retiredmartin

May 2026. Cluj. Transylvania.

Another nervy wait for a mini-bus at Targu Mures bus station, regretting that morning craft beer/coffee combo before a 2 hour trip to Cluj to complete our Romanian road trip.

It’s not so much that the buses don’t turn up (eventually); it’s not knowing when they’ll turn up, and where there’ll park up when they do. Luckily we were able to use a young lad who’s had a spell working in Bridlington (almost certainly in a micropub) for translation purposes.

Once again Mrs RM came up trumps with her hotel pick; Hotel Transilvania bang in the centre has modern motel rooms and an underused restaurant where, for the only time, we were asked to pay in cash, please.

Cluj had felt a little bit plain when we’d had an hour to explore on the Saturday, but now it burst into life. Due to the sun always shining on the righteous we’d managed to time our visit with “Cluj Days“, their big 4 day community festival at the end of Spring.

A showpiece for the diversity within Cluj and the voluntary bodies, a bit like Waterbeach Feast Day but a thousand times bigger.

I guess what British visitors would notice most is how clean it all is, no dropped litter anywhere (the absence of takeaway outlets helps), and the large run of stalls along the central park contain some of the classiest arts and crafts and cakes. So why did I take a picture of a duck ?

Simion Bărnuțiu Central Park is a gem,

with the most glamorous park cafe imaginable.

But we’re really here for the alpcas.

“It’s a llama !” says Mrs RM, looking up the number for trade descriptions.

I am entranced by the musical talent on the young people’s stage,

revealing that Romania has cornered the market in “angry pre-teen girls who shred“.

Central Cluj is heaving on Thursday night,

crowds pouring into the main Unirii Square ahead of the free contemporary opera show that night.

We didn’t stay for the contemporary opera, but you’ll get the idea from this;