From childhood Dervla Murphy harboured a secret desire to visit Rumania. Two weeks after the fall of Ceausescu her dream was realized. This is the story of her voyage.;Fate struck at the start of her travels. Crossing the border by train, she was robbed of her rucksack and all her possessions, and a week later she was lucky to survive a serious car accident. Undaunted, she continued to explore the country, staying in urban blocs, small towns and traditional villages, on the plains and in the mountains. Wherever she went she found people both exhilarated and bewildered, as they emerged from the gloom of an oppressive communist regime.