Excursion to Bucharest

On Sunday morning (08.10.2017) we make our way to Focșani train station. Alina has an event in Bucharest in the evening and I take the opportunity for another excursion there. During the nearly six-hour train ride, we try to find a place in a hostel for me and Rango. Unfortunately, we don't succeed. As soon as it is mentioned that the “big guy” is a Rottweiler, the animal love ends. Luckily, Alina's brother agrees to spend a night in his office and provides us with his apartment near the city center. We reach Bucharest around five o'clock and go straight to Marian's place. After a quick key handover and a cup of coffee, I prepare a small dinner. Then we go to the Old Town for the vernissage. Alina participated in a photo competition with a prize of 10,000€ and made it into the top 20 applicants. Unfortunately, the big breakthrough doesn't happen, but we still celebrate that evening. Late at night, we make our way back home through the already sleeping Bucharest.

The new week starts with coffee and cookies before we leave the apartment. During the day, we meet Mihail (another member of the night hiking group from Făgăraș) to exchange backpacks and meet Marian to return his apartment key. We treat ourselves to lunch in a canteen, visit one of the largest buildings in the world, the Casa Poporului (the Palace of the Parliament), and otherwise just stroll through the city. In the evening, we enjoy some craft beer in the Old Town at La 100 de Beri before having dinner at Caru' cu Bere. Since we have once again failed to find overnight accommodation during the day, we decide to take the train back to Focșani at night. The 11 o'clock train was too early for us, so we stroll leisurely through the nocturnal Bucharest to the train station. Once there, we doze off a bit in a warm corner of the train station hall (dogs are not allowed in the waiting room) before we can board the slow train shortly after four in the morning.

On Tuesday morning, we reach Focșani and treat ourselves to a small breakfast after arriving at Alina's apartment, followed by an extended nap. In the afternoon, I watch "Into the Wild" for the first time. Inspiring movie, but the ending makes you think as a traveler. Not much else happens on that day, Bucharest was quite exhausting.