lighthouse still operated by the city's European Commission

Newly painted blue house and a salt weathered one in need of paint; these small houses were built by the Greeks between the world wars

The International Cemetery with its variety of stones and markers

Eastern Orthodox Church and its brightly painted iconsAdd caption

We had dinner at the hotel, outside under umbrellas where we watched the people on the quay promenade. A wedding party came by and we all joined it for a walk along the promenade and took photos. Dinner was a good salad, platters of fried crispy anchovies with strong garlic sauce on the side, catfish, potatoes, and apple strudel for dessert. After dinner Judy and I took a short walk and then to bed.

Dining alfresco while the sun sets in our eyes

The wedding procession