We get squared away with punktender at Bistro M and leave Romblum and the gossip cloud of table teen burgers. Just west of here is what remains of some city walls left behind from the Ottoman Empire so we roll over there.

Aside from looking cool there’s not much happening here, but there are two things that stand out.

They’ve added a bar named Cheers to the wall which is kind of funny in a way. What do Ottoman Cliff and Norm look like?

And they are also using the monument as a backdrop for Jeep advertising.

Ion Creangă Children’s Park

Around the corner from here is a massive green space of interconnecting parks by the Bega River.

We cross a little bridge into Ion Creangă Children’s Park. Lots of families in here playing around. It is a massive area with all manner of outdoorsy goodness. Hammocks, slides, a pottery tunnel, a play helicopter, a castle, an amphitheatre and workout center. Damn. This is an impressive park. Kids everywhere. Great spot to grow up, Timișoara checks that box too. 

Pretty, quiet and relaxing in here.

Man, this park just keeps going. We pass by a sandy area with people playing beach volleyball. A few tennis courts. Some science-y building called the Experimentarium. MacKay does a Hetfield impression, “Experimentarium… leave me be!”

Wow. There is a lot to unpack on the side of this ice cream stand..

Interesting that it’s written in English. I guess the Romanian Ice Cream For All movement is over?

We walk passed the 300 roses place Raul had mentioned. Not the right time of year for that, unfortunately. It’s still beautiful but probably looks increds in the spring.

We come out the other side of the park and follow the river for a bit. Sun’s on the way down, I think it’s time to find the brewery Raul was talking about. We find one down by the water. Not sure if it’s the one Raul mentioned but the patio overlooking the river is super baller.

Rivière Brasserie

We walk in and grab a seat right by the boardwalk. The new Monolink album is on the house speakers. That’s pleasantly unexpected. We get situated. This’ll do nicely

Still a little full from the massive late lunch burger at Bistro M, I think just drinks will do. We get a couple of beers to start. The server doesn’t really speak English and is a tad timid. She doesn’t understand what we’re asking. Repeatedly asking for “any beer” leads to a few rounds of bashful embarrassment and we change tactics and just point at an ad on the table for Captain Morgan and Coke. “Doubles please”, MacKay mimes out the motion of pouring two shots into a glass. She smiles. I think we’ve done it.

She comes back with four rum and cokes. Well.. good try. We thank her and lean back to watch the sun set across the river.

Timișoara has shaped up to be a beautiful and quaint town. Perfect, walkable size with lots of open area and green spaces. Good find.

We chill out here for a while and keep the captains coming. Our server swaps out with one that speaks English fairly well and our doubles dreams come true.

A steel drum dance tune comes on and MacKay is not having it, “What the hell is this shit?”, I shazam it, “Calypso by Round Table Knights”, “Go back to Camelot ya hosers, this blows”, “Ha ya, it’s monotonous that’s for sure. Just bounce before the sun’s down?”, “Ya, let’s get outta here.”

We cruise the river stretch for a bit and then spin up towards the squares again.

This brings us out by the Orthodox Cathedral again. Doesn’t seem busy, let’s get up in there.

Pretty interior. Funky chandeliers.

Unique looking cathedral. Interesting sculpture out front too.

There’s a statue of the twins Romulus and Remus sucking wolf teet in the park here in front of the world’s most vampire-looking KFC. The name Romania is a derivative of the Latin Romanus which means “Citizen of Rome” so I’m sure the mythology of Romulus founding Rome and offing his brother is well known round these parts.

Almost back to Freeborn again, just take a right here and walk a block. Great location.

The bobcats are asleep for the night. We hop the gap and head to the metal door of the hostel. We can hear some laughter and new voices from the outside patio. Sounds like Freeborn may have filled up while we were out. Let’s see who’s arrived.