By the time this blog appears in your email we should be back in Europe and ready to return to the road (where did the last three months go ?). A bit of a “one off” blog in that it’s mostly about our time away from the road so if you’re expecting exotic pictures and tales from Europe you’d best wait till next week. That said, we’ve had the most wonderful summer and managed to catch up with many ( but certainly not all ) of our friends and ( Canadian ) family. What follows are some highlights of our time back in Kelowna – more a “friends and family” update this time as opposed to our normal travel journal, but we’ll be back to the Europe pics and stories next week.
First up, lots of time with our granddaughter!
A friend’s retirement party provided a rare opportunity to catch up with dozens of old colleagues – all at once ( thanks Laura ! ). We have reconnected with other old friends and we’ve also done some travel within BC, taking an opportunity to visit Lois’s brother, Mark ( and his wife ) in beautiful Comox on Vancouver Island. All in all, a wonderful time with everyone – more boats, bars, bikes and beaches than we can remember ! Here is a selection of pics:
Canada Day festivities.Neighbourhood block party.Kelowna Golf Club with old colleagues, Dale and Ernie and their wives.An evening with good friends, Sue and Darrell at their cabin in Vernon.Lois, Mark, Dawn on the pier in Campbell River, Vancouver Island.A sunset on Vancouver island.Lois taking the helm.Lois reeled in the biggest fish of a successful day – this ( almost 20 lb ) Chinook salmon…!Caught up with old friend, Norm, while visiting family on Vancouver island. He and his family had relocated to “the island” a few years ago.
In addition to all the visiting, we were also delighted to receive a visit from Kym and Lyn Bolton, an Australian couple who have overlanded much of the world, most recently shipping their Fuso 4×4 from Australia to North America where they will travel for 12 months before shipping on to Europe. It was delightful to have them with us – Kym had been a big part of the inspiration for us taking our van to Japan, a country they had travelled to with theirs just a few months before us. Kym builds overlanding vehicles in Australia ( https://aav4x4.com.au/ ) – they make a great product and quite a few of our neighbours were admiring their rig parked in our driveway.
Kym and Lyn Bolton, Aussie Overlanders who stopped over with us.Like I said, they’ve done most corners of the globe !We met Kym at a camping show back in Australia.
On a slightly different note we were delighted to be introduced to Alex and Nadja, a couple that met us through a mutual friend and who are very keen to get into overlanding in future. A wonderful evening was spent sharing all our tips and answering many questions; what vehicle, diesel or gasoline, which route, how to insure, the intricacies of shipping, need for carnets, and so forth. Wonderful to be able to share what we have learned and to reciprocate with others the information that we sought when we started this lifestyle back in May, 2019 ( oh my god – 6 years already ! )
Alex and Nadja, picking our overlanding brains while out for dinner in Kelowna.
Continuing the info sharing theme, good friends, Charlie and Penny introduced us to Kevin and Mandy (their neighbours) who are part way through a van build themselves and wanted some perspective and opinion on our own experience – again, a wonderful afternoon spent sharing tips and advice. Not sure we’ll ever be able to repay the many folks who similarly guided us but we feel we are getting there !
Mandy and Kev’s Sprinter. Beginning the conversion process.With Mandy and Kevin.
Two birthdays were celebrated – our granddaughter, Hadley’s 2nd and my 64th ( yes, Lois and the kids took very good care of me ). Also picked up a few parts required for some minor repairs in the van ( unsurprisingly, imperial fittings are scarce in metric Europe ) and made arrangements to have our brakes done on arrival in Amsterdam – 102,000kms on the original pads, pretty good, I thought, all things considered. News wise, we’ve been as gripped as any by the unfolding events in the Middle East – perhaps more so, in fact, since it’s one overland route we are considering after southern Europe. Encouraged to see some semblance of normality returning in the past 2 months after a violent June. Let’s hope the peace holds 🙏.
Biking around Wood Lake with good friends, Sue and Darrell. First long ride on an E-bike ( so much fun !).Wrapped up our last week in Kelowna with Mike and Aurora and family – on a gorgeous Okanagan day.Ditto.One last day at the lake….we will miss it !
In the last few days of our time at home it’s been busy; cleaning house, packing and, of course, some preliminary planning. Vehicle insurance has been reactivated , medical insurance re-started and so forth. There’s also been some preliminary route planning – I say preliminary because we are always flexible and often change our plans . Just the way we roll…! There’s a little trepidation at returning while it’s still high season in Europe, we know it’s extremely busy in quite a few places- our plan is simply to avoid major tourist locations until September.
Fussen itself is picturesque but the big draw at the south end of the Romantic Road is unquestionably the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. Absolutely stunning, and well worth going out of our way to see it. The story behind it is fascinating, along with the tragedy of the king that built it. I’ll leave the following pictures to document our route north on the ”Romantische Strasse” ( as it’s known in Germany ) but a few favourite spots on the route ( to the surprise of no one who has travelled it ) would include Dinklesbuhl, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Wurzburg itself. If you ever imagined what it would have been like to live, and/or travel through the Germany of centuries past, this road is a must. I’ll confess to originally thinking that it was a bit of a kitschy tourist gimmick, but it absolutely is not; rather, it’s a well connected route which pulls together some of Germany’s most beautiful and historic sights in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. It’s world class and Bavaria is just beautiful everywhere you look – we were so glad to have taken this detour for a few days on our way out of Germany.
Fussen, GermanyEn route to the Romantic Road.First stop, Neuschwanstein Castle.Up close ! The guided tour took about an hour but no pictures were allowed inside 🙁The castle, in all its glory.Great views of Bavaria from the castle, including another castle ( just over Lois’s shoulder ).One can’t get lost on the Romantic Road, just follow the signs !Dinklelsbuhl.Dinkelsbuhl.So tough to resist this….it’s everywhere !Rothenburg o d Tauber.Rothenburg is famous for its Christmas items. Selection is huge !Rothenburg.Rothenburg.Fortress Marienberg, Wurzburg.Beautiful Wurzburg, the northern end of the Romantic Road.For some reason everyone was on the main bridge drinking wine when we visited – like, everyone ! Wurzburg.Wurzburg Residenz.
The last place we wanted to see ( and had time for ) in Germany was Nuremberg. Just slightly off the Romantic Road (so not too far off our path) this city has a long history and ( sadly for Nurembergers ) was heavily associated with the Nazi era. It was here that many of Hitler’s largest rallies were held, that some of the classic Nazi films were shot, and perhaps appropriately, was the scene of the famous Nuremberg Trials, where, between 1946 and 1949 top Nazi leaders were prosecuted. As a World War II buff, I simply could not pass up this opportunity, especially to see the very scene of the Nuremberg Trials.
The wonderful city of Nuremberg provides secure, flat, convenient campervan parking close to the city. Three days, free of charge. Predictably it’s often full !Sebalduskirche ( church ), Nuremberg.Covered bridge, Nuremberg.
It was moving to actually stand today in the very courtroom where the scales of justice were applied to such hideous crimes committed by such truly evil leaders. It’s very well laid out with intricate and graphic detail telling the whole history of the trials and the court. One thing I learned that I did not know – why this particular courtroom, number 600, chosen for the trials ? Apparently, this was the very room where Hitler conducted sham trials for political opponents and other undesirables during the 1930’s. Perhaps fitting then, that some victor‘s justice might be meted out in the very same room.
Nuremberg Trials court, Nuremberg.“The” courtroom ( 600 ), where surviving senior Nazi’s were tried and sentenced ( many to hang ).A picture ( of a picture ) of senior Nazi’s on the defendants bench during the trial.
Of course, there is lots of other history, famous food, and some beautiful architecture in Nurenberg, which we explored. It’s a tradition to try Nuremberg sausages and bratwurst – delicious I might add !
From Nuremburg, one long day along the autobahn got us to the outskirts of Amsterdam. Here we found a wonderful rural campsite where we could relax, do some overdue van cleaning and preparation before putting the vehicle in storage nearby. This all worked out well and we felt fortunate to find what seems like excellent storage in a secure covered facility just outside the city.
Just outside Wurzburg we overnighted in probably the best camping spot we’d stayed at in Germany. A small inn offered up its flat gravel parking lot, and use of facilities for the princely sum of 5€ ( less than $6 US ). Baumhof Tenne, Marktheidenfeld.Rural camping, just outside Amsterdam, gave us the chance to clean and pack before storing the van. A delightful spot.All packed, all cleaned, the van was put into storage here just outside Amsterdam. We were very fortunate to get affordable, secure, covered parking so close to a major city ( from which we could fly home ).
We will explore Amsterdam in more detail upon our return, but for now we have an airport to run to, a flight to catch, our kids to reunite with and of course, a very special granddaughter that we have not seen for almost 4 months . If you’ve been with us for the past few months, thanks for tagging along, we enjoy sharing the experience with those who are interested in the region and those who we know are contemplating bringing a vehicle to Europe. Hopefully the information we’ve provided along the way has been of some help. If you have any specific questions in that regard, feel free to send me a note via the website, I’ll have plenty of time to answer in the months ahead.
In the meantime enjoy your summer and we will connect again in late August !
Bosnia lies just above Montenegro and while it has many more attractions our plan was just to visit historic Mostar and revisit ( even more historic ) Sarajevo. Mostar ( and Sarajevo ) were heavily damaged in the Balkans war and evidence of that conflict is still very visible on many buildings. Sadly, Mostar’s famous bridge was directly bombed in the conflict, but, while completely destroyed at the time, it was later painstakingly restored to all its former glory. The place is an absolute magnet for tourists and probably one of the busiest towns we have visited. It was literally difficult to walk down the streets…! In Mostar you just got the unmistakable vibe that Bosnia right now is an “in” destination.
Building damaged during Balkans war – many still visible.Mostar, bridge in the background.Mostar’s famous bridge.Selfie, Mostar.
Just a few very scenic hours drive north of Mostar is Sarajevo. Yes, you remember it from the beautiful winter Olympics in 1984, followed less than a decade later by a bloody civil war that led to the loss of many lives and destruction of much of the city. It was, however an event in Sarajevo in 1914, probably more than most people realize that shaped the world as we know/knew it in 20th century. It is often described as the “shot that rang out around the world” – here, in June 1914, a young Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, precipitating events that led to the First World War, and by extension, ultimately to the Second World War . One shot, by one angry guy. It was humbling to stand beside the Roman Bridge on the very spot where the assassination took place and to think about how differently the world might be today had that single event not occurred – and, of course, how many lives were ultimately lost as a result of it.
The rivers and lakes en route to Sarajevo were a most vibrant green. The water was crystal clear.Roman ( or Latin ) Bridge, Sarajevo – the very spot where the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne set the world on course for what became World War 1.Commemorative stone at the bridge.Gazi Husrev-beg mosque, Sarajevo. Built in 1532 by the Ottomans, still largest mosque in Bosnia.Stari Grad ( historic ) Sarajevo. The wooden fountain ( Sebilj) is from the 18th century.
Sarajevo offers much more than just a historic bridge though, and is often described as a meeting place between east and west (given its history). The square, its mosques, its churches, its food – the place just oozes with sights and experiences. Again, great weather helped and we enjoyed both these places in glorious sunshine ( albeit among thousands of other visitors ).
Dividing line between east and west Sarajevo. Behind me is the western ( European) side, Looking east, the Ottoman influenced area.Plenty to remind visitors about the war and it’s impact.
Leaving Sarajevo, we simply took a generally direct route out of Bosnia, briefly across eastern Croatia and on into Hungary. Perhaps appropriate that our next two stops were Budapest and Vienna ( Austria), capitals of the very same Austro-Hungarian empire that collapsed at the at the end of WW1. Princip could not have possibly realized that his single bullet might have had such impact, it ultimately brought down an empire.
Crossing into Croatia from Bosnia. Long line, long wait and more thorough checks as Croatia is a frontier country in the EU.
Despite the empire falling its two great cities very much remain – Budapest and Vienna ( each on the Danube ) have to rank among Europe’s most beautiful. One can walk for hours on end ( and we did ) just exploring historic streets, buildings and other sights, and/or savouring their culinary delights. In both places it was almost sensory overload ! Budapest, right on the Danube, was packed with several Danube cruise boats docked so had a tremendous vibe. That, along with the great sights, and the weather as well as the opportunity to reconnect with with a Hungarian couple we crossed paths with on the Pan American trip ( in Peru ) made for a very memorable stay.
Wonderful to reunite with Balint and Timi, a young Hungarian couple who we crossed paths with in South America ( and almost again in New Zealand ). They live in Budapest.One of many parks in Budapest.And another, with a fountain.Majestic House of Parliament, Budapest. Right on the Danube.Selfie, on a Danube bridge.Multiple Danube River cruise boats were docked in Budapest the day we were there so the city was full of tourists.
Only a four hour drive west of Budapest lies Vienna, steeped in history ( be it musical, artistic, political or economic ) this centre of the old Austrian-Hungarian empire and home of the Habsburg’s could occupy a visitor for weeks. We had a couple of days and checked out some old haunts as well as places we’d not seen before. We took advantage of their super Metro day pass to explore as much as we could in the two days we were there. It’s quite likely we will pass through Vienna again, and we have no problem doing so. It’s just an amazingly beautiful city.
First stop in Vienna, one of their famous downtown cafe’s. The cake was spectacular !Hofburg Palace, Vienna.Maria Theresien Platz, Vienna.Majestic ‘Rathaus’, or town hall, Vienna.An unmistakeable symbol of Vienna, St Stephen’s cathedral.Stunning inside as well.Famed Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, had his research centre in Vienna and tracked down many infamous Nazi’s. As they are all dead now it’s become a holocaust study centre. It offers a fascinating glimpse into his life and the process by which he tracked down so many of them.A fascinating place to visit. His life story is amazing.Ditto. This was actually a nice break after so many castles and church’s !
Leaving Vienna, we pulled one very long day drive to get across to the small town of Fussen, in Bavaria, Germany. Fussen is the starting point for perhaps Germany‘s most famous road, which we will explore in our last blog before flying home to Canada for a 3 month break.
It was a very pretty drive just getting to Fussen from Vienna – the best would follow though.
Our travels in the former Yugoslavia back in 1990 were brief but did take us up through the bigger cities in Serbia so on our route back to northern Europe we sought to drive around it this time. From Romania, that meant swinging southwest down to Bulgaria then heading more or less less directly north through Macedonia and Kosovo before going west to Montenegro and then Bosnia. Perhaps we were given misleading advice but it was also strongly suggested to us that visiting Kosovo might cause problems entering Serbia ( Serbia being one of just a handful of nations that still do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state ). One thing you learn quickly in these parts is to get your politics ( and historical figures ) straight – don’t mention just “Macedonia” to the Greeks ( it’s got to be North Macedonia ! ) and never forget where Alexander the Great came from ( claimed by several countries in the region !).
Map
Leaving Romania one drives through pretty countryside to the southwest before crossing the Danube ( by ferry in our case – though I did ask Lois if it might count as that Danube “cruise” she has always wanted. Yes, you know the answer 😊 ). Both Romania and Bulgaria are now in the EU and as such part of the Schengen border control which means there should’ve been no border at all between them. While it was rather perfunctory ( and super friendly ), there was a control in place but we we were only stopped briefly. In northern Europe, no stops at all.
Arriving at the Bulgarian border post ( barge/ferry terminal ). A very warm welcome there !
Sofia was to be our only Bulgarian stop and then really only because it fell right in our path, but it was certainly worthwhile for the day we spent there exploring its sights. Like Bucharest, another city with some interesting history, beautiful buildings, upscale neighbourhoods and wide boulevards, but unfortunately also blighted by much litter, horrendous graffiti, and gardens that were simply unattended. It’s not to suggest that you don’t see graffiti in other areas of Europe, you do, but not to the extent you see it here. It was very sad to see such disrespect for historical property.
Impressive St Alexander Nevski cathedral, Sofia.The lady herself, Sofia, after whom the city was named.Typical of Sofia’s leafy pedestrian boulevards.One need not look far for remnants of the communist eraGuards, downtown Sofia buildingAnother historic church in the orthodox style.Walk behind the leafy boulevards and you see this everywhere .It was everywhere, probably the worst we have seen in Europe so far..
From Sofia it’s only a few hours west to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, a country which, along with Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia peeled off from the former Yugoslavia after the conflicts in the 1990’s. The politics, as a result, can be a little tortuous and while tensions still simmer in places there is not ( as far as we know ) any remaining military conflict. Our passage through both Macedonia and Kosovo was brief, we enjoyed what we saw and the people we met were again, unfailingly helpful and curious ( more than once we were asked what on earth we were doing there !!!! ). I mention friendly again – here is what I mean; leaving Pristina we stopped at a fuel station to get some diesel before crossing to Montenegro. All three employees, on seeing our van and the unusual plates, came out to meet us. One spoke fluent English, so asked about our trip and translated for the other two who seemed absolutely enthralled by what we had done and where we had been. It was actually difficult to leave! One insisted on wiping down our dirty windshield while the other filled the van with diesel and the other talked to us the whole time. Before we could leave, he dragged me to the drink machine and insisted I take two drinks with us courtesy of them – one for Lois and one for myself. Of course I politely refused, thanked him anyway, but that went absolutely nowhere. No way were we leaving before we took a couple of drinks “on the house”, and their best wishes for a safe onward journey. It’s not quite always to that extent but It’s the kind of experience we’ve had from people in this area over and over again, which truly makes for a warm welcome. They have been through such difficult times and now seem happy and content with their independence.
Insurance at the Macedonian border ( expensive here ). As it’s outside the EU our green card is not valid, but it was fast and easy. We had to do this in Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia as well.“City camping”, Skopje, Macedonia. Options were limited for bigger vehicles so we stayed here. A secure car wash, fenced and guarded. The owner is a former Macedonian special forces soldier – we felt safe even if it was not the most glamorous of our stays !!Skopje straddles the Vardar River.Old town, bazaar area, SkopjeDittoDittoRemnants of the city walls, SkopjeWarrior statue, Macedonia Square.An imitation of Paris’ Arc de Trionphe, or so it appeared. Macedonia Gate.Iconic Stone Bridge, Skopje. It’s old, built on Roman foundations back in the 1450’s.
In truth, save for a few sights ( see pics above and below ) there’s not much to bring you to Macedonia or Kosovo and had they not been the only way to get us to Montenegro and Bosnia it’s not likely we would have even visited. It was quite funny, in Pristina, when I asked what the major attraction was – “Biill Clin-ton” came the unexpected answer. Bill Clinton ?Apparently the former president pushed through a vote at some important stage in a UN meeting that helped the Kosovo people in their push for independence. In any case, the guy is absolutely revered in Kosovo with a wide boulevard (named ) and a large statue (built ) in his honour. While Pristina was short on top tier sights, it did offer us a wonderful camp spot, shared with a delightful Dutch couple also travelling in the Balkans – the grounds of the Hotel Gracanica were truly a refuge for us in what was otherwise a rather chaotic city.
They revere Bill Clinton in Kosovo.Not just a statue but a main boulevard named in his honour. Perhaps that’s the Kosovo spelling for “Clinton”.Camped here while in Pristina. A big step up from the previous park-up in Skopje !Hotel Gracanica, the spot everyone camps at in Pristina. Paradise !Last fill up in Pristina, got the royal treatment and even parting gifts !
The one country here we were really excited to visit ( to the extent we probably rushed the former two in order to spend more time there ) was Montenegro. Far more like northern Europe than its neighbours, seemingly wealthier and more developed, it is also stunningly beautiful. Its coastline includes the world famous Bay of Kotor ( a cruise ship magnet ) and the hip coastal towns of Budva annd Sveti Stefan. What was especially interesting ( and very scenic ) though was our entry into the country from Kosovo. A steep climb up, over and then down the border range during which time we connected with a group of foreign, ( mostly Canadian ) cyclists. We were all getting stamped in at the border together and the Canadians in the group ( on a 2 week cycling trip through to Albania ) could not resist checking out the van with BC ( Canadian ) plates. Anyway, a fun chat ensued, and some photo ops along with the usual travellers tips. One of the cyclists was actually from Vernon, Lois’s home town ( small world ! ). Even though we plan to return to Montenegro later this summer we still could not resist exploring a bit more now, such was its appeal. The Bay of Kotor, crowded as it was ( a large cruise ship was in ) and postcard-like Sveti Stefan were particular highlights. We both agreed that this is one country we really look forward to revisiting !
Crossed paths with a bunch of mostly Canadian cyclists on the Montenegro border. They were shocked to see a Canadian van there.Scenery on the way from the Kosovo border to Montenegro.Montenegro coast, iconic Sveti Stefan.Montenegro coast near Budva.Castle walls, Kotor, Montenegro.Cruise ship, Bay of Kotor.Morning tea break driving around the Bay of Kotor.One of many tiny islands in the Bay of Kotor. Part of Our Lady of the Rocks island One of our best park-ups, on the marina, Risan, Bay of Kotor.At the Risan Marina we connected with 3 other overlanders – two from Korea, one from China. All had driven across Russia and Mongolia to reach Europe overland. Hipno’s waterfront restaurant, Risan, Bay of Kotor.Sun setting on Risan marina and village. One of our favourite spots.
We’d both heard nothing but good things about Romania from all of the folks we knew who had been there. That, plus the fact that it was completely virgin territory had us really looking forward to its offerings. While it did not start so well, it quickly improved and we absolutely loved it.
First night in Romania – after a bit of a challenge to find it we eventually located the Bobota Monastery, a popular wild camping spot near Satu Mare. Safe, flat, and quiet ( always our top three criteria, but scenic as well ).Downtown Cluj Napoca.
Cluj Napoca is a lively university town famed for its historic old town and the nearby “Salt Mine” ( Salina Turda ). Not a top destination for us per se but it fell right along our planned route so we decided it was worth a look. Here we came up against one of the rare shortcomings of the “Park4Night” app which had served us very well so far. Recommendations for where to park are compiled by previous camper users which updates the app – we chose a great spot close to the old town. Sadly, some users do NOT state that they are driving very small vans ( in some cases even just cars ! ) and the “highly recommended” area was both very full and the spaces way too small for even our small campervan. Other nearby options were equally cramped so the only choice was just to drive through the old town ( quaint, from what we saw anyway ! ) and on to the Turda salt mine just outside Cluj.
Parking was impossible here !!!Who would have imagined a “salt mine” could be so interesting. This one was.The “time-tunnel” like entrance was a bit eery but did provide dramatic impact. Thirteen stories high ( low ? ), or deep and cavernous once at the bottom.Apparently great acoustics as well !
From others we spoke with ( and several Romanians we met ) Sibiu, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bran castle and Bucharest were some of the most popular and impressive destinations so we built our intinerary around them. Arguably the crown jewel in Romania, Braşov, gave us a bit of Sibiu, a bit of Sighisoara and tossed in famed Bran castle to boot – in fact, all were beautiful, exceeding our somewhat managed expectations for Romania. Absolutely perfect travel weather the whole time we were there just added to the appeal.
Historic Saint Mary Evangelical Cathedral, Piata Huet, Sibiu.Grand Square, Sibiu.Piata Mica, Sibiu.Old town, Sighisoara.You always know what part of Romania you are in…..….and see regular reference to Dracula ( Dracul ) !Backstreets, Sighisoara.A restaurant we ate in, Sighisoara. Loved the umbrellas.Castle ruins,, Rupea, near Brasov. Many such ruins dot the countryside here.
To the above list we added Romania’s famous Transfagarasan, a scenic high mountain road made famous by legendary British motoring journalist, Jeremy Clarkson ( Top Gear ), who deemed it the “most impressive road in the world”. High praise indeed and with an endorsement like that we felt it worth a small detour. Click on the link below to see how stunning this road “was” and might one day be again, but for now it is closed in the middle leaving the best bits off limits ( or certainly from the north side that we approached from ). It was certainly high, green, and generally scenic but the switchbacks we drove ( quite a few ) were not quite as stunning as the video. Hopefully someday it will re-open.
Driving the “full” Transfagarasan. Sadly, one can no longer do this.Typical Transfagarasan scenery.
There were two nice consolation prizes of sorts – getting to the Transfagarasan took us via some bucolic rural roads giving us a taste of the Romania of yore, while some very fortunate European bear sightings created great delight for ourselves and the other motorists fortunate enough to see them. Definitely lifted our spirits after not being able to completely drive the full Transfagarasan.
We’d seen so many moose warnings in Finland and Norway ( and never saw a single moose ) that we were sceptical of the bear warning sign. Not 5 minutes later we came upon them !And there they were !Bonus for taking the Transfagarasan, even to the half way point ( end of the road now ) – brown bear sightings !Farmer driving a horse and cart. We saw quite a few of these in the remote rural areas when we ventured off the highway.
If there is doubt ( and there certainly is ) that Count Dracula in fact ever visited Bran castle, the good folks in Bran are not letting the facts get in the way of a great story; Bran castle is a local legend gone global. This impressive castle attracts visitors from all over the world and the line up to get in stretched for blocks – and that was early in the day, well outside high season. While less impressive inside than out, the position of the castle high on a rocky outcrop, its dark tones, and its unmistakable “Dracula-like” appearance make for a worthy visit – its setting is definitely impressive. Between the ambience of Braşov town itself and the sight of nearby Bran castle, Braşov probably took the nod for our favourite place in Romania. As always, the people you meet ( and sometimes the place you stay ) add to the appeal and for us Braşov was a winner on both counts.
Old town Brasov. It was a holiday when we were there. The place was packed.Main square, Brasov.Black church, Brasov.Brasov from a higher viewpoint. Very reminiscent of places in Italy when viewed from above.Bran castle, supposedly Dracula’s lair……..hmmmmm ?Inside the castle.Some of the torture weapons !Even had real hidden passages !
At this point we’d gone as far east in Romania as planned so turned south towards the capital, Bucharest. While it does have some wide boulevards, leafy suburbs, and notably, the Ceausescu-era monstrosity that is now the Palace of Parliament, Bucharest is just not the kind of capital that otherwise captivated us. The graffiti, the litter, and unkempt parks were just a bit of a turn off and detracted from what otherwise might have been a much more appealing place. Our encounters here with locals though, were amazing – in Bucharest and elsewhere. Curious as to where we were from, excited that we’d come so far to visit and falling all over themselves helpful anytime we asked for assistance ( we often did ). Truly delightful to deal with – we also found the food great, and enjoyed some of the best beers and coffee so far ( always a good barometer of a county’s appeal !).
Busteni, a pretty resort town near Bucharest. The mountainous scenery in Romania was always a great backdrop. Reminded us of Banff.Water fountains, Boulevard Unirii, Bucharest.Carol 1 Univesity, Bucharest. In places Bucharest seemed like Paris….but only in places !Now the Palace Of Parliament, legacy of former dictator, Nocolae Ceausescu.I mentioned the friendliness we experienced – here we camped outside Bucharest and the owner of the business allowed us to wash our van AND use the washer and dryer at our leisure ( such things were not always easy to find ). He provided all kinds of other help and support that we needed as well. It was typical of what we experienced. The Romanians we spoke to were all very happy to be “in” the EU now, and the country is developing very quickly.Well, not exactly the Danube “cruise” I promised Lois ( one day ! ) but we did cross the Danube on a barge as we left for Bulgaria !
Having reached this point in our journey the decision now was which route to take back to Northern Europe ( it is here that we will store the car for three months while we return to Canada for the summer ). But, more on that next blog.
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
