Eastern europe '25

A 72-day adventure by Meg Read more

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Trip start
April 22, 2025
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Day 1
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 5:58 AM
☁️ 9 °C
Altitude: 120 m
Turkey Arnavutköy 41.215368, 28.70795841°12’55” N 28°42’29” E
Travel day one
April 22 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Flight from Seattle to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Istanbul. Stayed in same airport hotel as previous trip.
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Day 3
Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 6:01 AM
🌙 11 °C
Altitude: 79 m
Romania Bucharest 44.430487, 26.0970244°25’50” N 26°5’49” E
Travel day two
April 24 in Romania ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
Short flight from Istanbul to Bucharest. Settled into Airbnb, lunch, grocery shopping, then we conked out.
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Day 4
Friday, April 25, 2025
☀️ 27 °C
Altitude: 83 m
Romania Bucharest 44.430458, 26.09662744°25’50” N 26°5’48” E
Walking tour
April 25 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Started our day with a great walking tour. Then lunch, and a siesta.
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Day 5
Saturday, April 26, 2025
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 83 m
Romania Bucharest 44.430523, 26.09666444°25’50” N 26°5’48” E
Springtime park and villages museum
April 26 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
We took a bus across town to the Herastrau Park, and took a long walk up the lake. It was a beautiful spring Saturday, and tons of locals were out walking, running, biking, etc. Reminded us a little of walking around Green lake. We also visited an open air museum inside the park, that was hundreds of old houses and structures from across the country, from the 1700s-present day.

We bussed back, picked up some groceries, lunch at home. Siesta, then dinner at the German pub nearby.Read more
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Day 6
Sunday, April 27, 2025
☁️ 16 °C
Altitude: 89 m
Romania Bucharest 44.437698, 26.06941444°26’16” N 26°4’10” E
Museums
April 27 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Went to the history museum, it was in a very cool old building, the museum itself was a bit underwhelming (we had been warned). Then into the Communist museum to learn more about life during that era in Romania.
Being a Sunday the town was very quiet and many restaurants were closed, but we finally found a local place outside of Old Town that was pretty good.Read more
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Day 7
Monday, April 28, 2025
☀️ 18 °C
Altitude: 89 m
Romania Bucharest 44.437671, 26.06948744°26’16” N 26°4’10” E
Chill day
April 28 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Spent the morning travel planning, then headed to the popular restaurant of Caru cu Bere. Beautiful interior and good food (definitely a splurge for us).

After lunch we walked along the canal and through a park; Bill managed to see two new birds.

We both took naps, but mine was later and longer, we ended up skipping dinner.Read more
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Day 8
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
☀️ 19 °C
Altitude: 88 m
Romania Bucharest 44.437657, 26.06909944°26’16” N 26°4’9” E
More parks
April 29 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Another morning of travel booking. Then we metro'd up to the bus station we'll be departing from in a few days, but weren't able to buy tickets.

Then we meandered through the botanical gardens, followed by burgers for lunch.Read more
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Day 9
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 98 m
Romania Bucharest 44.439229, 26.0951644°26’21” N 26°5’43” E
Museums
April 30 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Went to the national museum of art.
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Day 10
Thursday, May 1, 2025
☀️ 23 °C
Altitude: 435 m
Romania Sibiu 45.79842, 24.15017345°47’54” N 24°9’1” E
Bus to Sibiu
May 1 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
5 hour bus ride to Sibiu, through the Carpathian mountains. Long but pretty
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Day 10–15
May 1, 2025 - May 6, 2025
5 nights
☀️ 23 °C
Altitude: 435 m
Romania Sibiu 45.798367, 24.15029845°47’54” N 24°9’1” E
Lively Sibiu
May 1–6 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Enjoying this charming town. We've taken a walking tour, seen churches and museums, eaten on the many squares and plazas.
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Day 15
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
☁️ 21 °C
Altitude: 551 m
Romania Brasov 45.659, 25.58382545°39’32” N 25°35’2” E
Travel day
May 6 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Lazy morning, then a walk to the train station. Easy boarding to our train to brasov. We took the 4-hour slooow train (the timing was better) so we stopped in every Hamlet. It was fine except the train was so hot!!Read more
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Day 16
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
☁️ 15 °C
Altitude: 592 m
Romania Brasov 45.642813, 25.58913145°38’34” N 25°35’21” E
Getting to know Brasov
May 7 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Started the day with a walking tour of the town. Very enjoyable. We then had lunch, then hit up the city history museum.
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Day 17
Thursday, May 8, 2025
☁️ 15 °C
Altitude: 772 m
Romania Predeluț 45.515077, 25.36723745°30’54” N 25°22’2” E
Bran castle
May 8 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Picked up a rental car mid-morning, then headed up to Bran castle. I had low expectations, and it was way better then that! Fully enjoyed it. Then we headed to Rasnov for lunch. What a sleepy town! We wandered around sleepy streets and closed restaurants, until we finally found an open cafe with locals dining. No English spoken, but we got by with Google translate:-)

Later in the evening we went downtown and met another nomad couple, Cindy and David. Fun times chatting.Read more
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Day 18
Friday, May 9, 2025
☁️ 11 °C
Altitude: 900 m
Romania Sinaia 45.356624, 25.54597545°21’24” N 25°32’46” E
Peles castle
May 9 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Drive up into the Carpathian mountains to see the wonderful peles castle.
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Day 19
Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 5:27 PM
⛅ 13 °C
Altitude: 549 m
Romania Brasov 45.658956, 25.58406345°39’32” N 25°35’3” E
Chill out day
May 10 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Lazy day, finished booking new Zealand travel
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Day 20
Sunday, May 11, 2025
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 92 m
Romania Bucharest 44.431269, 26.13897244°25’53” N 26°8’20” E
Train to Bucharest
May 11 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Decided to make our travel lives easier. Took a midday train to Bucharest, metro to our IHG (free room night)
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Day 21
Monday, May 12, 2025
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 193 m
Bulgaria Veliko Tarnovo 43.084506, 25.63684843°5’4” N 25°38’13” E
Trains to Bulgaria
May 12 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We left our Bucharest hotel at 8:30, and backtracked on the metro back to Gare de Nord, as we had to pick up our international train tix a bit earlier than our 10am train.

Train ride was uneventful but very slow, it took us over the border into Bulgaria, and dropped us at the border town of Ruse. Large and largely empty station, so we ventured outside in our 30 min layover to get Bulgarian cash and a lunch snack.

Back to the train station and onto a dilapidated 1960s train. But it went pretty fast! In two hours we were in a town outside of Veliko turnovo, and we shared a cab with lovely Brits into town.Read more
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Day 23–30
May 14, 2025 - May 21, 2025
7 nights
☀️ 18 °C
Altitude: 159 m
Bulgaria Plovdiv 42.151822, 24.74697842°9’7” N 24°44’49” E
Enjoying Plovdiv
May 14–21 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Great town! Day one we did a walking tour. In the following days we also saw the ethnography museum, the bishops basilica with amazing mosaics, we hiked up to the "monument to the Soviet soldier", Bill took a bike ride, art museum, big walk along the river, and archeological museum. Lots to see and do here, we are enjoying it.Read more
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Day 30
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
☁️ 24 °C
Altitude: 551 m
Bulgaria Sofia 42.68915, 23.32695142°41’21” N 23°19’37” E
Train day
May 21 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
~3 hour train ride to Sofia. Then taxi to our cute Airbnb. As is our routine, unpack and get settled, find a grocery store for provisions, relax for a bit on our back balcony. Then out to find dinner.
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Day 31
Thursday, May 22, 2025
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 555 m
Bulgaria Sofia 42.691222, 23.32500142°41’28” N 23°19’30” E
Walking tour
May 22 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Great morning walking tour of the main town. Always a great way to get oriented.
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Day 32
Friday, May 23, 2025
☁️ 19 °C
Altitude: 1,169 m
Bulgaria Kyustendil 42.133372, 23.34004442°8’0” N 23°20’24” E
Rila monastery
May 23 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Day tour to the fantastic Rila monastery, as well as the bayana church.
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Day 33
Saturday, May 24, 2025
🌧 12 °C
Altitude: 552 m
Bulgaria Sofia 42.688826, 23.32778942°41’20” N 23°19’40” E
Town meander
May 24 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
Today is the national holiday celebrating the professors and their students that created the Cyrillic alphabet, it's a big claim to fame here in Bulgaria. We walked by some festival streets, and school kid singing performances.

We intended to go to the national art gallery, but it was closed for the holiday. Instead we tried across town to the bus station to scope it out, and buy our future tickets to Skopje. Then we figured out the trams headed back to our hood.

Raining off and on but not too bad.Read more
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Day 34
Sunday, May 25, 2025
🌧 10 °C
Altitude: 552 m
Bulgaria Sofia 42.688846, 23.32778342°41’20” N 23°19’40” E
Rainy Sunday
May 25 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
It's raining heavy and not predicted to get above 48*. So much for escaping Seattle's chilly spring.

We spent the morning chilling, reading, travel planning, then decided to go back to the national gallery (free today).

It's wet outside! And cold. And empty as I suspect most locals are having a cozy Sunday inside (smart).

The gallery was fine but not that impressive. We then had lunch at a chain that served pretty disappointing "smash" burger. Oh well.

We then hit the grocery to buy dinner ingredients, because I'm pretty sure we won't be motivated to go back out in the rain this evening.Read more
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Day 35
Monday, May 26, 2025
☁️ 15 °C
Altitude: 595 m
Bulgaria Sofia 42.662267, 23.3335542°39’44” N 23°20’1” E
Tromp thru the woods
May 26 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Rain dissipated this morning, so we went for a long ramble. Started in a park near our apartment, then continued about 5 miles through the woods (toward the zoo). We some people, but fewer and fewer as we got deeper into the woods. A little muddy but very pleasant overall.

We then took a tram back to our neighborhood and found some lunch.Read more
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Day 36
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
⛅ 19 °C
Altitude: 551 m
Bulgaria Sofia 42.6919, 23.32493942°41’31” N 23°19’30” E
Churches and museums
May 27 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Last day in Sofia. We wandered to a cool looking blue and gold church, but no pictures allowed.

We then went to the regional History museum which had a nice bit of everything.

Then we grabbed lunch, and had high hopes of finding some wine tasting. But the place we stopped into was expensive, and only available at 7pm.

Hmm, then we tried to go to the city gallery for some more art, but it was closed for a new installation.
So we went back home and I took a nap 😂😂Read more
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