Caravan Club Transylvanian Tour Camping in Romania

I don't know why I was worried about getting out of the last campsite that was the least of my troubles. The Dutch owner Dennis was really helpful and saw me on my way. I turned the corner and I met the Rush hour Romanian style! Well the roads were very basic and potholes and dogs (dead and alive) everywhere!A one night stop over again at Timisoara and its back to Hungary. I like Hungary and the Hungarian people are lovely. Please no more potholes and dogs! Better still electricity that stays on 24 hours!lol

caravan club transylvanian Tour Camping in Romania Aurel vlaicu

Dont ask me how you pronounce this place but we eventually arrived safely half way back across Romania! The roads and the dogs continue to be the same. The campsite to be polite is definately rustic! The main challenge was getting my new caravan into the site as the pic shows. Now the next problem is getting it out again in the morning! One more stop and Im out of Romania. Would I come back? No! But Im pleased Ive been!

Caravan Club Transylvanian Tour Camping Romania

Well this has certainly been different! Timisoari just over the border with Hungary was fine but then we headed for Brasov near Bucharest. The roads were unbelievable. In fact I have flattered them by calling them roads! We were on a main "E' road and it was just mind blowing. It was like I had been transported back 100 years. People had cows tethered in their front gardens. Dogs wandered round wild in packs. The place was sheer third world. In places the tarmac for the road just disappeared and we were travelling on pure earth! Not even flat earth! The standard of driving is by far the worst that I have ever seen. It makes the Italians and Spanish look like Stirling Moss! Overtaking in sight of on coming traffic-blind bends-brow of a hill etc etc. The times that I had to slam all on to let some butter back in to avoid being involved in a head on accident was beyond a joke. We stopped in route at a service are and had two coffees and 2 omelettes for the grand cost of seven pounds. Oh yes there were even packs of wild/stray dogs wandering around there! They are just yet another traffic hazard! Oh cars...everything is a Dacia or if you are really posh its a Renault. They are all beaten up things and with their driving standards I can see why! We finally arrived at camping Dirste (or to us Darste). We had been told that it was one of the best campsites in Romania-well I don't know whether I totally believe them!) We were in the mountains and during the night the temperature dropped to 2 degrees! The high was 9 degrees but worse still was the rain. Everyone was trying to keep warm and the electricity kept going down on the site. The voltage as so low that many units fridges. Wouldn't work ( not that they needed them!) We decided that the only thing to do was to go out! I Firstly we visited Peles Castle with great excitement and expectations. We had an 'English speaking guide, well that's what they said but none of us could understand him! I think a Texan or some Yank must have taught him 'English!" It was very ornate but we felt totally ripped off as the thing was only 130 years old! A mere baby in the eyes of other European castles! Its claim to fame is that it was the first residency in Europe to have all electric lighting and central heating. Wow! Oh everywhere you go the Romanians seem to want more and more money and charge or try to charge an extra for everything 30 lei to take pics inside Pele's castle error I don't think so -there are no pics of the inside of Pele's Castle just the outside! Heavens above we had already paid good money to get in the blooming place! After that we went to Bran Castle which really was much more like a castle. It was old and quirky. It was the setting for the books and the movie Dracula. Even though we had paid for an English speaking guide none was available for 40 minutes so we just went in. As it happens it was much more fun as there were information boards around in English and we were able to wander around at our own pace. I should say that the thing I really disliked about this part of Romania was the beggars and trades people all wanting money and to rip a tourist off in whichever way possible and the other thing is dogs! I am not a dog lover but they run wild in packs EVERYWHERE! If its not the dirt they leave its them howling and yapping all night long. The roads are strewn with dead dogs everywhere!OK so Im not grumbling I wanted to experience a different Country but I really didn't think it would be so bad! Without getting political why on earth are we letting this Country into the EU?! The general people we met are hard and very suspicious. Everyone says that corruption is still everywhere. I really can't get my head around it. Whilst the Czech and Hungarian people were super I really am unsure about the Romanians! The following day the weather was still bad and the electric was still off so I decided an excursion was the only thing to do. I arranged to go to a bear sanctuary..well its different! Thank goodness we were in mini buses. I had my eyes closed on several occasions as we went up a mountainside of unmade roads. At one point we went over a bridge and I'm not exaggerating the mini bus had about 4" to play with either side! There were no safety barriers or anything like that "what's health and safety? Or more to the point "what's road safety?!" Anyhow we all got there safely after paying handsomely yet again to see half a dozen bears with a guide who could just about speak English! In fairness to Romania I must say that some of the scenery was spectacular. Some snaps taken from the mini bus In the evening we had a meal paid for us in the restaurant at the campsite. Again good money had been spent as without us the place would have been empty. The thing that really spoilt the evening was an argument over a blooming glass of coke! See if they could get more money from us?. I don't know the rights or wrongs but having 36 people in a restaurant having a three course meal with drinks and then they demand more money as someone didn't drink?! I really don't think that they have grasped business/tourism in its entirety!

Caravan Club Transylvanian Tour Camping in Romania

The protest.Today the weather picked up and Stefan the campsite owners son was our guide around Timisoara. Its claim to fame is where the revolution started.Firstly we went to a shopping mall as we were low on provisions. The supermarket was huge and was the French Supermarket Chains Such an. There was everything that you could possibly want in there. The mall was very much like those in the USA or UK with all the trendy shops there. After stocking up quicklybwith basic provisions we went firstly into a beautiful square where there was a peaceful demonstrations and tents on the lawns. Apparently the demo was something to do with the fact that the Americans have found gold in Romania and will only give the Romanians a small percentage of its worth. I thought that was quite ironic given the fact that today's Daily Mail was stating that they have found gold in Cornwall and Prince Charles and the Queen are sharing the proceeds between them at least the Romanian people are getting something!lol Off we went to another square where there is the opera house. This is where the revolutionaries gave their speeches from. Did I mention that we went to a brewery for lunch?! And the result... From there we went on to the rose gardens but en route we passed a church and couldn't believe our eyes-people were queuing to get into church! The rose garden with outdoor stage was just beautiful. There is very little tourism here and I love the place! The common denominator between my favourite countries are the people. I don't know whether its because they are all ex communists countries but the people in Czech republic,Hungary and Romania are all lovely. Their food is great and their wine beats any French or Spanish!

Caravan Club Transylvania n Tour Camping Romania

Romania well its different again! The approach from Hungary to Romania was like being in a film! The old Russian ones at that! We were stopped firstly by the Hungarian Authorities who wanted to see our passports and then again by the Romanian Authorities wanting to know why we were entering and where we were going. "Two very good questions!" I thought to myself. I went to buy the equivalent of a vignette. (Its all done electronically here like Portugal) I don't think that they see many Brits and it took some convincing that I was not Danish and nor was my car! Lol We drove on to another very good dual carriageway with little traffic on it (they call it a motoirway!) Lol Things were going fine until we turned off to get to Timaisoara! We were taken through hamletsd and villages. The roads were nothing but potholes! In fact there was a good seven mile stretch of totally unmade road! Anyhow the state of the roads were apaulling but the scenery more than made up for it. There were cows chained up in peoples front gardens,geese,dogs wandering and horse and carts everywhere! It was like stepping back in time 100 years (and I'm not that old! At the side of the road villagers were selling fruit and vegetables etc. Truly pretty. Truly Romanian. We arrived at the campsite. Camping International. I was told that we had 6 amp electricity and that the water was drinkable. I went for a shower. (Hot and clean but no curtains and no doors!) When I came out I thought world war three had broken out. The 6 amp electricity was between 17 caravans and no the water wasn't drinkable! They had discovered this after filling up the motorhome tanks! Oops and double oops! We soon rectified it though, We now have electrical cables all over the site and have taken to drinking wine instead of water! The campsite did manage to provide us with a super Romanian meal an a bottle of wine all for 10 euros so life isn't that bad! Today we visited a winery. The most amazing winery yet (it will surprise you that I have visited a few!) We samples seven different types of wine and then they provided us with a three course meal! It was all especially nice as its raining cats and dogs here. I can't think of a better way to spend a rainy afternoon than in a winery! Ohh yes and just to keep everyone on their toes we are another hour in front here! One hour ahead of CET and two in front of the UK! Confused.com!