Czeching out Central Europe: Prague, Budapest, and Romania
Aug 21st, 2018, 09:01 AM
#23
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Amy--I think your guide was well worth it. And did you plan to visit Romania during this folk festival, or was that just good luck on your part? The call-and-response part of the church service sounds lovely.
I am just blown away by many of your photos. The Merry Cemetery, wow. And the small shrine of with the rustic wooden crucifix. Curious if the room with the piano and wooden beams, was that all in Bran Castle too? I wasn't 100 percent which (if any photos) were of Elie Wiesel's house or of Sighet prison.
Finally, that face carved into the rock formation along the river totally reminded me of the river carvings in Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Rings. As I recall those were in the book, not just the movie. Wondering if that was Tolkein's inspiration because of course he was quite the medievalist and I would think traveled in Europe.
I have this curiosity/reserve about the Roma people, as I was pickpocketed in Rome by them. They did not get anything important but it was unnerving. Yet.side by side that reserve.. I have always been interested in the Roma's traditions of music and any skills or musical traditions that have survived. I remember reading an unusual novel in a freshman lit class that featured the Roma people, their music and craftsmanship of instruments extensively. By a Canadian author as I recall. Anyway it untapped a curiosity of mine and I am familiar with some of the classical pieces that used Roma melodies.
I am just blown away by many of your photos. The Merry Cemetery, wow. And the small shrine of with the rustic wooden crucifix. Curious if the room with the piano and wooden beams, was that all in Bran Castle too? I wasn't 100 percent which (if any photos) were of Elie Wiesel's house or of Sighet prison.
Finally, that face carved into the rock formation along the river totally reminded me of the river carvings in Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Rings. As I recall those were in the book, not just the movie. Wondering if that was Tolkein's inspiration because of course he was quite the medievalist and I would think traveled in Europe.
I have this curiosity/reserve about the Roma people, as I was pickpocketed in Rome by them. They did not get anything important but it was unnerving. Yet.side by side that reserve.. I have always been interested in the Roma's traditions of music and any skills or musical traditions that have survived. I remember reading an unusual novel in a freshman lit class that featured the Roma people, their music and craftsmanship of instruments extensively. By a Canadian author as I recall. Anyway it untapped a curiosity of mine and I am familiar with some of the classical pieces that used Roma melodies.
Aug 21st, 2018, 12:25 PM
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I definitely need to get those photos labeled! There are a few of the prison/Wiesel's house, but the house particularly was not especially photogenic, as much of what was there was in fact enlarged photos of various events in his later life.
The face is King Decebalus, the last king of Dacia (Romania before the Romans, basically.) But it was only carved between 1994-2004, so...pretty new! Perhaps it was inspired by Tolkien rather than the other way about.
I, too, have had some unsettling interactions with Roma in various places, including here, but they do indeed have a strong cultural tradition that has survived tenaciously. One of my guides in Timisoara pointed out large houses with pillars that were owned by Roma but, according to him, they rarely actually live in them, preferring the old more nomadic ways. I do want to find out more from impartial sources, but of course one thing that I am sure of is that there is a great deal of variety within and among the Roma communities.
The face is King Decebalus, the last king of Dacia (Romania before the Romans, basically.) But it was only carved between 1994-2004, so...pretty new! Perhaps it was inspired by Tolkien rather than the other way about.
I, too, have had some unsettling interactions with Roma in various places, including here, but they do indeed have a strong cultural tradition that has survived tenaciously. One of my guides in Timisoara pointed out large houses with pillars that were owned by Roma but, according to him, they rarely actually live in them, preferring the old more nomadic ways. I do want to find out more from impartial sources, but of course one thing that I am sure of is that there is a great deal of variety within and among the Roma communities.
Aug 21st, 2018, 12:26 PM
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Oh, and yes, the guide was certainly well worth it and the festival was serendipity! There's a train ride that usually features on that day, but I decided to do the churches and fair and am quite glad that I did.
Aug 21st, 2018, 05:39 PM
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The bus (a full size coach, as it happens) to Cluj Napoca left at 4:30AM from Vadu Izei; Ramona, the lovely owner of Pension Ardelean, actually took me to the nearby stop and stayed with me until the bus came. It was a longish ride, but I slept most of the time. The complication happened once I got to the bus station in Cluj: the only bus from there to Brasov didn't leave until 9:15pm, and I'd been told (and confirmed online) that there were two at 2ish and 4ish. I made my way to the McDonalds (okay, I always do that once for the fried apple pie) and a nice lady there helped me out, with more help from a young man next to us. I was to catch the bus in yet another parking lot, and had a confirmed reservation; thing is, they overbooked the little bus. We all squeezed on, though, and wended our way to Brasov, including a detour around an accident that caused both lanes of the highway to be closed with traffic backed up for miles.
It was evening when I arrived in Brasov to Hotel Bella Muzica, Bella Muzica | Hotel & Restaurant Brasov ? Brasov, Piata Sfatului nr.19 | Tel.: +40 268 477956 a charming old place with a fair number of marble stairs to climb inside and fixtures that looked straight out of the 80's--and that's the 1980's, so not really historically accurate. It's right across from the main square, though, and the room was large and comfortable.
In the square the next morning I joined my guide, Tudor, and two nice folks from England for a half day trip to Rasnov Fortress and Bran Castle. Rasnov, to which you ascend in a little tractor-pulled train, is quite a picturesque ruin, with great views out. Bran is foreboding on the outside but rather charming on the inside, except of course for the continuous line of visitors. It was quite crowded, although less so when we arrived than when we left. The residence of Romania's last queen, Maria, Bran Castle has furnishings and various exhibits that are interesting, but again, hard to maneuver due to the crowds. The guide was good and efficient (he doesn't go into the castle) and I was back in Brasov in time to have lunch on the square at LeCeaun, a lovely cheese pie and some elderflower lemonade. I then wandered the city, going to Rope Street (one of the) narrowest streets in Europe; into the Black Church; past Katherine's Gate, and just generally wandering the lovely little city. It was hot and a bit muggy, so it was more of a ramble than a walk, but still I was able to see a fair amount and develop an appreciation of the city that led me to wish I'd had a little more time; I left on the 4:35PM train from Brasov to Sibiu.
It was, it must be admitted, a really slow and really really warm train, but I did get to see a rainbow!
It was evening when I arrived in Brasov to Hotel Bella Muzica, Bella Muzica | Hotel & Restaurant Brasov ? Brasov, Piata Sfatului nr.19 | Tel.: +40 268 477956 a charming old place with a fair number of marble stairs to climb inside and fixtures that looked straight out of the 80's--and that's the 1980's, so not really historically accurate. It's right across from the main square, though, and the room was large and comfortable.
In the square the next morning I joined my guide, Tudor, and two nice folks from England for a half day trip to Rasnov Fortress and Bran Castle. Rasnov, to which you ascend in a little tractor-pulled train, is quite a picturesque ruin, with great views out. Bran is foreboding on the outside but rather charming on the inside, except of course for the continuous line of visitors. It was quite crowded, although less so when we arrived than when we left. The residence of Romania's last queen, Maria, Bran Castle has furnishings and various exhibits that are interesting, but again, hard to maneuver due to the crowds. The guide was good and efficient (he doesn't go into the castle) and I was back in Brasov in time to have lunch on the square at LeCeaun, a lovely cheese pie and some elderflower lemonade. I then wandered the city, going to Rope Street (one of the) narrowest streets in Europe; into the Black Church; past Katherine's Gate, and just generally wandering the lovely little city. It was hot and a bit muggy, so it was more of a ramble than a walk, but still I was able to see a fair amount and develop an appreciation of the city that led me to wish I'd had a little more time; I left on the 4:35PM train from Brasov to Sibiu.
It was, it must be admitted, a really slow and really really warm train, but I did get to see a rainbow!
Aug 24th, 2018, 05:59 PM
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I arrived in Sibiu train station and wended my way to Villa Rosen, my home for the next two nights. It's on a quiet residential street, and has a beautiful terrace and delightfully painted rooms; mine was in green and lavender, and was the greenest lavenderiest room ever. It's like you've gone to grandma's, but she's given everything a fresh coat of paint. The only thing missing was a toilet paper roll doll. (Not, come to think of it, that my grandmother ever had one of those either. But it's an aesthetic.) It's an easy walk from the Villa into town, but that first night I just ventured to the nearest restaurant that had space for me, which was Pizza Pomodore. They made up a nice cheesy plate of pasta for me which I enjoyed in that exhausted state that makes pasta the best choice as it doesn't require any particular attention to eat. Rain was falling as I wandered back and collapsed into the lavender and greenness.
The next morning I went to the main square to join a walking tour of Sibiu (9 euro). The square was being set up for a big rock concert, so the views were a bit obstructed, but the town as a whole is quite attractive. There's a strong Saxon feel as of course that's who settled it, and "prosperous merchant" seems to be the leitmotif. Many of the houses have roguish "eyes", which of course are actually vents in the upper story, which gives them a definite anthropomorphic feel. The tour was good; I was the only English speaker in a group of Germans, but didn't feel neglected by the cheerful and enthusiastic guide. There's a strong medieval guild feel, and some lovely churches and the city tower, which to be honest I didn't feel up to climbing later. The Bridge of Lies is charming, albeit crowded, and probably doesn't actually collapse if someone lies on it; Ceausescu managed to make a fairly lengthy speech from it. After the tour ended I wandered the town a bit but wasn't actually feeling the greatest, so I decided on a late leisurely lunch in the beautiful little side yard of a restaurant near to the Villa Rosen, a place called Max. Unfortunately the food and service didn't live up to the setting, although it is immensely popular; perhaps I hit a bad time. (By the way, I will say that the owner gets a bit petulant if one's TripAdvisor review isn't doting. But hey, dude, Italy comes and buys all of the Romanian truffles, tomatoes aren't supposed to be served cold, and fresh fish shouldn't smell fishy, eh?)
Since I was leaving the next day for Timisoara and wasn't feeling too inspired by the public transportation possibilities, I decided to book a car and driver from www.mydaytrip.com Their communication was excellent, and the driver was right on time with a comfortable car and actually really good driving, but I do have to say that it was a bit madly expensive--the trip (from 8 to 2, with a stop at Corvin Castle) cost more than a full day's guided tour with as much mileage. I am guessing that the pricing isn't particularly attuned to local situations as it is offered in many European areas, and it was certainly worth it to me to be coddled a bit for the day.
The Gothic Corvin Castle in Hunedoara is massive and impressively situated; it looks more like a castle of legend than most, as a lot of the 19th century restoration was busy making it into a legendary "medieval" castle (the pointy bits, for example.) But it is really atmospheric and imposing in a way that Bran isn't, and well worth a scout through. It isn't nearly as crowded as Bran, and includes features like a bear pit and a couple of Great Halls that are appropriately castle-like. To be honest, my main thought was that it would make a really awesome party venue, and as it turns out they do have parties here, especially at Halloween. There's a pizza stand across from the entrance road (you walk a bit to get to the castle) that's really pretty good, or maybe I was just hungry after climbing the ramparts.
I arrived at Central Apartment Timisoara smack on time, but due to some miscommunication the landlord wasn't there, so I waited on the step for quite some time. It was very green and peaceful, though, and the apartment was worth it when I went in: spacious, well-equipped, and with a washing machine, yay! I put in a load of wash and went out to explore Timisoara, which I found remarkable mainly for the prolific amounts of roses (I found out later due to a florist family; Wilhelm Mühle was a gardener and rose cultivator, and at one time florist for the Hapsburgs.) The city is filled with flowers, but the Rose Garden itself, much smaller than in its original incarnation, is the crown jewel. It was lovely and peaceful in the hot late afternoon sun, and even in July there were numerous roses blooming. Timisoara is also where the 1989 Revolution began that toppled the communist regime, and there are squares and monuments throughout. I found the city very appealing and could definitely have stayed longer if time had permitted.
My reason for coming, however, was to get to Bigar Falls, and I ended up on a private tour for that. To explain, this trip was chosen for me by my 7th and 8th grade geography class, and Bigar Falls was one of the places that they really wanted me to visit. As it turns out, there are few public tours there, and the one that I had hoped for wasn't going out as a public tour that day as there weren't any other travelers. So I bit the bullet and took the tour as a solo, and I'm really glad that I did. Ludovic of Timisoara City Tours Timisoara City Tours - Tours in Timisoara, Banat and Transylvania is an interesting guide with a passion for Romania, particularly the Banat. We started the day with a boat cruise on the Danube, past the relatively new river statue of King Dacebalus, last king of the Dacians (people who were in Romania before, guess who, the Romans, took over) and going into a cave that was used during war time; the small boat also went into a grotto. It was a lovely sunny day at that point, and we had a delicious lunch (trout, that didn't smell fishy at all, so there Max of Sibiu) at a waterside restaurant that may have been called Septiembre? We split the huge traditional fruit-filled pastry for dessert.
One side of the Danube at that point is Serbia, so yet another country got added to my T-Mobil free texts messages, which was kinda amusing by that point. From there, we drove to a gently decaying and rusting mineral bath town (of which I don't know the name, sorry!) on our way to Bigar. The drive was quite lovely, and the long and winding road to Bigar is through a forest. The waterfall itself is stunningly beautiful, albeit small, but for some things size really doesn't matter. It was raining, and as the water came over the vibrant green moss the whole thing just looked like it was glowing. You can see the falls most effectively before actually entering the little park that's above it, but we dutifully climbed through there as well; it's not as spectacular as the fall, have to say. To a lot of folks the waterfall is overrated and not worth the trip, but I was really glad that I went. The Danube part was a perfect way to end a trip, as well, as what's better than being out in the sunshine on the water? All in all I definitely could have spent much more time in Romania very happily, but I'm glad I got to do what I did.
I left at 2:30AM (which was supposed to be 1AM, so there's that...) for the trip to Budapest Airport, as flying out of Timisoara would have been prohibitively expensive at the time I was booking. (Not sure if it ever isn't, actually; I could, however, have gone to Bucharest if I had more time, and those flights were pretty cheap from Timisoara. But I needed to be home by Saturday night, so, Budapest it was.)
I flew uneventfully into crowded Heathrow and then on to Philadelphia; I was happy to have an uneventful flight after the trip out! My souvenirs (two pieces of vintage textiles, one that is deep orange, pinks, and greens; the other white with lace and embroidery) are now hanging in the stairway to my classroom, and I'm looking forward to sharing pictures with the students who chose this trip for me.
The next morning I went to the main square to join a walking tour of Sibiu (9 euro). The square was being set up for a big rock concert, so the views were a bit obstructed, but the town as a whole is quite attractive. There's a strong Saxon feel as of course that's who settled it, and "prosperous merchant" seems to be the leitmotif. Many of the houses have roguish "eyes", which of course are actually vents in the upper story, which gives them a definite anthropomorphic feel. The tour was good; I was the only English speaker in a group of Germans, but didn't feel neglected by the cheerful and enthusiastic guide. There's a strong medieval guild feel, and some lovely churches and the city tower, which to be honest I didn't feel up to climbing later. The Bridge of Lies is charming, albeit crowded, and probably doesn't actually collapse if someone lies on it; Ceausescu managed to make a fairly lengthy speech from it. After the tour ended I wandered the town a bit but wasn't actually feeling the greatest, so I decided on a late leisurely lunch in the beautiful little side yard of a restaurant near to the Villa Rosen, a place called Max. Unfortunately the food and service didn't live up to the setting, although it is immensely popular; perhaps I hit a bad time. (By the way, I will say that the owner gets a bit petulant if one's TripAdvisor review isn't doting. But hey, dude, Italy comes and buys all of the Romanian truffles, tomatoes aren't supposed to be served cold, and fresh fish shouldn't smell fishy, eh?)
Since I was leaving the next day for Timisoara and wasn't feeling too inspired by the public transportation possibilities, I decided to book a car and driver from www.mydaytrip.com Their communication was excellent, and the driver was right on time with a comfortable car and actually really good driving, but I do have to say that it was a bit madly expensive--the trip (from 8 to 2, with a stop at Corvin Castle) cost more than a full day's guided tour with as much mileage. I am guessing that the pricing isn't particularly attuned to local situations as it is offered in many European areas, and it was certainly worth it to me to be coddled a bit for the day.
The Gothic Corvin Castle in Hunedoara is massive and impressively situated; it looks more like a castle of legend than most, as a lot of the 19th century restoration was busy making it into a legendary "medieval" castle (the pointy bits, for example.) But it is really atmospheric and imposing in a way that Bran isn't, and well worth a scout through. It isn't nearly as crowded as Bran, and includes features like a bear pit and a couple of Great Halls that are appropriately castle-like. To be honest, my main thought was that it would make a really awesome party venue, and as it turns out they do have parties here, especially at Halloween. There's a pizza stand across from the entrance road (you walk a bit to get to the castle) that's really pretty good, or maybe I was just hungry after climbing the ramparts.
I arrived at Central Apartment Timisoara smack on time, but due to some miscommunication the landlord wasn't there, so I waited on the step for quite some time. It was very green and peaceful, though, and the apartment was worth it when I went in: spacious, well-equipped, and with a washing machine, yay! I put in a load of wash and went out to explore Timisoara, which I found remarkable mainly for the prolific amounts of roses (I found out later due to a florist family; Wilhelm Mühle was a gardener and rose cultivator, and at one time florist for the Hapsburgs.) The city is filled with flowers, but the Rose Garden itself, much smaller than in its original incarnation, is the crown jewel. It was lovely and peaceful in the hot late afternoon sun, and even in July there were numerous roses blooming. Timisoara is also where the 1989 Revolution began that toppled the communist regime, and there are squares and monuments throughout. I found the city very appealing and could definitely have stayed longer if time had permitted.
My reason for coming, however, was to get to Bigar Falls, and I ended up on a private tour for that. To explain, this trip was chosen for me by my 7th and 8th grade geography class, and Bigar Falls was one of the places that they really wanted me to visit. As it turns out, there are few public tours there, and the one that I had hoped for wasn't going out as a public tour that day as there weren't any other travelers. So I bit the bullet and took the tour as a solo, and I'm really glad that I did. Ludovic of Timisoara City Tours Timisoara City Tours - Tours in Timisoara, Banat and Transylvania is an interesting guide with a passion for Romania, particularly the Banat. We started the day with a boat cruise on the Danube, past the relatively new river statue of King Dacebalus, last king of the Dacians (people who were in Romania before, guess who, the Romans, took over) and going into a cave that was used during war time; the small boat also went into a grotto. It was a lovely sunny day at that point, and we had a delicious lunch (trout, that didn't smell fishy at all, so there Max of Sibiu) at a waterside restaurant that may have been called Septiembre? We split the huge traditional fruit-filled pastry for dessert.
One side of the Danube at that point is Serbia, so yet another country got added to my T-Mobil free texts messages, which was kinda amusing by that point. From there, we drove to a gently decaying and rusting mineral bath town (of which I don't know the name, sorry!) on our way to Bigar. The drive was quite lovely, and the long and winding road to Bigar is through a forest. The waterfall itself is stunningly beautiful, albeit small, but for some things size really doesn't matter. It was raining, and as the water came over the vibrant green moss the whole thing just looked like it was glowing. You can see the falls most effectively before actually entering the little park that's above it, but we dutifully climbed through there as well; it's not as spectacular as the fall, have to say. To a lot of folks the waterfall is overrated and not worth the trip, but I was really glad that I went. The Danube part was a perfect way to end a trip, as well, as what's better than being out in the sunshine on the water? All in all I definitely could have spent much more time in Romania very happily, but I'm glad I got to do what I did.
I left at 2:30AM (which was supposed to be 1AM, so there's that...) for the trip to Budapest Airport, as flying out of Timisoara would have been prohibitively expensive at the time I was booking. (Not sure if it ever isn't, actually; I could, however, have gone to Bucharest if I had more time, and those flights were pretty cheap from Timisoara. But I needed to be home by Saturday night, so, Budapest it was.)
I flew uneventfully into crowded Heathrow and then on to Philadelphia; I was happy to have an uneventful flight after the trip out! My souvenirs (two pieces of vintage textiles, one that is deep orange, pinks, and greens; the other white with lace and embroidery) are now hanging in the stairway to my classroom, and I'm looking forward to sharing pictures with the students who chose this trip for me.
Aug 24th, 2018, 07:25 PM
#28
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Oh, and if you just like to look at pictures, they're here:
https://missalg.smugmug.com/Czech-Republic-2018/
https://missalg.smugmug.com/Budapest-Hungary-2018/
https://missalg.smugmug.com/Romania-2018/
https://missalg.smugmug.com/Czech-Republic-2018/
https://missalg.smugmug.com/Budapest-Hungary-2018/
https://missalg.smugmug.com/Romania-2018/
Aug 25th, 2018, 11:20 AM
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What a beautiful report. I live for the "little," slice of life experiences at least as much as the grand sights. I loved Prague and am thinking of heading back that way to include Budapest. Thanks for sharing!
Aug 25th, 2018, 12:59 PM
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Thanks, everyone! Nanabee, that's an Iphiclides podalirius butterfly as far as I can tell, and it really wasn't that big--the flower is kind of smallish. I did really love being in that meadow, I have to say. I would have liked to have more time to do some hiking, actually, but of course so much is weather dependent. I was very blessed yet again with sunshine--two of the three days that I was in Sighet the prediction was for rain, but...well, the pictures show what it was like.
Aug 26th, 2018, 04:59 PM
#36
I'm glad I waited to catch up on the report as it was great fun being able to sit down and read the rest all at once. Really enjoyed the bits on Maramures and wish we'd have spent a bit more time and stayed at pensione as well. (We chose a hotel in Sighet that we we're that impressed with).
A party in Corvin Castle would be awesome!
Interesting how things have evolved in little ways. It was so quiet at Rasnov years ago... and no little tractor train then. Had to assault the fortress on foot (yet another reason not to envy the medieval soldier). On the other hand, you could park right next to that wooden ramp that goes into Corvin Castle at the time.
Anyway, really enjoyed the report for the memories and to fill in the gaps we missed. Working on going through those photos now. You totally should have bought the bee pollen I can see on that market table with all the honey. Great stuff but usually so expensive!
A party in Corvin Castle would be awesome!
Interesting how things have evolved in little ways. It was so quiet at Rasnov years ago... and no little tractor train then. Had to assault the fortress on foot (yet another reason not to envy the medieval soldier). On the other hand, you could park right next to that wooden ramp that goes into Corvin Castle at the time.
Anyway, really enjoyed the report for the memories and to fill in the gaps we missed. Working on going through those photos now. You totally should have bought the bee pollen I can see on that market table with all the honey. Great stuff but usually so expensive!
Aug 26th, 2018, 06:41 PM
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So much I wanted to buy, but I was traveling light! The honey table belongs to the guide's sister, in fact; quite a variety there. How is the bee pollen actually used?
At Rasnov there is now a "Dinosaur Park" about half way up the hill, so things I'm sure have changed a bit! I ended up really enjoying Romania and I'm glad I spent the bulk of my time there, although I could have used more time in all three places really. As always, so many places, so little time...
At Rasnov there is now a "Dinosaur Park" about half way up the hill, so things I'm sure have changed a bit! I ended up really enjoying Romania and I'm glad I spent the bulk of my time there, although I could have used more time in all three places really. As always, so many places, so little time...
Aug 27th, 2018, 02:27 AM
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I haven't had time yet to either read the thread or look at the photos.
But Romania is probably the greenest and cleanest country I've ever been to. We are D-i-Y, travellers,and every town had a different type of special atmosphere to it. Sinaia, Sighisoara, Sibiu, and Brasov were all well worthy of a few days in Transylvania.
Travelling by train is a great way to see the rolling countryside, even if they can be a bit slow, and the timetables slightly frustrating.
Really looking forward to returning to see another Region or two of a truly beautiful Country.....shame about the corruptness of the incumbent Government, which threatens to boil over.
But Romania is probably the greenest and cleanest country I've ever been to. We are D-i-Y, travellers,and every town had a different type of special atmosphere to it. Sinaia, Sighisoara, Sibiu, and Brasov were all well worthy of a few days in Transylvania.
Travelling by train is a great way to see the rolling countryside, even if they can be a bit slow, and the timetables slightly frustrating.
Really looking forward to returning to see another Region or two of a truly beautiful Country.....shame about the corruptness of the incumbent Government, which threatens to boil over.
Aug 30th, 2018, 02:00 AM
#40
So much I wanted to buy, but I was traveling light! The honey table belongs to the guide's sister, in fact; quite a variety there. How is the bee pollen actually used?
At Rasnov there is now a "Dinosaur Park" about half way up the hill, so things I'm sure have changed a bit! I ended up really enjoying Romania and I'm glad I spent the bulk of my time there, although I could have used more time in all three places really. As always, so many places, so little time...
At Rasnov there is now a "Dinosaur Park" about half way up the hill, so things I'm sure have changed a bit! I ended up really enjoying Romania and I'm glad I spent the bulk of my time there, although I could have used more time in all three places really. As always, so many places, so little time...
A dinosaur park? Yeah, that's different! About half the buildings in the fortress were restored when we were there. Very quiet. I just realized you didn't mention Sighisoara?
