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The train to Transylvania

by - July 31 2010

When the weather is hot, the Belgrade locals like to go swimming at in a section of the Sava (pronounced Saba) river that has been turned into an artificial beach. I've always been a big fan of swimming in lakes and rivers and so naturally I joined in and went for a swim. The water was lovely.

In the afternoon I took a train from Belgrade to Timisoara in Translyvania, Romania. The train was old and slow, often stopping for the right to go through sections of single-track, but it was comfortable, and we got a good view of the Serbian countryside (very flat, and largely cornfields).

Things got more interesting after dark as we crossed the border into Romania. The local farmers were burning the stubble from their fields so there were little fires everywhere. Seeing all these fires shining out of the darkness was very atmospheric, and surprisingly in-keeping with the Transylvanian stereotype.

On arrival in Timisoara, I couldn't find the cheap place I had planned to go to, so eventually gave up and checked into a fancy hotel instead - giving me a nice opportunity to recover from two nights at a party hostel.

I haven't had a proper look at Timisoara yet, but on first glance it seems rather pleasant. I'll take some proper photos in the morning once I have some light.