Already when we agreed to our new assignment we decided that our private goal would be to see as much of Europe as possible.

So the obvious Christmas gift that year was a GPS.

We both love reading maps and always want to know exactly where we are on the map when we do our road trips. But we figured that with a GPS and a map in our hand we would be ready for exploring.

The great thing with the GPS is that if you have remembered to program in your home address you can always hit “Home” and it will take you there. One way or the other!

Since the accuracy in Romania can be a little off you might sometimes be in a situation where the car on the screen looks like it is driving on a field and the stubborn voice on the GPS keeps telling you “turn around”,…again, and again, and again…

Other than that it’s a great way to just turn whatever way you want and see the most fantastic places just around the corner. Places you never would have found if you didn’t feel comfortable getting completely lost.

Last spring we did exactly that. We started taking small roads somewhere west of Otopeni and did a loop north from there. It was fantastic!
Small farm villages all along the way….dirt roads, cobble stone roads and roads that just disappeared!
The trip took place on a Sunday. It looked like people were enjoying themselves and took time to sit and chat with their friends and family along the road on small benches that were outside of every house.
Chickens, cats and dogs were all around them. The fruit trees were in bloom.

I remember telling my husband that I thought it looked like it did when my now 90 year old father was a young boy growing up in the countryside in Sweden.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is only approximately 30 min north of the city.

After several hours of driving it was time to head back home before it got dark. We hit “Home” on our GPS and that’s where it took us.

Of course it’s helpful to still keep an eye on the map not to get too far out of the way.

Together, I think they are an excellent tool to get out there and explore even if you don’t know the name of every village on the road signs and precisely where you are.

Good Travels,

Solveig Johnson

Bucharest Angel