I don’t usually do real trip reports, but this one deserves it.
I had a few free days in Budapest so I looked on GoogleFlights to see where I could go and get back in 4 or 5 days, quickly and on a budget.
The best option seemed to be Bucharest for about $100 each way on Tarom Airlines. So I booked it and went looking on line for a reasonably priced guide.
I found Diana Simpetru and had a brief conversation on WhatsApp. Nothing worse than being stuck with someone that rubs you the wrong way so I always talk to the guides before I hire one.
She recommended the Moxy Hotel in old town. $65 for a good 3 or low 4 star was a bargain. Turned out to be very nice and in the perfect location She told me the best way to get from the airport was Uber and be warry of taxis. The only problem with the Uber was my cell phone couldn’t get a signal at the pickup location, so I had to go back into the terminal to place the order, wait till the last minute (tracking the car on my phone) then run to the pickup spot. The trip in was uneventful and the driver was a good kid with suggestions for my stay.
My flight arrived pretty late, so I googled wine bar and found one about a 4 minute walk from the hotel. There were 4 people inside and I sat at the bar. I just said bring me anything red. They produced 4 bottles, and we began a free wine tasting. I was hungry so they produced bread sticks and olives. Then the four others left and the management locked the door and we sat and drank and talked for a few hours. Place is called “Corks” and I suspect I will return.
I spent the early morning wandering Old Town, having breakfast and coffee. Then at about 11, as arranged, and on time, Diana showed up in a rented car, double parked in the street in front of the hotel and we had coffee and talked about what comes next. We did a driving tour through town to the opposite side of town, left the car and walked back to the hotel. Exactly what I wanted to see. Great old architecture, communist trash architecture, local people and local cafes for more coffee and snacks. In all about 4 hours.
That evening we went to dinner at a place with Romanian music and dancing and very good Romanian food and wine. As nice as the place was the bill was a fraction of what it would have cost in the U.S. Then we headed out to see some of the Bucharest nightlife. It was St. Patrick’s Day. Two places with live entertainment, the second one particularly good as it was 70’s and 80’s rock, which is my generation.
I got home to the hotel and sat at a table on the street in front and had a nightcap and watched the people go by until a bit too late for me.
The next morning she was on time again and we headed up into the snow covered mountains stopping at some beautiful observation places and a very interesting little restaurant with a view for lunch. After lunch first Braun Castle then Brasov and dinner in another place like the one in Bucharest but this one with a view of the city from above. Perfect.
Returned to the hotel pretty late so back to the streetside table and a beer before bed.
The next day my flight out was at 2pm so she sent me first to a Moldovan spa. Actually, a somewhat mature woman with little English that ran the business out of her home. The style of service reminded me of a bayna I used to go to in Kyiv and we talked a lot about Odesa. Then an uber to the airport and back to Budapest.
For a quick escape it could not have been better. I went to much of Romania years ago but a lot had changed. Bucharest is a fascinating city and Brasov was more beautiful than I had remembered. But the key here was a personable guide. I am more about people and culture than museums. The long conversations about life here and there and her personal experiences and knowledge of the places we went are what made it a good trip.