Tribute to Top Gear

OK I have to admit it I am a fan of the trio and am sad to see it go, but am interested to see Chris Evans take and who comes along with him.

Clarkson, you are a thug and a spoilt little prima donna, but I would still like to see you back in the future, and for our tribute, you will have to wait later on in the post. First we head for Sibiu, and this rather delightful church.

We like Sibiu, lots of big squares and people sitting out in the street under the blue, blue sky.

Not sure who this bloke is, but he gives a nice backdrop to the tower and spire behind. One thing we can be sure of, it ain’t Ceausescu!

Now it isn’t the church we have come to see. They all look the same and quite frankly at less than one euro it is still too much. We want to visit that tower and spire, and we can get a sneaky look at the church for free, even then it is overpriced.

There is something about a tower that always fills us with delight. These tight little circular staircases with uneven, worn and sloping steps, no handrails. It is a health and safety nightmare, but a delight to ascend.

And often you get to see the hidden construction techniques and the engineering methods to keep these building standing, stop them from falling over, which most of them would without a lot of modern help.

And wow, wasn’t expecting that.

The tower has been cleared of any floors and a new lightweight steel frame and stair now precariously ascends around the perimeter.

Amazing drama.

It has actually been quite terrifying to climb, with balustrades that feel insubstantial and long drops either side.

We eventually reach the bells.

And what towers are all about, getting closer to god.

No of course not.

It is about getting a good view so you can admire this amazing world we are fortunate to live on.

To see nature below you and the natural processes that brought is about.

To wonder at the human ingenuity that has sculpted our environment over the past couple of thousand years.

To know that we happen to inhabit just a small satellite orbiting a star in a universe which 13.82 billion years.

A star on the edge of a galaxy, one of a 100 billion stars, in 100 billion galaxies.

And to be comfortable in the fact that this probably all came about just by chance, and might not have any purpose whatsoever.

Obviously you can also believe in fairy tales, that is nice too.

Now that is why we climb towers.

Climbing back down is even more terrifying than climbing up

Back on terra firma and we get to see some of those squares we could locate from up the tower, another great tower plus, good for scanning the horizon and getting the lay of the land, probably good for you health too, I just cannot see many drawbacks.

The main square is grand indeed.

A calm bustle as people mingle around the edges and wander through.

and a festival is being set up.

All very pleasant.

Too much niceties, I need a rant.

What is the purpose of these, they really irritate me to the core. It used to be Peruvian pan pipe players that infected every town square in the world. At least they had a talent, at least they played an instrument and it could be quite soothing.

Dressing up white and standing still on a box.

It isn’t mime, it isn’t funny and it isn’t clever.

I get the unbearable urge to just take a run at them and push them over.

Go home and stop cluttering up a beautiful square, get a proper job.

OK Sibiu is quite nice, but now for the main event of the day, and what we hope might be a highlight of Romania.

We are off, back to the mountains looking for the highway.

This is a rather special road and is also called the Transfăgărășan highway.

Another name is Ceausescu’s Folly. I know it because it was featured on Top Gear and have always wanted to see it and to drive along it.

We just have one problem, well actually the road has many problems.

It is the second highest in Romania, climbing to 2,034 metres. As a result it is often covered by snow from November through to the end of June, therefore it is only useable for four months of the year!

How ridiculous is that?

We reach a tight corner. A waterfall cascades down a ravine. The website suggests this is where the road is likely to be closed. There is also a cable car here, rising steeply up into the mountains. It starts somewhere up there, there is a throng of people and we fear the worst.

And just around the corner our fears are confirmed, no entry, closed signs. Snow must still block the road.

Disappointed we retreat back down to the car park.

 

But then we notice two cars manoeuvring around the blockade further up.

Maybe Dora could squeeze around, maybe we could get a little bit further up and see what all the fuss is about.

We climb upwards through the forest. There appears to be nothing else on the road. We fear a police checkpoint.

Then we notice ahead of us a few cars, even a van.

We climb higher and higher. The Top Gear trio did this in supercars; A Ferrari, Lamborghini and an Aston, we are doing this in a motorhome, Dora. She is coping well.

And then we see the head of the waterfall and beyond this amazing cirque of mountains. How the hell does a road navigate its way up through that?

We pull onto the plateau, surrounded by mountain peaks.

And in the distance we can just work out the faint outline of this road snaking up the mountainside.

So we continue. Climbing higher and higher. A group has set up camp, barbeques ablaze, quite a party atmosphere on the Transfăgărășan.

It is a staggering feat of engineering, but utterly pointless. It was built as a military road, but what it was protecting, who knows, insubordinate goats?

It is only when you look back at where you have come from does the craziness of this endeavour really strike you.

And each time you do, it gets more and more crazy.

I hate Top Gear; the noise; their absurd excitement when driving unsuitable cars, stupidly fast on silly roads; their childish behaviour when they test cars to their destruction. However, this time, I thank them for making us aware of the existence of this grandiose, impressive but nonetheless opulent project. Interestingly, I am getting thrilled by the minute; the further we can drive Dora, the higher we get, the more sticking the view. This is insane. SM.

At every turn we expect snow, or a complete barrier blocking our passage.

Even it came, we could say we have driven this amazing road, but it doesn’t, we continue to climb.

From below it is intimidating.

From above, exhilarating.

In total the road winds its way 90km through the mountains.

It took just four years to build, remarkable when you consider the conditions, and was actually meant to protect Romania from the Russians not goats!

However this is the official programme. It actually took a further 6 years of finishing touches!

It was built by the military and cost the lives of 40 personnel mainly through misuse of dynamite, but the death toll might have been much higher as these were the official figures. Many think it is more likely two hundred. Six million kilograms of dynamite blasted its way through the mountains.

We must nearly be there, we can feel the air getting thin.

Snow starts to accumulate along the edges of the road, but it is still predominately clear.

We continue.

Absolutely remarkable.

Mind blowing.

Phenomenal, there are just not enough superlatives.

We start to sound like our guide using superlatives every two words. But this time, it is all true. SM.

We reach a tunnel. The longest tunnel in Romania at 884m long.

But at the end of the tunnel a locked metal gate, we are at the end of the tunnel and the end of the road.

It has been an incredible drive.

But we can walk through a small metal door.

We gingerly turn Dora in the tight tunnel and pull up behind several other cars.

I can’t stop biting my nails. There is not light at the end of the tunnel for a good hundred metres. If this is one-way street, it won’t be fun to drive Dora all the way backwards. Luckily, there is light and the tunnel is wide enough to turn her around. SM.

Through the door and we are the other side of the pass.

There is more snow this side. Maybe it will take another two to three weeks to clear.

We retreat.

And now for the descent, careful on the breaks, don’t want them overheating.

What an absolutely amazing journey.

We stop one last time to see the waterfall from the top.

Just think, we nearly didn’t venture past the no entry signs below. Are we glad we did.

Crazy,

but magnificent

What a memory.

 

And to see the route from a google earth perspective;

And here is the clip from old Top Gear

GDR.