Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA

Cluj, as the locals refer to this pretty university town, is only one letter away from Club...and apparently there are some nifty clubs around town where hordes of students entertain themselves on weekends. Enroute from Oradea, I shared the train cabin with a beautiful female psychology student who reminded me so much of my past love - Susan Warren, from Atlanta. What a wonderful woman (both)! I thought for a moment that I may fall in love with her...but then the train journey came to an end and our paths went in opposite directions.....

Pretty town for sure, and lots of pretty people too. Awesome buildings - though so typical of Romania (and to some extent across the former Soviet States) - the buildings are falling apart. Minimal, if any, maintenance to such stately beautiful buildings is such a shame. Ripe and cheap cherries abound, excellent local cuisine...and yeah...the beer and wine is good too. Ah I just love Romania.

Tomorrow I'm going further west across the high Carpathian Mountains - which is the eastern wing of the great Central Mountain System of Europe. Next stop will be a farming community outside the town of Suceava from where I'll explore the numerous painted monasteries in the region. The farm, I am told, are loaded with "happy hens laying happy eggs"...so the omelette will be happy as I happily munch it down with fresh farm milk...I guess coming from happy cows!