We left Bran, Fundata Valley and Braşov knowing that nothing could ever match the magic of that experience, but... When we entered the Citadel of Siguişoara (pronounced Sigi-show-rra) it seemed like they had given us a special E Ticket to Disneyland. Not just the Matterhorn, but to the to The Magic Kingdom itself. Maria had … Continue reading Circle of Friends-Part 7: Sighisoara and the Citadel
Category: Sights
Circle of Friends–Part 5: Halloween at Bran’s Castle
Bran and Fundata Valley This was supposed to be a whimsical stop-off at the supposed setting of Dracula's castle, (based on the real more-gruesome-than-fiction warrior, Vlad "The Impaler" Tepeş) which just happened to be on Halloween. We were headed up from the flatlands of Bucharest, through the gates of the Carpathians, into Transylvania. Then we … Continue reading Circle of Friends–Part 5: Halloween at Bran’s Castle
Circle of Friends–Part 4: The Capital
On the road, we headed west and south from Toulcea. After a bit of GPS only guidance, I tried to find our place on the map book and eventually found it. The countryside had gently rolling hills and flat farmlands that stretched to the horizon. Farms were bigger here with fewer houses--there were times you … Continue reading Circle of Friends–Part 4: The Capital
Circle of Friends–Part 3: Tulchea and the Danube Delta
We arrived near dusk, partly due to the fact that Romania had just changed to daylight saving time here, but I doubt that's what they call it. As the sky was turning grey and the winds picked up, Rebecca and I found a small restaurant on the second floor of a row of businesses near … Continue reading Circle of Friends–Part 3: Tulchea and the Danube Delta
Circle of Friends–Part 2: The North East
(Click on photos to see captions) In this post, we stayed at an inn and at a hotel, not writing ahead, not asking our hosts to engage or talk to us or tell us their story. It was a bit of a break from interviewing people, a bit of a diversion from our theme of … Continue reading Circle of Friends–Part 2: The North East
Circle of Friends–Part 1: Breb
Elena Opris welcomed with kisses and open arms.
Adrian and Carmen’s Wedding
This was a day like no other. The wedding was filled with activity for us from the moment we got up, to late in the night. We have been in Europe for almost a month now, but the impact if this event hit us like nothing else! I took a lot of pictures and Rebecca wrote … Continue reading Adrian and Carmen’s Wedding
Someone’s Following Us, All Across Hungary
Someone's Following Us We were up at five am, in the lobby by six and opted to try our luck back at the Moxy for breakfast, rather than the paultry-looking offerings at the Hadrigan. My cousin, Cornel, had worked out a ride for us from Vienna to Zalau, the town in the north-western part of … Continue reading Someone’s Following Us, All Across Hungary
Austria, Part Two: Hallstatt, Salzburg, and Admont
Hallstatt Hallstatt was the only place we went simply because of Rick Steves. He says in his travel video, if there is one place you must see to get the flavor of an Alpine village, you must visit Hallstatt. It was on the way to Salzburg, so we planned one night there. By far, Hallstatt … Continue reading Austria, Part Two: Hallstatt, Salzburg, and Admont
Austria, Part One: Scott and Uli
We arrived in Austria, dragging. Transition days are hard on us. There's the physical work of packing up, carrying our backpacks, and pulling the "rollies" up and down stairs, up and into crowded buses or down into subways, and into the air terminal. But more than that, I think the stress of standing in line, … Continue reading Austria, Part One: Scott and Uli
