Danube Walk 2024 Diary - Drinkable Rivers

October 4 – Day #17 – from Cârna to Bistret

We walked around the lakes (lost count of what # day it is that we are here). After we did the measurement with two schoolclasses in Cârna, of 13-14 years old, we walked around the lakes in the Danube floodplain. Until 1940s the wolf was here. Until 1970s water was here, a huge lake of 20,000Ha shaped by the Danube flood pulse. This flood pulse would leave a diverse landscape of deeper wetter places and higher drier places.

Currently, 2000Ha of lake is left, only 10% remained. Fortunately it is still something, in Potelu (our first few days this week), there is no lake anymore and hardly any water left. In Soviet Communist time, the land was drained. This lake that has remained until now, was left as a fish pond and to grow rice.

With Danube Mayor Iulian Burtea and vice mayor we had our opening circle ‘what does water mean for you’: “Life” was the most popular answer, including of the mayor. Iulia, from WWF and colleague in DANUBE4all and my Danube angel was here! Six people from Jiu Corridor joined us, Daniela from Apele Romania, Romanian water authority, Dutch couple Hilde & Jon and our friend from Ukrain, Yurii. We shared a picnic lunch, then conversed what feeds and what fuels us and closed with what our wishes are for this area. May the area of the Jiu River be a jewel, a pilot for the Danube and for Romania, and may the local people enjoy a healthy, abundant and mosaic landscape.

October 2&3 – Day #15/16 – Garla Mare

We had the opportunity to meet WWF freshwater team from Central Europe and to have an excursion through a restored wetland adjacent to a fish farm. We were treated with delicious organic plums, peaches and apples and wine and cake by a local enthusiast of the wetland, Marian.

The following day, Marian who was our host, gave me a tour to the plum and apple orchards and close to the three countries point of Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania with the beautiful mouth of the river Timok.

October 1st – Day #14 – from Valea Stanciului to Foisor

22km along the Jiu river, side river of the Danube. This was esthetically the most beautiful river walk day. The Autumnal freshness with the bright sun opened our day. We walked from the school to the opposite side of the river to do the measurement together. Enthusiastic teachers participated which was an extra joy to see. Together with Jiu Corridor colleagues, we walked on the edge of the terrace to get a wider view of the landscape and the river. We walked a part on the river bank in the floodplain as well and dipped in the shallow river.

Yurii shared how he recognised this shallow river with rivers in Ukraine. 10,000 rivers have dried up. A dedicated river plan with clear zoning, a protective legal status and consistent monitoring might help. We shared our wishes for the Jiu River, we wish this mutual support (locally and internationally) to continue to grow and that the Jewel Jiu could become a leading example in the Danube River Basin. Perhaps with a Jiu source-to-confluence river walk and a Jiu mayors network!

September 30th – Day #13 – from Zăval to Valea Stanciului

As Selma, our translator guide, biologist at GeoEcoMar and colleague in DANUBE4all said “this was a true river walk day”. We could walk all day along the beautiful Jiu River. Jiu River is a true jewel widely meandering, with sandy banks and bedding, shallow waters and still protected with willow and three types of poplar trees (silva, negra and American).

Four colleagues of Jiu Corridor who work for Dolj County Council to protect 150km of the total of 331km of Jiu River and the Zăval forests, joined us today! Happy to meet local people taking care of the river including the 50km stretch of the confluence with the Danube. We felt strengthened knowing their presence in the landscape, speaking with mayors and people of 54 communes, with local schools, advising and giving permission (or not, special planning) to both Rom Sylva (forestry loggers), herders or shepherds and to companies who mine the banks for sand. It is a protected Natura2000 area and an important migratory route for many birds like herons and commerants heading south to grow their young and back north here to nest and have their young.

In the morning we did five of the fourteen measurements both with a bottle of Jiu River and with tapwater. The tapwater consists of 40% treated Jiu water, 40% coming from the hills and 20% groundwater. An enthusiastic group of children were in a very tight circle around us ready to help us. I wished I could be along the Jiu River with them, but tight school programme did not allow them to join us. Nonetheless I was happy to spend this time with them. Their eagerness and curiosity inspired me to ask in our opening circle ‘what were you curious about as a child?’. The rest of the walk we meandered with the Jiu in the strong cold winds. We could imagine doing a source to confluence walk along the Jiu River inviting all mayors and schools to meet along the river banks, one day, might work. If the children could, they would almost all them have joined us today.

September 29th – Day #12 – from Bechet to Zaval

The whole day we could follow the Danube, get close to the confluence of the Jiu River with the Danube and then follow the Jiu River. Look at the beautiful moments we’ve witnessed these 22km.

The weather completely changed from the 33-36 degrees, we walked today in rain and wind. We were with a small group of five people. Our colleague Camille Janssen had left after having joined us the first three days. We spoke with a lonely farmer who was touched by speaking with you, it appeared. He earned 200 euro a month, hardly meets people (except the illegal loggers), and his family lives in Carna.

We were delighted that despite it being Sunday, the vice-mayor of Bechet Gigi (who hosted us) had arranged with the Geography teacher to do our measurement with ten teenagers.

Meeting the gorgeous Jiu River with her sandy banks and sandy bedding is a delight. We could walk 10km along her banks. We did witness the vulnerability as herders are letting their animals graze here and no grass is left here. Enjoy the beauty in the pictures!

September 28th – Day #11 – from Călărași to Bechet via Danube river

Today was a special water day. After 1,5 week of walking we finally saw the Danube river. In the delta we had experienced the Danube from Mahmudia, but besides that moment no other time until today.

We started the day with meeting the mayor of Călărași. We listened to his concerns regarding waste management and the fragmented land ownership which prevents a more collective vision. Călărași lands is sandy, and together with the other sandy communities their started a shared strategy called Dolj Plus.

We started walking a passed a village with sandy roads. An old man with a lot of (fire)wood in his garden told us that now there is only poplar trees, but when he was young there were still many more walnut (Nuk in Romanian) trees and willow trees.

In the heat of 33-35 degrees we walked about seven kilometers to get to the Danube river. Once we reached the dyke (called ‘dig’ in Romanian), we were in some poplar plantation forests. Loggers were logging some trees with chainsaws. Then the sunlight pierced through the trees and an opening of the trees gave access to a majestical view of the Danube river. More than 1km of width and a strong flow, tree covered river island and the opposite side, this is a major river. The beach gave access to the water for us, unfortunately this place was again covered by waste especially bottles of water. Too much for us to clean up. We were all very happy to refresh with a swim in the 17 degrees Danube, then to have our lunch in the shade and to do our measurement.

We reached Bechet ferry that ships to Bulgaria on the opposite side of the river. The ferry has been open since 1994 and welcomes lorries commuting between Craiova in Romania 67km from here and Sofia which is only 100km from the opposite side of the Danube. From the border cafe ‘Escape’ we were picked up by both the mayor and the vice-mayor of Bechet.

We had dinner in the garden of the vice-mayor and his wife’s home and are now hosted in their home. We are touched by the generosity of these people.

September 27th – Day #10 – from Potelu to Călărași

We weren’t with a large group today, so interacted more deeply amongst each other and with the people we met along the route: two herders, five fishermen and one cereal farmer. It was a hot day of 33 degrees and what appeared to be an 18,5km walk through the floodplain. WIth the occasional trees we took our lunch break and shorter breaks, we even managed to have a refreshing swim in one of the larger canals. Each one of us from our small group of six walkers today, were carrying a large and heavy backpack.

Most of the floodplain is dry and full of farmland and with shepherds herding their sheep and goat. In Summer there is not enough grass here, and in Winter they feed them harvested grass. Since the 60s/70s it has been poldered, like in the Netherlands, where the canals drain the water out. The water in the canals is pomped up in Summer to irrigate the crops. Today in the heat of the day we noticed perfect cabbages being irrigated. It was interesting to notice that on the small stretches of canals or other waterbodies, we would see it buzzing with life: reeds, cattails, dragon flees, shrubs, trees, birds, and.. fishermen! The fishermen were trying to catch Crucian Carp, they shared with us that since three years they see the Clarias gariepinus (African Catfish (ENG) Somn (RO) or meerval in (Dutch), they hadn’t seen it here before. And sadly wherever there were humans, piles of waste was left and dumped.

This walk also feels somehow like a gesture of saying sorry. Sorry to these landscapes that our Dutch ancestors have shared the knowhow of draining the lands. Worldwide this is a problem 90-95% of our lands have been drained and or wetlands and marshes have been lost. In what used to be a lake at places and a wetland at others is ironic to see plastic water bottles now laying around and to see an emerging field with solar panels of a large Greek company.

There is much to share about Yurii, our Ukraine companion who has joined us for all of the week except for the first day when he was traveling by bus from Croatia to the Danube Delta after a canoe competition in the Neretva river. He shared two other gymnastic Bothmere exercises about transformation today. How to start afresh and how overcome hurdles by transforming.

Arriving in Călărași we were welcomed by two older ladies and young teenagers told us that the fountain water was drinkable. At our pension Home & Garden, where the three scientists from Bulgaria had apparently stayed the night before we enjoyed interesting conversations with vegetable stew (all from the garden) and a vinete salad (babaganoush) with eggplants that were roasted today.

September 26th – Day #9 – from Grojdibodu to Ianca

Some of the images that our group shared they would take home from today: the large dried floodplain, difference, short conversations in the villages, and for me the contrast of between the original wetland or even lake with the current threats of drought.
An enthusiastic English teacher welcomed us in their classroom with twenty-five children from two classes of 7-8th grade (13-14 year old), the mayor and some other people, and I was touched and surprised that Yurii and Danil (who had also walked in week 1 with us) were already there..! It was the first time that we could not do a measurement in a local stream as there was not any, so we measured the tap water which is the groundwater.
A wonderful new group supported us with the start of this second week. With three people from Bucharest, two working for Apele Romania (water authority responsible for flood risks, water management and water quality), three biodiversity experts from Bulgaria who are also part of the DANUBE4all project, three biodiversity professionals from the local environment agency, our translating guide Selma from GeoEcoMar, our colleague from the citizen science programme Camille, and Yurii and Daniel joined us.
The Wallachian Plain is the largest in Europe, today we followed the edges the Oltenia floodplain which is a part of it. The contrast is large between this dry warm plateau (on a day with 30 degrees) with what this landscape originally is. Near the villages, there was a lot of waste dumped and piled, indicating that people live really with their backs to the river. The river is also far between 5-10km, we haven’t seen Danube all day today. We could see the Bulgarian forests across the Danube, but not the river.
Our lovely hosts from yesterday in Grojdibodu and tonight in Potelu have treated us amongst others with delicious zakuska and homegrown tomatoes. What a treat.

First week summary

September 23rd – Day #6 – Carasuhet wetland

Our final day week 1, an apotheosis in Carasuhet wetland. WWF Romania did the opening and welcomed everyone, they introduced the day as becoming an ambassador for the river and the wetland, promoting a plastic free world and introducing the Drinkable Rivers Citizen Science.

With a large group of 28 students of two classes aged 15, 16 and 17, we started today with the measurements in the Damube river. After recording some of our water experiences, one of the boys told me that he had crossed the frozen river a few years ago, another one that he had drunk from the river in the middle of the river. They were too shy to share this when it was recorded, but I was happy to receive these glimpses from the children.

With boats we got across to the restored wetlands. An ecogically healthy and functioning Danube Delta used to look something like this. Most of the delta was drained under Ceausescu’s rule, canals were dug to drain the water out. Predominantly agriculture got room since then, and many large-scale monoculture. From the 90s the city council owned the land and received subsidies for ‘farming’. Part of the land, first 1000Ha, later an additional 2000Ha circumstances got into place to welcome the wetlands back again. Since then (2016 it was finalised) ninety species of birds can be found here. With our eyes and binoculars, we enjoyed hundreds and hundreds of pelicans indicating the abundant presence of fish, in every corner we looked we saw birds, culminating in a pair of white tailed eagle. Four pairs are nesting in this area, told Dragoş from WWF Romania. He added that 97% of the people of Mahmudia are in favour of these changes. Local people do not benefit from the monoculture agriculture (some farmed by foreign owners), local people benefit from a healthy system where they can fish and where tourism can thrive. It was touching to hear that many of the students, despite living in or near Mahmudia, had never been in the wetland.

We had the privilege that Dragoş Balea and Andrei Prodan took our little co-walkers group in two boats deeper into the wetland. The water level is now so low, due to long dry periods, that islands appear where Dragoş can usually get across with his boat. The heavy rains upstream from a week ago, haven’t reached the delta yet (perhaps in a few days), but likely the delta will hardly notice that as these wetlands have space to home a lot of water. Speaking of home and water.. After a beautiful closing circle with our group, we were guided by GeoEcoMar to their research boat where will now spend two nights.

(Sorry if these updates are not always formulated as well as I would like, I write them on my phone, at night and tired after a full busy day). Will look at the moon.

September 22nd – Day #5 – Sarinasuf to Mahmudia

Eight children were awaiting us next to the road and the cultural centre of Sarinasuf. “Bună dimineața!”, we called to each other and once I reached the children we gave a big group hug. On this special Sunday morning, children aged between 7 and 14, without any teacher or parent, joined our measurements. It felt like a fairytale how we were all there with many frogs small and large jumping, many dragonflies flying around, one puppy dog, one puppy cat and these children so enthusiastic and focused. One of the children Andrea, aged 12, spoke English. She shared she was so tall, because she has swimming lessons. So cute.
While we walked out of the village, a man on his bicycle asked us what we were doing? He told us that he worked on the boat. The canals, the large-scale agriculture with the irrigation had caused a lot of destruction. Plus the many roads with the cars. He pulled up his tshirt to show us his scar from a heart surgery, this is why he now takes the bike more often. He walked a kilometre with us and patted me three times on the shoulder: ‘goodluck’!
Between monoculture fields with crops or barren, the agro industry, and on the other side an old mining pit with an assembly line to roll the stones down to the Danube to get on ship. In the deeply dug mine pit we saw a fox running across and an Eagle vortexing on thermic above the pit. We climbed the slopes of the hillsides, likely formed by the river Danube. Once over it, we could finally catch our first glance of the river. We’ve left Lagune (lake) Razim now behind us.
As we entered Mahmudia, we were welcomed by the grandmother’s. An 85-year old shared that she was born here and that now she cannot bent one of her knees anymore. This evening we had dinner with our group of co-walkers of this week outside on the Danube river bank. The moon climbed as we headed home where Maarten and I started to upload the first measurements.
Feeling thankful for our co-walkers Yurii, Danil, Lars & Carsten and guide Calin for keeping as company with interesting conversations and observations.

September 21st – Day #4 – Iazurile to Saranisuf

Today we did not walk any asphalt, that was great. Between Pension Alexa and Pension Paradiso where we sleep (we had not found any local hosts), there is a nice trail following dykes formed by former fish farms. Reeds, wild olive like trees, occasional poplars formed our landscape. At some moment we passed a manure heap near the water ways. Then a little later, not surprisingly, we passed a farm with cattle. We walked with a small group of five. Yurii taught us Gothmer gymnastic moves who to move to your aim and how to respond to obstacles and refocus on your aim. I imagined focusing on ‘a world with drinkable river, a Danube that is ecologically healthy that we can drink straight from it’.
This part of the Danube Delta could use some more of these connecting trails in order to invite more slow and eco tourism. Once people enjoy the Delta more deeply and viscerally, then they will start to grow their love and care. From the asphalt roads, inside a car not. You don’t feel the vulnerability of this living system, you don’t witness the species richness and how the landscape responds to how we attend to it. I was sad to see the heaps of waste dumpes in these intricate marshes. Once we arrived at our pension, there was a swimming pool. Without the weight of our backpack and the warmth of our shoes, swimming was such relaxation. Ironic to have swam in a pool and not having been able to put my feet in the lagune today. The one conversation I had once we arrived in Sarinasuf was with a worker of the irrigation firm. How this landscape is linked by pipelines and pumps in order to have some crops of sunflowers, corn or melons (the crops that we have seen today).
We were able to get a ride to the fish soup festival in Jurilovca and dance with the Gipsy Kings playing live. With a rising red moon, this was a perfect Autumnal equinox celebration. We even managed to see the geography teacher of Jurilovca, Prof Stoenica and Livia, the sister of the geography teacher in Sarichioi!

September 20th – Day #3 – 28.5km

Thanks to teacher Adelina, we met with grade 7 of the school in Sarichioi. The children shared their memories of the lagune water. They had ice skated here, also fell through a hole in the ice, they swam here, the took the boat to the canals and many more. There was a lot of wind but we could hide while taking the manuals out. And thanks to the teacher we’ve made a new Secchi disk to check the clarity. It was fun to see the children run to the water whether it was to count or collect plastic or whether to assess the plants.
A journalist, Luisiana Bigea from Agerpress interviewed us in the harbour of Sarichioi. While a murmuration of pelicans danced above our heads.
Our special little, international group gave me the energy and hope I needed today, we consisted of Ioana from Cluij now living in The Hague Netherlands, Jet from Amsterdam, Yurii & Danil from Ukraine now living in Sweden, Maarten, Calin our guide from Sulina and I. Els, also from Amsterdam, took a taxi as she is still healing, Vivienne from Hamburg Germany went to Sulina by boat and Lars and Carsten from Aluniç went birding on the boat to St Georghi.
I needed it, as it was a very long and tiring day of walking. Especially since most of it was walking in a line along the road and that no local people joined us. Usually my aim is 15km, then it will end up 18km or max 20, but today was much longer. Yesterday’s sleeping place was already 1,5km walk to the meetingpoint in the harbour of Sarichioi and where we are now is 3km outside the village of Iazurile.
Along the route I spoke with Daniel, a vendor of vegetables helping his father. Their workers needed to come from 60km away. Irrigating with water from the lagune is essential for them, he shared. For the future, he hopes to work as a mechanic working with cars.
Speaking about cars fast and many cars passed us while we road walked. The man of the pension where we are staying now summarises it clearly. Even doen his road, those 20 metres he will use the car to drive. Yes, we notice that we hardly see any people on the street, let alone that people join us. How to get in touch with the people? Maybe I should hitchhike back to Jurilovca while the fish soup festival is going on with 140,000 visitors?

September 19th – Day #2 – 13km

We are lucky with the Romanian hospitality and generosity, both Alexandra (biologist and soon resident of Enisala) and Adelina (teacher at Sarichioi) have treated us with dinner and breakfast.
Adelina brought a group of 8th grade children of 14 years old. Again, I was impressed by their level of English and how engaged they joined our measurements. It was striking that they had counted 31 frogs in a small section of 10 metres riverbank, and in that same stretch 20 pieces of plastic in the water and 18 on the land. Clearly, the fishermen who come to fish here don’t know the principle of leave no trace (yet). Hopefully it will change in the future. The children collected all the trash at the end. I feel so happy when getting a chance to engage with this age group!
The rest of the walk, our little diverse group of 9 including 18 year old Danil and 13 year old Carsten we followed partly the road, but mostly we could be in the marshes amongst the reeds where every step a frog jumped in the rain puddle from the rains a few days ago. The rains that in many parts of Austria, Poland, Czech and Romania have caused problems, but here until now we are unharmed. We can see how the lagune water that is now fresh rather than brackish is used as irrigation on the monoculture agricultural lands: the sunflower and corn fields. We also witness soil eroding from the coastline into the reedbed covered banks. We had a beautiful spot overlooking the lagune where we had our lunch and some of us a short nap. We walked into the harbour of Sarachioi and then to our host teacher Adelina who had cooked an amazing meal. Once we arrived home it started raining hard. Glad our timing worked well today.

September 18th – The walk has started!

First day of the Danube river walk, the first river walk in the Danube4All project. The special and full day was opened by the vice mayor of Jurilovca and Albert Scrieciu from GeoEcoMar. Followed by Prof Helmut Habersack from BOKU, Prof of the local gymnasium Stoenica and me. Then we did the citizen science with group 6, 7 and 8 plus some people of our group. It was so impressive the stories the children told me while saying thanks to the water and even in English. Also great to see with how much dedication they did the measurements.
When transitioning out of the village onto the road (unfortunately) we looked back and saw a flock of 200 pelicans murmurating, unbelievable. I will remember this image.
With our large group of BOKU scientists we walked the first 10km including picknick lunch in the marshes. After lunch we were with the rest of the group, a very international group of 11 people who continued to walk. We road walked, witnessed military troups, and eventually got off the road and our feet in one of the canals streams next to a series of fish ponds. With a beautiful sunset, we ascended the Enisala fortress. At what appears to be our shared Casa Enisala, we cooked and shared a meal with our whole group and now we will all sleep. Each with our images of today: the birds (also a fish and sea eagle perhaps too much translated from Dutch..), the impressive children, the military presence (being the reason that we needed to roadwalk) l, the vice mayor encouraging the children, the professor and the teacher, us as a walking group or the deep orange rising full moon. All these images make up today while walking near the lagune.

September 17th

Today can be described with pelicans, who we witnessed both in the water collaborating with the fisherman as well as a flying flock of six. What magical animals they are with their large flexible beaks like fishing nets, their short neck compared to swans or egrets.
From the water, by boat, we observed the Jurassic land mass where in a few hours with the river walk we will be walking. We experienced the enormity of the lagune, boating from one end to the other. Followed by the intimacy of the smaller creeks, which are man-made canals. Contrary to what one may expect these are busy full with tourist and fishermen boats. Our boat went full speed, leaving a trail of waves that will affect the erosion of the lands. (Something I learned and witnessed the Thames suffers). In these creeks I saw frogs on the leaves of the water lilies, and I again enjoyed seeing a Kingfisher.
We returned to Gura Portitei, meaning portal or door. Door between the Black Sea and the Lagune. Before the 70s, there were natural connections between the two systems. Since Ceausescu’s rule, this got disconnected. As a result, the mutual dynamics between the fresh and salt water systems got disrupted. Via a zoom presentation and interaction with director of GeoEcoMar Adrian Stanica, one of the partners in Danube4All we learned more about this. He also showed a short video made by de director of the hotel here, where with a storm from Nov ’23 Sea water surpassed the human-made closing, and a natural re-opening seems to be appearing with the stormy circumstances. Wild horses appeared while the sun was setting and the full moon rising. Much more can be shared about this, but it’s already a long text and very late and tomorrow will be an early rise.

September 16th

Great impressions of our first day in the Danube Delta. Waking up, my first view out of the window was a Kingfisher fishing from our balcony terrace. It appeared one of many kingfishers we would see today. We also saw many frogs and white and brownish egrets. (The weather station here is called Egret.)
Since the 1970s, the sea has been disconnected from the lagune (I will share more about that tomorrow). We witnessed some of the landscapes by foot. Also, the garbage that accumulates here, frustratingly enough.
Together with 27 BOKU students, we listened to a presentation about the DANUBE4all project by Prof Helmut Habersack. Ironically, many floodwater experts are here now, while the floods occur in Austria. In the bus yesterday, we listened to a BOKU colleague who was interviewed about the flooding in and near Vienna.
Our river walk is the first of the river walks that will be part of this Danube project. This walk is, therefore, different than my other walks, now starting the other way around, in the Delta near the mouth, rather than the source. Hence, swimming in the Black Sea (Friday morning still in the Northsea) and now 50 travel hours later, with a beautiful moon and stars in the Black Sea..!

September 13th-15th – Journey has started

Train travel from Amsterdam, via Vienna, Budapest to Bucharest. Despite the heavy rainfall in Austria, and emergency levels raised in many of the areas we’ve passed the journey went well. A glance of the Danube in Budapest. A special welcome committee welcomed us at Bucharest Nord train station: Iulia from WWF, Adrian who we’ve met in Austria and Valentin who I’ve met in Brussels and who works for Romanian Waters with his colleague. A nice morning walk to have our first impressions of Bucharest and stretch our legs after the sitting marathon. Now in the bus to Jurilovca with a group of 27 scientists from BOKU one of the leading partners of DANUBE4all. On our way we will be crossing the Danube. Curious to see the state of the river there. Can’t wait till swimming in the Black Sea, my premier. On Friday morning we swam in the Northsea with a full rainbow. What a blessing after swimming here every day this past Summer, we will miss her. We will bring openness to our upcoming journey along the Danube Delta and River. Very excited what may come!