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Balkan Bucket Bonanza


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Posted

So, Shitefest 2016 venue sorted then?

euro road trip win

 

trig would still moan tae fuck

Posted

castros_bro - Yes,yes it is.

 

I know SF16 - Bulgaria Edition was suggested in jest but anyone and everyone is welcome over here whenever.

I have been asked to drive a car back to the UK for someone over here in a couple of weeks time so I'll report back on the journey. I hear it's possible in a day/day and a half.

After that, I'll be having a fortnight or so in Britain before heading off to Finland for a bit to meet Lady_B's family. Has anyone here done any Finland spotting before?

 

Anyway, some spots from yesterday brought to you in association with Adolf The Cat.

Heil Catler.

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Anybody know what this is/was?

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And one for the 'never knew it existed' thread if I could be arsed to find it.

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Posted

bulg to here in day and half?!?!!!!!

 

did plzen to london in 10 hours in a merc sprinter

 

if its chod take 3 days

Posted

Plzen is merely the halfway stop between Blighty and Veliko Tarnovo.

Stockport -> Veliko Tarnovo is a 30 hour drive.

Posted

Even the usually friendly local cats seemed to be getting pissed off with me this week so I decided to go up in to the mountains for a couple of days.

 

Kitteh sez GO AWAY OR I'LL CHIN YOU.

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I SAID PISS OFF. NOW.

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I went up in to the Stara Planina mountains to visit a friend of a friend who wants me to be the caretaker at her property over winter, completely isolated in the mountain forest and with use of a Mitsubishi Shogajero, sounds good.

 

Anyway, enough of the boring preamble and on with the turgid spots spotted along the way.

 

440 TD.

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BX Top (or Tool?).

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Sausage Dog Niva.

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There was no road down to river where this intrepid couple were. Sportages rule off-road.

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I stayed a night at this monastery, which was nice.

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As a bonus, they served pure Scottish blend at the monastery.

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Samara saloon with four-spokes a roof spoiler. Oh yes.

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And today's quiz question - What make is this Van?

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Posted

I think that's a Suzuki, Alex, or is it a trick question? It's on mk2 Golf / Polo wheels though.

 

Quality spottery as ever mate.

Posted

What is it with foreign cats. I snapped this one at a motorway rest stop in France and they just have a look about them.

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Love that Samara

Posted

It's not a Suzuki Joe. In fact it's not at all Japanese.

 

I love all cats but you're right PH65, foreign cats look like a right bunch of bastards.

Posted

Is the van a DFSK/Dongfeng?

 

That would be my guess. We get them here with the fake Beemer grilles.

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Posted

It's a Wuling 371 obviously*.

 

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I'm not certain I don't have a clue how this ended up here. The little information I could find out about Wuling wasn't very helpful.

 

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  • Like 2
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Yesterday, I went to pick up the car I'm driving over to England in this afternoon. Less of that modern dullness though and more of the spots along the way.

 

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I took the train and stopped off in the mountains at the highest train station in Bulgaria for an explore.

I'd forgotten how much fun it was to ride a train with your head out of the window.

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God bless old Russian trains and Bulgaria's indifference towards health and safety.

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The place I stopped off turned out to be quite strange. I later found out that it was an abandoned coal mining facility, originally state owned, located right up in the mountains. It was a proper little ghost town and the only person within 10km was the guy working in the train station, who drove this.

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The mine was bought from the state in 2002 and closed down two years later for many employment regulation infringements.

Still, even though they were paid in vegetables and beaten every day, there were worse places to be a miner.

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And of course I made friends with train station cat.

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Right, I should start preparing all the stuff I don't know I need for the journey.

 

C U L8ER BULGARIA.

Posted

/\ the more I read your posts, the more I want to jack the fuckin' lot in and join you

Posted

Can you split your updates down into several posts please?

 

Only being able to 'like' once seems insufficient.

  • Like 2
Posted

That mining dwelling looks like a nice place to stash oodles of shite make a holiday.

You should buy it and make it into a resort.

  • Like 2
Posted

Mark - No I can't, I'll already be overloaded with cheap cigs and spirits ;-)

 

Junkman - The station looked pretty new and was a fair size for a place with no inhabitants. I presume it was built whilst the mine was still open to transport the coal, although nowadays it's only used by the cat and idiots like me who want to stroll about in the forests/mountains/middle of nowhere.

 

One hour until departure. I just need to pack my rucksack, pack the car, check the fluids, have a shower, make some food, say goodbye to friends and go to the post office. Perhaps I ought to get off the computer.

Posted

Sausage Dog Niva.

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I hope this is car you are buying?  Best car in world.

  • Like 3
Posted

So in the end, Junkman was spot on. It took 30 hours from Veliko Turnovo to Dunkerque. 30 long tiring hours.

I had a nap for an hour and stopped for much coffee assistance but otherwise was firmly planted in the cockpit of the pan-european rocket ship.

 

Ready for the off - Thursday 19:00

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First border. Bulgaria - Romania.

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Romania is the hardest bit of the drive. Very few motorways, mad truck drivers and some very interesting road surfaces. It's a big country and slow going so any chance for light relief through the night was appreciated.

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Friday morning, tired and wired. This is an exact representation of what my eyes were sending to my brain.

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Romanian spots.

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Romania - Hungary

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TBC. . . . . . .

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