Approaching the border we overtake a 5km conga line of massive trucks awaiting processing. Quite an eye opener for my life partner who has not done many land border crossings.. Our wait is a civilised 15 minutes by comparison and I am let loose on the Romanian motorway network. Driving here is dreamy! Traffic is light, the roads are great and the speed limit is 130km. My car glides gracefully between lanes although even at 130km I am by no means the fastest vehicle out there.
Driving through towns is very different. Narrow roads and chaotic traffic is de rigeur and parking at a premium. Nonetheless we find our Airbnb in our first stay at Sibiu reasonably efficiently. Arriving just on dusk it is dark when we step out. The apartment is literally a dozen steps from the medieval square which is lit up as in a fairytale. Town hall, bell tower, churches and centuries old houses encircle open air dining restaurants and we wander around enchanted before finding a dinner spot and indulging in hearty flavoursome Romanian food and pleasant local wine.
Sibiu dates from the 12th century AD when Saxons were pushed out of Germany and forced to settle here. The buildings and culture reflect a strong German influence but with a mix of Hungarian as Transylvania was the eastern flank of their empire for centuries. Sibiu is also known as the town with eyes as the roofs have windows that look like eyes. This a beautiful medieval village with multiple interconnecting squares that are perfect for idle wandering and exploration.
