May 2026. Biertan. Transylvania.
Due to Mrs RM’s immaculate travel planning (she could be a pub ticker) we’ve managed to avoid any transport disasters in eastern Europe so far, bar that two hours stuck on a gravel track in small-town Albania.
But Biertan had no bus service at all, bar that UNESCO service that had now dumped us in Biertan and had no reason to come back. Luckily, Uber is a thing in rural Transylvania, and Mrs RM had booked our trip to mysterious Medias (mysterious in the sense there’s no Untappd check-ins).
An hour to kill, though, what to do ?
There’s a smart restaurant round the back of the fortress where the tourists go. No, we’ll head to the locals bar called Piko Wrap Bistro & Chill. Sounds like a GBG entry in Leytonstone.
I must be getting sentimental; this bar counter looks a classic to me.
Fags, pretzels, a solitary CIUC on tap for £1.30, and the only English spoken is “Cash only“. Which I guess is all you need.
Two other customers inside, Germans carefully writing postcards home to Duisburg.
In honesty, this was the pub of the trip, for inexplicable reasons.
Oh yes, it .was the locals smoking on the bench outside.
Piko Wrap & Chill promised food,
but neither Snitel Pui or the more tempting Cascaval Pane were being served.
Never mind. Still half an hour till our Uber, time to try out the other Untappd venue.
Taverna Antica has a readable beer list,
seating down in the cellars,
and absolutely no sign of service.
With ten minutes till our taxi the shandy and mysterious Skekely craft beer turn up,
the barmaid (genuinely delighted we’re drinking the local beer rather than the nasty Heineken.
Never have I had such a struggle to finish half a litre of beer in 5 minutes.
retiredmartin 