ROAMIN' ROMANIA - A Slow Train Trip around Western Romania

......previously, we loved the countryside and nature in Azerbaijan..........

After our travels in Azerbaijan, we fancied a relaxing jaunt on some trains in a pleasant and easy country. We had flown into Budapest with Wizz Air, and Romania's border was nice and close - only a few hours train ride away. We had lovely memories of a pretty country with gorgeous landscapes and cute villages from our last visit, and we looked forward to seeing some new areas.

On the slow train, Romania

We had a good old go at covering much of South-Western Romania, with many different regions being represented on our travels. We started in the Crișana region where the border town of Arad is situated, and soon after travelled through a corner of Transylvania stopping in Deva and Petroșani. Most of our time was spent in Oltenia, in the towns of Targu Jiu, Craiova and Dobreta-Turnu Severin. We then finished off in the Banat region, home to Băile Herculane, and our last stop, Timișoara.

Follow the dotty yellow line, our route through some of South-Western Romania

We were extremely happy to be on trains again after our long bus, shared taxi and plane trip leaving Azerbaijan. The feeling of stretching our legs out, and the fresh air from open windows was a delight. Romanians don't like taking the trains generally, thinking them too slow, so there is normally plenty of room to spread out. Scenery included fields covered in sunflowers and corn, with haybales neatly rolled up in meadows. Church spires sparkled in the distance and the odd castle ruin sat on a hill. Small orchards and backyards in red-roofed villages were full to the brim of homegrown produce. Contrasting this were the sections of wild forests and dramatic hills.

Some brief highlights from our month's rambles......

Arad- With the aim of doing no sightseeing what-so-ever, and simply recovering from several days of travel, Arad was a great place. We spent a day at the local lido complex, apparently the second biggest in Europe. We alternated between sitting on the grass people watching, and swimming in the freezing, but refreshing water. The brown coloured thermal pool was an interesting Eastern European touch, and we joined the oldies bathing in the warm therapeutic waters. As the visit coincided with Sal's birthday, we also sipped pink champagne and ate nibbles and felt blissfully carefree.

Deva- Without a doubt the best accommodation of our Romanian trip was in Deva. Mostly in Romania we stayed in small apartments of varying quality, almost always going for the cheapest one that was closest to the train station. Not only was the large retro apartment in Deva spacious and neat as a pin, but goodies such as fresh berries, juice and ground coffee were left in the kitchen by the friendly host, and were an unexpected surprise.

Deva's medieval fort sat dramatically high on a hill, visible from most parts of the town. Quite a walk through the forest to the top, we were enthusiastic enough that the hot and sweaty hike passed quickly. Before we knew it, we had reached the pinnacle and could see the town spread out spectacularly in front of us.

Deva Fort, high above the town, Romania

Exploring inside the fort, Deva

Checking out the view, Deva Fort

From the top of Deva Fort, Romania

One of many cool buildings in Deva, Romania

Sacred objects, Deva church, Romania

Petroșani- Unfortunately, most of our time in Petroșani was taken up with dentistry related drama. Poor Rich had an awful toothache, and had to have an extraction. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but we searched all over town, literally, to find a dentist with the time and/or inclination to perform the procedure. We finally found a friendly woman almost next door to where we were staying, and even then she couldn't perform the procedure until the next day.

Once the tooth was out and the pain eased, we had only a day left of our stay. We spent it exploring a rural path along the railway line, a quiet walk culminating in an old rail yard. The delightfully decrepit depot was unlocked and we were free to walk amongst the discarded old engines and buildings.

An abandoned railyard made for an interesting morning, Petroșani, Romania

We were free to explore, Petroșani rail yard, Romania

Old wheel, Petroșani rail yard, Romania

Targu Jiu- Targu Jiu was an unexpectedly attractive town, with the streets lined with character-filled Romanian Revival style buildings from the 1930s. Many were in a state of disrepair, but some had been restored to their graceful former glory status.

Romanian Revival style home in Targu Jiu, Romania

Lovely wood framed doorway, Targu Jiu, Romania

A grander design in the streets of Targi Jiu, Romania

Communist era train station, Targu Jiu, Romania

River Jiu, in Targu Jiu, Romania

One of our best day on the trains was getting to Targu Jiu. We had a couple of changes with a long wait during a stop over, but we weren't at all fussed. It was still better than being cramped into a minibus, and was a good excuse to enjoy a beer, a vișinata (cherry liqueur) and a chicken sandwich at a bar across from the tiny town's train station.

A sneaky dram on the train journey to Targu Jiu, Romania

Never had a receipt from a train station toilet before!

Following this was the most unexpectedly glorious section of railway. The train followed the river slowly through the magnificent forest scenery, through long tunnels and then climbed high into the mountains, with many exciting switch backs. During one particularly impressive part of the journey we passed through 38 tunnels in one hour! This railway trip receives none of the fuss that is made of other famous railways journeys in the region, such as the Montenegro to Belgrade train, but it was every bit as scenic and dramatic.

Onboard a retro Romanian train

Craiova- The markets were the best place for in-season fruits, and Craiova's was the best of our trip. We were really spoilt for choice. Stone fruits were represented by cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches and so many varieties of each. Prices were less than 6 lei/£1 a kilo for all these fruits. Even though we don't really go for melons, the smell of the yellow variety especially was mouth watering. And our favourite, as always, were the bountiful berries. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, black and red currants, and many unknown (to us) types. When we had finished our scrumptious strolls around, we found a seat in a bustling café and enjoyed a mici (Romanian version of ćevapi) and hamsii (battered anchovies), accompanied by a glass of local draft beer. It was a great place for a chat and to watch folk going about their business.

Two odd shoes and some flowers for sale, Craiova, Romania

Market character, Craiova, Romania

Sal kept happy with a beer and hamsii (fried anchovies)

Craiova is well known for it's gardens, the largest two kept us occupied for a couple of mornings. Classic lakes, giant European specimen trees, statues and colourful flower beds were beautiful, and some quirky art and an exotic zoo were something different.

Creepy art in a Craiova garden, Romania

Craiova parks had many sculptures, Romania

A bison enjoying a dustbath at a zoo in a Craiova garden, Romania

Young priest inside a church in Craiova, Romania

Beautifully bright interior of church, Craiova, Romania

Spiral staircase in our Craiova accommodation, Romania

Knackered letters boxes, foyer of our Craiova accommodation

Drobreta-Turnu Severin- A pleasant town, set on the northern banks of the gigantic Danube River. The water levels were reportedly low, but to us it looked huge and lovely, and we enjoyed walking next to it, checking out what the fishermen were catching (not much for the most part). 

Băile Herculane- This unique spa town was complete change of scene, and it was here we discovered where all the summer holiday-makers were in Romania. An ancient town, Băile Herculane has long been a place people come to to heal in the therapeutic thermal waters. It was mobbed with local tourists, mostly of an older age, and many with obvious ailments. It was a bit of shock to see so many visitors, and the crowds combined with the heat saw us heading out early in the morning for our sight-seeing.

Up early in the morning, Băile Herculane

A grand corner of Băile Herculane

Located in a stunning valley, the town had for sure seen better days. But we loved the assortment of wonderfully eclectic architectural styles stuffed into the narrow gorge along the river. Being established during Roman times, there were springs and pools from that era still standing, and much had been added over the centuries. The town was named after the legend that the God Hercules took the waters here in Roman times, and many businesses were named after Roman characters - Apollo, Neptune and Aphrodite, for example. The grandest buildings were without a doubt from the era where the Austrians built many facilities. During this time, the town attracted the rich and famous, even royalty, and beautiful bathing palaces were built for the wealthy. Most prevalent these days, however, are the tatty remainders from the Communist times, when the resorts were popular with workers given vouchers to use the facilities once a year for their health.

Early morning Hercules statue, Băile Herculane

Remains of the day, Băile Herculane

Rich getting the shot, Băile Herculane

Soft morning light, old bathing palace, Băile Herculane

Steep craggy mountains loomed on either side and created a dramatic scene. Unfortunately, there were bad forest fires during the time we spent in the area, and we saw massive helicopters with their big water buckets hanging down flying back and forth all day.

We walked from one end of Băile Herculane to the other, the town being spread out along the Cerna River. There were small hot thermal pools along the way- some free to use and others in complexes with facilities. We eagerly joined in a free bath with a few oldies one quiet early morning, in a pool next to the cold river in a natural setting. We found the water to be warm and comforting, and smelling strongly of sulphur. Sal was horrified to see her silver jewellry turning black in the water (luckily, it eventually rubbed off later with a good hard scrub). The following day we tried a paid pool complex, again mostly older folk- Sal was the youngest there! This rustic place had three pools, all had different temperatures and properties. We were told that the heat and the minerals in the thermal water were excellent healers and pain relievers.

The natural baths near the river, Băile Herculane

Upon departure, we were quite early for our longest train journey on this trip, and took time to appreciate the Băile Herculane train station, built during a past opulent era. It was sad that it looked so unloved, even falling down in spots. But we could see through the shabbiness and imagine it's past glory days.

Sal at Băile Herculane station, Romania

Waiting for our train, Băile Herculane station, Romania

Grand entrance, Băile Herculane station, Romania

Timișoara- Our last stop in Romania, Timișoara was near to the border of Serbia and Hungary, and a close train trip away from Budapest. The city center was chock-a-block with grand and ornate Romanian Revival and Art Nouveau style buildings dating back to the 18th century. The area where we were staying was slightly more on the tatty side, but near the river and markets, and blissfully quiet. It's one of the few cities we've visited to boast a public river boat, and for £0.80 for a hours scenic trip, was unique way to spend an morning, gliding along with the cool breeze, the parks of the city on either side of the banks.

Magnificent fountain in Timișoara city center

Pretty river trip on public ferry, Timișoara, Romania

Our last day was spent at a giant flea market, a very organized and tidy event. On the hunt for warm clothes for our upcoming travels in the UK, we were partially successful, and had a great time nosying around the antiques, junk stalls and piles of clothing (and for some reason, an inordinate amount of wooden walking sticks!).

Rediscovering the amazing food that is so common in Eastern Europe was amazing. We've already mentioned the incredible variety and price of local fruits. The dairy section covered a huge range of products from cottages cheeses, kefir, yogurts, sour creams, butter, cheeses and many more. Obviously, we were in heaven.  We're not huge eaters of bready products, but the Romanians certainly are! Every few steps people lined up at bakeries for the insanely popular covrigi, a round pretzel with sweet or savory fillings. And, it was marvelous to be in a country with a strong café culture, and we loved stopping for a coffee, beer or something more potent almost anywhere in the towns we visited. Meniul zilei was a new one for us- a set lunch menu, usually costing about £4-5 per person, with at least two courses and sometimes including a drink. These were great value and a good way to try local dishes.

Lady was selling a splendid assortment of homemade alcoholic drinks at bargain prices

Very local beer (from the next town, Hateg)

Cherry flavoured covrigi- we had to try it

Mici, cute little sausages popular in Romania

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed a chilled out month in a small area of Romania, and we now felt ready to tackle the UK!

Sal's Commie gallery, Romania

Us enjoying our little trip through Romania

.......next up, we spend some family time in the UK, and explore a new place for us- the Orkney Islands....

RE-EXAMINING ROMANIA- A summing up of the state of affairs

.......previously, our last blog post from Romania, featuring the towns of Turda and Oradea, and our train journey through Hungary to get back to Serbia........

Considering Romania was a brand new country for us to travel around in, we thought we would take a minute to record some practicalities of the country. 1 GBP=5.70 RON

Breb village- our favourite place in Romania

Train travel in Romania was every bit as terrific as we had hoped. The Romanian Railway website was available as an English version and was easy to use. We would find out routes, times and prices online, and then buy a ticket directly from the station just before our trip. It also appeared that tickets could be bought on the train at the same cost. Most of the time we were able to travel where we wanted to via a direct train. Although not as cheap as in, say, neighbouring Serbia, the train price to service ratio was acceptable. The state run service CFR (!!) competed with private companies, but we found them all to be of comparable quality. Most of the trains we took were practically empty- Romanian people prefer the buses due to time restraints.

Romanian train at station

Romanian train inside

Speaking of buses, this was a common transport in Maramures. There are some trains in the region, but they didn't match up with our destination preferences and times. Mostly minibuses, they were fine- comfortable, direct, reasonably priced and the drivers didn't speed.

Hitch-hiking, however, was our main mode of transport in Maramures. It is a very acceptable way of travel in Romania, locals also partake. Sometimes money is exchanged, sometimes not. Mostly we were picked up by people curious to meet us, and the offer of money was refused. One exception to this was the main road between Sighetu and Sapanta, which seemed to be solely serviced by shared taxis. It was, perhaps, slightly more pricey than a bus, but as we paid the same as the locals, we couldn't complain. 

Accommodation was the biggest strain on our budget whilst travelling in Romania. Again, we had the issue of a unwanted and unnecessarily high standard of rooms- we are most happy with a cheap and cheerful basic room, but there are not too many of those in this part of the world. We were able to get over it, however, and enjoy the luxury! Rooms varied between wee studios, proper big apartments, hostel rooms, a shared Air B and B flat, a village cottage and small guesthouses. Regardless of the type of digs, we were paying on average around 110 RON/20GBP per night. Obviously, the accommodation with kitchens were better value, as we had the advantage of cooking for ourselves. We have found hostels in Europe to be overpriced in general, and although we sometimes stay in them for the social aspect, there are much better value for money options out there travelling as a couple. 

Fancy studio in Sibiu, Romania

Part of our apartment in Oradea, Romania

As people who know us, or read our blog will know, we love second hand clothes shopping, and Romania was a perfect place to restock our falling apart wardrobes for the coming summer. All the towns we visited had many small op shops, with fine prices and items often imported from Germany. We also visited a few big second hand clothing markets, but these didn't seem as common as, for instance, in the Balkans.

At the beginning of our visit, as we had chosen to travel in spring, there wasn't a particularly great range of fresh produce around, and many items were imported from Greece or Spain until the season got underway in Romania. As summer began in earnest, more local items such as tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, spring onion and herbs, and eventually some stone fruit started to appear on market stalls. Best of all was when the amazing strawberry season began- big, juicy and flavoursome. All the big European supermarkets were represented in Romania, and most stocked a good range of local foods and drinks. Markets were predictably fantastic. As well as offering mostly regional produce, they were great places to people watch, and see the peculiarities of a particular town. 

Yummy strawberries at Romanian market stall

Travelling on a budget, we mostly tried to cut costs by cooking ourselves and eating simply. When we sussed out the lunch special many restaurants had for the equivalent of 15 RON/2.50GPB, we ate a few meals out in traditional restaurants to try different dishes.

Fabulous food at home, Romania

Restaurant feast, with snitel, cabbage, mamaliga and pork with horseradish

We noticed many influences from the Balkan and Ottoman worlds in the Romanian cuisine- ciorba soup (the tripe version was the most popular), chiftele (kofta), fasole (bean casserole) and stuffed cabbage leaves/peppers. Austria and Hungary were represented with snitel (schnitzel) and gulas (goulash). Mamaliga (polenta) was a staple, and garlic, dill and pork appeared in a great many dishes. Rich loved the alcohol soaked "chocolate salami", a moist cake log. 

Every kind of sausage in pastry, Bucharest

Beans and sausage

Chocolate salami log

Booze was everywhere and some quite cheap and delicious local wines and beers could be found in the supermarkets. Interestingly, we didn't try the local tipple palinca (or horinca as it's known in the north) until we arrived in Maramures region, and then we had the delicious plum spirit almost every day. Another cherry flavoured liqueur we never got the name of, was also popular in this region, but it was too sweet for us. We were informed it was a ladies drink! Draft beer and palinca at a cheap bar were 4 RON/0.70GBP.

Two of the most popular beers in Romania

Romanian people could not be described as having a specific look, more of a homogenous "European" presence (whatever that means, these days). Fair-haired Saxon descendants and the odd red head, mingled with very dark, Indian-looking Roma people. The was also a relatively high presence of other ethnicities in the bigger towns, eg. Asian. We were often asked for directions etc in Romanian, indicating that if we could pass for locals, the look of the population was indeed very diverse! Roma people, although a minority, stood out in their often brilliant coloured clothes. Women went for sparkly shirts and aprons with scarves in their hair, and men often wore large brimmed black hats and waistcoats. 

Romanis dressed up for market day, Romania

The all important scarf, Romania

As we've said previously, Romanian men really do love a hat. Almost all older gentlemen wore them, as well as many younger members of the population. In particular in Maramures, men seem to stick just about anything on their head and call it a hat!

Common hat look in Romania

Saxons, Romani and Hungarians are the largest minorities in Romania today. Saxon culture remains strong, particularly in Transylvania, and Hungarians the same in the Banat region (western Romania). Numbers are less these days after the Romanian Revolution, when masses left to return to their homelands of Germany and Hungary. The Jewish community also greatly diminished after World War II when huge migration to Israel and the USA occurred.  

We noticed the difference distinctly moving from region to region, visually, but also in the attitude of people, especially when we entered the region of Maramures (populated mostly with Romanians). In the bigger towns of Transylvania and Banat people were pleasant enough, smiley and helpful if we needed it. But from Baia Mare northwards, locals showed us real kindness, and were genuinely welcoming, usually with smiles and sign language as less people spoke English in this area.

One cannot write about the Romania without mentioning how quiet the country is. Even in the bigger towns, we were rarely disturbed by any kind of noise whatsoever. Occasionally in country areas, dogs barking in the distance could get slightly annoying, but generally Romanians are subdued and calm people. This was especially amazing for us after spending the six previous months in Egypt, which is the exact opposite!!

They are a patriotic people, with Romanian flags on the streets, houses and businesses, as well as plastered on their clothes and even hats. They seem proud of the culture and heritage, and not ashamed to visually proclaim as much.

We've been reproved for our lack of maps in these Romanian blogs, sorry for that, George! Here's our movements for the last couple of months below........

A rough idea of our route through Romania, starting in Bucharest, and exiting into Hungary in the west

And that's all for Romania! We loved the country, and would definitely return for a visit, especially to the north. For now, however, we move on to new countries, and find somewhere to spend the summer.

Classic old Romanian made Dacia car

......further summer travels to Northern Serbia and Bosnia...........