A few stats: about 17 km, about 350 m elevation gain, 7 hours with breaks. Putna stamp from Putna Monastery and Sucevita stamp from Sucevita Monastery.
I was very excited to be on the trail. I got very excited at the start point of the trail and for the first stamp. The first day was a shorter one, about 17 km, with about 350 m of altitude difference. We both had heavy backpacks, so this and the lack of rest on the train were the biggest challenges for us on day 1.
The nature was very beautiful. We also had a nice break at a rest stop where we had our first meal, rice with cheese. On this day we did hike in nature, but the start was on the road in Putna, and then on a forest road before the narrower trail. On the forest road we saw quite a few people using horses to work with wood, getting it out of the forest. The backpack felt too heavy, and I could not wait for us to eat more of the food in it so it would get lighter.
I was happy that we saw both monasteries, Putna and Sucevita.
After this day, my legs, hips, and shoulders were aching. We both took magnesium so we would avoid cramps, and this was successful for the entire trip, no cramps for me.
Pitching the tent was kind of therapeutic, like knowing the day is done, now we can rest.
One accident did happen today: I scratched, or cracked, the screen protector on my phone, which is only 9 months old. That made me feel so frustrated with myself, and pissed off at myself, for doing that.
One nice surprise on the trail was the yummy apples we got from trees hanging over the sidewalk.
Day one had no sign of sheep herds or their dogs, and no signs of wild animals.
We camped at a campsite that is still under construction, but there are working toilets and showers.
After day one, I felt a bit tired, but the excitement of being on Via Transilvanica was still keeping me in good spirits.