In May 2013, Bron Liles documents a lodge visit to Romania during the Greek Orthodox Easter Festival. The trip begins in Bucharest, where the city is notably quiet due to the holiday, resulting in a modified itinerary due to closed attractions and the presence of dignitaries. The group travels to Transylvania, seeking Dracula but instead encounters Greek Orthodox churches and scenic views reminiscent of Switzerland. Two meetings occur during the visit, with the first concluding on time, allowing the group to enjoy traditional Romanian cuisine, including cold meats, fish pate, and apple desserts. The second meeting causes a delay, prompting the ladies to seek refreshments at a bar. The trip concludes with Liles and a companion returning to a cold Heathrow, reflecting on the enjoyable experience and the group's good behavior. Overall, the blog captures the cultural and social aspects of the lodge's journey while highlighting the importance of flexibility in travel planning.
December 16th, 2025
February 10th, 2026
manual
uncategorized
Lodge visit to Romania May 2013 Blog by Bron Liles We arrived in Bucharest on the Greek Orthodox Easter Festival weekend. The temperature was in the high 20 and most of the citizens of the city had taken to the hills or the coast for the holiday. The wide roads of the capital were almost car free and lots of restaurants and shops closed. Our guide for the week, who was quite short but very cute, had to change our itinerary which seemed to be a theme of the holiday. Either the sights were closed or we were upstaged by important dignitaries with marching bands. On the third day we headed for the snow covered mountains of Transylvania in search of Dracula but all we saw was three Greek Ordodox churches, a high Gothic cathedral and the battlements of a strongly defended church - plus magnificent scenic views a bit like Switzerland. The men had two meetings the first they finished on time and we all went to eat at a typical Romanian restaurant. The menu of most meals was cold meat, fish pate and cheese starter, then cooked meat, potatoes and salad or pickled vegetables or both. The pudding was always apple, with sponge or pastry or crumble. Plum brandy liqueur was on offer at special meals. The second meeting the men kept the ladies waiting for an hour, so we had to seek consolation in the bar. Joyce I owe you for that glass of wine! Naunton and I were the first to leave on Friday morning and thankfully returned complete with our cases to a freezing Heathrow. I'm sorry for all the people who landed without their luggage but hope the few who didn't get their cases until three days into the holiday were luckier on the way home. Thank you all for a lovely holiday - we were a very well behaved group weren't we? Bron Liles May 2013