This is a very long page and may take sometime to open

January 2006 Trip To Hungary And Romania

After our Easyjet flight from Bristol we arrived at Budapest but as we were starting to land another plane managed to slide off the runway. So up and away we went, to circle around to land on the other runway. On the way to the terminal, our plane passed the other plane, which had run a very small amount off the tarmac.

On leaving the airport we caught the No.93 bus, which took us to Kobanya-Kispest railway station. Kobanya-Kispest is south of Budapest on one of the main railway lines out of Budapest.

We had visited Budapest a few years ago when we did our 2200-mile (3000 km) trip from Venice to Tallinn the long way. On that trip we had found Budapest not to be our favorite stop so this time we missed it out.

From Kobanya-Kispest we took a train for about one-hour south/east to Cegled. We stayed in Cegled for four nights relaxing and had a couple of day trips: the first to Szolnok and the second to Kescemet. Kescemet was the most interesting of the two towns a few of photos that we took are on this page. Cegled contains both Tesco (Hungary largest private employer) and Lidl’s food stores, so the global village is increasing getting smaller all the time.

Some Of Our Photos From Cegled
 
 

Budapest had been picked back in August for the starting point of our holiday. Because of the free time that we seem to have at this time of year and as we almost always pay less than £20 for airtickets by booking early. Plus there is so many interesting places to go, away from the main tourist roots. These places have so much more to offer. After two or three days in Cegled we still had not decided which way to go. On enquiring at the railway station we found that the only night sleeper that stopped at Cegled was the “Corona” to Brasov in Romania, that seemed a better idea than changing trains a coulpe of stops down the line.

So the next day at 5pm our last day in Cegled we boarded the night sleeper named “Corona” for the 15 hour journey to Brasov which is in Romania. At this time of the year our sleeper coach was one of only two sleeper coaches of the seven car train and we were the only passengers in our car. As with the sleepers in Yugoslavia the only way to describe them is very dirty with clean white sheets but it does provide a safe place for our baggage. (the through sleepers from Austria are said to be a lot cleaner and expensive (Info @ www.seat61.com)

We arrived on Wednesday the 11th of January in Brasov. Before even getting off the platform we were offered taxis, rooms, baggage carriers, money changers. The best way to deal with this is not to talk even to each other and just get on with your business. In the station you encounter the gipsies: there are the good ones which we met later in the trip and the not so good ones. In the station the gipsy kids beg and -----, the best way to deal with these, if they will not go aways is to be very firm and if they still will not go away to raise your voice. We have a rule that nobody offering unsolicited services at station, airpots, etc. have a good deal for you. We automatically become dumb. Especially if they ask do you speak English/German etc. (there are exceptions to every rule)

After leaving the station we caught the number 4 bus to our prebooked accommodation in the old town. While staying in Brasov we went on a number of walks around the town. The old town square is picturesque with the Town Hall in the center. This is where the tourist information is. The best place we found to eat was the Blue Corner restaurant. It is a little hard to find so it is best to ask for directions. There is a chairlift in the town but regrettably it was not working during our visit.

On the third day there we took the train into the mountains- the ski towns of Sinaia and Predeal (Romania's Highest Town), And we were lucky- in the valley the sun hadn't been able to melt the snow off of the trees and this is why we were able to get some very pleasing photographs as well as have some picturesque walks that day.

  
   
   
   
   
 
Some Of Our Photos From Brasov & Sinaia
 
 

On the fourth day we boarded a train again. This time to what would turn out to be our favorite base in Romania- Sighisoara. Arriving at about 5pm there was no answer from our prebooked accommodation. A short walk along the street we came to the not so inviting Steaua hotel where the receptionist insisted on showing us the rooms. What a change a door can hide inside: a nice room- two doubles and nicely renovated all for £15 a night the best hotel of our stay and also the best town of our stay.

Regrettably almost no snow there so we spent the first day exploring the town. On the second day we took the early morning train to Sibiu. Sibiu will be the heritage capital in a few years time. So after a cold train ride we arrived to find most of the main areas of the town dug up and just left! On exploring we found a sign explaining it will take until November 2006 to complete the work (almost a year away). Why can this sort of work not be done in stages? So we left on the midday train back to Sighisoara. When completed Sibiu will be a very pleasant town to visit.

On the way back we had an hour to wait in Medias so into town to explore. Medias is the biggest town in the area between Sibiu and Sighisoara. We did not have enough time there so although the guidebooks do not mention Medias it is well worth a visit if you want to see bananas being sold in the open-air market at –10C. For some reason they are black in colour?

Next day it snowed. So out to take some photos. This lead us around the town and out into the surrounding area. Following a lane up through woodland and countryside we came on a gipsy village. This would turn out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The snow was still on the trees making it very beautiful for photos.

In the village some of the gipsies wanted to talk to us. One thing lead to another and after taking some photos and promising to bring them copies the next day we were invited in for a drink. You will not be surprised to hear it was homemade possibly 60%. We were given some apples to take home with us, the next day the procedure was repeated. Now back in the UK we have a Coca Cola bottle containing some of the strongest alcohol we have tasted and some pleasant memories from them two days. We plan to send them some more photos of our trip.

We were sad to leave Sighisoara on Friday. After saying good bye to the lady in the bread shop which opens from 6am till 9pm we jumped into a taxi less than £1 to the station and onto our train to Busteni, a quiet town in the mountains.

 
 
Some Of Our Photos From Sighisoara
 
     
   
 
Some Of Our Photos From Sibiu
 
   
Sadly our trip was nearing its end, so just three nights here. Saturday was spent walking and taking photos first at the monastery of Busteni and then into the mountains- again beautiful views and photos, on the way back we somehow managed to get into a high sided lane, with a blind corner and a car was streaming up towards us so quickly that climbing safe out of the way, but not being careful enough to get back down I slipped and as I was later to find out cracked the main bone in my right foot luckily not too far to hobble to a taxi and back to the hotel. As we were due to travel to Bucharest the next day to see a friend of mine that I had not seen for about four years and his new wife. So the only thing to do was to send out for a strong sweeping brush. So now I was mobile again.
 
   
Some Of Our Photos From Busteni
 
   

Sunday morning we caught the 06.45 train to Bucharest, arriving shortly before 9am in Bucharest. The railway station itself is the cleanest we found in Romania. So we spent the morning being driven around the city's wide streets and attractions. The two most interesting buildings for me were: The House of the People- the third largest building in the world after the Pentagon and Potala (info) and the headquarters of the Romanian architects. Lunch was at the Romanian restaurant called Mama a great place to eat and massive portions.

It is a pity that during the communist era most of the old town was destroyed but what remains contain some nice shops a few of which do not sell wedding dresses of all descriptions.

 
   
A Few Of Our Photos From Bucarest
 
   

Sadly Monday brought us even closer to leaving Romania. So after a morning walk in the hills (exercising the upside down brush and hobbling along) we boarded the 4pm train to Brasov ready for the 18.06pm night sleeper to Budapest. Possibly a good day to go as the forecast was for the weather to drop from –6C to-15C the next day.

Our train travelled on to Hungary with temperatures of –22 outside we were told. So next morning brought us to Budapest airport, and we flew with Sky Europe to our next destination Barcelona (Sky Europe is possibly our favorite low-cost airline (reasonable legroom, Sadly the complementary coffee is no more). (A way to check up on what others think of each airline is http://www.airlinequality.com/main/forum.htm)

We were later to learn of some bad news. As said earlier we had booked our flights to and from Budapest back in August with open plans, which had included possibly travelling through Yugoslavia and Bosnia to Bar in Montenegro again. If we had done this we would probably have been been booked on the night sleeper due to travel about 3 hours behind the ill fated train which left the rails near Podgorica in Montenegro on the 23rd/01/06. We understand killing 44 passengers. (This information we read from a Spanish paper, but we speak very limited Spanish and read almost no Spanish) so anyone with better info please e-mail us we would be very grateful.) Many thanks to the person who sent in the following link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4641278.stm

The reason that we had thought about returning to Bar is because of the beauty of the line in winter and crossing the highest rail bridge in the world once again. But this time we went to Romania instead to explore a new country for us and we are very happy that we did this.

Since our trip to Romania we have been to Barcelona, London and Tallinn So we will have some more reports on this site in the next few weeks. Please look back often if you are interested what we have to say about our travels.

Chris And Diana

 

webmasters www.web-500.com