I know many people go to places because it’s on a bucket list or has a “must visit” reputation. My journey is about travelling around the world and trying to enjoy wherever I am and some times that can be challenging.
My latest challenge was Bacau, Romania. I arrived there by plane from Luton. Bacau must be one of the smallest population centres with an airport (137,000) but the flight time suited me and although I planned to go on to Iasi and then Chisinau (both of which have their own airports) I prefer to travel overland and I to take my time to see things. My host picked me up at the airport and left me on the 6th floor of an apartment block with a view of other apartment blocks. It was a night time arrival so it was only in the morning when I could take stock of where I was. A Lidl on the corner … further down the main road a shopping centre (mall) with a cinema and a food court. Not many small shops. I was only spending the weekend there and I needed to orient myself
So day one, Friday, was to go to Lidl to get supplies for the weekend and onto the food court to get my first taste of Romanian food, albeit with a plastic tray instead of a plate, and with plastic cutlery. My server did speak English though so it wasn’t all point and gestures.
I was surprised about how modern and hi-rise this small town in Romania was … much more so than a comparative town in England, (it’s about the same population as Warrington or Oxford in the UK.) I spent Saturday exploring, but as much as I was enjoying the modern conveniences, I did have a craving to get away from it all. So, on the Sunday (the day before leaving,) I looked at the map for my nearest walk and went for it. I first had to find the nearby river. That was only a few yards away past some other apartment blocks. Sadly what looked like a large blue line on the map was just a trickle of water through a reed bed. The other issue was loud music coming from a building on the other side of the river which I took to be a large restaurant. I had the foresight to bring my earphones with me, but it did mean I was missing the sounds of the countryside. As I walked further away from the restaurant I realised my way was blocked by a locked and fenced yard, so I back-tracked up to the main road, over a very large bridge for such a small trickle of water and down past the restaurant. Marvellously the music had stopped when I got there and it seems that the wedding party were leaving the scene. I did feel a bit out of place pushing past people in their posh frocks, but it was the only way to go and soon the paved road to the car-park turned into a dirt track and I felt far enough away to take my earphones off.
And I was so glad I did so. The path took me to the edge of a lake and although I was hoping for calm and clear water with lovely views it was not to be. The beauty was in the sound bath. I was captivated by the variety of sounds coming from the dense reeds that framed the lakeside. Birds, insects and amphibians were combining to produce this wave of sound that was mesmerising.
I noticed a sort of platform at the edge of the lake which took you up so you could look out above the reeds. Not sure if it was there for, maybe bird-watchers, but I climbed the rickety stairway and looked out. There was not a lot to see on the horizon but the lake is definitely of some size and I know that somewhere on it there is an island which has been monetised and is home to a funfair, children’s playground, bar and café etc. I had no idea how to get there without a car and would not be trying it. Another thing I could see was a small jetty that led from the edge of the lake into the reeds and couldn’t be seen from the path itself, so I took myself down and headed there. The jetty itself was more dodgy than the rickety staircase with planks missing and I had to walk on the metal struts themselves, I wasn’t sure if a nearly 70 year old should be attempting this, but it was so worth it. Okay visually it wasn’t great. People had obviously picnicked here and had not taken all their rubbish home – but even so I could see small fish rising to the surface, marvel at the brilliant colours of the blue and green flashing dragonflies and mayflies and again the sound bath, even better than from the path. I sat there for around 20 minutes just taking in all the sights and sounds and physically feeling better as an antidote to the busy-ness of this small city.
Back on the path I walked further down and met a duck with around 6-8 ducklings who was trying to find a way onto the reeds but was blocked by the high wall. I wondered if I could help but they all disappeared into the scrubland at the other side of the path before I could get near. A mother and child had also seen them and were hurriedly taking pictures (I was too slow) and then the mother walked down into the scrub to take some flowering branches off a tree.
A bit further down and I decided to turn around and come back. Several cyclists passed me, reminding me that this would be a good cycling city as it is flat and there are several (poorly used I thought) cycle paths in the built up areas. I came back to where the jetty was and looked down and there was a teenage couple snogging so fiercely that it felt rude to watch. Took me right back to my own first fumblings in the 1970s. Obviously the rubbish nearby wasn’t going to negatively affect their experience!
I slowly made my way back to the restaurant. By now all the cars were leaving the carpark and one young girl in party clothes had her head stuck out of a car window and I almost said hello to her before I noticed the reason why, a little pile of vomit on the ground. Not a good time to greet someone!
So that was the end of my adventure. The following day I made my way to the railway station and took the train out to my next destination. Who knows what other places have to offer even if they don’t look too promising at first sight.
If you have enjoyed this article then why not subscribe to my monthly newsletter … I would love to stay in touch. Click here for more details.
In order to keep the blog going I need a few coffees from time to time. If you are happy to buy me one (or three) then just click here.
