2022 Bulgaria and Serbia: 5 days on a rental road bike 
Day 1 — Serbia, country #41
Escaped Israel’s heat only to encounter record temperatures in Bulgaria. The first 30 km were miserable with heat, traffic and exhaust, but the road became quieter, cooler and increasingly beautiful, especially after turning onto 813 toward Godech. Crossed into Serbia at night through a truck-heavy border, where the surprised border staff encountered a lone cyclist. The rented Bulgarian bike was far from ideal, but functional. Serbia’s smoking-in-restaurants culture was a shock. 
Day 2 — Serbia
A spectacular day of empty roads, beautiful scenery, birdsong, flowers and perfect weather. An unplanned decision to follow EV13 led to discovering Serbia almost by accident. The country exceeded expectations: friendly people, clean and green towns, and less of the Soviet character expected from Romania. Simply an awesome day.
Day 3 — Serbia → Bulgaria
Another beautiful day of empty roads through fields, forests and flowers, though some terrible asphalt made even downhill sections painfully slow. Serbia continued to surprise with its scenery and friendly people, making leaving a little sad. Crossed a sleepy Bulgarian border almost alone, then cycled along the Danube. Finished in Vidin, an unexpectedly charming town.
Day 4 — Vidin → Belogradchik
Spent the morning enjoying sleepy Vidin and its promenade, even finding a free eye test. Visited a derelict power station before heading into the mountains, starting with 2 km of cobblestones. The ride itself was fairly uneventful, but wild cherries provided plenty of entertainment. Belogradchik delivered the trip’s highlight: spectacular rock formations that felt like the single most beautiful place of the entire journey. Rode on into the dusk and night to a hotel.
Day 5 — Bulgaria
A planning mistake sent the route over 6 km of gravel with gradients reaching 20%, made even less enjoyable by nearly 30°C heat. But the day recovered with a lovely lunch, Bulgarian treats, beautiful roads, a brutal climb, dramatic rock formations and a river. The trip ended on a high note, with a strong feeling that Bulgaria deserves a return visit—there is still a lot left to explore.