Our last stop in Romania was Timisoara, ironically where I had began my last Romanian trip, and the weather was scorching. The heat continued until we got to Germany, which meant we had to plan when we would drive to avid the hottest times of the day. 
Crossing the Hungarian border I took the non toll roads and was taken over a country border crossing where my passport was checked etc. but very informally and with a big wave as I left, which surprised me considering the Hungarian borders are officially closed. Dennis on the other hand took toll roads and crossed on a motorway where he was waved through without any checks, but was advised to buy a vignette- which I had no idea about.
We met up when our roads united somewhere in the middle and decided to head to a spot at the Danube, with a nice view and where Gimli could cool off.
​We ended up having the most amazing and cheap Hungarian goulash and stew at the restaurant beside our park up, before getting absolutely attacked by the river mozzies. The heat was so intense that we found ourselves drinking cold beers in our underwear, true hobo style. The next day we planned to set off early to drive to the most famous lake in Hungary- Balaton. We drove a couple of hours in the morning, stayed at the lake a few hours to cool off and let Gimli swim in the dog lake, and then continued on to the town of Gyor, by the Slovakian border.

This was the day when we would have our morning in Gyor -Hungary, our afternoon in Bratislava- Slovakia and our evening near Brno- Czechia. There was no one at the border of Hungary and Slovakia apart from a vignette office which forced you to pay 10 euro for a vignette to drive on their motorways, despite us opting to cross the non toll roads which they had blocked off... Nice one Slovakia! We continued on and i was relieved to have left Hungary without having had a vignette and driving on the motorways. We spent the afternoon in hot Bratislava parked by the Danube yet again, but this time there were many people around enjoying the sun and eating on river boat restaurants. We walked for a few hours around the old town and hill top church admiring the Blue Church and old town square, before making our way towards Czech. We were definitely starting to notice the price increase now that we were in euro land again.

oWe continued on to cross the Czech border, which again was just a normal road with no controls. We arrived absolutely exhausted to a lake area which had a blaring loud outdoor movie playing. If we understood Czech and were in the mood, this would have been an epic place to watch an outdoor movie, but not at midnight after a long day of driving. I was lulled to sleep that night by what sounded like a war time action movie. The next day was much more enjoyable after a nights sleep and a walk in the forest with Gimli, we decided to take a dip in the lake. The whole area was relatively new and had picnic tables, outdoor gym equipment, kids playing areas and a bar, all for free- we were very impressed. Cooling off in the lake was the best way to start the day. Today we would drive over yet another border and at least then, one of us would be home!

 Arriving in Germany late that evening, again there was no sign of a border. We drove to our park up, just at the border, which was not accessible so we ended up at the town car park overlooking the hills, it was rather beautiful and much cooler than the days before, thankfully! We planned to drive to Dennis home city of Munich where we would spend a few days exploring, before I set off on the last leg of the journey to France. I arrived in Munich, hot, sweaty and absolutely livid from the German city traffic, which always knows how to get under my skin. After a quick trip to the dog park nearby, Dennis took me to his favourite Bavarian restaurant nearby where we had local food and beer- just delicious!

The next days were spent in the city exploring the whole place by motorbike including the Glockenspiel, English Gardens, Michael Jackson Memorial, the location of the famous Oktoberfest and much much more. Did you know there is a river you can surf on, in Munich? Now that was super impressive! We ate more Bavarian food, drank Bavarian beer and ended one evening caught in a heavy storm, carrying two pizzas on my head on the motorbike. What an adventure! We spent our last evening at Dennis apartment trying more delicious Bavarian beers and eating a traditional dinner, and for someone who loves food, this was the dream! Sadly the next day we would say see you soon, after traveling together for 8 months, as I made my way to France. It was bittersweet, because we knew that our two vans would never see each other again and they were such an iconic pair. I was heading home to my new campervan and would be back in a few weeks.  

I left Munich about midday and headed to the city of Augsburg to drop off the boat I had been transporting on my roof since Greece. Afterwards, I continued on for a long while until I reached the French border- my last one before home. I just wanted to cross over so I could finally relax and despite needing a PCR, there was nothing going on at the 'border', I was beginning to think all this official stuff was a hoax. In Romania, I had myself all stressed out worrying about what the rules were for each border- I guess that's what happens when you travel with a German eh? Up until now I didn't care, and I didn't need to care now considering the whole transit had been easy as pie. I stayed at a lovely French Aire 'free camping area', just over the border which i stumbled upon, on a road sign. After a great night sleep, I drove for abut five hours until I was close to Paris, where I stayed at a small hidden park up away from the highway. The following day I continued on to Cherbourg, my final destination, where I could finally relax and get organised. While here, I would need to get a PCR test (free in France, thankfully) and a tapeworm treatment for Gimli to enter Ireland. 

I had this all organised in advance and getting it done was very straight forward. It was so nice to be back at the seaside where Gimli could run free again, and I was pleasantly surprised at hoe much parking there was in the town of Cherbourg. I spent two nights at the harbour and one night out of the town at a peaceful beach awaiting the ferry. This would be the last night we slept in Maggie, and although I knew it, Gimli was unaware that very soon we would have a new home on wheels and a whole new adventure awaiting!

Returning to Bucharest after four years was exciting, but not only was I revisiting the capital, I would get to show Dennis some of my favourite spots around Transylvania too as well as discovering some new places. One of my least favourite things about the capital, was arriving and being greeted by narrow streets and traffic. Thanks to Google Maps, our first park up was a bit of a nightmare to get to, leading to me having to move a barrier, do a U Turn and get out. But once we figured it out, Dennis, Andrea and I could finally relax and be happy to have arrived in a new country. We did not need a PCR test to cross into Romania from Bulgaria, however as we were in a convoy of three, they did a proper check of the vans (even my toilet). We stayed beside a theme park, a 45 minute walk from the centre, where we did a great walking tour. Dennis and I even found a Romanian craft beer pub which I had actually been to on my last visit without even realising, and we had a typical Irish dinner in a great Irish pub- what better way to stay warm when its cold and rainy!

These few spots as well as Peles Palace, had been on my itinerary four years prior, and i wanted to return with Dennis. We headed up to Brasov, the main town in the Transylvania region and although it was incredibly rainy, we took the walk into the town from our park up. We had a short walk around and again we found an Irish pub with expensive food and Guinness, but we had to go ne more time! It seems weird to go to an Irish pub in Romania but we had not had a chance to go to one on our whole trip and It was about time Dennis had a real Guinness- not from a can!

Transylvania touring wouldn't be the same without a trip to Dracula's Castle or Bran Castle, located in the small touristy town of Bran. We didn't pay to go (it was closed anyway) but decided to take photos from what we could see outside. Our other stop that day was in the cute town of Rasnov, home to the Rasnov fortress which was closed because of Covid, but one of the reasons to visit was the fact that this image had been my desktop background for four years and now Dennis could see it in real life. It was kind of surreal!

After our long day, we stayed at a great spot called Rupea Castle which reminded me of Acrocorinth in Greece. Our park up had the most amazing view and there was a night guard there who was very friendly and allowed us to park overnight without hassle. The next morning we visited the castle before making our way towards Sighisoara.
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Sighisoara was a town that always stayed in my memories, mainly because of its cute colourful town houses and cobbled streets located in the upper oldtown. We were so lucky to have great weather there and a parking spot right in town, which encouraged us to have an outdoor lunch in the same place I ate four years prior- The Medieval Cafe. Of course we had to have the Transylvanian specialty of Bean soup in a bread bowl and a local beer, and luckily we did, because not long after we finished, a huge dark cloud rolled in and a huge storm came upon us. We ended up in another cafe drinking hot chocolate and Irish coffee, to shelter from the heavy rains. Later on we had another opportunity to explore the town properly and take pictures in the sun, the way Sighisoara is best viewed. 

Rapa Rosie was a spot we had chosen merely to be close the famous scenic road The Transalpina, but we had no idea it would be so col. It bares a striking resemblance to The Melnik pyramids in Bulgaria and is know to be very similar to Badlands National Park in the USA. The cool thing is, we were alone here apart from the odd car with people day hiking, and this made it just the more special. Our plan was to drive the Transfagaras and the Transalpina with the motorbike, but when we realised the first one was closed, we opted for the Transalpina, which did not disappoint. We began at the north of the road and took the hair pin road as far as we could, admiring the amazing scenery below and beyond for miles. It was a whole day of exploring and It was so worth it. Afterall, how could you miss out on the highest road in Romania and one of the best scenic drives ever? We were mad for the motorbike day trips, so this was something we looked forward to, and it was an amazing day.

The costs in Romania varied depending on the region so of course in downtown Brasov you paid way more than in rural areas etc, but we noticed it was indeed that little bit more than Bulgaria. With this being said it was still very affordable to have a drink or a bite to eat in a restaurant and we did, considering in the coming days we would slowly move on the more western European prices. Just like in Bulgaria and some other countries, In Romania a vignette is needed to drive on the roads, so when we crossed the border we bought one in the first gas station for a small price. 

We noticed a lot of Hungarian influence when it came to food, so we ate quite a few langos but didn't miss out on the yummy bean soups which are served in a big bread bowl (make sure your hungry for this experience). The beer was a little more than Bulgaria but still just over a euro for a large beer in rural areas and a little more in touristy areas. Entrance to Bran castle cost 8 euro per person, which I had done before, and would recommend it as a cool experience. We stopped off at Peles Palace on the way from Bucharest to Brasov, which I had seen before and had been impressed by, but of course entrance is at a cost and at this time, it may have been closed due to Covid anyway. 

Romania is a country with so much to offer both on and off the tourist trail and if i had more time I would have taken the time to explore more of these areas, but that only means one thing- Ill just have to plan another trip there, and so should you!

How is it possible to travel during a pandemic, you wonder? Well you are not the only one because this is a question i get asked a lot so keep reading to get the full story.

Covid 19 officially altered my travel plans in March 2020, but I had no idea what was about to unravel from this unknown pandemic. Would I have to go home? Could I just hide out in a forest until it blew over? Would vanlife be over for good after just two months on the road? Many people probably assume I've never had to deal with a lockdown during this pandemic, but truth be told, I was locked down for seven weeks initially in Spain, which had one of the strictest lockdowns last year, before many other European countries followed suit, and another one again a year later although much less strict.

Whilst in Spain in March 2020, I kept an eye on the restrictions and made some vague plans of what to do once I could freely move around again, but too ended up changing. You see, before this, I had made it to Sagres, the bottom of Portugal, when the police ordered all campers and holiday makers to leave and return home, but I knew if I went home, I probably would end up getting stranded on the island indefinitely, which I tried to avoid. Instead, I stayed with friends and when news came that restrictions were easing, I planned to move around Spain a bit to explore, and maybe even go back to Portugal, however, these countries still seemed rather strict and the border between them was still closed, so I needed to plan differently. My idea to travel South quickly changed to North- way North.

When I learned of the lack of restrictions in Sweden, It quickly became my aim to drive there. My route went from Spain-France-Luxembourg-Germany and a ferry to Sweden. I kept an eye on the border rules and knew that certain ones were closed (France-Germany), open or due to re open, and that is how I made it to Germany for the ferry. To my surprise, the ferry to Sweden involved nothing but showing up last minute with a ferry ticket and once I got to Scandinavia, I enjoyed the summer as normal around Sweden, Finland and Norway (which proved tricky to get into, but finding loop holes in the rules proved to work in my favour). 

From Scandinavia I continued to Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, Italy and Greece where I spent the winter, just in time for another lockdown. Luckily in the Peloponnese region of Greece, the numbers were relatively low, and there was a vast amount of wild land to park up and be safe. The locals were very tolerant and friendly and for the most part, the police left you alone. 

1- Countries that were usually packed with holiday makers were empty
2- World famous beaches and sites were isolated which gave me a once in a life time experience
3- Lockdowns helped people bond and form community vanlife groups 
4- Locals were extremely friendly (in most places) given the situation
5- Roads were relatively empty or little traffic at least
6- Life was as normal in certain countries, when others were in strict lockdown (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria and Norway)

1- During lockdowns most things were closed including museums and historical sites
​2- In Greece for instance, travelling was only allowed for essential reasons and in written form (no one ever checked us in 6 months though)
3- Planning your next step was difficult as the rules changed constantly
4- PCR tests became mandatory for many places and travelling onwards had to be planned carefully (more so in 2021 than 2020)
5- Many countries closed their borders fully, making it tricky to get from A to B
6- The option just to 'go home' was no longer an option without breaking travel rules, paying for mandatory hotel quarantines etc.

With the app 'Reopen EU' it is much easier to plan a travel route, while adhering to up to date Covid rules for each European country. I have used this app to see what is needed to cross borders, in terms of PCR/Antigen tests/ forms and overall restrictions within that country. Joining relevant facebook groups allowed me and my friends to share and receive information from others who had just take a route that we intended to. 

Its worth knowing that sometimes you can have everything organized and no one will check your documents and just wave you through and then sometimes you may have read that nothing is required but you could be questioned and asked for documents on the spot. Nothing can be planned but I have learned just to have everything in order just in case- Its better to be safe than sorry. (Or refused entry or fined)

The good thing is that as I write this in Bulgaria in June 2021, many EU countries are relaxing their restrictions and welcoming tourists back for the summer. Vaccines are being widely distributed which is allowing more freedom, but I would not suggest getting this just for freedom, when a simple negative test will do and as long as a vaccine passport allows a negative test option, then that will be my ongoing plan. 

Travelling during a pandemic has not been hard at all despite the rules and what the media talks about, but without seeing for yourself, It may seem daunting. 2020/2021 so far has been a crazy ride, travel wise, but for me, I am lucky enough to say that the pandemic allowed me to travel more than I had even intended back in Jan 2020. Just like following the sun, I ended up travelling to countries with the most relaxed rules, just like many others, and It has turned out to be a safe and fun adventure.