Day 3 - Bucharest to Brasov

We got up early as we wanted to get to the rental car company for when it opened at 9am. I had to take out Fiona's stitches this morning which was much harder than I thought as the skin had grown over a bit and it was still tender...it was also my daughters face which I didn't want to maim.  

We took two cabs they are so cheap here and got to the beautiful JW Marriott hotel where the car rental place was located. 

Unfortunately our car rental reservation had been for the day before.  We had toyed with picking up the day before so we can get an early start, but should have double checked what we had decided to do in the end.  It was touch and go there for awhile trying to sort out whether or not they had another two cars for us or not.  They had been very busy the day before and were short of cars. The girl took a very long time determining what the end result would be, but in the end they pulled a Passat from the airport which took an hour to bring in and we got a Ford Focus. We figured we might be able to get a head start but alas no, the entire process took 2 hours and so we got on the road around 11am. This meant that our day was really compressed and we had a lot to fit in. We had to make some choices and arrange our visits strategically.  We had originally intended to go see Bran Castle today, but it would seem that this would need to be pushed until tomorrow.

Our first stop was Snagov Monastery, the disputed final resting place of Vladimir Dracul the Impaler. Tucked away about 10 km from the main road and near the town of Sinaia you park your car at the end of a residential road and there is a bridge (no parking) that you can walk over to visit the Monastery.  We crossed over the pedestrian lake out over a beautiful lake and arrived at a picturesque a lovely lakeyou take a bridge over the lake to a beautiful little chapel surrounded by gorgous gardens.  The gardens had ponies and a large coloured pasanka and it almost seemed like it was a bit of a fairytale.  Unfortunately every fairytale has a wicked witch, and this one was no different.  Actualy...I'm being overly harsh, but the gate keeper of the Monastery was a bit of a tyrant and kept asking us "pay or no pay", "pay or no pay" over and over and over in this mean voice. She wouldn't even let us look at the gardens. She just kept asking us over and over.  This was before we'd even really arrived and had gotten our bearings and to be honestly it was very off putting. In the end we decided "no pay". We'd been and seen the spot and that was good enough...besides it was just about to start raining.  As we were turning to leave, the skies opened up and starting dumping on us. We ran back over the bridge and climbed back into the car and got back on the road heading north.

The next stop was Carrefour for groceries before stopping at Peles Castle. We had a quick bite on the hood before climbing up to this whimsical castle which was an absolute delight. A bit of a hike up, but well worth it. With the admission was a mandatory 40mins tour and everyone had to wear blue booties which was pretty comical. The tour was run by a very serious Romanian young man who kept pausing for effect and trying to make jokes in his monotonous voice. That part was a bit brutal, but I'm glad we stopped regardless.  It was the most cutting edge castle of its time with central heating and electricity. They have done an amazing job of staging it and restoring it. The art and decor were truly beautiful with influences from around the world.

Next stop was Brasov.  The girls all fell asleep on the way to Brasov and it was starting to get pretty late, so this was a quick stop.  We did a tour of the main square, stopped for a quick drink at an outdoor restaurant and then we were off again.  Brasov was lovely, all of the cities have been very nice so far.  Each of them have an old town that is lively and colourful.

The place we were staying was near Bran Castle, so we got a glimpse of the famous Dracula Castle on our way there. We are eagerly looking forward to our stop there tomorrow morning.

We wind our way off the main highway into a very rural area for our overnight.  We took a bit of a gamble on this stay as they had not had any reviews on Airbnb yet.  It looked charming on the listing and as we wound our way into a beautiful and lush mountain area, we grew excited about what was in store.

We would not be disappointed, the place was tucked in a lush valley, the place was owned by locals who owned a farm up on the hill.  They had a lovely playground up on the mountain that we could barely pry the kids out of.  It was so cool up here, we actually put on long pants and jackets. The air was fresh and the view was absolutely stunning.  It was a lovely place.  We went to our one of two options for dinner and that too was a win.  We ate an amazing feast of stews and salads and chicken and stroganoff and bread and wine and beer! We ate and ate and drank and drank and laughed.  Such a great night.  The bill was like $120...amazing! It was a perfect end to a long day and we all slept well.

Day 1 - Bucharest

We got up around 11am and had a quick coffee and breakfast in the hostel.  I spent an hour on the phone with Frankfurt Airport trying to locate my phone.  Nobody is bloody able to go check and see if my phone is still at the darn charging station - I just have to wait. Such a pain!

I caught up with everyone in old town and we explored the old cobblestone streets and have a lovely lunch.  We just wondered around the old streets and checked out the old church that is within the old town.  We headed back towards the hostel in the late afternoon, stopping in a beautiful park with these huge playgrounds in it.  The kids were in heaven.  There were black and white swans floating in the ponds nearby and huge enclosures with gorgeous colour and full white peacocks.

The parks here are plentiful, well kept and really beautiful, many with winding ponds and bridges and lovely playgrounds.  We have really enjoyed that part of the city.

It is very hot here - like 30-31 degrees, and with the jetlag, its tough to handle being out for too long, so we went back to the hostel for a quick nap, then out again for dinner.

Dinner was italian tonight, then back for bed.  While Dave, Fiona and I were out cold and could have slept all night, Avery and Cadence woke up around 1am and were WIRED!  We asked them to go play in the bathroom for awhile and eventually they got tuckered out again and went back to bed.

Our first impressions of Bucharest are very good.  It is mostly a very clean city.  The people are not overly friendly, but they are not unkind and are helpful when you ask.  Tomorrow we hope to have a little more stamina!

We made it safe and sound!

I wasn't sure how it would go to be honest! The itinerary was as follows:

Depart Vancouver Friday at 6:30pm
Arrive in London on Saturday morning at 11:40am
Layover in London until 3:30pm
Arrive into Frankfurt at 6:05pm
Depart Frankfurt at 8:40pm 
Arrive into Bucharest at 11:55pm.

Despite that time changes that did help us out a little, if you add up the travel time, it was still 20 hours of straight travel - through the middle of the night.

The first flight was great, despite us being delayed for an hour.  We had dinner in the YVR airport and then off we went.  We only had carry on luggage, and despite the check in agents best attempts to nab us for non compliance, we all came in under weight on a dimensions.  We even were able to get our suture removal kit through security which I was shocked at.  Long tweezers and scissors - no problem.  They were more concerned with liquids the whole way through.  We had to go through security in each city, and even though London and Frankfurt were more strict with how our liquids were packed, we had no issues with the suture removal kit.

Air Canada has a good in flight electronics system that kept us all pretty entertained, we didn't get much sleep but a few hours for sure which helped. We went back and forth on whether to bring the car seat or not and in the end decided to bring it.  I'm glad we did as despite the fact that its a pain to lug around, on the plane its a godsend.  Fiona happily gets clipped in and then just stayed put on every flight.  It gave her a good view of the tv and was perfect for sleeping and freed us up from having her laying across us.

We were late to board the plane which was bad news on such a big plane with only carry on.  We ended up with bags at our feet - so that was a good lesson for us for future.  I had a pain in the butt (literally) behind me who kicked me the whole flight, and across the aisle were an elderly couple that honestly bickered the whole flight - I wish I could remember some of the fights as they were quite entertaining...near the end of the flight Dave a young boy who puked all over the place, but besides that it was uneventful. I love being able to watch whatever movies I want to, and so watched the Age of Adeline, Marvels Iron Man and part of Barney's Version which is a funny Canadian film with Paul Giamatti which I hope I can finish on the way back.

We got to London and had a pretty quick layover there due to our delayed flight out of Vancouver. We had time for a coffee and then off we went. We all slept on this flight which was much needed and made us all feel much better.  This flight was with Lufthansa, and they have nothing on their planes...so glad that sleep came easily.

Frankfurt have buses that take you from the plane to the terminal and back which is a drag and means you need to get off and on quickly - which is hard with young kids and luggage and a car seat. The layover here was a couple hours but passed quickly.  We had overpriced lunch at an Italian Restaurant and then it was nearly time to board.

Now what trip would be complete without a little drama?? Mine occurred here.  I would say that by this point I was more than a little tired, and I decided to continue charging my phone while we were at the gate before boarding.  Of course once boarding began, we didn't want to be late getting on so the phone was out of mind - actually I'd say it was out of mind by the time I got back to my seat from plugging it in.  Anyways, it donned on me once we were halfway to Bucharest.  What a pain! Let me tell you - I have had no luck so far getting any assistance with retrieving it either.  I can't believe the horrible customer service.  The lady in Lost and Found at the Bucharest airport was horrible, and then I called Lost and Found at Frankfurt airport and they were also not helpful.  Nobody is able to do anything for people anymore apparently.  So I'm bummed that it has not been found, but "c'est la vie"! I will survive without it but am hoping it turns up in a day or two.

Once we arrived in Bucharest, we made our way through passport control and then headed out to get a cab.  The advice we had been given was to be sure to take a ticket from the yellow taxi dispenser and wait for that taxi to come. This is the sanctioned taxi service and it costs less.  Anyways, everyone decided that was not a worthwhile endeavour and that just getting in a yellow taxi would be fine.  We got going split over two taxis and then the haggling began.  I knew right away we were being had.  I knew that the only taxi drivers who haggle are the expensive ones! So we paid about 3 times as much as we should to get to our Hostel, still only $30 so not the end of the world, but when Robert arrived into Bucharest the next morning (he was delayed and missed his connection out of Vienna and had to spend the night) he took the ticket as he was told and only paid $10 for his cab.  So lessons learned.

Bucharest is a lovely city. As we drove to our hostel, it appeared clean, and well kept with bike lanes and beautiful parks.  It was not at all what I had expected.  I guess in my mind I thought it would be less well kept and less lovely.  It truly defied my expectations in an amazing way.  We were so excited to explore the next day.

Our hostel: Crazy Duck Hostel, is clean and well maintained and is within walking distance to the old town.  We are in a room with 2 single beds and a set of bunks and a private bath. It's perfect for us and we honestly couldn't be happier with it.

Getting to bed was tough initially. Even though you're tired, your body is mixed up and doesn't want to sleep.  Fiona was a mess and couldn't get to sleep at all...she just laid their chatting and playing and keeping me awake for hours.  She finally got to sleep around 3 or 4am and the day finally came to an end.

Learning How to Take out Stitches

So wouldn't you know it! Fiona had a huge fall yesterday and split her lip out. Of course it was traumatic and stressful and we rushed her to Children's Hospital as it clearly needed stitches.  They got her all fixed up with 3 shiny blue stitches and sent us off with instructions on how to care for the wound.  Problem is that we need to have the stitches removed in 5-6 days and we will be in Bucharest, Romania.  The doctor warned me that sometimes taking out the stitches is more stressful that putting them in.  Yikes - that's scary.  She handled the stitches like a brave warrior and didn't even cry - but some strange doctor who may or may not speak very good english might be a stretch even for our brave Fiona.

My brothers lovely girlfriend has offered to come and give me a stitch removal lesson! Lucky me.  I will get to play doctor while we're away.  I honestly think that's best and that Fiona will much prefer having mom do it than a stranger.

What a start to the trip!

Balkans here we come

While the flights were booked months ago, we have just made the last few accommodation bookings and we are getting set to leave on Friday.  Today we started packing up the bags.  We are going to try to travel with only carry on this trip.  Each girl will have a backpack and a small carry on luggage and the same for both Dave and me.  So far its looking ok...I'm struggling with whether or not to being nice clothes and shoes for going out.  I hear the nightlife in Belgrade is unbelievable and that you should dress up! I guess I can always buys something!

Here's how the itinerary looks:

July 10: Fly to Bucharest (Romania)
July 11: Arrive in Bucharest
July 12: Bucharest
July 13: Bucharest
July 14: Drive to Transylvania, overnight in Brasov
July 15: Drive to Bogda, overnight
July 16: Drive to Timisoara, drop car and get shuttle to Belgrade, overnight (Serbia)
July 17: Belgrade
July 18: Drive to Sarajevo, overnight (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
July 19: Sarajevo
July 20: Drive to Dubrovnik, overnight (Croatia)
July 21: Drive to Budva, overnight (Montenegro)
July 22: Shuttle to Tirane (Albania)
July 23: Tirane
July 24: Shuttle to Skopje via Kosovo (Macedonia)
July 25: Skopje
July 26: Drive to Sofia, overnight (Bulgaria)
July 27: Drive to Sozopol
July 28: Sozopol
July 29: Sozopol
July 30: Sozopol
July 31: Sozopol
August 1: Drive to Sofia, overnight
August 2: Fly to London and overnight
August 3: Fly home

I'm still working on a final packing list...that to come! We are so excited to get going.  This is going to be an amazing trip! We are anxious to see how little Fiona will travel as she hasn't done a trip like this before.  Fingers crossed she can handle the disruption to her life.