Romania

Sunday, June 30

Sighisoara

The overnight train deposited us in Sighisoara mid- morning in bright sunlight that promised to be very hot later in the day. With no uber, we walked the 1+km, including steep steps, into the fortress city. After a coffee and apple pie, we wandered aimlessly and got a feel for what was interesting and what we would want to spend time doing.

Dracula was born in Sighisoara in 1431 in this yellow house in Sighisoara and lived until he was four. Today, this yellow building is the oldest in Sighisoara, and it houses Vlad Dracul Restaurant.

After a nap, we climbed the very creaky and uneven stairs in the bell tower, walked up the covered staircase to Turnul cu Ceas to see an aerial view of Sighisoara, glimpsed the well- stocked cemetery, and dined on pig- knee, we found the cutest street in town, Strada Tâmplarilor, and then down to the roman oven artifact. I drank a traditional blueberry brandy and called it a night.

Monday, July 1

Sibiu

We caught the 6:55am train to Sibiu which took 2+ hours and promptly found old Town and coffee. It took 2 tries to secure a room for the night but after a brief rest, we went out to explore. We walked over the Bridge of Lies, toured the Lutheran Church and climbed its tower, lunched on the main square, and climbed the bell tower.

After a rest, we went to a recommended restaurant to enjoy local food and spirits. We strolled along the pedestrian only walkways at sunset and returned to our room for the night.

Walking Sibiu was a mix of Chamonix and Budva. Small, pretty, and appreciated the scarcity of tourists.

I like the “eyes” in the roof tops.

Tuesday, July 2

Brasov

Took a sprinter to Brasov and the seats weren’t oversold so we had our own seat. Dropped our bags at the room and ubered 30km to a fortified church. This was a place where people lived and defended. The boiling oil spouts were pointed down at the moat felt surreal.

The uber then took us at the cable car back in town. The cable car took us up to the Hollywood-style Brasov sign. Upon descent, we walked to the black tower and toured the black church.

Wednesday, July 3

It’s castle tour day baybeeee!! We had an atmospheric day with gray skies and rain.

Our tour guide picked us up in a comfortable van and again I did not have to share a seat. It took over an hour to arrive at the orthodox Monastery and then we had a shorter ride to Peles Castle. That place was sumptuous. Everything was ornate and embellished.

Our next stop was Cantacuzino Castle where Wednesday was filmed. It was not as ornate as Peles mostly because it had been stripped of its original decor when the soviets occupied it.

The down side of a tour is that other people take a long time ordering, eating, etc. We’re used to moving fast and breaking things when we’re touring on our own.

When we arrived at Bran Castle, the skies opened up and gave us the maximum wet and gray experience. I liked the fireplaces, specifically how they were configured since I’d never seen anything like them. With the train, we didn’t want to walk in the gardens which meant I didn’t get grand snap of the castle out line or facade.

Thursday, July 4

Before we hopped the train for Bucharest, we walked through the most narrow walkway in Europe. I might challenge that claim but it’s just a hunch. The walkway by Fad Gallery in Melbourne is narrower but does not exist on the same continent.

Bucharest is the capitol and a big city in comparison to the small stops we’ve been in Romania. We took a “Beautiful Bucharest” walking tour where we got an overview of the history and city. One spot was a narrow, cafe-lined, passage in the Parisian style. I’d seen this in Las Vegas but it was cool to see in real life.

Friday, July 5

Not much is open in the early morning so finding coffee was challenging. We visited the anthenum and marveled at the beauty and craftsmanship of the theater. We joined a “Communism in Bucharest” walking tour which outlined the rise and fall of communism, it’s personalities, and atrocities. We were unable to get tickets to tour the Parliamentary Palace so we cleansed our palette with stuffed cabbage and a local doughnut dessert.

Saturday, July 6

Arrived in Galati via train to find the city bereft of restaurants. We’d locate one on the map only to find it very closed. Thirty minutes into this challenge, we found a Turkish restaurant open that had been noted as being a Mexican restaurant on Google maps. I’m not being picky, just happy we didn’t have to eat convenience store “food.”