Hello fellow budget hunters
Today I am reminiscing about my trip to Romania last March, it’s been 11 month and I am already pinning to go back to Timisoara – I have been back to Romania since, back in November… but I have serious travel envy at the moment. I am currently in my final term of university, there’s something like 5 months until I graduate, but about 10 weeks of lectures. I have no idea where the time went, but I then will probably have to get a grown up job for a little bit while saving to travel!!
Romania
Anyway, enough of my boring life updates and realities of needing to travel. I found Romania the most beautiful place I have ever been, there was something so human about the city of Timisoara. Unlike Italy, which was beautiful and places like Rome seemed so preserved… Venice seemed like a movie, Florence was just crazy and like a museum. In comparison, Timisoara just felt lived in, like the comparison between a show home and your own house.
Timisoara
Timisoara felt like I expected Italy to be like, it was the norm to sit outside in a cafe for hours, enjoying coffee and good company. I had always believed Italy to be like that, and I’m sure in rural areas it is – but everyone just took a shot of espresso and then carried on with their crazy lives.
The food was amazing, in Timisoara we did cook a lot for ourselves as we were there for 8 nights, but the food was so good. In Cluj-Napoca we had a banquet of local food and it was so so good. Crispy pork, lots of meaty sausages and vine leaves stuffed with rice. Definitely, some of the best food and so reasonable, I had a cracking pizza that cost about £4 including a drink. It is definitely somewhere that is very up and coming since the end of the cold war. Although avoid the very salty cheese breads, or just ask before you buy one (I struggled to eat it! despite it looking so good!)
Cluj-Napoca
The people were so lovely too, everyone spoke perfect English, which really put our romanian to shame. Some parts are easy-ish to understand thanks to the proximity to French, Spanish and other romance languages we have attempted at school! Everyone was so keen to send us to places to eat and visit!
I loved everything about this crazy city and I so desperately want to go back – even the weather, it was 25 degrees compared with the thermometer peaking at 5 degrees today in Wales. Spring might be on its way, but I don’t think the British weather is for me (especially after 20 years of this constantly changing weather!)
This post has got a little bit rambly, but I wanted to share why I love Romania. The people, the food, the buildings and just how we lived as digital nomads for a week there. It really made me want to experience places for longer than a weekend, we really got a feel for the place there and I loved it so much, that I will be back!
I have many other posts on Romania here: –
This is lovely.
It’s so nice to read such a genuine story about your experience in Romania and I’m sure you will love it just as much if you do come back and visit other cities as well.