Moving on...

Emerging from the palace I walked across the pleasantly laid out car park. It would appear that members of parliament have plenty of large limousines to drive around in. Leaving the entrance gate I discovered that it is an advantage if you have a taxi number or are familiar with with the bus routes. A number of taxis pulled into the entrance but all seem to have been booked by other visitors leaving the palace. Eventually I 'phoned my hotel reception and they managed to book a taxi for me.

After a journey through the urban sprawl I arrived back at the hotel. My bags with packed and I had already checked out before going to the Palace of the Parliament. I sat on the Terrace with a beer contemplating my conversation with the hotel owner that morning. The part of the hotel I was staying in was the original building hence the quaint winding staircases, uneven floors and the decor. The new-build extension which contains the reception and bar is of typically modern construction with a lift. I took this opportunity to take a few photographs of the external part of the old hotel and the staircase just to show some of the character of the place. Normally the first thing I do is take a photograph of the room I am staying in however, in this case, I arrived so late that I was too tired to do so. This is a family run business and the staff are very friendly and helpful and the breakfast is good at 7 euros a head, the room was comfortable too. I had asked the taxi driver to return at 4 p.m. and here he is. Next stop Gare de Nord station.

There are two entrances to the station, one at the front and one at the side where the taxi dropped me and I entered through the booking hall. Fortunately I already had my reservation for the night sleeper to Budapest as the queues at the ticket desks where quite large. I walk through on to the main concourse and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to find my way around. There are large displays of departures and arrivals, a selection of fast food cafes and little shops where you can buy last minute souvenirs, magazines and postcards. Information was very helpful as I looked for the post office so that I could send the cards I had already written. I was intrigued to see the manual display which lists every train which arrives and departs. It would appear from the dates that this is changed annually.

Out of Interest I confirm that my train would depart at 1745 and I could see where it would stop. I decided to have a coffee whilst I waited. Sure enough my train pulled in on time and, after disgorging its passengers, I wander down to have a look at my designated compartment. The bedding was laid out already with  complimentary water, snacks and toiletries available. There's a wash basin underneath the table in the corner. Further examination revealed that there is a communal shower at the top of the carriage corridor. My ticket and passport were retained by our guard.

The train departed on time and I was able to take photographs through the carriage window. The route heads north along the same track which I had travelled on Sunday. We passed Sinaia, eventually the train will head west towards the border. Not long after our departure I discovered my mistake. I have been looking forward to having dinner in the restaurant car however there isn't one. Not even a drinks and snacks cart, there is nothing. So much for my image of silver service dining. If you want something to eat bring it with you or you have to get off at one of the limited longer stops and buy something from a kiosk. My diet for the trip would consist of a bottle of coke, a large bag of crisps and some croissants. The big burger and coffee at Gara de Nord, so tempting at the time was now but a dream.

No extensive fields of sunflowers this time. The route took us into the Carpathian mountains then across the plains towards the Border. I tried to show the changing countryside of Romania until it became too dark to do so. At this point I settled down to sleep. I awoke aware that the train was not moving and seemed to remain so for some considerable time. I looked out of the carriage window and saw that we were in amongst a large number of other trains, possibly in a large siding.

Notably directly opposite me was a low loader with a Romanian army tank as cargo. Looking along the line, the rest of this train consisted of a variety of military vehicles. At this point somebody knocked on the compartment door and returned my ticket and passport previously impounded by the train guard. I worked out that we were at Arad the last major station before the Border. I am not sure when we actually crossed into Hungary it was too dark and too late and impossible to take photographs.

My journey through Romania is now complete. All of the photographs are contained in the “Romania photo diary” and I hope that you enjoy sharing the journey with me. Perhaps I should have allowed myself a little more time, perhaps, if the weather had been better on the Monday, I could have seen some more of the old city however It was all worth the effort. Viewing the countryside from the carriage window confirmed to my decision to not to fly and exploring the places which I did gave me contrasting experiences of the country. Hopefully I shall be able to return one day to explore some more.

You can view my "Romania photo diary" here. It contains all of the photographs I took from entry to departure. I have added captions to set the scene. Next stop Budapest, capital of Hungary.