Oradea (Nagyvarad in Hungarian) with its proximity to Hungary and the Apuseni Mountains, offers a pleasant downtown for walking and wandering. The area has been a second home base for us over the past few months with our volunteer work at the Caminul Felix Villages.

In the center of Piata Unirii, the Prince of Wallachia, Mihai Viteazul (1593-1601) is memorialized with a statue. He was the first prince who unified the three historical provinces that make-up today's Romania. The Black Vulture (Vulturul Negru) building (1908) houses shopping and a hotel towering over the Crisul Repede River.

The Orthodox Moon Church (1764) is unique for its tower mechanism which changes position with the moon’s movements.

A few kilometers outside of Oradea is the bustling spa resort of Baile Felix. Baile Felix is known for its thermal pools drawing Romanians and foreigners year round. In addition to the large ominous hotels peering over the valley, there are several new properties in construction with their brillant colors.

Continuing enroute to Beius, the road quality required much attention due to large potholes yet provided excellent views with the mountains beckoning us to continue onward.

The market town of Beius provides the access to the Meziad Cave. Discovered in 1859, the Cave is known for its enormous stalactites.

Intermittent violent summer storms prohibited us from filming and photographing a good portion of the mountain road leading to Brad. We did however spot the production plant for one of the Romanian beers, Bergenbier, on the outskirts of Beius. Being on a motorcycle, we enjoyed the available legal alternative—water… with nice company, nonetheless - goats.

Our spectacular views of the Apuseni Mountains were abbreviated with the approach of lightning and rains. We did enjoy a brief moment roadside to photograph and don our full rain gear. The charming villages of Varfurile and Halmagiu captured the essence of this region – peaceful and serene, seemingly from another time.

Arriving into the village of Brad on the heels of yet another rain shower, we passed quickly through. We continued enroute to Deva and onward enroute to Lugoj through the countryside.

During a roadside break, we met a man who shared of his motorcycle riding days. He had owned a MZ motorcycle back in the 1960s, and spent quite a while touring the sights of Romania. He said that he used to work for the Romanian Railroad Company, and through his job, he visited every corner of the country, yet never ventured outside its borders. Currently, he was herding cows and enjoying his retirement. He mentioned that the V-Strom was clearly a large bike, and wondered how it handled. It's interesting meeting people across Romania who have old motorcycles, or old stories of motorcycling. Their passion is still present in their eyes, and their voice betrays the longing for an activity that their age may be the only limit to.

Perhaps our most amusing sight was in the town of Faget. We were greeted roadside by a large, red airplane with the Coca Cola logo emblazoned on its side! It was an inviting terrace!

Amused and exhausted after a long day’s ride, we rode into the sunset with a stop for LaTino’s pizza in Timisoara. With a number of pizzas tasted across Romania as well as the States, we rate LaTino’s a 9! – BGR & HSR