An early train from Sofia Central Station travelled through the Iskar gorge to the plains north of the Balkans. At Gorna Orjahovitsa, the train split, with some cars heading east to Varna. Our coach, now joined by a Romanian coach and a Turkish sleeper car en route to Bucharest from Istanbul, headed northeast toward Ruse and the Romanian border. Along the way, there were huge sunflower fields stretched across the undulating landscape.
Having been on many Bulgarian trains before, we sprung for the extra $3 for first class tickets on this hot summer day. However, there was still no air conditioning nor would the window stay open, making the interior of the metal train rather warm. At the border town in Ruse, we were delayed due to the late arrival of the reciprocal train from Bucharest. Crossing the Danube (1), I was glad to be on the train and not sitting in a line of cars waiting to cross.
Clearing inbound Romanian immigration at Giurgiu, we decided to plan the next few days in Romania (2). The temperature in Bucharest at that time was 112°F, breaking the previous all-time high by 4°F (3) The train had slow orders in Romania due to the heat (4), and we arrived two hours late at Bucharest. Originally planning to walk to the city center, we got a hotel near the train station instead and ate in the lobby restaurant to stay indoors.
The Euro Cup soccer final between Spain and England was on TV behind me, and my wife (not a soccer fan) seemed fascinated. Her favorite band was playing before the kickoff (or whatever it's called).
(1) The Belgian couple we had chatted with yesterday told us about a kayak tour company in Ruse. The kayak people could not accommodate us on short notice, which was OK considering the 100°+ heat.
(2) My mobile phone works in Bulgaria, but has faster service in Romania.
(3) Similar to the previous Bucharest record, the highest temperature ever recorded in Massachusetts was 107 °F.
(4) High heat can cause excessive expansion of the steel rails, increasing the risk of derailment at higher speeds. The overhead power lines can also sag in the heat.
The Iskar River Gorge
Weighing down the window with my bag trying to hold it open
One Turkish sleeper and a Romanian and Bulgarian coach crossed the Danube into Romania.
Screen shot of 107°F temperature at 5:18 pm. It was 112°F earlier in the day.
Last column lists train arrival delay minutes at Bucharest Gara de Nord. The trains slowed due to the heat.
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