Romania is different to the rest of Europe, particularly in the South and Bucharest. Sighisoara is stunning, and the Torda Gorge gorgeous. We got rained out of Piatra Crailui National Park, so I will have to go back there someday.
One of the castles that sparked vampire legends in Transylvania
There’s a concerningly extensive infestation of Japanese knotweed in many places, I hope they can bring it under control before it takes over beyond remedy.
Romanian car, Romanian flag
My lovely cousin joined me in Bucharest, from where we meandered over days to Cluj Napoca by hire car. Hiring a car is inexpensive in Romania, but quite a lot more to go in one direction and to be fully insured. We learnt you should buy the insurance from the hire company, not booking.com, who’s insurance isn’t relevant so seems a bit scammy. My cuz will investigate return of funds.
The hire company (a name something like Posh Wagon) were lovely and didn’t query Baspie Dog jumping into the lovely free upgrade. Dacia cars are still made in Romania. We did cover the back seat for him.
A hilltop castle, a common occurrence Posing in Sighisoara Companion human getting Railway Dog to poseDrains often catch my eye, and this one’s eyes caught mine Tulips aren’t the national flower, but they were bloomin’ gorgeous everywhere we wentA disconcerted dog, one every other house, although we met many fewer stray dogs north of the Carpathians Romanian has a lot of French familiarity, and Italian tooComing up slowly behind a Roma horse and cart – familiar in central Romania, where they live in low linear villagesBulky boulders make a slot for a raised door or portcullisMy favourite door in all the world. A 1515 masterpiece of woodwork and ironworkThe doorThe complex multi directional locking system on the rear. They must have had a lot of valuablesA 5 member Roma family works in Germany and has built this huge and unusual couple of houses, opposite perplexed single story neighboursOn top of the Torda Gorge looking NorthDown in the Torda Gorge there are 4 such suspended bridges with amazing viewsThe limestone cliffs rise high aboveRocky watery gorgeousnessBirdsong was all around. I saw a buzzard elsewhere A still moment for the riverAncient people lived in the caves of the Torda Gorge, near Cheile TurziiA Polish couple we gave a lift to were popular with Baspie, and told me about the Camp Group campsite appJapanese knotweed taking over derelict and historic land across Romania, and occasionally spotted in Hungary and Poland too
Most of where we went you can get by train and public transport, just a lot slower. Trains in Romania rumble along forever.
Railway Dog 
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