Project Say Yes_Košice & Krakow

Day 1

We left Braşov pretty late, on our way to Cluj. Accompanied by sweets and laughter and windy but good weather – a first in the last two months –, we watched the Euro 2016 games, stopped for dinner at our favourite place in Târgu Mureş, Laci Csárda, and arrived at The Spot Cosy Hostel [EUR 31; double room, shared bathroom; very light breakfast that we chose not to have] – which could be nice, but it’s not that well kept at this point – right before midnight.

Day 2

A stop in Cluj would not be the same without breakfast at Nuka Bistro. Some floating island [lapte de pasăre] guarantees success throughout the day. Ours was a long drive in the heat of Romania [loved Satu Mare!], Hungary – with a longish stop for supplies –, and Slovakia – all the way to Košice.

[Don’t forget to pay the road taxes in Hungary – 2975 Ft. – and Slovakia – EUR 10 –; that’s what we paid for one passenger car.]

The cool of Penzión Grand [EUR 35; double room, en-suite; breakfast included], well situated in downtown Košice, was beaten only by the cool of the city. As we discovered the whitish streets in the sunset light, watching the musical fountains play and later on sitting down for dinner and a beer at Republika Východu – good, though a bit overrated; my vegetarian dish came with meat and my cheesecake order was altogether forgotten –, we went to sleep in the murmur of the old buildings and of the summer that was by now in progress.        

Day 3

The nice breakfast at our guesthouse was followed by a stroll on our mission to discover new alleys to marvel at. Supplies – checked and the road to Spiš Castle [the largest and best-preserved ruin in Central/Eastern Europe] followed [opening times: 9-18 (May-September); admission: EUR 6; free audio guide provided]. Paragliders and rapeseed fields welcomed us and made our visit even more fascinating.

Vysoké Tatry was our last stop in Slovakia; it got me smiling a lot while looking at its ginger-breadish houses and I’ll always remember the strawberry tiramisu I had at Cukráreň Tatra.

It was time to enter Poland and head straight to Krakow in that late Sunday traffic jam.

We reached it in the end and tried to see the medieval city from Kosciuszko’s Mound, then were off to watch the game in our rented flat – Cracow bb [EUR 25; double room, shared bathroom]: Romania was playing against Albania.   

Day 4

Our day started with a walk in Krakow’s centre, breakfast at the über-cosy Sissi Organic Bistro, and then a visit to Krakowska Manufaktura Czekolady.

After shopping a bit at IKEA, we headed south, as we were planning a hike to Morskie Oko, but heavy rains were ahead and only managed half an hour in Zakopane to look around and get some last-minute supplies.

Late in the evening, we arrived in Eger, which was such a surprise! A peaceful, hilly, exquisite-feel town that you fall in love with and remember all your life. That is how I felt! Our accommodation and lovely host at Illaberek Panzió [EUR 26.50; double room, en-suite] came to complete the picture, along with the scents of summer magnolias.

Day 5

We couldn’t have left stupendous Eger without a wonderful and healthy breakfast at Csakamost. Oradea and then Cluj and then a crazy ride back to Braşov followed, during which I negotiated my presence in Germany (and Luxembourg) for the following month. We were in a hurry and there was our weekly pub quiz that night to get to, in our weekly home, The Hockey Pub. J

  

P.S. And if there are people still wondering what the title of this event actually means, well, it’s not a marriage proposal – because I still don’t believe in that –. It was more like:

- Baby, let’s go to Košice! I’ve been longing to go for such a long time. SAY YES! J