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Three Nights On A Train - Into The Wild Romanian Mountains

Three Nights On A Train - Into The Wild Romanian Mountains

Old Sep 20, 2017, 4:13 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by tsastor
Wow! In Swedish we call it kĺldolmar - and they are made of cabbage, minced meat and rice. (No wine leaves in Sweden, of course, but the Swedish king may have brought the recipe with him when with his troops in Turkey). This left me very curious if the sarmales taste the same as kĺldolmar!



These are also known in Finland as kaalikääryle and often eaten together with lingonberry jam.
And a "wow!" back tsastor!

I really did not know they were common in Northern Europe. Interesting to read how the recipe might have arrived there. (I looked up a bit more, seems the Swedish king once fled to the town of Tighina/Bender in what is nowadays the breakaway Moldovan republic of Transnistria).

Given the big Romanian/Ottoman influences the region has, it is indeed a likely place to have picked up the dish!

Thanks for sharing! I learned something new today (I love all kinds of historic quirks!).

Last edited by Romanianflyer; Sep 20, 2017 at 1:55 pm
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 10:59 am
  #32  
 
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Although where eg. in Armenia or Greece you find them more often made with vine leaves (and quite often stuffed with rice only), in Romania it's cabbage leaves and meat.
We of Slovak/Hungarian heritage call it 'Halupky'
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 11:14 am
  #33  
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Part VI: The train(s) back to Bucharest and perhaps the best scenery from the window to date

RE 4136, dep. Viseu de Jos (19:44), arr. Beclean pe Somes (21:52)
IRN 10642, dep. Beclean pe Somes (22:31), arr. Bucharest Gara de Nord (06:31 +1)
549 kilometres, 10 hours and 47 minutes
Second class seat on the first train, berth in four-person sleeper compartment on 2nd train: 118.89 RON (25.84 EUR) – some extra discounts included in the price


Today's route would consist out of two trains actually, as you can see on the map below. One regional train that stops at every stop between Viseu de Jos and Beclean pe Somes, where I connect to the sleeper train to Bucharest (which originates some hours before in Cluj).

There are two reasons why I opted for this connection above the direct sleeper train.

1. It has a 4-bed sleeper available, while the direct train only has 6-berth couchettes and 2-person and private sleepers.
2. It arrives earlier than the direct train, allowing me to start working from home at 9am sharp.

Now the little quirk here:



Both options leave at 19:44 from Viseu de Jos, but somehow if you make a change at Beclean pe Somes you arrive earlier in Bucharest than if you stay on the direct train. How can that be?

The train from Viseu de Jos to Beclean pe Somes is actually a train that originates further north in the town of Sighetu Marmatiei, and goes to Cluj and Timisoara. Attached to it are through cars marked for Bucharest, which are detached at Beclean pe Somes where they stay a few hours and are later attached to a Bucharest-bound train.

In that time frame, another Bucharest-bound stops at Beclean pe Somes on another platform, thus overtaking the through carriages which remain stationary at the station waiting for a later train. So unless you really don't feel like leaving your carriage, there is no reason whatsoever to opt for the slower option here!



The map of today's route (sort off, as it shows the nearest road since Google Maps won't recognise trains here). From Viseu de Jos to Beclean pe Somes (the red dot), where I change trains to Bucharest.

I had a normal second class seat for the two hours from Viseu de Jos to Beclean pe Somes. I did however not sit down for even a second, as I was standing in the corridor alongside all the compartments in the train. Completely voluntary, as the windows here could open and the scenery was amazing. Nothing better than (with a bit of caution!) hanging your head outside the train, feel the fresh air into your hair, and snap some good pictures.

The train tracks are a few metres up on an elevated track above the valley as it crosses a small mountain pass from Maramures back into Transylvania. I let the pics do the talking here.



















We reached Beclean pe Somes on time, and the 40 minutes wait went by fast. No pictures from inside the second train unfortunately – the train originated some hours before in Cluj and as it was already dark, the 2 people inside the other beds in the compartment were already asleep.

As I was tired, I quickly went to sleep as well, getting a solid six hours of sleep.

I managed some pictures in the morning however of the train sneaking through the forests out of the Carpathian Mountains at dawn, stopping at the station of Ploiesti, and arriving in the city of Bucharest.







We arrived with a 15-minute delay, which I didn't mind much as I was still perfectly on time back home to start a day's work from my own kitchen table, fully rested after a good night of sleep.

All in all, it was a perfect weekend getaway. For those who sleep well on overnight trains, it is a perfect way to maximise time during daylight hours, giving you two full days on Saturday and Sunday if making a weekend trip.

I will definitely repeat the experience soon to other parts in the country. High on my list is a new private operator with affordable private sleepers (around 75 EUR) incl. shower what I've raid. It goes from Bucharest to Arad – a city where I have never been before, so should make a good future trip (one day in Arad, combined with one day in nearby Timisoara which is a better-known and more visited city).

Thanks for reading and commenting, I hope you all liked the ride!


Next up something completely different: In about 1-2 weeks from now a trip report flying 0B (Blue Air) in Y and downing litres of beers at the Oktoberfest in Germany
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 4:08 pm
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Thanks for taking the time to share your trip. Great photos! Transylvania looks beautiful.
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Old Sep 21, 2017, 11:33 am
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Your report is some really good inspiration for future RO trips I would like to take. Thanks for posting.
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Old Oct 8, 2017, 10:58 pm
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Amazing trip report, thank you so much for sharing!
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Old Oct 9, 2017, 7:28 pm
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Great photos and report. Thanks for finishing it!!
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 10:18 am
  #38  
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I cannot imagine a trip report on train travel around Romania (plus life in Romania) being any better reported on and photographed than this one. A real joy to read and a valuable addition to FlyerTalk's Trip Report archives. Thanks for a great report! ^^
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 2:25 pm
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Originally Posted by Seat 2A
I cannot imagine a trip report on train travel around Romania (plus life in Romania) being any better reported on and photographed than this one. A real joy to read and a valuable addition to FlyerTalk's Trip Report archives. Thanks for a great report! ^^
Thanks Seat 2A! That's high praise coming from you (I just started reading your postcards trip report, which has been a lovely read so far!)
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Old Mar 21, 2020, 2:23 am
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As a Maramures native myself, a big thank you for this trip report and showcasing that beautiful land.
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Old Mar 21, 2020, 8:05 am
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I'm reading this report and enjoying it immensely while in the back of my head setting up the groundwork for my own visit! As I get to the end the comment about Oktoberfest threw me - I never looked at the dates! How did I miss this when it first came out?! Thanks to Deckter for the bump! Romania is now on my list for this year, once the madness ends.
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Old Mar 21, 2020, 8:57 am
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I missed this report when it was originally published. but I am grateful for Deckter's bump. Definitely want to add Romania to the target list for the future. Great pictures!
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Old Mar 21, 2020, 11:36 am
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Nice read! Thanks.
Was lucky to visit parts of Romania last year, beautiful country. Definitely going back when possible.
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Old Mar 21, 2020, 2:45 pm
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Originally Posted by MikeFly
I'm reading this report and enjoying it immensely while in the back of my head setting up the groundwork for my own visit! As I get to the end the comment about Oktoberfest threw me - I never looked at the dates! How did I miss this when it first came out?! Thanks to Deckter for the bump! Romania is now on my list for this year, once the madness ends.
If you need any tips, let me know.

Originally Posted by xooz
I missed this report when it was originally published. but I am grateful for Deckter's bump. Definitely want to add Romania to the target list for the future. Great pictures!
I was actually surprised to see a trip report from Maramures on FT
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Old Mar 21, 2020, 6:08 pm
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Originally Posted by Deckter
If you need any tips, let me know.
As soon as we can comfortably start booking travel again, I will reach out. Thank you!
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