London to Istanbul, by Sea and Land – Part Two

In the second part of our adventure taking us from London to Istanbul, the Two Thirsty Travellers visit Budapest, travel through Romania stopping in Brasov and Bucharest, before we make the last final train journey to Istanbul, where we start our six month overlanding journey. See previous travel blog London to Istanbul, by Sea and Land – Part One 

Markets, baths and relaxation in Budapest

Budapest was another place we had visited previously, so this stop was more about rest and relaxation than being a tourista. Again, thanks to some conveniently located lockers in the station, we were able to ditch our packs and venture into the city.

 Even though we had been to Budapest before, in our last visit we had managed to miss the large maket hall,

due to some oversight on opening times. This time we weren’t going to miss it so we went straight there to look at the array of bakeries, butcheries and delicatessens  I was less taken by the fishmongers on the basement floor which had so many live fish in a tank they could barely move. The stench was also pretty overpowering. Upstairs however, and you could take your pick of ripe fruit and fresh vegetables. The Austrian influence also means there is ample strudel selection, but the apple and cherry one we had was rather average, and so we turned our attention to the baths.

The quick bit of research we had done before arriving in Budapest revealed Rudas Baths on the Buda side of the Danube river as a reasonably priced option, however upon arrival we discovered it was women’s only day so no mixed spas. We instead hiked back over to Széchenyi baths which are probably Budapest’s most well-renowned and popular baths. There is also a large complex of outdoor baths, all with naturally hot mineral water. This was a much welcomed way to spend an afternoon, soothing tightened back muscles from days of lugging around hefty packs.

These baths aren’t as flash as the Gellért baths,

we went to during our previous trip to Budapest, but they seemed much more sociable, and without such strict and fussy etiquette on who can go where and hair attire. I also liked the range of indoor pools, which allows you to go from hot to hotter. I didn’t brave the plunge pool this time though. Going from inside to outside was bad enough.

 We were definitely feeling rested and relaxed after our spa experience, but also famished, so we wandered down Andrássy Way diverting to one of the side streets lined with restaurants, outdoor tables and heating, for some local beer and pizza, one of which was ‘Hungarian’ with plenty of spicey sausage.

 Then it was a quick trip to the supermarket for supplies (we had yet to come across a restaurant cart on previous overnight trains), and then boarded the train for our third overnight journey.

 Transiting through Transylvannia, Bucharest and beyond

Visiting Romania was definitely a highlight of the journey. In fact I enjoyed Transylvania so much that I’ve written a separate travel blog [see Bran Castle and Brown Bears - exploring Transylvania]

Nestled away in Transylvania and in the middle of Romania is a lovely little city by the name of Brasov. It’s central location makes it an ideal spot for exploring the surrounding area and is easy to get to by train as it’s on the main line to Bucharest. Brasov is bursting with historical significance and in the old part of the town there are medieval buildings and part of the original fort wall and a watch tower. There is a wide, cobbled pedestrianised street leading to a pretty square ‘Piata Sfatului’, where the centrepiece is a lemon-coloured building home to a history museum.

While we were wandering the streets of Brasov, we saw several young people in traditional dress. For a minute this gave us a glimpse of what Brasov might have looked like many years ago, but despite the attire, these youngsters were from the modern day, behaving like other teenagers passing you in the street, talking on phones, eating pretzels and going in and out of shops.

Brasov is also considered very much a cultural centre, hosting many music festivals and art exhibitions. There was an interesting outdoor sculptural display when we were there, with several mosaic models in stunning colours, adorning one of the large sidewalks.

 Bucharest on the other hand  although in keeping with other large European cities with its massive monuments, grand buildings and inner-urban parks, paled in comparison to the provincial and honest allure of the much smaller Brasov.

It was however a tactical point for our journey to Turkey, and a stay in an apartment allowed us to regroup, have another rested sleep, before embarking on our last and longest train journey.

 The morning before we left for Istanbul, we had a long wander to and around one of Bucharest’s biggest parks,

Herӑstrӑu. These however were quite unkempt, and although they had large expanses of beautifully flowering blossom trees, a lot of the grounds seemed in desperate need of attention. Those who looked like they appreciated these surroundings the most were the masses of stray but well behaved dogs, which I fondly refer to as ‘mangeys’, who stretched themselves in flowerbeds and slept under trees.

After our walk we grabbed our packs, and drank  better than expected coffee at the station while we waited for our final train that would see us spend about 17 hours in one small cabin. This cabin at least had greater head space (between bunks) and did have a dark faux-maple veneer, giving it a retro edge. The toilets were also retro, but not in a good way……

 Passing through more Romanian countryside, and then into Bulgaria, I was reminded of one of the main reasons we had gone for travel via train than air. The scenery was both different and beautiful to what we had seen elsewhere, with fertile fields and green crops. Dense woodlands to dipping valleys, all being observed with camera in hand, and head half out the window. In the distance were horse-drawn carts, and near the tracks people would gather and look back at us.

It was a sleep of two halves that night, as we rested our heads knowing that we would be awakened around 2am for passport inspection. And before we knew it, there was a loud knock so we disembarked and stood on the platform, bleary-eyed waiting for our passports to be inspected. Then after a bit of anxious waiting, we tried to get a few more hours sleep, but first there was a further inspection, this time by a customs official who wanted to go through our packs, but upon realising the enormity of the task, threw his hands in the air and walked off.

Due to engineering works, the train couldn’t go as far as Istanbul, so we disembarked at Halkali at about 8:30am, and caught a busy commuter bus for the last, drawn out part of our journey. It was a brilliantly sunny day, and as the bus drove along the road into Istanbul that hugged the sea, I spotted a dolphin swimming along, cats on rooves and thousands of tulips in bloom. Our time in Istanbul was already shaping up to be full of surprises. 

Coming soon…… look out for our travel blog about Istanbul.

By Kelly Ley-Dahm