Croatia and Danube Highlights: Monday 30 September

Happy birthday Karen

Today starts overcast with temperature expected to only reach 16 degrees. It rained most of the night but has cleared this morning but it still looks ominous. We leave the apartment just after 9 and are at the pick up point for our tour at 9.30. Our guide Irena arrives at 9.45 and has brought us a type of pretzel which was warm and delicious. There is only one other member of the group a lady called Mia from the Netherlands. We thought the walking tour was about two hours but turns out it is five hours!

Irena gives us some of the history of Romania and we head off just before 10 am.

Irena takes us to some lovely buildings where some are derelict and others restored. During Ceausescu reign a lot of the houses were taken over by the state and they have a plaque identifying them. After Ceasescu demise families came back to reclaim them, some were successful many were not. Some are still in limbo. In 1977 an earthquake damaged a lot of buildings and Ceasescu ordered that some were not to be repaired and these have a red disc nailed to the front of the building indicating their status. It is demoralising to see such beautiful buildings in such a state of disrepair. We also visit an Orthdox church.

In his early years Ceasescu did many good things but as usual power corrupts and his persecution of the populace led to his downfall.

We then head on to our first meal break. We are in a cafe/bar whose owner was a darts champion, and the walls are decorated with his trophies and dart boards. We can have a beer or wine and Ann and I choose a red wine which was nice. We are also provided with a local plum brandy which was potent! A tasting platter is served with bread drenched in olive oil, some cured meat, pork lard, an eggplant dip, carp roe dip, vegetable dip and humus type dip. Also on the platter were two types of cow cheese, one of which was fermented in a sheep’s gut, plus tomatoes and red onion.

After this we took the bus to get the markets. We walked through the stalls and vegetable market and then it was time to eat some more. There was a local grill/bar where there was a queue lined up for their favourite street snack called mici. This is a mince meat sausage of beef and pork the is grilled like a sausage. Irena also provides another platter of cured meats, goats cheese, bread rolls and fruit. Here we have a beer. It was great, no tea tonight!

After we finish Irena takes to the subway where we take the train back to where we started. Another great day.