Disclaimer

As always, this blog reflects my own experiences, half-baked humour, and occasionally questionable travel decisions. It does not represent the views of my employer, the NHS, or the Upper GI team (who, for the record, were probably asleep at 00:30AM while I was lugging suitcases into the car).

Saturday 16th August 2025, 00:30AM:

While most sensible people were sleeping, we were strapping ourselves into the car, clutching coffee, and heading for Birmingham airport. Why? Because our flight to Bucharest (Otopeni) left at 05:45AM. The joys of budget travel.

To my delight (and my wife’s relief), the drive was smooth. We trialled a new parking option: Airparks. For less than £10/day (after stacking so many discount codes I half expected them to pay me), we parked five minutes from the airport, hopped on a shuttle bus, and were at departures before I’d finished muttering about airport coffee prices. Highly recommend.

The flight was on time, and thanks to the two-hour time difference, we landed in Otopeni around 11AM. A bus whisked us to Cernavodă, where my father-in-law collected us and drove us out into the countryside.

Rural Romania: Horse, Cart & Patchy WiFi

My wife’s parents live 20 minutes outside Cernavodă, where life is… let’s just say, different. Internet is sporadic, some neighbours still use horse and cart, and there’s a refreshing absence of city chaos. For our son—who lives in a world of martial arts, tennis courts, and Netflix—it was good to see another side of life.

The first three days were spent with my in-laws, decompressing after weeks of chaos. By Monday we shifted base to Medgidia, to stay with my wife’s sister, her husband, their son, and the in-laws-in-law.

Cue surprise announcement (which apparently I’d “forgotten” from months ago): a trip to the local dental clinic. My teeth, apparently, are an international concern. More on this ordeal in Part Two…

Brasov & Beyond

After some “successful” dental adventures, we headed to Brașov for a long weekend (Friday–Monday). Train from Medgidia: ~5 hours. Scenic, yes. Comfortable, not so much (did I mention I was on oral antibiotics with a face that felt like it had been introduced to a frying pan?).

Accommodation: Vila Liana. A gem. Spacious flat, friendly host, and conveniently located.

Highlights:

Ion Țiriac Tennis Academy – our son played on proper red clay! Rackets and balls were hired (sadly only green balls available). About 45 minutes in, rain stopped play (the only rain of the whole trip), but still a memory to treasure. Nephew Andrei even joined in.

Bran Castle – aka Dracula’s Castle, aka cattle market with turrets. Vlad Țepeș (Vlad the Impaler) once lived there, and while the history is fascinating, the tourist conveyor belt was… intense. Still, our son learned some history, and I survived being jostled by enthusiastic selfie-takers.

Mountain Climb – up to 1,799m above sea level in blazing sunshine (>30°C). By the top, we were more roasted than the mici sausages we’d later eat. The bus ride back to Brașov was silent: three zombies and two children, all plotting naps.

Local Pool – slides, sauna, outdoor pools, all for 85 Lei (about £15) for three hours. Bargain.

Daily Life & Black Sea Adventures

Food: cheaper than the UK, tasty, and plentiful. Electronics: not cheaper. Cinema: astonishingly cheap—tickets + nachos/popcorn combos for 4 people came to ~£30. (In the UK, that would barely cover the popcorn salt.)

We also spent a day at the Black Sea in Constanța. Boiling hot, not my natural habitat, but the kids were “happy as Larry.” I was “sweaty as Mike.”

Back in Medgidia, more dental visits followed, before returning to the countryside for the final few days. Then, on Monday 1st September, we packed up and headed back to Bucharest for our evening flight.

The plane was delayed 45 minutes but somehow landed on time (aviation sorcery). By 00:30AM, we were in the car at Birmingham. By 02:45AM, finally in bed. By 06:15AM, I was up and making my way towards work.

Suffering.

Coming up in Part Two

My actually successful (and highly recommended) Romanian dental adventures

Why antibiotics and mountain climbing don’t mix

More food, more family, and maybe more lessons learned