The trip to Clives House

[moggy1968]

So, we have taken some time out and intend to spend the next 12 months doing a few trips, interspersed with the ocassional trip back to the UK to earn some money!!
Our first trip was intended to go to Bulgaria, then Romania and then Ukraine.
Lizzie, my 8 year old, is being educated on the road. recently she has been learning about Geysers, so the first stop was Andernach, Germany, to look at the cold water Geyser there. We stayed at a nearby campsite and tried out the RTT for the first time.

I had contacted clive at ridiculously short notice to see if we could visit him when in Romania. Unfortunately we didn't know our exact date of departure until virtually the day before we left, but he was OK for us to drop in the following weekend. This would mean three days in Bulgaria, and with money being tight we decided it was too long a diversion to make anyways, so we headed straight for Clives, first stopping at Sopron in Hungary, working on the basis accommodation would be cheaper there than Austria (Although fuel was cheaper in Austria, rather bizarrely).
From there we headed to Romania, stopping first at Oradia, just inside Romania. Traffic meant that we arrived late and it looked a nice town so we elected to stay an extra day and have a look round.

From there we headed to Sibiu, again a lovely town

 

[moggy1968]

We diverted on the way to visit Banffy castle, well worth a visit, almost deserted, it is one of the Great Romanian Castles. Sadly, as with most castles in Romania, it had to be abandoned after the war by it's owners with the onset of communism, and fell into disrepair.

Sibiu was lovely

So we used it as a base to explore, we went to the
Transfăgărășan
Second time I have driven it, first time was 8 years ago just after top gear had been there. It's changed a lot since then with a lot of building at the top and a lot more commercial. Still an amazing drive though.

 

[moggy1968]

After Sibiu we headed for clives place. Although he works in Bucharest and doesn't get home until late on a Friday he had very kindly agreed to us being able to stay from the friday night.
As we headed down we stopped to visit the infamous Bran Castle, home of Dracula.

To be honest, it was a disappointment. The castle is lovely, absolutely beautiful, but very commercial in a tacky way and ridiculously crowded. They had too many large tour groups going round with too many people in them. Sometimes you could barely move, but it's a tick in the box I guess.

We drove to a parking area I had seen to take some phots and I met this young lad

He is on his way to Mongolia but rather annoyingly had smacked one of his panniers on that barrier end.
He was trying to bash it back into shape with rocks, a small folding hammer and the small hand tools he carries on the bike. It was like something from the Shawshank Redemption, he'd have been there days!

We got some heavier duty tools out of the cruiser like a sledgehammer, lump hammer and pry bar and between us managed to get it reshapped well enough that it could remount on the bike and get the lid back on.

Hopefully the gods of travelling karma will visit me when I need them.

That filled in a bit of time before we headed to Clive's house, arriving at the bottom of the lane not long after them, clive kindly came back down the lane to guide us in.

I've not met Clive before but it was truly a pleasure to meet him and his lovely family, along with their various cats!. We were instantly made to feel welcome and at home.

I was also privileged to meet his 98 years young father in law, the man actually responsible for the
Transfăgărășan!!

He doesn't speak English and denied being able to speak Russian, before launching into many long dialogues with my wife Natallia in Russian

 

[moggy1968]

Saturday was to be the big day when CLive took us off roading!
We left and went up onto the ridge, and oh what a road!! over 25 miles of trail going up to nearly 7000 feet. Although very dry, with over 100 Kgs on the roof some of it was quite tippy and technical, but oh what a day, absolutely fabulous.

The memorial there, is for a guy who tried to run the ridge in the distance, and didn't make it. His wife and 2 kids managed to jump out but he went to the bottom of the valley with his truck.

 

[moggy1968]

 

[fbnss]

It's bloody brilliant there and Clive and family are great and very welcoming. You're making me feel holiday sick now.

 

[moggy1968]

 

[clivehorridge]

Just a small correction Andy, if I may, your 700 feet is more like 1,750 meters = 5,741 feet

While I’m posting, I just want to say what a pleasure it was to have you guys call in on us. I can’t pretend I don't envy your ability to take a year on the road, and we enjoyed your company very much.

Aurel (Relu) launched into what he remembered of his Russian after 30 years not speaking the language, and I guess Natalia enjoyed speaking her native tongue for a while too.

Ana enjoyed Lizzie’s company too, so we all got along just fine. I was just peeved to have to return to Bucharest on Sunday evening, but that’s my mood every Sunday so no change there.

Good luck and safe travels when you depart for the Ukraine tomorrow, I hope you have time and patience to go via Piatra Neamt and Vatra Dornei, the mountains up there are truly beautiful, especially in Autumn dress this time of year.

 

[Shayne]

It's bloody brilliant there and Clive and family are great and very welcoming. You're making me feel holiday sick now.

A home from home eh and everything you could ask for right on your doorstep

Glad you could experience it Moggy , and Aurel doesn't need language the man emanates charisma

 

[Chris]

Old geysers? You didn't say Chas was going with you

 

[moggy1968]

 

[moggy1968]

 

[clivehorridge]

And it’s not really a thread-jack, this was me going up the same hill in the 80, just ahead of Andy, taken from a wobbly dash-mount iPhone holder...

 

[moggy1968]

Monday Clive had to return to work so we decided to go to nearby Peles Castle, said to be the best in Romania

 

[moggy1968]

Unfortunately the castle wasn't open to view inside, so instead we followed Clives instructions to take a stone road off the road climbing to the ski lift outside Sinaia.
This road winds for around 2 miles through the forest

Until eventually you reach this little monastery.
Built by one Monk on his own, I believe over about 20 years. He finished it in 2012, then he died.

It is still lovingly maintained, and when you go inside you are met by an assault on the senses, a feast of colour and scent.

 

[moggy1968]

So, thats it for now.
A massive thanks to Clive and his family for putting us up at such short notice and making us feel so welcome in their wonderful home, words cannot describe our gratitude.

Meanwhile, watch this space, next stop, Ukraine!!

 

[moggy1968]

A home from home eh and everything you could ask for right on your doorstep

Glad you could experience it Moggy , and Aurel doesn't need language the man emanates charisma

I could have listened to him for hours, despite not understanding a word!!

 

[moggy1968]

And it’s not really a thread-jack, this was me going up the same hill in the 80, just ahead of Andy, taken from a wobbly dash-mount iPhone holder...

still can't believe how well that thing goes for a non turbo motor

 

[Higgy]

Great write up and pics Moggy... Romania is one place I have to go to. My missus teaches Romanian kids. She says they all miss the mountains and the rivers and the bears.. I don't think their Parents realise how much their kids miss home, When they up sticks and come to the UK for a better life. (supposed!)

 

[clivehorridge]

Looking forward to your posts from the Ukraine Andy, and maybe some of the trip on the way up there...

You’re welcome here any time mate, it was all our pleasure and Lizzie’s a sweetie, and very polite, you’re both doing a great job I recon...

oops wrong thread

Take care and come again