Bologa - on the Trail of Rome

Thursday (08/31/2017) starts surprisingly smoothly - Home-brewed is just the best. I prepare my late breakfast myself, the two meteorologists obviously have a bit more to deal with. At noon, we say goodbye and Rango and I start the descent (after the big one got into a fight with the two farm dogs again). On the evening before, we talked about Romans and Dacians in the region and the possibility of finding evidence from that time in Bologa. So that's today's destination. During the first 2 to 3 hours, it's mostly downhill, sometimes quite steep. At the beginning of the descent, I'm not really paying attention, trip and for once I can't catch myself through quick reaction (is it because of the home-brewed?). Luckily, my shoulder rolls back in just as quickly as it dislocated, and apart from a few scrapes on my knee, I remain unharmed. Getting up is more complicated than I thought because of my backpack, but I manage it. The big one looks somewhat irritated and then continues walking boredly. After 3 hours, I treat myself to the first break at a small creek around four o'clock. Nearby, a local is playing with his two horses in the forest. When he comes to the creek to drink, I offer him a few grilled chicken legs and some bread. He's currently building his own cabin, he tells me, and is getting the wood he needs from the forest in a traditional way. I think that's great! When I arrive in Vişagu shortly afterwards, the last village before Bologa, I let myself be convinced by 2 older men to have a beer at the local kiosk. One of them is quite impressed with Rango and wants to buy my companion from me. Of course, that's not possible. After the second beer, it's time to continue. The next kilometers are again very pleasant to walk. It goes through a gentle hilly landscape and the evening sun creates a very special atmosphere - hard to describe, but I like hiking in the early evening the most. Around half past seven, I set up our night camp about 3km before Bologa. A few dogs in the area excite each other for a while due to our presence, but none of them come to visit.

On Friday, despite the valley location of our campsite, I can set off quite early. We make our way to Bologa train station in just under 2 hours. The temperatures outside the mountains are quite high again around noon, and we mainly have to walk on the road. The hoped-for certainty regarding possible train connections to Cluj-Napoca does not materialize directly at the train track either. There is no notice anywhere to be found. According to Andrei from the weather station, a train leaves around 6:00 p.m. In the village, I go in search of a cup of coffee. At the local minimarket, I meet Viorica, who accompanies me to the next cafe. There, the departure time for the train to Cluj is estimated to be around five o'clock!? After my coffee, I set off with Rango to the Castrum Resculum marked on my map. According to Wikipedia, the Romans maintained a garrison here at the latest since 106 AD. There is not much to see other than a rectangular outline and a few excavated foundations. The presence of the Romans can only be guessed at by the layman. However, during our walk to the train station, we were able to see a medieval castle ruin, which is to be our next destination. The path there leads along an avenue that seems endlessly long due to the interplay of light and shadow. Luckily, it's not, and we reach Cetadea Bologa after a short time. The castle walls provide protection from the sun, and we settle down in the cool place for nearly 2 hours. Then we head back to the train station. Unfortunately, the train that is traveling in the right direction at around 5:00 p.m. does not stop, so we wait until six for the next opportunity. Fortunately, it works out with the ride and we reach Cluj-Napoca train station around half past seven - it's a local train (60km in 90 minutes). Berti is already waiting at the station and drives us to his apartment. Berti and Reka have kept their word and we are allowed to stay with them in Cluj for a few days. We are provided with our own room with a balcony and are encouraged to feel completely at home. I freshen up quickly, borrow a pair of pants from Berti, and then we go to Cluj for dinner. We spend some entertaining hours in a trendy pub with a few friends of theirs, eating pizza and drinking wine. Back at the apartment, we end the evening with a final beer on the balcony. Luck is with me once again!