Sibiu (Hermestatt)

On Thursday morning (14.09.2017) we make our way to the train station and walk around the Cetate area again because it's so beautiful. When we arrive at the train station, we are initially disappointed. The planned train connection to Hermannstadt is not available today, a train is canceled. With the next connection, I will only arrive in Sibiu at half past six. So I use the WLAN at various train stations to pass the time. Around 18:35 we finally arrive in Hermestatt and start looking for accommodation. Dogs are not allowed in the first two hostels. On the way, a young woman speaks to me in German - she must have heard me cursing Rango - and offers me a double room in her guesthouse. But after the two luxurious nights in Karlsburg, I have decided to stay in a simpler accommodation and move on after a complimentary glass of white wine. Right in the center at Piața Mică, I stay at the Old Town Hostel for the next two nights. I prepare a small dinner in the communal kitchen and have conversations with some of the guests. We share beer, palinka, and experiences. Around eleven, I take a walk with Dicken in the old town. It all feels very cozy. Back at the hostel, there is a small dispute - a guest has found himself threatened by Rango's presence. The problem can be resolved and we go to bed shortly after midnight.

The next morning, breakfast is served early - the dormitory facilitates early rising. At around half past nine, Rango and I set off for the city. As always, I also treat myself to a trip to the outskirts of the city. After an hour, Dicken also gets breakfast and we spend some time in a small park. Then we walk a bit through the old town and along a small stream with surrounding green areas to the south. Around half past one, we take another break, this time just before the Grădina Zoologică Sibiu. On the way back, we pass through a kind of villa district, take a detour to the Orthodox Cathedral 'Inălțarea Domnului şi Sf. Nicolae' and end with a stroll in the old town. In the late afternoon, my map app shows just under 20 kilometers traveled around the hostel, definitely more than I had planned. I take a short nap before it's time for another visit to the communal kitchen. On this evening, I have a conversation with Paula, who started cycling near Berlin in August and arrived in Sibiu just under a week ago. Like me, she is traveling alone and wants to go to Istanbul first. She also doesn't know how and for how long she will continue - which sounds familiar to me. Late in the evening, I take another walk in the old town with Rango and enjoy the nocturnal charm of Sibiu. This day also ends in the dormitory shortly after midnight.