Brasov and the Transfagarasan

I breakfasted to the sound of a thunderstorm and falling rain. I first headed for Poiana Brasov, the little ski resort I went to the year after the revolution. Back then, it was an adventure to be going behind the 'Iron Curtain', to be wiping your bum with wood chip wallpaper and we could afford to buy local 'champagne' just to duel with the corks. It is different now, just like any modern ski resort. In Brasov town itself, the bullet holes in the walls are gone and now they have Carrefour hypermarkets, Ramada Hotels and McDonalds just like everywhere else. The old town is still a little crumbly but it has great charm.

By midday the rain had stopped but the cloud was still low but I decided to have a look at the Transfagarasan anyhow. According to Top Gear, this is the best driving road in the world…..That's a lot of hyperbolae to live up to. Crap conditions or not, I had to have a go. From the north side, the road snakes along a notch cut into the cliff and rock falls must be a very regular occurrence because there was a lot of rubble on the road. This visibility wasn't good as I climbed through the low clouds but eventually, it improved a little as I got to the plateau and looked up. I saw glimpses of the road in gaps between the clouds.



If spectacle is what makes a good driving road then this one certainly has a lot going for it. But the best driving road in the world? Maybe it is good for cars but the surface is very bumpy so I can't agree with Mr Clarkson and friends on my bike. At the top, you pass through a tunnel which delivers you to the top of a long series of switchbacks which are fun but nothing extraordinary. The road then winds along a valley for about 35 miles passing a very large lake and dam. The would be excellent if the surface wasn't often chewed to buggery and covered in sand. I think the sand and rocks on the road was probably caused by recent heavy rains as there are a lot of muddy swollen rivers round here at the moment. Many of the villagers were out digging out the grit from their drainage ditches.

It took a long time to cover the 60 miles from start to finish of the pass so I bailed on doing the other road that people come here to play on (Transalpina) reasoning that at 180km in 4 hours of daylight with all that water and sand on the road, was not a sensible option. There evening was beautiful in contrast to the morning and the temperature had risen 15 degrees.  I took the main road north along a very picturesque valley had a bit of fun tailing a Romanian sports bike. I don't think he liked the fact that my 'tractor' could keep up with him.

I screwed up on the accommodation front tonight. I only had 100 Lei in my wallet and though that would be plenty as that much got me a room, dinner and 3 beers last night. First place I tried was asking 80 for just the room which would mean no dinner. I rode on passing a couple of likely places but they either wouldn't take a credit card, had no room, was a knocking shop, didn't have internet or were even more expensive…2 hours later, I was in a pickle. I had ridden on so far that it was dark and there didn't seem to be any accommodation anywhere. I bit the bullet and turned back to the last sign I saw for a Pension. She saw me coming and the price was 100 Lei, shared bathroom and no internet. Dinner tonight is a pack of biscuits I keep for emergencies. The moral of the story is…stop earlier and don't be so f'ing picky.

The Route


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