The sun had already made its haven high in the sky when we left our hotel in the cosy town of Veliko Tarnovo at 9am. It was a pretty start to the day: the team running along the quiet streets polished by the warm glow of sunshine. The whole day was to be very warm. Veliko Tarnovo is the old capital of Bulgaria. We made our way past an old fortress. Here a spectacular light show had been held the previous night: multicoloured lights colouring the night-sky to the sound of traditional music, topped off with fire-crackers.

On the other side of the mountain, through splashes of deciduous delight, the town of Gorna Oryahova was waiting for us with a grand ceremony. Kids joined us up and down through the town towards the main square. There the Deputy Mayor gave a very good speech about the World Harmony Run. I liked her opening: “What better way to start the morning than to smile at the morning sun.” This was followed by a full-fledged program. Adorable little ballet girls charmed us with their dancing.

Young agile acrobats demonstrated their capacity in a top-notch number, synchronising elegantly, creating various aesthetic formations, and I for one was impressed by the powerful voices of the young singers.

Biala was a very special and hospitable town. Here the city representative received us warmly, after which the local disk-jockey sang a melodious song. Then he put on some traditional music, to which local ladies spontaneously started dancing a jolly Rachenica dance, arms locked with one another forming a festive line with the torch in one end and the Bulgarian flag in the other.

Their childlike joy was a real treat. Our happy runners Petr and Teresia joined them. We were then invited for a delicious lunch concluded by ice-cream!

We were getting a bit tight on schedule towards the end of Bulgaria. The day was saved, however, by our Bulgarian runners and Teresia, who were legging it super-speed towards the border.

Here we were enthusiastically received by the Deputy Mayor of Ruse.

A bunch of lively kids then ran with us onto the great bridge crossing the Danube.

At the middle of the bridge the Romanians were eagerly waiting for us. It was an exuberant meeting! It looked like the children from the two countries were very happy to meet each other. The Deputy Mayor from Ruse and the regional representative from the Romanian side exchanged very inspiring talks about unity and friendship and about the shared hope that this border would cease to exist in the near future, which they saw as a very real possibility as both countries are now candidates for the EU.

Beaming kids from Giurgiu, Romania, dressed in yellow sportswear, then followed us from the border to the city centre for about 6k. What an achievement! We were then received by the city representative from Giurgiu and afterwards invited for refreshments. Many of the kids were all aglow and enthusiastically asked about the run.

The city, together with a local hotel, provided us with very pleasant accommodation for the night, including a traditional dinner.

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Distance: 110km

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