Transylvania

Our taxi driver to Bucharest train station told us that he used to work in a kitchen, until he started "throwing pans", as if this is a common symptom. He deposited us safely enough at least. Dan was suffering with an almighty hangover and provided very little logistical help, beyond serving as a pack-mule.

Next stop, Transylvania. It seemed like an apt place to visit for a few cold, wintry days. This is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracul ('the dragon') in Romanian, inspiration for the vampire legend. Around here they know him fondly as "our Vlad", a heroic ancient king who defended the land against the Ottomans and presided over a period of very low corruption. Although the reputation for impaling probably did a lot to deter criminals.

Unfortunately, we picked up some kind of bug in Budapest (not just Dan's alcohol-related woes) and spent the last few days unwell in bed. In Brasov, the largest city in Transylvania, we managed to crawl out of bed a few times just enough to enjoy walking around the beautiful old town, Christmas market and medieval battlements. They have the most enormous Christmas tree in the town centre, which we think is maybe 40m tall. After discovering a Romanian, potato-based, fast food chain called Cartofisserie, Dan was adamant that he needed to 'feed the fever'. But otherwise this was mostly a recovery stop amongst beautiful surroundings.

We were 70% recovered by the time we reached Sighisoara, another medieval town full of old Gothic architecture. By the second day, we had enough energy to visit the world's largest wooden spoon collection, inspect the giant red baubles hanging on the trees (spoiler: yoga balls wrapped in red fabric), and even test our puzzle skills at a Transylvanian escape room. We had a very brief stop in Sibiu for an afternoon and enjoyed the most comprehensive Christmas market so far, eating Langos, Kurtosh and Placinta before jumping on a late train out of Romania.

All in all, we absolutely love this part of the world. The buildings are incredible, the scenery is evocative, and the food is surprisingly Italian. Not having a car, we feel we've missed a few of the best bits of Romania—but that definitely makes it a future holiday priority. Maybe next time with some wheels, warm weather, and a clean bill of health.

This was our last 'slow stop' of the year. Now for a sprint through four European countries in eleven days on our way back to the UK!Les mer