http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Romania , Transilvania , Brasov , Brasov en-us Fri, 24 May 2013 15:38:54 +0000 Fri, 24 May 2013 15:38:54 +0000 Last day in Brasov. Had a bit of a lie in since our train didn39t leave until 930pm and we didn39t have to check out till midday. So we walked to the train station to get out sleeper train tickets. It was 270 Lei each for a 3 person sleeper carriage to Budapest. So about 50 each. Then we just wandered around Brasov. We went to the mall near the train station which was pretty boring http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-711544.html So Rachel and I got up at 545am to head to Heathrow airport for our 820am flight.Had breakfast at the airport and then got served the same breakfast on the flight which Rachel woke me up for so I started the trip grumpy.No problems at immigration both entering on our NZ passports no need for a visaNow we wanted to go to Brasov. So we asked at information but because my Romanian accent is shit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-710899.html En ce qui a trait nos bagages le premier gros dfi que je me suis rendu compte qu39on allait avoir souvent est celui d39embarquer dans un train. 2 gros sacs dos 2 moyens sacs dos Nellie puis une poussette plie transporter dans un petit couloir troit avec des passagers de chaque ct c39est pas vident. Je me suis vir de bord aprs avoir forc mon passage tr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-707571.html Well it39s been a few weeks since I updated this and mercifully Robbie39s much better at uploading Fotos than I am so now I39ve got about a million pictures to pull on for this update. Anyways the past few weeks have been idly spent in Belgium which is mercifully less interesting and therefore less taxing on my writing skills. Short answer I wrote a paper and slept in sunlight for http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-704151.html Romania was very pretty. I went skiing for the first time and fell a little. We also went on tubes. It was very fun. We also went to Dracula39s fake castle. It was very nice. We also went into a palace. I saw cute dogs and cats at the hostel and it was very fun. Sofia After f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-696187.html After yet another midnight bus from Sofia to Bucharest it was time to finally catch a train something that was at the top of our to do list from the start of this mini trip. So after an overpriced taxi ride from the bus stop to the train station in some random guys car we were off to Brasov.Brasov is a small city situated in the state of Transylvania yes the home of Dracula the largest r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-680296.html We headed south. Then east. Then West. Camping is free in Romania. This means if you want to find an actual campsite you have to know where one is. A six year old Lonely Planet is probably not the best source of information and this is what we had.We drove through Sibiu couldnt find the campsite.Couldn39t find the campsite in Curtea de Arges either and the campsite another 50ks down th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-660956.html After crossing the busy Romanian border crossing busy for lorries not for us fortunately we headed north for a stopover in Romanias Capital Bucharest. The guide books didnt say too much to write home about Bucharest but we had to go through it anyway so seemed sensible to stop. Bucharest is a clash of old and new. Ceauescu the last communist dictator raised a lot of Bucharest http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-656673.html Our preconceptions of Romania were not all good grey tower blocks orphaned children and brutal dictators. And yet here we are in Brasov Romania and it seems all wrong. The buildings are old but restored and often beautiful. The children are noisy well dressed well fed and would not look out of place on Minehead promenade. Not sure about the politics but the economy is clearly doing OK http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-654815.html A day with no Florin means we got to sleep late. Still up by 830am and hit the road at 10am. I did not do any yoga this day. The plan was to take a cab to St. Bartholomew39s church then walk to the nearby bus station to catch the number 20 bus to Poina Brasov. We found a very friendly cab driver who spoke English. He said he would wait for us while we were at the church then would tak http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-652988.html Got up at 7am hit snooze which cut into my yoga time did a bit of stretching and we were ready when Florin got here at 8am. Only Carrie and I for this trip ... we are the only ones who feel up to 1480 steps up and back down at Poenari. As Florin promised the scenery was breathtakingBran valley ... mountains surrounding lush green fields with farm houses. Sometimes a single lonely house up in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-652987.html I slept very well woke up a few times but only enough to check the time then right back to sleep. I got up at 700 and did some yoga in my room room is a bit cramped for the yoga mat but workable. Leslie went to the supermarket I wrote for a bit yesterday39s journal entry and Linda and Carrie followed their usual morning travel routine now that it is 9am it is time to head out for a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-651368.html Rooming with Leslie means early rising. She woke up at 630 and opened the drapes. I got up at 7 and did some yoga while she went for a walk. It39s a very pretty day warm with blue sunny skies so I started on the balcony but the concrete was a bit hard I moved inside for floor poses. Leslie came back and at 815 we headed out together. We walked to Old City which was complete http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-650928.html Brasov is located in virtually the centre of Romania 176km north of Bucharest. The city is in Transylvania and surrounded by the Carpathian mountains and as a result it provides a mix of amazing mountain scenery and German Medieval history in the old town.Brasov is the most visited town in Transylvania and it was packed when I was there in August as a result it is a little more expensive than o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-637833.html An easy and worthwhile daytrip from Brasov is to Sinaia which lies conveniently on the train line to Bucharest. Like Brasov it is surrounded by the Carpathian mountains making it a perfect setting for the beautiful Peles Castle. From the castle it is a short walk to the monastery through a wooded area with sounds of a stream nearby and also a man playing the pipes. Vendors sold grilled c http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-631179.html The overnight train from Budapest to Romania was pretty nice and the bathrooms were spotless. I had a two person sleeper that I shared with a very nice Romanian woman although there wasn39t much room in the cabin. The train line went from Budapest to Bucharest but I got off in Brasov a beautiful town in Transylvania. Also on the train line was Deva and but we stopped there in the middle o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-629943.html Romania Romania Romania.... Just BEAUTIFULWe have had the most amazing time there. It is a shame we had not booked to stay longer as the country was gorgeousWe got up to get the 545am taxi from Ruse crossing the Danube and travelled to Bucharest. Arriving at about 8am we wandered through the town to find our hostel. We felt like we were back in London. It was lovely. Grand buildings mal http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-615543.html So having arranged accomodation through couchsurfing again I arrived in Brasov with an address scribbled down on a piece of paper that thankfully the third taxi driver recognised. Soon there after I found myself on a student campus in a dormitory with my English host Sophie a nice English girl from Weymouth. Her Romanian roommates had gone home for the university break so she had decided she http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-581290.html Days 2 3 BrasovAfter our enchanting night at the Loft of Heartache we headed on to Brasov Romania. httpwww.romaniatourism.combrasov.htmlBrasov is one of the seven walled citadels populated by the Saxons of Transylvania which were known in German as the Siebenbrgen seven boroughs.Brasov is a lovely town with traditional foods and artwork reflecting both its Romanian and German roots http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-543123.html BrasovBeck and I arrived in Brasov on the night train and made our way to the hostel where Beck was staying and promptly fell asleep for a few hours because we were so tired after the train It took us a while to find the hostel so loads of local people in the main square were helping us none of them had a clue either But eventually we found it no receptionist a wierd old man let us in the do http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/Transilvania/Brasov/Brasov/blog-535464.html