Journal #59 - Romania
Salut from Romania!
Our visit was quite the rollercoaster here. We traveled back and forth between the capital of Bucharest and the Transylvanian cities of Brașov, Sinaia, and Bran. We saw castles, city sculptures, and the even (unfortunately) the hospital. Our visit was quaint and charming and we are glad to have been able to give the nation so much time.
We started in Bucharest, the capital was filled with relics of the country’s first king, Carol I. We read about him in our Romanian book and enjoyed watching the stories come to life. We dined our way around (eating through The List) and enjoyed our long walks through the city streets taking in the different styles of architecture that graced each respective neighborhood.
As we traveled north Mr. Wanderer was struck with an ailment he could not shake. We wound up visiting the ER to get him some immediate medical support. Several hours, and some IV fluids later, a revived man walked out of the hospital doors; even so, it took him a few more days of rest before he was ready to tour around again.
I spent the downtime enjoying the local cafes on my own. Particularly enticing to me was a tiny bakery off of the pedestrian path in Brașov that only had a window by which you could access the goods. I would approach each day and be handed crepes filled with chocolate or cheese, loaves of bread, muffins, or croissants. I found delicious spots to sip tea and watch the visitors stroll along the old town's cobblestone streets.
When he had recovered, we had to visit the Transylvanian castles we had heard so much about. We began with Peleș Castle. The palace was built under the direction of King Carol I and was Europe’s first castle to be fully powered with electricity, all supplied by local sources. It has in more recent times, been a popular setting for films. It was thrilling to arrive in person and feel like I recognized this piece of history.
The other important castle we visited was Bran Castle. This ex-trading post is more commonly known as "Dracula’s Castle". The iconic sight serves as the setting for the historical vampire volume. If our guides are to be believed, Bram Stoker never set foot in Romania, but rather had seen photos of this location and heard tales of Vlad the Impaler and let his imagination do the rest. Whether it was real or not, it was exciting to see and the tower leaned into its blood-sucker roots and decorated the cold stone walls accordingly.
Romania has been filled with beautiful sights and wonderful food. It served as a safe place for Mr. Wanderer to recover and for us to settle in for a longer visit. We enjoyed our time here and are sad to be moving on. The next stop on our itinerary though is the only nation in Europe to have never changed its name – using the same moniker for >1300 years. Any guesses where we are off to next?
