80 Days Around The Globe

Day 6

1:00 PM 

From Bucharest we hired a phaeton to take us through the mountains into Greece.

"Florin," the driver announced abbruptly, sticking out his hand.

I shook it, though it was covered in oil and engine grease. 

"Get in," he said, jerking his thumb at the carriage. We did so, and he began the process of igniting the boiler inside the horse. (mechanical horse)

"Is there any way we can go faster?" I asked.

"You can't flog a mechanical horse," He answered solemnly, as though giving me a piece of hard earned wisdom.

"You can stoke it harder."

"Don't tell me my job," Florin retorted.

Then he released the handbrake, and we began to crawl up the road.

10:00 PM

We rode the first day in relative silence, watching the forests pass us by on either side.

I peered into their depths, glad of the decent road.

There must have been a time when travellers had to cut between the trees themselves!

Evening approached. "We can drive on through the night," Florin said, "or make camp and continue in the morning."

"Surely camping will lose us time?" 

"A little," he granted, "though i will have to drive slower in the dark."

"Drive all night!" I demanded.

"Very well!" the driver agreed, and we tried to sleep as the car rumbled and rocked its way onwards, though the dark, gaining us a few hours:.

It was not a comfortable ride for us, at least not for me.