Summer 2026

This summer we decided to farther east and south by train then we ever did before. While at first we wanted to go by train to Sicily we decided against this undoubtedly fun option because we realized that being on the brink of moving from a student existance to becoming unemployed meant that we should at least try to go about our vacation planning with the appropriate money constraints in mind. Thus, we decided to first set of to Vienna, and then get on the sleeper train that leaves Vienna in the evening and arrives in Bucharest the next morning (and according to the signage goes on to Kyiv). On the way we would stop of in Brasov, before going directly to Sofia. After a few days there, we then crossed Bulgaria west to east and spent a few days by the sea, before going back to Bucharest. The way back would put us on the same train again, only going in the opposite direction now and not stopping of. Below are a few impression I shot on my new Fuji XT-4, while continously experimenting with finding the right settings.

After visiting the Donauinsel exhibition last year it was now finally time to visit the actual island aswell. The expirience of swimming in view of these skyscrapers was quite different compared to usual waters I dip into in the summer.

The endless hills and sweeping forests that surround Brasov make it unnecessary to visit Bran castle the marketed home of Count Dracula. Even in the burning sun, wandering through the winding streets one can imagine why the Count chose to make his home in this region of the world.

Contrasting the tranquility of the Romanian countryside is the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, especially with its UFO-like convention center.

Moving further east, we arrived in Nessebar. Keeping to the southern side of the peninsula the sea and beach are enjoyable and even though crowded, pleasently relaxing. And in the city once you leave the main streets you can stumble upon the signs of the importance of this city and its port even in pre-Roman times. But to the northern side one can make out the pulsing lights of Sunny Beach and its giant hotels.

Our last and maybe most interesting stop of our travels was Bucharest.