Distance: 96km
Elevation: 1.408m
On my break day, I had breakfast at a bakery in the pedestrian zone. Bulgarian pastry is very likable.
Also, I had made an appointment with the bike shop to bring Rosinante in for a service at 10pm.
However, nobody was there when I arrived and I waited for half an hour. I used the time for a call with my social media team.
While I was waiting, numerous horse-drawn carts came by at the nearby crossing.
When the guy in charge finally arrived, he looked anything but trust inducing and was also super unfriendly. I had a very bad feeling of leaving Rosinante in his hands.
There were three problems: her bumpy front wheel, the brakes, and the gears.
He first said something like “I will call you tomorrow when it’s ready”. It took me a while to convince him, that I had agreed with his associate that it would be finished today.
So he told me to return by 2pm. Just for security, I looked up another bike shop to see what they were looking like. It was just the same.
I felt like I had given a child into the wrong hands but decided to have faith.
So, I went back to my guest house and focused on my work to be done. It was difficult for my brain to function properly. After a week on my bike, the thinking muscle was very hard to activate. 
When I returned at 2 pm, the mechanic had in fact fixed two of the three problems. I was more than happy and pleased. The front wheel was perfect, and he had also replaced all the brake pads who had been totally worn down by now.
However, he had not fixed the gears. But that was not a big problem.
I was relieved and in joy and went for a late lunch.
The rest of the day, I focused on getting my work stuff done.
I also send hosting requests to a couple of Warmshowers hosts along the remaining way to Istanbul. There were not that many in this region though.
The next morning, I got up early because I was preparing for a hard day in the saddle. By 7:30am I started cycling and it was raining full on.
After leaving the big road, Rosinante and I were following a little river downhill. It was a beautiful valley full of acasias trees (Akazien) for close to 40 km.
Due to her front wheel now being perfect again, we were almost flying. Despite the rain, it was great fun.
I came through a village where some festivities had just ended. People were all dressed up nicely and some wore Bulgarian traditional costumes. A folkloristic band had been playing.
After a little pause I continued. Once again, I came across many notices of recently deceased people. They are called Nekrologs here. In the absence of local newspapers it is tradition in countries like Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria to attach these notices to bus stations or telephone posts in the villages so that everyone can see them and take notice. The idea is that when many people think of a recently deceased it is good for their eternal peace.
After a while the rain stopped and the official EuroVelo 13 route started changing to eventually became a hardly visible goat trail.
Bulgaria was really creative here: from Autobahn to goat trail.
It was beautiful, but impossible to cycle. I pushed Rosinante uphill for an over an hour and was finally stuck in the thicket. The terrain got very steep and it would have been dangerous to continue. I would’ve needed a chainsaw to cut my way free.
So, I went back which took another hour. I came by collapsed farm houses and the goat trails were covered by bushes with thorns.
It was a little scary. Especially, when I found bear tracks and poop.
My arms were bleeding and there were flies everywhere.
When I finally met a cyclable road again, I looked like a mess and was totally exhausted.
I found a little village with a fountain. I washed up and had a little break. Now, the real work would start.
There was a major pass to be climbed, and the border to North Macedonia was right on top of the mountain.
It took me about three hours to cycle uphill. There was hardly any traffic and I lost the feeling for time along the way.
The incline was steady and doable and the sights were very beautiful and wild.
I climbed above 1.100m and it got really chilly. The border crossing was without problems.
Again, I was asked by a very grim looking lady if I had something to declare and she believed me when I said “No” with a smile.
So, this was it: North Macedonia as Country No. 7. On top of it, I had just passed the 2.000 km mark on this tour.
Meanwhile, it had started to rain again. The descent into Delcevo was steep and cold. By the time, I was in town, I was frozen stiff. It was about 5pm.
My phone signal wouldn’t work because of the recent border crossing and it took me a while, to find my hotel. It looked like, there were no campgrounds in this part of Northern Macedonia at all.
The guy at the reception was friendly and helpful. I was able to park Rosinante in the restaurant to keep her safe and dry. Then I had a long, hot shower.
After that, I went out to top up my supplies. There were two restaurants around. I took the less noisy one, which was still very noisy because of the loud music.
I enjoyed my little dinner in the warmth watching people, as it was raining outside.
This was officially the wettest and coldest fundraising tour, I had ever done.
The only similar experience I have had when I was 17 years old and was cycling through Scotland. In my memories, it had also rained every single day back then. But in contrast to now, I was also staying in my tent every single night. I can until today still recall the feeling of climbing in a wet sleeping bag. 
I went back to my room and tried watching a movie. By 7pm, I was falling asleep. I was totally exhausted from the day.
Even though I did not enjoy staying in a hotel, it had been another great day to be grateful for.