E3: Poinana Marŭlui to a mountain before Baŭtar: Day 73

A long, slow day, covering little distance, climbing up and down mountains with strenuous sections of path.

Another large breakfast at the nearby Hotel Oxygen to start my day. On my way to the Hotel I saw healthy horses, loose and unfettered, grazing the verges unattended, and a public sculpture of three large apples. Nearby a party of walkers, complete with daypacks, gathered at the start of the trail I was planning to climb. A guide was speaking to them in front of what might have been a hotel once, but now had no glass in its windows and bushes were growing from the wide stairs leading to the entrance.

Apples at Poinana Marŭlui.

My morning was spent climbing out of the valley in which Poinana Marŭlui lay, initially through beech trees then conifers higher up. I was following a path marked with red triangles. It seemed well used, I could see in the dust the many footprints of the walking party I spotted earlier. A couple of quad bikes passed by, out for a Saturday drive and two men on motorbikes stopped to say hello. While these vehicles are noisy, disturbing the peace of the mountains, they do help to keep the paths open, clear of brambles and undergrowth. Among the trees there were areas of rough grass, on one a flock of sheep was grazing, the dogs guarding them barked but did not approach. Looking back I could see the elongated lake or reservoir extending down the valley from Poinana Marŭlui.

Lake by Poinana Marŭlui.

Once I had reached the highest point, I had to descend on an unmarked path. There was some doubt about its viability, although the last email I received from the Romanian Mountain Association (the SKV) said that I could get through. At first, standing on the grass covered ridge top I could see no sign of a path in the direction indicated by my GPS track. However on exploring under the low branches of the spruce trees, a narrow path was clearly visible. I followed it, descending through the trees and more open areas. In places there were blueberry bushes still with a few remaining berries, interspersed with a low bushes with red berries which PlantNet identified as lingonberries. A few blue campanula and creeping juniper completed the assemblage. A scrambling bike had riden down the path recently, its tyre marks were a helpful guide as to where the path went. The passage of the motorbike was especially helpful in areas where trees had been felled or blown down, as the way was blocked by vigorous new growth. I could follow the trail of broken and bent vegetation created by the motorbike. In this way I progressed reasonably well if a bit slowly until I joined another track, unfortunately the wrong one. My way to the correct route was blocked by a mass of fallen trees. Not being able to see where the bike had gone, I worked my way around the confusion of branches and tree trunks until I spotted the path heading down the mountainside below among intact trees. Somehow the scrambler bikes had found a way around as well as I could again see its tyre marks in the dust of the trail.

A faint path among the trees.

The path continued down a valley beside a small stream. Slippery moss covered rocks, fallen trees and vegetation around the stream made for sluggish progress. As I neared a larger forest track my way was blocked by a mess of trunks and branches. Large trunks of mature beech trees had been felled and stacked beside the forest track further on. Branches and smaller trees had been dumped and allowed to slide down the steep valley sides to its base, accumulating in an extensive, disorderly heap. Attempts to cross it failed, the branches were unstable and could not support my weight and there was no firm ground around the stronger trunks that I could reach. Not wishing to risk a broken leg I had to climb up the steep slope of the valley side to bypass the obstruction high above the valley base, then carefully work my way down to join the main forest track.

My way blocked by the disorderly remans of a felling operation that only wanted the largest trunks. 

There was then a short distance of easy walking on the forest track (which I had to repeat as I left my trekking poles behind, leaning against some harvested trunks where I rested). As the E3 crosses the "grain" of the land, I then had a climb up the valley side. Although marked as a path, it was a muddy vehicle track that rapidly gained height, unlike me who was now tiring.

At last I came open an area of open grassland high on a ridge. It was approaching 6:00 pm so I thought it time to stop and make camp, although I had not walked as far as I had hoped, less than 15 kilometres. Pitching was difficult as there were a lot of insect nests among the tussocks of grass. A couple of stick insects seemed particularly upset that I camped next to them. The flies that had been bothering me all day were now delighted I had stopped so they could truly annoy me, so I erected my tent and scrambled in as quickly as possible. Even so many insects found their way into the inner tent where I had to push them out by flapping my hat, then attempt to kill the intransigent ones. Flies accumulated between the inner and outer tents, maintaining a constant buzzing until darkness fell. Once I had settled in my tent, annoyed I could not view the sunset from my lofty pitch owing to the belligerent flies, a pick-up drove up. Two men got out, through the netting of my tent they looked like hunters, their rifles were a clue. Seeing my tent, they decided to go somewhere else.

E3: Borlova to Poiana Marului: Day 72

A tough climb up to the top of Muntele Mic and a long stoney descent.

Today the plan was simple, climb to the summit of a mountain called Muntele Mic, then descend to the village of  Poiana Marului on the other side. The total ascent today was 1500 metres with several especially steep sections. On these I initially felt somewhat light headed. I put this down to the huge breakfast that had been set before me at the Gasthaus. Too much for me to eat although I did my best with the eggs, little sausages, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, ham, cheese, blueberries and home made jam. Consequently I am sure my body was simultaneously trying to supply my digestive system with blood to deal with the excessive amount of food, and my legs as they pushed me upwards, leaving my brain a little short.

Much of the height was gained through conifer forest on stoney tracks that forked and converged. Although mostly quiet there was localised forestry work, one of the workers tried to engage me in conversation, as did a cowherd later on, unfortunately lacking a common language we did not get far. Sweating heavily, my progress was slow. Above the tree line there was open heath and a Ski Resort. While I was hoping for a café or similar at the Complex what I expected was abandoned hotels and unfriendly dogs, as I had experienced at Semenic on my last trip. I was right about the dogs and a windowless appartment building, however there were a few functioning hotels. At one two men were drinking coffee on the terrace, so I went in and bought a large mint lemonade in a large empty restaurant with neatly laid tables. The waiter also topped up my water bottle as the heat and strenuous climb were making me thirsty. Probably, they would have liked me to order lunch so they had something to do, but I was still digesting breakfast. In addition I discovered while drinking my lemonade that I had another 250 metres to climb to reach the summit. I climbed this slowly, passing ski lifts and resting briefly at a place with benches, a large white cross and a covered shrine, which was being brushed clean.

In the summit area the track on my GPS no longer corresponded to any path, which made me nervous about the existence of a viable route down through the trees. However after skirting a large flock of sheep, hoping the distant sheepdog did not notice me, I joined a track marked with occasional bright orange paint blobs and pieces of red and white plastic caution tape attached to sticks. It appeared to follow the route of the E3. On reaching the conifers, blue and white waymarks also appeared. There followed a long stretch of path mainly under trees, following a ridge, heading north.

All morning low cloud had obscured any scenery beyond the surrounding trees, wrapped in mist, however after the summit, the sun broke through. At times I could see down into the valley where I am staying tonight, and the steep wooded mountains beyond that I will toil up tomorrow. The path was muddy after recent rain and I was glad of my trekking poles, needing them to stop me sliding onto my bottom as I negotiated steep descents with exposed rocks.

A view of tomorrow's mountains.

Ridge path through conifers.

Eventually the path dropped down off the ridge into a valley. The path was steep, rocky and seemingly endless. My left knee was struggling and progress was slow as I was tired, but finally I reached the scattered village of Poiana Marului.

Rocky path, hard on my knee.

The next problem was finding the lodging I had booked. For the second night in succession it was again not at the location indicated by booking.com. I only found it after asking a local lad who spoke English. At this new location there was no sign naming the accommodation, however on pestering the lady at the nearby shop (who did not speak English) she pointed to the building opposite and later produced the owner, who let me in. I am now at the restaurant of the Hotel Oxygen (or maybe Hotel H2O), where I have eaten a meal on the terrace beside the river, a delightful setting.

E3: Return to Caransebeș and onto Borlova: Day 70 and 71

Yesterday, after a delay of several hours, I flew from London to Timişoara from where I travelled to Caransebeș for the night. Today I walked to Borlova along roads and over a gentle hill under overcast skies.

My return to Timişoara from London's Luton Airport was somewhat delayed. The flight was originally meant to leave at 8:00 am, which meant getting out of bed at an early hour in a nearby hotel to check in. A long queue snaked left and right waiting to be scanned at security, so you kept seeing the same faces looking at you. Once in the departure area a series of delays were displayed on the information screens, these were punctuated by emails from WizzAir reporting the new, later departure times and supplying snack vouchers, followed by automated phone calls saying how sorry they were and asking if I had received the vouchers ("answer Yes or No after the tone"). Finally at 13:30 we were lined up at the gate, and by 14:40 we were accelerating down the runway. On arriving at Timişoara a further email announced an additional delay, a bit surreal as we had already arrived!

Plans for catching buses back to Caransebeș were wrecked by the long delay. There was a late train which I could just make by taxi, however the taxi driver offered to drive me to Caransebeș (a little over 100 kilometres away) and despite the 500 Lei cost (a little under a hundred pounds) I took this option being logistically simpler than negotiating trains and train stations late in the evening. A code had been supplied to enter the hotel I had booked, but as the keypad was a piece of smooth black plastic, and as the numbers only lit up when I pressed random points I had difficulty entering the code correctly. Eventually I was successful but on trying again after visiting the shop next door for a soft drink and a snack, I totally failed to make the door understand that I had the right code. Fortunately a random stranger came to help otherwise I would have been left in the street with my belongings inside. In the morning I left the hotel without ever having seen any of its staff. I had prepaid so there was no need to wait for anyone to arrive and as I missed a proper diner last night I was keen to find a place to eat breakfast. Despite it being only 8:30, the centre of town was busy with several places selling coffee and stalls and shops offering "food to go". As I drank a coffee on a table outside a café, I watched people buy filled croissants from a hatch in the window of the patisserie opposite. Others frequented a stall selling pizza slices and sausage rolls, which they ate for breakfast on the move as they walked to work. White haired men sat on stone benches chatting, women crossed themselves as they passed the open doors of the cathedral. The gold of the iconostasis was visible through the church doors, reflecting the light of many candles. After a slow search of a small supermarket I found enough supplies to sustain me for a couple of days, then purchased a sandwich from a glass walled stall for my lunch.

My walk today was not a long one at 23 kilometres, one should not overtax oneself on the first day. It began with a walk down the road to the settlement of Buchin where I rejoined the route of the E3. Turning off the road into untidy farmland I passed with some trepidation a flock of sheep penned behind a fence. Where there are sheep there are often aggressive dogs. Shortly after, as I put on my waterproofs owing to light rain, the flock of sheep came passed me, a shepherd at the front, another at the back, making sounds to keep their sheep going in the right direction. Fortunately their dogs were not interested in me.

Following a flock of sheep guided by a shepherd beside me.

A length of quiet, single track road followed with a couple of villages strung out along them. Single storey houses in a long terrace, each with a slightly different height and design. People were gathering  at one of the churches, a funeral maybe as black clothes were being worn. Leaving the road there was a ridge to climb over on a track by fields from which hay had been harvested. There were meadows with the remains of flowers, neglected orchards, and rose acacia trees (according to my App but I thought they might be black locust trees).

First ridge to cross.

Dropping down into the red-roofed village of Borlova I searched without success for the "Gasthaus Maria" at the location marked on Google Maps. I asked a group of men drinking beer at tables outside a shop where it was, showing the name of the place on my phone, but they were unable to help, although I was offered a beer (which I declined). Although they lacked any English and I lacked any Romanian they pointed to the building opposite where there were workers on scaffolding. They could not assist me either. After searching satellite images on Google Maps for a place possibly consistent with the pictures on booking.com I discovered that Google also had a "Pensiunea Gasthaus Maria" marked, a kilometre or two down the road outside the village. This proved to be the place I was booked into.

Borlova

On finally arriving at my lodging, the manager was out but I was directed to his brother who was sitting outside beside the pool. As I enjoyed a coffee, he spoke of British politics with which he proved to be more familiar than I might have expected. In the evening over dinner at the guesthouse in a room decorated with rustic farmhouse implements, I chatted with a French family who were also staying there. Their grown up son, a student about to study engineering, spoke good English, as well as French and Romanian. It puts my lack of language skills to shame! Immigration was brought up in both these conversations, it seems a concern across Europe.

E3 in Romania: Comments so far

This trip only covered a modest part of the E3 in Romania. The first part of it from the Iron Gates Dam to Carbunari was straightforward, although with some steep climbs and a few overgrown sections. The next few days were more challenging. I had to give up on the Nera Gorge where the path was both overgrown, indistinct and had technically challenging sections. The old railway line after Lake Buhui was difficult, both dealing with fallen rocks, tree trunks, vegetation and a scary bridge.

Much of the route was waymarked with coloured stripes or crosses, and occasional signs. I crossed three National Parks or similar, where the environment is protected. Away from the Danube the area was sparsely populated. Many of those who had settled in the villages were Czech or German, although now there were many empty houses as people had moved away.

Along the initial section beside the Danube, accommodation and other facilities were available but after that I spent much of this section camping as lodging was either unavailable or in the case of the Czech Banat, full. In the National Parks there were some basic campsites with chemical toilets, bins and little else. Shops were limited in number and so I made sure I had enough food for a few days. Inevitably language difficulties limited my interactions with the local population, although my phrase book and Google Translate helped to ensure I could obtain what I really needed.

Apart from a road section beside the River Danube, in one of its more dramatic sections, much of the walk was through trees, typically beech, on forest tracks and gravel roads. I returned via Timisoara, a city I thought well worth visiting.

The start of my walk on the E3 is at this webpage.

My crossing of Serbia starts at this webpage.

My walk through Romania begins at this post.

Romanian and EU flags

Timișoara and flight home: Days 68 & 69

A day learning a bit about Romania and Timişoara, its history and its food, then an early flight home next morning. 

Street in Timişoara

Having celebrated completing my planned distance over the last five weeks with a large glass of rose and a whisky with my meal last night, I was feeling a bit sluggish this morning. However I had booked a walking tour of Timişoara followed by a street food tour. They both happened to be run by the same guide and I was the only participant. 

I learnt that Timişoara dated from the 14th century, when it was part of Hungary, that for many years it was occupied by the Ottoman Turks, before the Austrians regained it in the early 18th century. The Ottoman town was completely destroyed and the city rebuilt with a roads running at right angles in a neat pattern. To defend the town it was surrounded by walls and bastions in a star shaped pattern. We visited the one remaining bastion. Germans were invited to come and settle in the area and help construct the city. The multiple paths of the Bega River were collected in a canal, draining swamps and allowing navigation to Budapest via the Tisa River. In 1848 the Hungarian uprising against Austria was suppressed but commemorated in the name of Liberty Square, one of several squares we visited. Timişoara prospered in late 19th and early 20th century with many new buildings, a lot of them seemed to have been banks, which had a beehive motif in their stonework. Many of these buildings have been subject to decay, loosing bits of their rendering, exposing the brick underneath. Those that have been renovated look very fine, painted in pastel colours including a few in the Hungarian Art Nouveau style.

Hungarian Art Nouveau style building in corner of one of the squares

After the First World War, and the fall of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, Timişoara became part of Romania (a country only in existence since the mid 19th century). Following the Second World War Romania became a communist  country, and from 1967 was led by Nicolae Ceaușescu, essentially as a dictator. Timişoara played a leading role in the overthrow of Ceaușescu with the first large protests in December 1989. People were dissatisfied with the limited food rations on which they had to live, and the actions of the Securitate, suppressing any dissent. My guide showed me some of the bullet holes made when soldiers opened fire on the protesters, which included his father, killing many. 

Bullet holes from 1989 uprising at base of a monument

Due to long period as part of the Hapsburg empire the street food showed the influence of a number of countries such as langos and a type of chocolate cake from Hungary, pretzels from Germany, and burek as in Serbia. Having eating all of these and more I was stuffed by the end of the food tour!

My departure this morning was early for a 6:20 am flight from the small Timişoara International Airport. All went well, the taxi ordered by the hotel receptionist arriving in good time and it was a direct flight to London Luton, so despite feeling groggy with lack of sleep I was soon back in Britain and on my train home.

Buchin to Timişoara: Day 67

Starting the trip back home.

My feet had suffered for walking for so long in wet socks and boots. The top of my toes had small scabs on them where they had begun to bleed. Putting plasters on them to stop them rubbing required  consideration as to how I should go about it. I joined a couple of toes together with the same plaster, but gave a separate plaster to others. A bit messy but I only had eight kilometres to walk this morning to the train station and a few more when I arrived at Timişoara.

Fortunately the dog that bothered me last night was not around this morning as I tentatively walked by, the stones I had collected should I have to defend myself were wasted, so I was soon on my way up the busy main road to Caransebeş. TripAdvisor had a lack of sights to recommend for the town, but I was happy to sip a coffee with a slice of cake, visit the cathedral, its interior glowing with gold around Jesus, Mary, and the saints, enjoy the grass squares and buy a burger (of sorts) for lunch.

Cathedral of St George at Caransebeş

On buying a ticket with the help of Google Translate I asked which platform the train would arrive at. "Two" I was told, but the platforms were not labelled. As the one nearest the station building had grass growing out of it and a stationary engine, I assumed it was the next one across. I was a bit confused when a train pulled into the station half an hour before mine was due. None was scheduled at that time. On closer inspection the paper stuck to the carriages said Budapest, where my train was going. Passengers gathered on the platform to have a smoke while the train sat in the station confirmed it was indeed my train. Despite being an international express the train was not that fast, taking over three hours to cover the hundred kilometres to Timişoara. As the train strolled towards the city I looked out of the window at the flat farmland we were now passing, part of the huge Pannonian Plain that extends across Hungary, northern Serbia and parts of Romania. Pockets of poppies brightened the trackside. They seemed to be building a new line beside the existing track, with new stations. Hopefully the trains on the new railway will be faster.

Timişoara is a big city, I walked from the "Nord" station through an arc of parkland that follows the Bega River south of the centre. A large, white marble sculpture dominates one part of the park, a monument to the unknown soldier, with a facade of Second World War soldiers. The inscription added recently reads "Glory to the Romanian soldier, heir to the traditions of ancient history who fought heroically against Bolshevism and fascism for the freedom and independence of the homeland", while historically inaccurate I suspect it captures what many would like to feel. At tables people played chess or cards. Riverside bars looked tempting, glasses of blonde beer and white wine refracting the sun, turning them to points of golden light. A few people were rowing skiffs on the water by the University, although to me they needed to take their oars further back to get a good strong pull.

A square in Timisoara, note the tram lines and overhead cables

As I walked into the hotel I noticed my boots had a glittery appearance from the mica picked up from the trail yesterday. I have booked two tours tomorrow, but the forecast is for rain.

Sunset over the suburbs of Timisoara viewed from my hotel

E3: Gărâna to Buchin: Day 66

Another good soaking but I safely arrived at a warm dry Pension.

Typical fence made of branches

Although it rained most of the night around 7 am it stopped, so I used the opportunity to pack up my wet belongings and by 7:30 I was on my way. By 8 am it had started raining again with thunder rumbling around me without a break. The heavy downpour soon penetrated my waterproofs and I was worried about getting cold so early in the day, especially as the water was soaking my fleece and trousers. I kept moving briskly to keep warm. As my glasses kept misting up this was not so easy. Fortunately the track was straightforward, no overgrown vegetation or saplings to get in my way, few fallen branches to trip me up. The soil was sandy so the rain did not turn the track into mud although it created deep channels of brown water running down the track faster than me. Mainly downhill (I had climbed out of Gărâna yesterday), partly in trees and partly in the open. I preferred the trees due to the risk of lightening.

I was relieved to reach the collection of buildings that constituted Lindenfeld, as well as being a milestone and the start of a better track, there was a sheltered area of seating in front of a boarded up building, which might have once been a Gasthaus. Under the shelter I used the opportunity to put my phone and kindle in a double wrapping of dry bags as I was not confident one layer would withstand the pounding rain.

After the rain

Unusual haystacks in farmed area on valley floor

Continuing down the gravel road the rain and thunder eventually stopped for a while, there was even a little sun in which to admire the farmed fields of the flat valley floor. The village of Poiana was larger than I expected. A long line of single storey buildings, a few with tiled frontages similar to those I had seen in Garnic, but with tiles missing, it must be difficult to find replacements. Other houses had ornamental lines cast into the rendering and the fancy ironwork gates I had seen in other villages, which I imagined horse and cart using in older times to access back yards. In the centre, by the church, I unexpectedly found a shop open, and bought a can of iced latte and a banana. I sat on the bench outside to consume my purchases. Many houses had benches in front of them, beside the road, where elderly women and men sat, the former hiding their hair under black headscarves. Better than watching daytime TV, they viewed and exchanged comments with passing neighbours. Rain suddenly restarted, and those sitting on benches rapidly retreated inside. I joined a man under a sheltered porch attached to an administrative building to finish my coffee, watching the torrential rain. Waiting awhile I checked the forecast on my phone, which showed rain for the rest of the day, interspersed with symbols for thunder and lightening. However, while doing so the rain eased off to a gentle patter and I continued my walk. 

With the good tracks, stretches of road and the encouragement of the wet weather I was making fast progress. I had booked a room near Buchin but I pondered continuing for another eight kilometres to Caransebeş to catch a train to Timisoara where I planned to catch a plane home. However I had paid for my bed, and it would be cold and unpleasant walking then travelling in wet and damp clothing. I might have changed my mind had not the Pension let me in early, well before check in time. A hot shower and dry clothes felt all the better for having been cold and wet.

Later I walked down to a fast food shack with tables under roof. My chicken hamburger and chips was spoilt however, by my worrying about a dog which circled me barking aggressively on my way this evening. A passing driver kindly gave me a lift a short distance so I could escape its plans for me. However I worried about having to pass the large, evil creature again to get back to my lodgings. In the event he only gave a few barks, maybe as there were other people around. When I leave tomorrow I will have to pass him again. He has a kennel on a corner so he can eye up passing victims. His owner must have a malicious delight in frightening people.