Romania

So the 7th country on our agenda is done having spent the last 3 days in Romania. 


We started our stay with a camp in a muddy field (one thing we have learnt about Romania is that it rains...a lot!), where we spent a number of hours hoping that the field's owner would not turn up and boot us off, which fortunately they did not. Vicky and I slept on the truck that night as I was cooking and unable to help put up the tent, and it was a fortunate move as a heavy rain storm swept in flooding a couple of the groups tents.


The next morning we packed our bags and headed off toward Bucharest, via Bran Castle (which is the castle in Transylvania used in the setting of the story of Count Dracula). Surprisingly the castle was not as Gothic or as creepy as you would associate with the story of Dracula, and it was actually quite light and airy in places.

Bran Castle

One thing that has been apparent as we have traveled through the country is just how run down and decaying a lot of the countries are. In a lot of cases it is difficult to tell whether a lot of the buildings are still in use or whether they are derelict. There are an enormous number of buildings that have crumbled away and not been restored, alongside a number of new build properties that have been left in a half finished state almost certainly never to be completed. 

On the contrary though the physical scenery is breathtaking, especially in the mountain regions. It is just an awful shame though that the country is blighted by a severe fly tipping problem, and there is rubbish everywhere you turn, whether in the cities or miles from any civilisation. The country also has another problem with a huge number of stray dogs, where it is not uncommon to see a stray or two wondering every 2-3 miles in the country and on almost every street in the city.

The breathtaking mountain scenery

In a way the city of Bucharest itself was a bit of a disappointment as there was very little to take in compared to any other capital you would have been to, but although a lot of the buildings are constructed in a monotonous concrete there is still some impressive (if crumbling) architecture to be seen. Along with that there are a number of small independent businesses that are alive and well in the city, that would surely struggle to stay alive in more contemporary cities.

Another early start tomorrow as we head off for Bulgaria :)