Our first mtb tour of the 2014 season was scheduled just before Easter. A very sunny and warm beginning of April, coming after an equally warm and dry winter, gave as hopes for a perfect biking weather during our five days ride with Eileen and Yves.
Two days before starting the tour, winter finally came to our mountains. Not the best circumstances for a bike tour. Keeping our rides at lower altitudes, we fought our way through some wet snow and plenty of rain before switching for a day of ski-touring up in Poiana Brașov resort.
Then we moved away from the mountains, biking in the Saxon Villages area near Viscri, Criț, Meșendorf and Bunești. We visited medieval age fortified churches, we rode our bikes on man made trails (credit to Adept Foundation & partners), we enjoyed savoring great food and warm accommodation in traditionally restored old Saxon houses at Casa cu Zorele in the village of Criț.
We knew Eileen and Yves from a previous tour up in the Romanian mountains, it was like an old friends reunion coupled with a bike tour. Plenty of loughs, a few insights on the local history, some mountain biking technical lessons, a lot of quietness and serenity in the fresh-green Transylvanian landscape.
I felt a little bit awkward feeling such a good time just before Easter, when fasting should be the name of the game. But there you go, life is tough sometimes :-).
Enjoy the photo-gallery
Horia Marusca, April 2014
