Thursday 24th July 2008 – Baile Ocna Sibiului, Romania

We are moving slightly south and hope for better weather although the Internet forecasts suggest that it is unlikely to be very different. It was a relatively short journey and for a time we were on a wine route but disappointingly, although we passed lots of vineyards, none of them offered tasting or even sold their wine.
We passed through many towns and villages that showed a very strong Saxon influence. This area was under German rule for many years and their architecture is everywhere. At Slimnic we saw a Saxon fortified church dominating the village from the hill above it. We were on the very edge of an area of many such churches – varying in size and style but consisting of a church surrounded by a high defensive wall.
We arrived at Baile Ocna Sibiului, north of Sibiu in plenty of time to investigate the town and find somewhere to camp. The word 'Baile' in Romanian indicates baths and here there are a series of natural ponds fed from thermal springs. We were surprised to discover a tourist information office in the town and we were able to get directions to a campsite very close to the centre. 'Basic' is the best description of the facilities but we found a flat pitch and hooked up to electricity. This is very much a campsite for Romanians and we are the only foreign campers on the site. We walked into the town to have a look at the baths, discovering on the way that the campsite has a natural pool in its grounds. We can use this within the cost of camping but it is a deep brown colour and looks very uninviting. There were however two campers bathing in it – rather them than me.
The town is a real spa resort with two very large complexes offering hotel accommodation, outdoor thermal baths and all the normal spa treatments. Both complexes offer their facilities to the public and I have no doubt that many of the campers spend their days there. One complex has two huge pools full of slightly murky-brown water surrounded by many sun loungers and umbrellas. The other complex, a very pretty historic building, has a pool of sparklingly-clear water – filtered spa water – with the same sun-worshipping equipment.
We returned to the site and as the sun went down we heard the sound of a little owl – something that we haven't heard for some time. It wasn't long before the thunderstorms started and they continued on and off all night. The one at about 04:30 was exceptionally violent and the sound of the rain on Henrietta's roof made sleep impossible.
Photos: The fortified Saxon church at Slimnic; The spa lakes at Baile Ocna Sibiuliu with the smart Hotel Helios Spa Resort behind.