Monthly Archives: August 2011

30 August, 2011 I visited Săpânţa today, a village 18km from Sighet. There is no public transport there, but my hostel suggested hitch-hiking. I met two other guests who had done it with no problem. Apparently it is a recognised … Continue reading →

28-29 August, 2011 Sighetu Marmaţiei (or Sighet to the locals) is just over the Tisa River border with the Ukraine. I got here by train, an eight and a half hour marathon from Cluj with 2 changes. A bus might … Continue reading →

26-27 August, 2011 Cluj-Napoca is the traditional capital of the province of Transylvania. The former name was Cluj (or Klausenburg in German, Kolozsvár in Hungarian). The Napoca was added by the Romanian Communist government to acknowledge the old Roman name … Continue reading →

24-26 August, 2011 I am now in Sighişoara  (Schässburg in German, Segesvár in Hungarian), heartland of Transylvania. The region has a substantial minority of Hungarian speakers, and has had a significant German population in its history (and up to the … Continue reading →

Monday 22 August, 2011 Today I went on a day trip to Sinaia (supposedly named after a pilgrimage to Mt. Sinai by a city bigwig in the middle ages), one hour by train, to see Peles, the castle built by Carol … Continue reading →

Sunday 21 August, 2011 My hostel is called “Jugend Stube” on Michael Weiss Street. Entry is through the Sex Shop. No, not really. But almost. Just outside the old city walls, I visited the White Tower and the Black Tower … Continue reading →

Saturday 20 August, 2011 Arrived in Braşov after 3 hour train ride from Bucharest. After boasting about my success at finding my digs so easily in Bucharest, I have to admit I didn’t do so well here. I took well … Continue reading →

18-19 August, 2011 Most of the places I have travelled to on this trip have struck me as conservative and family-oriented, backpacker hostels notwithstanding. Even Sofia. But arriving in Bucharest in the late evening I sense I have come to … Continue reading →

17 August, 2011 “I’m waitin’ for my train…18 leva in my hand…it’s never early, it’s always late…the first thing that you learn is that you always gotta wait…” (apologies to Lou Reed & VU) The train to Bucharest, Romania was … Continue reading →