Dinner is served with a dash of blood.......

So what has happened since I last checked in...well....We passed through Hungary stopping off for a couple of crazy days in Budapest where we met what felt like half of Italy at the campsite.    They had a camper van rally and all decided to descend on Budapest for the Easter weekend.   Calypso was an instant hit and we conducted numerous tours of her as eager families came up to ask what we were doing.  "Really Australia, I can't believe it" must have been the most common response...quickly followed by "Wow, I would love to do that!"    The guys had a good day in town with swimming in the hot baths being the activity of choice.

Birthday celebrations for Jen

Leaving Budapest it was a rainy and rather long drive over the border into Romania.  Gone are the motorways of Western Europe and we are  immersed in a far more earthy culture....horse drawn ploughs, cows and chickens galore and some stunning scenery.   Stopping at the beautiful Turda gorge we stayed two nights allowing for a day of wandering through the gorge....a good chance to stretch the legs. Dinner, a delightful stew was served with a dash of blood...well Port, to celebrate the next destination...Sighisoara, the home of Vlad Dracul...the real life man that forms the basis for the Dracula myth.   The town has a fantastic medieval old centre that is in fact the oldest inhabited medieval citadel in Europe.

Calypso, in her "come rain or come shine" attire

Jim in the Command Centre

From Sighisoara we had to decide on which way to drive to Bucuresti.   We could either go via Bran castle, again of Dracula fame or go via Sinaia, one of Romania’s top ski spots and home to the fabulous Peles castle now museum, packed full of reminders of Romania’s rich past.   With Bran being closed until early May the decision was made for us and we set off through the stunning Transylvanian scenery for what proved to be a great castle and a fantastic day.  With bear warnings around the castle we were reminded of the still wild side of Romania.   It was then a nice easy drive into town where one of the group had a friend living....who turned into the Odyssey Bucuresti tour guide...much to every ones delight.

Pele Castle