Day 4 – Romanian Adventure 🇷🇴

The one with the Snow Dive, the Cable Car in a Blizzard… and the Butterfly Blessing.

Location: Sibiu

SUMMARY

Our final day in Romania threw everything at us: deep snow, wild weather, a dramatic cable car descent, a peaceful church blessing, and one last geocaching adventure around Sibiu. It felt like a proper expedition just getting to breakfast, and yet by lunchtime we were wandering cobbled streets, finding hidden treasures in coffee shops and bookshops.

We said goodbye to our brilliant guide Dragos and driver Fani, reflecting on a trip that pushed comfort zones, built new friendships, and gave us stories we’ll be telling for years.

The Long-Winded Version

❄️ 7.40am – The Snow Scene

I hear a commotion outside and open the window. Wow. The sky looks wild, and below me is a vast, snow-covered lake. Emma and Julie are attempting to cross it, carefully navigating what can only be described as a white wilderness.

“You ok?” I shout.

Emma looks up… and at that exact moment Julie loses her footing and goes straight down into the snow. Proper, full-body snow landing. I’ve never seen anything like it. All I hear is laughter as she struggles to her feet.

My first thought? How on earth can the cable car run in this weather?

I layer up like I’m heading to Everest and brave the outdoors. Snow blasts into my face, my legs sink deep with every step, and beneath us is an actual frozen lake. It feels dramatic. Adventurous. Slightly ridiculous.

One by one, our crew emerges, all of us looking like we’ve just completed a polar expedition… and we’ve only gone for breakfast.

Breakfast, by the way, is epic. Leftovers from the birthday feast the night before. Prawns. Black Forest gateau. The lot.

I, however, am nursing a sinus headache from the altitude and go for eggs, melon and cucumber like a very restrained grown-up.

🚡 The Cable Car Descent

We battle the snow again to collect luggage and head to the cable car. Miraculously, it’s running.

This ride is nothing like yesterday’s serene, scenic glide. Today we descend through the gorge, flanked by steep cliffs, cloud hanging low and visibility limited. It feels atmospheric. Moody. A little bit wild.

🏡 11.30am – Astra Village

We arrive at the incredible ASTRA National Museum Complex – an enormous open-air museum set around a lake, filled with traditional Romanian houses, windmills, wooden churches and farm buildings brought here from all over the country.

It’s peaceful. Spacious. You wander between centuries.

Because it’s Sunday, an Orthodox mass has just finished in one of the tiny wooden churches. The priest stands outside greeting people. Breda is blessed (as you do), and we step inside.

It’s small. Intimate. Pews line the walls rather than facing forward. There’s something calm and grounding about it. Dragos explains that women are not allowed up to the altar.

As I sit quietly, a butterfly flutters gently around the church.

It feels symbolic somehow. A little reminder of change. Of lightness. Of transformation.

🧭 1.30pm – One Last Adventure

Back to Sibiu. Our flight’s not until 6pm, so Stephanie and I decide we need to squeeze in more geocaches while others go on a hunt for lunch.

We find:

• A big geocache hidden in a tiny coffee shop.
• Two small sneaky ones.
• And my favourite – a cache hidden inside a book… inside a bookshop.

Honestly, it’s such a brilliant way to explore a city. You see corners you’d never otherwise notice.

👋 4pm – Goodbye Romania

We arrive at Sibiu airport, have a whip-round for Dragos and Fani, and say our goodbyes. Hugs all round.

These two have looked after us so well. Calm, flexible, open to our spontaneous decisions and snow dramas.

And just like that… we’re homeward bound.

I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed tonight.

🤔 Final Thoughts

This trip has been full of “firsts” for many of us.

First husky sled rides.
First time navigating deep snow.
First Orthodox blessing.
First time realising you’re braver than you thought.

There’s something powerful about stepping into the unknown with a group of people and coming back changed.

New friendships have formed. Confidence has grown. Fears have been gently challenged.

And what I love most? Nobody cared about being perfect. We laughed when we fell in the snow. We sang on disco buses. We tried new things.

That’s what adventure is about.

Not just the places – but the people you become along the way. 💛

Thanks again for following along – and I’ll see you on the next one in March.