A final farewell....

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There is something terribly sad about leaving a place where you have had a great holiday. It's all very well saying "You can always come back", but we all know that it's never the same second time around. Maybe the expectations, maybe it's that the people have moved on, and maybe it's that the group you hung around with and had such fun with are not there. Whatever it is, we knew on the 28th December, that we were leaving a place that had given us one of the best Christmases ever and that in reality, we wouldn't be able to repeat.

We managed to hang around to see our friends who were not leaving -and we had a somewhat curious ceremony! David had professed admiration for the tights worn b y the Renaissance group on Christmas night, so it was truly refreshing to see that this was acknowledged by our friends! And his lordship was duly presented with some rather natty support hose form good old
M & S!

Then we waited to see the horses and carts that were to be this day's outing - sadly not for us...but it looked so much fun. Mind you, it was -17C - no wonder we felt a tad chilly!

But we had to leave. Brasov was our destination - felt like Groundhog day! We were taken into the station, and tried to buy tickets. Oh oh! Not again. Much pointing to timetables and loud Romanian for "There isn't a train till ???" Had we been here before or wot! Oh well, we bought tickets for some train or other, and after putting our luggage into Left Luggage we wandered off, ate lunch and then went back to wait for our train.

You know, it's funny how railway stations are pretty much the same all over. A hint of romance, especially in snow; strange and exotic names and
announcements in foreign tongues; a sudden feeling of fear in the pit of one's stomach at the thought of being on the wrong platform, then utter relief when one sees other people with similar tickets; people coming and going. They say that airports are like that, but to my mind railway stations hold the award for atmosphere. They really do have an air of sadness, joy, desperation... and Brasov was no exception.

And how else can you travel from one country to another, meet so many different people and still feel vaguely human at the end. I cannot begin to count the interesting people we have met in this year on trains - too many; I can't think of one we have met on a plane!

But I digress - and I think I am becoming a touch maudlin! I tell you, railways do that to you - especially when you've travelled as much on them as we had! I suppose, that just as I didn't want the holiday to end, I don't really want this blog to end. Because you see, in one more installment's time, my tale of what was supposed to be a Polish year, and became a Polish 15 months will be over!

So, back to the train. A double decker train to Bucharest with rather sad seats in the upper entry - with NO windows! Not good. We dozed, and David kept an eye on the suitcases as there were Gypsies on board - and please don't go all politically correct on me. Romanians told us NEVER to trust them - and they should know!

The final scare? Arriving in Bucharest railway station in total darkness! Not a singe light on the platforms...now that's kind scary! Polish family take note: You want to be scared - go to Bucharest railway station in the dark! Knocks any Polish station into a cocked hat, my dears!

A quick trip to the airport, a strange non-organised check in...and then into the gate...with an hour's delay! Thank goodness we had a hotel booked in Vienna at the airport...

So - we went to Romania, to Transylvania. We found beauty, openness, friend;y people, wonderful food and wine - and brandy; we made some good friends; we experienced a Romanian Christmas without the tat of Australia; we saw the simple way people still live.

We had an unforgettable time. Thank you, Transylvania!! We will return!