WHY ROMANIA???
Nov 13th, 2007, 06:11 AM
#41
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downstairs for breakfast....this was the least nice buffet during our visit....
i took the car next door to fill it up...the first fill up of the trip...this car got fantastic mileage...cost 110 ron ($48)...i drove 668 km on this leg...disel was 3.28 ron per litre...
we headed out for the day towards baia mare (the place i had intended to stay)...after a while we encountered our first wooden church...perched on a hill all by itself...this is a brand new church...the wood was not even weathered....the individual shingles were cut into odd shapes and made a very decorative exterior....we were unable to gain entrance....it overlooked the lush farming countryside and hills...
the area was surrounded with mountains all of which had snow on their tops...
we eventually arrived in the town of Sapanta...this is where the famous "Merry Cemetery" is located...its about 6 km from the Ukraine border....we found it on a side street and spent the next hour looking around....i loved it...in fact it is one of my highlights...
the tombstones in this cemetery are all painted bright blue...they are hand carved by one man, who has since died, but new ones are done by his former assistant....there are verses and prose on each one, in romanian of course, that tell a little about that person and also wonderful carved pictures denoting something about the person's occupation, life or interests....
it was charming...
after our time in the cemetery, we continued along the village road deeper into the community....the people are mostly farmers....we encountered kids, adults, horse drawn vehicles and rural life, including lovely harvest scenes....it was one of the nicest villages which we visited....it pays to get off the main roads...strangely the people here much happier than in other locals...lots of smiles and waves...
we left this part of the village and sought out the tallest wooden church in romania....it is a bit controversial because it is built on a high stone base....purists claim it is thus not the tallest "wooden" church in europe.....it is new and is still being built...
while there we saw the 'mother superior' lay the workmen out verbally....she was tough....we had a laugh with them about her actions, behind her back...
in any case the structure is very impressive....
we continued on and finally reached the Perla hotel in Sighet Marnatiei..we had lunch there....this hotel's sister hotel was to have been our stop for the next nite, but since we already had covered this area we picked up a day on our trip to add in later (a full day stop in brasov)...i cancelled out res there...it was to have been our only one nite stop on the trip...
we looked around the medium sized town of sighet...
we spent the afternoon winding our way around the countryside looking at the wooden churches and the fabulous carved wooden gates that many people have outside their houses...many are two stories high...rope is often carved into the wood....i think it represents hospitality...
in gialieti we walked around a very old wooden church...there were chickens in the church yard and graves were overgrown with vegetation...
we worked our way back to satu mare and visited the Real store next to our hotel....its a super store...this type of thing is new to romania....it was like any one you now find all over europe...groceries, clothing, home goods.....karen noted that everything had a security tag on it, even the small plastic baskets that you gather your groceries in....
we had dinner that nite in the dana hotel again....49 ron....the same waiter who again was very talkative...
that nite i plugged our camera into the tv to review our pictures thus far....a few nice ones....they will be ready for review in a few days...i will post the site...
i took the car next door to fill it up...the first fill up of the trip...this car got fantastic mileage...cost 110 ron ($48)...i drove 668 km on this leg...disel was 3.28 ron per litre...
we headed out for the day towards baia mare (the place i had intended to stay)...after a while we encountered our first wooden church...perched on a hill all by itself...this is a brand new church...the wood was not even weathered....the individual shingles were cut into odd shapes and made a very decorative exterior....we were unable to gain entrance....it overlooked the lush farming countryside and hills...
the area was surrounded with mountains all of which had snow on their tops...
we eventually arrived in the town of Sapanta...this is where the famous "Merry Cemetery" is located...its about 6 km from the Ukraine border....we found it on a side street and spent the next hour looking around....i loved it...in fact it is one of my highlights...
the tombstones in this cemetery are all painted bright blue...they are hand carved by one man, who has since died, but new ones are done by his former assistant....there are verses and prose on each one, in romanian of course, that tell a little about that person and also wonderful carved pictures denoting something about the person's occupation, life or interests....
it was charming...
after our time in the cemetery, we continued along the village road deeper into the community....the people are mostly farmers....we encountered kids, adults, horse drawn vehicles and rural life, including lovely harvest scenes....it was one of the nicest villages which we visited....it pays to get off the main roads...strangely the people here much happier than in other locals...lots of smiles and waves...
we left this part of the village and sought out the tallest wooden church in romania....it is a bit controversial because it is built on a high stone base....purists claim it is thus not the tallest "wooden" church in europe.....it is new and is still being built...
while there we saw the 'mother superior' lay the workmen out verbally....she was tough....we had a laugh with them about her actions, behind her back...
in any case the structure is very impressive....
we continued on and finally reached the Perla hotel in Sighet Marnatiei..we had lunch there....this hotel's sister hotel was to have been our stop for the next nite, but since we already had covered this area we picked up a day on our trip to add in later (a full day stop in brasov)...i cancelled out res there...it was to have been our only one nite stop on the trip...
we looked around the medium sized town of sighet...
we spent the afternoon winding our way around the countryside looking at the wooden churches and the fabulous carved wooden gates that many people have outside their houses...many are two stories high...rope is often carved into the wood....i think it represents hospitality...
in gialieti we walked around a very old wooden church...there were chickens in the church yard and graves were overgrown with vegetation...
we worked our way back to satu mare and visited the Real store next to our hotel....its a super store...this type of thing is new to romania....it was like any one you now find all over europe...groceries, clothing, home goods.....karen noted that everything had a security tag on it, even the small plastic baskets that you gather your groceries in....
we had dinner that nite in the dana hotel again....49 ron....the same waiter who again was very talkative...
that nite i plugged our camera into the tv to review our pictures thus far....a few nice ones....they will be ready for review in a few days...i will post the site...
Nov 13th, 2007, 07:05 AM
#42
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down to breakfast....this am there are many people in the dining room...smoke is an issue in many restaurants by the way....it is not as bad as say england or france used to be however...hotel was 340 ron for the 2 nites inclusive...
it is raining this morning...we head back towards baia mare...all along the road are old factories...ugly....
new homes are being built all over romania, so there is an influx of money from somewhere....in the past all people were given homes by the state, in the ugly concrete sturctures, when they married...this is no longer the case, so many of these new houses must be for the emerging younger middle class....many get started and then the money dries up so they stop building until they have more money...
along the way we stopped at a restaurant for lunch...no english...we wing it...end up with chicken soup and rolls...just right...19.4 ron...
we note the golds and browns of the trees as we pass the countryside...
we sought out one town that the guidebook noted as a place to see people in native costumes in their everyday life....that must have been a decade ago....now they have tv dishes on their roofs...no costumes...
we drove through beautiful vallies and then we reached the mountain roads....well let me say it was muddy...mud up to our hubcaps...there were huge roadworks on going....really slowed us down...our car was covered with mud...
i should note that all rail crossings are dangereous....they are either un-manned or with only a small gate....also the crossing itself is almost always a huge bump...gates come down about 5 minutes before the train passes...there are many of them...
we arrived at gura humorlui in the afternoon, our stop for the next two days....
we were housed at casa elena on the same road as the voronet monestery, our principal site of interest...
stu tower had suggested this wonderful hotel to us...i endorse his feelings....
elena is a series of buildings in a rural setting and a five minute drive to the reputed best painted monestery in romania....they have a very nice restaurant and nice grounds....our room was huge...a suite really with a nice bathroom and a seperate sitting room---almost like an enclosed porch...
205 ron per nite....the desk clerk had just returned from 2.5 years in nyc....she spoke great english...
speaking of 'ron'....the term ron and lei are interchangable for the romanian currency....i think next year they will convert to euros however...
the countryside this day was really beautiful...rolling hills, still very green...karen notes it was very "alpine"...villages, sheep, a dot of snow here and there...this helped us to forget the horrid construction along much of the roadway.... when it is done it will be a fabulous roadway through the countryside...at one point we drove through a high ski village with many hotels....
at dinner we met a lovely dutch/swiss couple....we were the only people in the dining room...
our dinner was quite delicious:
pork and chicken as mains...glass of wine and beer, water, peas, spuds, a wonderful sauted mushroom dish, and two crepes with jam for dessert, plus expresso....78 ron...
off to bed....
it is raining this morning...we head back towards baia mare...all along the road are old factories...ugly....
new homes are being built all over romania, so there is an influx of money from somewhere....in the past all people were given homes by the state, in the ugly concrete sturctures, when they married...this is no longer the case, so many of these new houses must be for the emerging younger middle class....many get started and then the money dries up so they stop building until they have more money...
along the way we stopped at a restaurant for lunch...no english...we wing it...end up with chicken soup and rolls...just right...19.4 ron...
we note the golds and browns of the trees as we pass the countryside...
we sought out one town that the guidebook noted as a place to see people in native costumes in their everyday life....that must have been a decade ago....now they have tv dishes on their roofs...no costumes...
we drove through beautiful vallies and then we reached the mountain roads....well let me say it was muddy...mud up to our hubcaps...there were huge roadworks on going....really slowed us down...our car was covered with mud...
i should note that all rail crossings are dangereous....they are either un-manned or with only a small gate....also the crossing itself is almost always a huge bump...gates come down about 5 minutes before the train passes...there are many of them...
we arrived at gura humorlui in the afternoon, our stop for the next two days....
we were housed at casa elena on the same road as the voronet monestery, our principal site of interest...
stu tower had suggested this wonderful hotel to us...i endorse his feelings....
elena is a series of buildings in a rural setting and a five minute drive to the reputed best painted monestery in romania....they have a very nice restaurant and nice grounds....our room was huge...a suite really with a nice bathroom and a seperate sitting room---almost like an enclosed porch...
205 ron per nite....the desk clerk had just returned from 2.5 years in nyc....she spoke great english...
speaking of 'ron'....the term ron and lei are interchangable for the romanian currency....i think next year they will convert to euros however...
the countryside this day was really beautiful...rolling hills, still very green...karen notes it was very "alpine"...villages, sheep, a dot of snow here and there...this helped us to forget the horrid construction along much of the roadway.... when it is done it will be a fabulous roadway through the countryside...at one point we drove through a high ski village with many hotels....
at dinner we met a lovely dutch/swiss couple....we were the only people in the dining room...
our dinner was quite delicious:
pork and chicken as mains...glass of wine and beer, water, peas, spuds, a wonderful sauted mushroom dish, and two crepes with jam for dessert, plus expresso....78 ron...
off to bed....
Nov 13th, 2007, 09:46 AM
#43
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over to the dining room for breakfast....we sat with the swiss couple...
showers and hit the road....the english speaking front desk clerk gave us a nice map about the monestaries in the area....
we headed down our road to the end to visit voronet....it is truly magnificent....photo fee to take pictures, small entrance fee...
the blue background on the exterior paintings is unique and is in fact called 'voronet blue'....much of the painting is still in very good shape (c.1488), even exposed to the air and light...
the inside is also very interesting and serene....
we then visited the Humor monestery nearby...
the countryside in this area is lovely...
we visited some others, some of which had "folk art" style paintings....some were in very bad shape...
had lunch at the Bucovina Restaurant near putna....18 ron...soup, and cheese and tomato sandwiches...warming on a damp day...
putra was a fantastic place to visit with wonderful paintings inside, some of which are still being restored...
karen decided that maybe we should have a piece of the famous black pottery from this area....finally found a shop that sells it but we did not like it at all...
more monesteries in the afternoon..
over the mountains and through the fog...we finally ran out of time as it was getting dark....we did manage to see most of them...
up to the dining room at casa elena for dinner....chateau briand (their spelling) for dinner--ok but not fabulous...a nice dinner after a long day....no price recorded...but not bad...
showers and hit the road....the english speaking front desk clerk gave us a nice map about the monestaries in the area....
we headed down our road to the end to visit voronet....it is truly magnificent....photo fee to take pictures, small entrance fee...
the blue background on the exterior paintings is unique and is in fact called 'voronet blue'....much of the painting is still in very good shape (c.1488), even exposed to the air and light...
the inside is also very interesting and serene....
we then visited the Humor monestery nearby...
the countryside in this area is lovely...
we visited some others, some of which had "folk art" style paintings....some were in very bad shape...
had lunch at the Bucovina Restaurant near putna....18 ron...soup, and cheese and tomato sandwiches...warming on a damp day...
putra was a fantastic place to visit with wonderful paintings inside, some of which are still being restored...
karen decided that maybe we should have a piece of the famous black pottery from this area....finally found a shop that sells it but we did not like it at all...
more monesteries in the afternoon..
over the mountains and through the fog...we finally ran out of time as it was getting dark....we did manage to see most of them...
up to the dining room at casa elena for dinner....chateau briand (their spelling) for dinner--ok but not fabulous...a nice dinner after a long day....no price recorded...but not bad...
Nov 13th, 2007, 10:57 AM
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Bob - love your trip report. Seems like an adventure to me. I doubt they will convert to Euro so soon. Will take some more years.
I started posting my trip report on the US board. Just click on my name; you know the trick.
Ingo
I started posting my trip report on the US board. Just click on my name; you know the trick.
Ingo
Nov 13th, 2007, 12:07 PM
#45
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Bob et al:
I'm enjoying every line of your fine report..nostalgic for me. Happy you liked the Casa Elena..good base for visiting the painted churches. It was I who suggested that you skip Satu Mare and base yourself in Baia Mare for the wooden church visits all around that part of Maramuresh..but no matter, you're doing fine.
>>>new homes are being built all over romania, so there is an influx of money from somewhere....in the past all people were given homes by the state, in the ugly concrete sturctures, when they married...this is no longer the case, so many of these new houses must be for the emerging younger middle class..<<<
Just to clear this up, most of the newer houses you come across in that part of Romania particularly, are facetiously called, "The Italian Houses"... because the owners/bulders are folks who go to Italy for a few years, sock away their money, and build cheaply in their hometown. Some periodically return to work in Italy and come home every six months or so. I suppose you could call them the "emerging middle class" with all the relatively big money they
make in Italy and other Western European countries.
Awaiting the rest of your report and the pix..
Stu Tower
I'm enjoying every line of your fine report..nostalgic for me. Happy you liked the Casa Elena..good base for visiting the painted churches. It was I who suggested that you skip Satu Mare and base yourself in Baia Mare for the wooden church visits all around that part of Maramuresh..but no matter, you're doing fine.
>>>new homes are being built all over romania, so there is an influx of money from somewhere....in the past all people were given homes by the state, in the ugly concrete sturctures, when they married...this is no longer the case, so many of these new houses must be for the emerging younger middle class..<<<
Just to clear this up, most of the newer houses you come across in that part of Romania particularly, are facetiously called, "The Italian Houses"... because the owners/bulders are folks who go to Italy for a few years, sock away their money, and build cheaply in their hometown. Some periodically return to work in Italy and come home every six months or so. I suppose you could call them the "emerging middle class" with all the relatively big money they
make in Italy and other Western European countries.
Awaiting the rest of your report and the pix..
Stu Tower
Nov 13th, 2007, 06:52 PM
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breakfast in the dining room again and on the road by 10:20....we had trouble with our credit cards working....europe now seems to be moving very swiftly towards requiring a pin number for all card use....i finally used my debit card...
casa elena 410 ron for two nites...
needed cash....atms are no problem in most towns...i also needed gas...atms always have english as an option...no fees...
lots of road construction this day on our way to piatra neamt...
let me say something here about transportation....
we saw all kinds....modern auto, including SUVs, range rovers, lots of benz, two RR and modern Dacia's the romanian car....they look today like small toyotas....
but it was the old dacias that looked so odd....communist era styling...they are usually the slow cars on the roads...
but in every town and city, except bucharest, it was the horse drawn wagons that caught my attention...wagons generally were long narrow wooden wagons with four rubber tires...they were drawn by one or two horses...many had a pony in training running alongside...
we saw them carry people, stones, cattle, other animals, hay, corn husks, sand, more people, small machines, more wood than you have ever seen in the last 100 years...in short they are the work horse of local transport...they were everywhere....after dark they were generally off the road but not always...some were licensed, some not....they had no lights...
auto drivers drive like madmen...they pass on corners, going up hills, in all the wrong places....they drive fast too....
the trains move slowly-- some are new but most are old...
we saw some buses--large mini vans really...
we saw very few tourist buses....
road works were generally very primitive in most areas, often relying on hand labor...
we found a car wash that day to get rid of some of the mud...12 ron ...wash was a hand held unit operated by an attendant....he spent quite a while doing it...
we drove through apple country heading south...
lunch was at mcdonalds in succeva so as not to waste time...35 ron--not cheap...
we were heading towards the town of Tarpesti where the Popa Museum is located....this is not to be missed...we finally found it..
the museum is to show the works of Neculai Popa, a noted sculpture, and his wife, who designs costumes and carved masks....
we parked at the rear of the property, a series of several buildings....we walking into the yard and began taking pictures as no one seemed to be around....we called out a few times, but not response...
finally a very old woman, mrs elena popa, appeared from her house at the rear of the complex.....she speaks no english at all....she smiled and so did we....she is humped over and i guess about 90 years old.....
she walked us back to the gate, so we guessed we were being led out....but no, she just wanted to start a tour properly....she described each sculpture in the yard to us and laughed...we understood not a word, but laughed back...she took us into the first building....over the door were some of her fabulous masks....see my pictures...
inside were more masks, tons of costumes, including elaborately embroidered vests made from sheep hides...she demonstrated one headress for us and sang a song to go with it...she jumped around as it was an animal outfit...
the next room had more of the same...she did a christmas skit in there...and a song...
she took us to the next building which contained more museum quality pieces including rustic paintings...in this area she had a few items for sale....we bought two of mr popa's wood carvings for a very inexpensive price...wall decorations...
mr popa then came out of the house to meet us....seems that he was taking a nap....he is a sharpe old guy....again no english...we took some pictures of them and departed having had a thoroughly wonderful and unique experience....no admission fee...
their village is quite lovely and pastoral....
back on the road as the afternoon was runing short...
we arrived in PN by late afternoon and easily found the amazingly ugly hotel central (thanks stu)....it is a tall cement ugly structure in the middle of town...pay parking out front which was great and a small attached mini mall--ugh...
we liked the 3* hotel a lot...perfect for us...again 2 rooms and a balcony...there is an active nightclub in the building, but we did not hear a peep from it and it was very busy both nights we were there...soundproof i guess...
waked over to the adajacent bakery to buy one of stu's favorite pastries---rum soaked---for our dessert...yum...
we ate this nite in the hotel because i was tired....decent, but unmemorable...
the one romanian word i learned was "unt"...not sure of spelling....but it means butter...they never serve it...and when you ask for it they bring one tab....the bread is only so so and very dry so you need butter....they also only have toast upon request in the morning....and again my unt word came in handy....plenty of jam and honey but no 'unt'
a comfortable room and bed...nothing special but clean and comfortable and well located in town....the town is quite ugly however consisting largely of those huge cement apartment buildings....
casa elena 410 ron for two nites...
needed cash....atms are no problem in most towns...i also needed gas...atms always have english as an option...no fees...
lots of road construction this day on our way to piatra neamt...
let me say something here about transportation....
we saw all kinds....modern auto, including SUVs, range rovers, lots of benz, two RR and modern Dacia's the romanian car....they look today like small toyotas....
but it was the old dacias that looked so odd....communist era styling...they are usually the slow cars on the roads...
but in every town and city, except bucharest, it was the horse drawn wagons that caught my attention...wagons generally were long narrow wooden wagons with four rubber tires...they were drawn by one or two horses...many had a pony in training running alongside...
we saw them carry people, stones, cattle, other animals, hay, corn husks, sand, more people, small machines, more wood than you have ever seen in the last 100 years...in short they are the work horse of local transport...they were everywhere....after dark they were generally off the road but not always...some were licensed, some not....they had no lights...
auto drivers drive like madmen...they pass on corners, going up hills, in all the wrong places....they drive fast too....
the trains move slowly-- some are new but most are old...
we saw some buses--large mini vans really...
we saw very few tourist buses....
road works were generally very primitive in most areas, often relying on hand labor...
we found a car wash that day to get rid of some of the mud...12 ron ...wash was a hand held unit operated by an attendant....he spent quite a while doing it...
we drove through apple country heading south...
lunch was at mcdonalds in succeva so as not to waste time...35 ron--not cheap...
we were heading towards the town of Tarpesti where the Popa Museum is located....this is not to be missed...we finally found it..
the museum is to show the works of Neculai Popa, a noted sculpture, and his wife, who designs costumes and carved masks....
we parked at the rear of the property, a series of several buildings....we walking into the yard and began taking pictures as no one seemed to be around....we called out a few times, but not response...
finally a very old woman, mrs elena popa, appeared from her house at the rear of the complex.....she speaks no english at all....she smiled and so did we....she is humped over and i guess about 90 years old.....
she walked us back to the gate, so we guessed we were being led out....but no, she just wanted to start a tour properly....she described each sculpture in the yard to us and laughed...we understood not a word, but laughed back...she took us into the first building....over the door were some of her fabulous masks....see my pictures...
inside were more masks, tons of costumes, including elaborately embroidered vests made from sheep hides...she demonstrated one headress for us and sang a song to go with it...she jumped around as it was an animal outfit...
the next room had more of the same...she did a christmas skit in there...and a song...
she took us to the next building which contained more museum quality pieces including rustic paintings...in this area she had a few items for sale....we bought two of mr popa's wood carvings for a very inexpensive price...wall decorations...
mr popa then came out of the house to meet us....seems that he was taking a nap....he is a sharpe old guy....again no english...we took some pictures of them and departed having had a thoroughly wonderful and unique experience....no admission fee...
their village is quite lovely and pastoral....
back on the road as the afternoon was runing short...
we arrived in PN by late afternoon and easily found the amazingly ugly hotel central (thanks stu)....it is a tall cement ugly structure in the middle of town...pay parking out front which was great and a small attached mini mall--ugh...
we liked the 3* hotel a lot...perfect for us...again 2 rooms and a balcony...there is an active nightclub in the building, but we did not hear a peep from it and it was very busy both nights we were there...soundproof i guess...
waked over to the adajacent bakery to buy one of stu's favorite pastries---rum soaked---for our dessert...yum...
we ate this nite in the hotel because i was tired....decent, but unmemorable...
the one romanian word i learned was "unt"...not sure of spelling....but it means butter...they never serve it...and when you ask for it they bring one tab....the bread is only so so and very dry so you need butter....they also only have toast upon request in the morning....and again my unt word came in handy....plenty of jam and honey but no 'unt'
a comfortable room and bed...nothing special but clean and comfortable and well located in town....the town is quite ugly however consisting largely of those huge cement apartment buildings....
Nov 13th, 2007, 07:06 PM
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hi rhkkmk: i'm enjoying your report of your trip to romania veryvery much. i will be going next spring with my daughters and a friend who lived in bucuresti during 4 very happy years. i will have to ask stu to recommend the rum pastries... lavici
Nov 14th, 2007, 02:35 AM
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Hey Bob,
Enjoying the report. Agree about Casa Elena too. I remember getting a giggle out of one of the waitresses there for being able to say "good night" in Romanian, probably badly. Everyone does seem very nice there. On the other hand, I don't think you missed anything by not staying someplace associated with the Perla in Sighet. They had too much 'tude for my tastes.
I'll be back to catch up on the rest of the story in 2 weeks, once we're back from HK and Oz. On our way tomorrow... (but no BKK either
)
Enjoying the report. Agree about Casa Elena too. I remember getting a giggle out of one of the waitresses there for being able to say "good night" in Romanian, probably badly. Everyone does seem very nice there. On the other hand, I don't think you missed anything by not staying someplace associated with the Perla in Sighet. They had too much 'tude for my tastes.
I'll be back to catch up on the rest of the story in 2 weeks, once we're back from HK and Oz. On our way tomorrow... (but no BKK either
)
Nov 14th, 2007, 06:20 PM
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hey rhkkmk! hi... wonderful trip report, i'm boookmarking it for my own trip as part of my investigation. as to the pastries someone called fredi from israel chimed in ( i have stu's email) and told me they were called savarins... where can you get them? thanks lavici
Nov 14th, 2007, 06:23 PM
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breakfast was over in the ball room...sounds nicer than it is...many choices but K says lousy coffee... the burffet was ok at best..
left the hotel at 9:30 and headed toward Bicaz and the Bicaz Gorge...the town is at the foot of a lake created by a huge dam.... we head in the direction of the Red Lake--- its brown in reality...the river along the road is really rushing...there are farms along the way...we climb....we encounter a number of small waterfalls along the road...the road was created with huge rock overhangs over the road surface...its a bit unique...this continues right through the huge gorge... there are tourist shops in many places along the way....still nothing worth buying...its amazing, we have not bought one thing....over the summit and on to red lake...what a disappointment....the area is pretty, but the lake leaves a lot to be desired.....one of its attractions are weird logs sticking up from the lake surface at odd angles....not sure what that is all about...the woods are thick in this area which makes it very pretty however...
we pass throuth factory towns and see lots of wood (trees) being taken from the forest....wood is a huge product in romania...many heat with it....
along the way we stop for lunch at the mures hotel--3*...soup and bread for me and gnoches for K... 16 ron...
we continue to drive through valleys and over mountains...lots of logging...
we head back toward bicaz on the other side of the lake and it is very pretty from way up high...
back in PN we bought more pastry for our dessert and went to do internet....the cafe was full of teens and 20 somethings, all playing games....we spent about 1/2 hr to 45 min and the cost was 3 ron...
we wanted a good dinner this nite...we asked about italian...Villa Italia was the choice....hard to find....it was in back of the hotel in the middle of a huge group of those cement hi rise apartment buildings....very dreary area, but fantastic restaurant...burrbita, 65 is the address...
brushetta--their speciality---fresh and delicious....osco busco for K, beef carpaccio and cannelone for me, green salad, wine, beer and water...74 ron...fantastic...
back to the hotel... many weddings going on as it is the weekend...we had been warned about this by an american guy who was sitting next to us at the internet and also was staying long term at the hotel....no noise however...
ate our pastries and off to bed...
left the hotel at 9:30 and headed toward Bicaz and the Bicaz Gorge...the town is at the foot of a lake created by a huge dam.... we head in the direction of the Red Lake--- its brown in reality...the river along the road is really rushing...there are farms along the way...we climb....we encounter a number of small waterfalls along the road...the road was created with huge rock overhangs over the road surface...its a bit unique...this continues right through the huge gorge... there are tourist shops in many places along the way....still nothing worth buying...its amazing, we have not bought one thing....over the summit and on to red lake...what a disappointment....the area is pretty, but the lake leaves a lot to be desired.....one of its attractions are weird logs sticking up from the lake surface at odd angles....not sure what that is all about...the woods are thick in this area which makes it very pretty however...
we pass throuth factory towns and see lots of wood (trees) being taken from the forest....wood is a huge product in romania...many heat with it....
along the way we stop for lunch at the mures hotel--3*...soup and bread for me and gnoches for K... 16 ron...
we continue to drive through valleys and over mountains...lots of logging...
we head back toward bicaz on the other side of the lake and it is very pretty from way up high...
back in PN we bought more pastry for our dessert and went to do internet....the cafe was full of teens and 20 somethings, all playing games....we spent about 1/2 hr to 45 min and the cost was 3 ron...
we wanted a good dinner this nite...we asked about italian...Villa Italia was the choice....hard to find....it was in back of the hotel in the middle of a huge group of those cement hi rise apartment buildings....very dreary area, but fantastic restaurant...burrbita, 65 is the address...
brushetta--their speciality---fresh and delicious....osco busco for K, beef carpaccio and cannelone for me, green salad, wine, beer and water...74 ron...fantastic...
back to the hotel... many weddings going on as it is the weekend...we had been warned about this by an american guy who was sitting next to us at the internet and also was staying long term at the hotel....no noise however...
ate our pastries and off to bed...
Nov 14th, 2007, 06:52 PM
#55
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Sat, the 27th
remember i picked up a day earlier in the week....so now i would slide it back in....instead of just a stop in brasov we decided to make a day and nite out of it and then we would be right back on schedule...
i had the desk clerk in PN call the pensionne Montana in Brasov for us....there was a room available...fantastic..
so i paid our bill, 380 ron for two nites, and we were on our way...they valadate for parking btw...
lots of mountains today...gypsies...farms, and old factories...
along the way i was fortunate enough to receive a speeding ticket...156 ron ($75) payable to the cop or at the PO...i paid the cop...what the hell, i'm on vacation.. 13 mph over the speed limit in a town....
going up a mountain we came across a lovely little eatery where we stopped for lunch....charming and very alpine....we had mac and cheese, romanian style....perfect...
lots of fields along the way still growing crops: sugar beet, horse radish, potatoe and of course cabbages...
one town we went through is noted as a 'hungarian town'...at almost every driveway there were stands selling cabbages in large bags, and 50/100 lb bags of spuds....garlic and onions too....many also were offering a very odd pastry....we stopped to check it out...it is about 15-18 inches long, about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inche thick...
the base is a dough which is formed around a barell and then has a sugar glaze applied to the exterior....this is then cooked over a small charcoal fire until done....quite delicious...we bought one and took it along to supplement breakfasts the next two days...5 ron
it really resembles a huge juice can with the ends removed....it peels off in stripes...yum...
in brasov we follow the signs to Polina Brasov, the hilltop ski area...as we begin our ascent the montana is on your right...
this is a fantastic B&B....bright green in color and hid amidst many trees....without the trees one would have a fantastic view of all of brasov....they have left them there for privacy however...the owner speaks english and is very pleasant as is his helper, a young guy....
we seem to be the only guest this nite....fine....they upgrade us to the one suite...fantastic...very lovely with a huge balcony from which we can see the hills and the welcomming sign, 'BRASOV', way up in the hills...there is a large comfortable sitting room which the guests may share with a huge TV...
after unpacking the car we drove up the mountain to the ski area....there are many huge hotels up there....i bet it would be fun in the winter...
from there we drove down into the town--the old town square...
we walked around as it grew dark...i took some pics of the beautiful buildings and the square...the "black church" is located there...
we decided to have chinese for dinner... the rest. was a huge one right in the center...on the outside it was a fantastic romanian building and on the inside they had managed to create an asian flavor...
you have undoubtably noticed that we did not eat romanian very often...we honestly found the food bland, boring and not all that good...we really missed veggies and green salads...fresh veggies are hard to come by...canned and frozen seem to be the norm, except for mushrooms, which i ordered almost every dinner....
back to the B&B and a restful quiet nite...
remember i picked up a day earlier in the week....so now i would slide it back in....instead of just a stop in brasov we decided to make a day and nite out of it and then we would be right back on schedule...
i had the desk clerk in PN call the pensionne Montana in Brasov for us....there was a room available...fantastic..
so i paid our bill, 380 ron for two nites, and we were on our way...they valadate for parking btw...
lots of mountains today...gypsies...farms, and old factories...
along the way i was fortunate enough to receive a speeding ticket...156 ron ($75) payable to the cop or at the PO...i paid the cop...what the hell, i'm on vacation.. 13 mph over the speed limit in a town....
going up a mountain we came across a lovely little eatery where we stopped for lunch....charming and very alpine....we had mac and cheese, romanian style....perfect...
lots of fields along the way still growing crops: sugar beet, horse radish, potatoe and of course cabbages...
one town we went through is noted as a 'hungarian town'...at almost every driveway there were stands selling cabbages in large bags, and 50/100 lb bags of spuds....garlic and onions too....many also were offering a very odd pastry....we stopped to check it out...it is about 15-18 inches long, about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inche thick...
the base is a dough which is formed around a barell and then has a sugar glaze applied to the exterior....this is then cooked over a small charcoal fire until done....quite delicious...we bought one and took it along to supplement breakfasts the next two days...5 ron
it really resembles a huge juice can with the ends removed....it peels off in stripes...yum...
in brasov we follow the signs to Polina Brasov, the hilltop ski area...as we begin our ascent the montana is on your right...
this is a fantastic B&B....bright green in color and hid amidst many trees....without the trees one would have a fantastic view of all of brasov....they have left them there for privacy however...the owner speaks english and is very pleasant as is his helper, a young guy....
we seem to be the only guest this nite....fine....they upgrade us to the one suite...fantastic...very lovely with a huge balcony from which we can see the hills and the welcomming sign, 'BRASOV', way up in the hills...there is a large comfortable sitting room which the guests may share with a huge TV...
after unpacking the car we drove up the mountain to the ski area....there are many huge hotels up there....i bet it would be fun in the winter...
from there we drove down into the town--the old town square...
we walked around as it grew dark...i took some pics of the beautiful buildings and the square...the "black church" is located there...
we decided to have chinese for dinner... the rest. was a huge one right in the center...on the outside it was a fantastic romanian building and on the inside they had managed to create an asian flavor...
you have undoubtably noticed that we did not eat romanian very often...we honestly found the food bland, boring and not all that good...we really missed veggies and green salads...fresh veggies are hard to come by...canned and frozen seem to be the norm, except for mushrooms, which i ordered almost every dinner....
back to the B&B and a restful quiet nite...
Nov 14th, 2007, 07:19 PM
#56
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the time changed this nite just past...
a very nice breakfast was served in the breakfast room... 210 ron for the nite and well worth it...
had some difficulty finding our way out of town, but finally we made it..
heading for Bran, the site of the so-called Dracular Castle....really its bran castle....its for sale for $13 million if you are interested...
it was the favorite home of Queen Marie...its an odd place really...lots of little rooms, up and down staircases...
worth a visit...its perched on a hill in the middle of the small town... 6 ron to get in...after our visit we headed across country so as not to back track...nice farming country...eventully we ended up on a third class road that was the worst we had been on...huge pot holes, etc...thanks Karen...at least it wasn't dirt like the cross country roads she usually directs me to...
eventually we reached Sighsoara...along the way and just 30 miles before Sigh., we stopped for a late lunch of soup and bread...
the old town of Sigh. is the oldest citidel in europe that is still inhabited... its quite special and like many places in romania is undergoing huge renovations....our B&B (only B really) is the Legenda and is on the main street....its only a few very comfortable newish rooms (5)...
access to the citidel is limited and you have to pay 12 ron.... i was able to get a free parking space right in the small main square....
you drive through two huge arches to enter the town area...its very medeval...the buildings are in various states of repair....its lovely really....hordes decend during the day so nite and early morning are the best times to walk around.....there is a huge clock tower containg a museum and a few shops and restaurants....also a couple of churches...there are several places to stay...
we try to go to dracular's birth house for our dinner...its now a restaurant, but they are closed so we decide on casa wagner, one of the hotels in town....we had heard good things about it....lies all lies....it was terrible...the service was bad, the food was only ok, at best...i never got what i ordered and it cost 86 ron...we headed to the singisoara hotel (largest in town) for dessert...it was lovely and we were again the only people there...
btw, we heard other complaints while we were having dinner and from other people around town...sounds like they are slipping...wagner that is...
started to rain a bit so off to bed in our very comfortable room...
a very nice breakfast was served in the breakfast room... 210 ron for the nite and well worth it...
had some difficulty finding our way out of town, but finally we made it..
heading for Bran, the site of the so-called Dracular Castle....really its bran castle....its for sale for $13 million if you are interested...
it was the favorite home of Queen Marie...its an odd place really...lots of little rooms, up and down staircases...
worth a visit...its perched on a hill in the middle of the small town... 6 ron to get in...after our visit we headed across country so as not to back track...nice farming country...eventully we ended up on a third class road that was the worst we had been on...huge pot holes, etc...thanks Karen...at least it wasn't dirt like the cross country roads she usually directs me to...
eventually we reached Sighsoara...along the way and just 30 miles before Sigh., we stopped for a late lunch of soup and bread...
the old town of Sigh. is the oldest citidel in europe that is still inhabited... its quite special and like many places in romania is undergoing huge renovations....our B&B (only B really) is the Legenda and is on the main street....its only a few very comfortable newish rooms (5)...
access to the citidel is limited and you have to pay 12 ron.... i was able to get a free parking space right in the small main square....
you drive through two huge arches to enter the town area...its very medeval...the buildings are in various states of repair....its lovely really....hordes decend during the day so nite and early morning are the best times to walk around.....there is a huge clock tower containg a museum and a few shops and restaurants....also a couple of churches...there are several places to stay...
we try to go to dracular's birth house for our dinner...its now a restaurant, but they are closed so we decide on casa wagner, one of the hotels in town....we had heard good things about it....lies all lies....it was terrible...the service was bad, the food was only ok, at best...i never got what i ordered and it cost 86 ron...we headed to the singisoara hotel (largest in town) for dessert...it was lovely and we were again the only people there...
btw, we heard other complaints while we were having dinner and from other people around town...sounds like they are slipping...wagner that is...
started to rain a bit so off to bed in our very comfortable room...
Nov 15th, 2007, 02:43 AM
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Oh no, a ticket? You didn't see that cop standing at attention along the road in all the small towns? lol sorry, not laughing about the ticket, we just thought the standing cops were great, even when they turned out to be cardboard cutouts.
Could have just been our timing though.
Nov 15th, 2007, 07:15 AM
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clif.....the cop was in a car coming down the road the other way....he held a red and white baton out the window for me to stop...he was very polite and programed his mind to speak english after a minute or two...almost like a robot....
Nov 15th, 2007, 07:47 AM
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no breakfast was served at legenda, but they do offer coffee....
we went back to the sign. hotel for a nice breakfast with warm toast, at our request...same nice waiter...
we walked around the village for most of the morning....at one point we visited a small shop on a back street that had the nicest things we had seen during the whole trip....we made a number of purchases from this nice young lady, including a nice clay pot for a fodors friend we would be visiting later in england...
karen also bought a number of door hangings....they are made of stiffened burlap or a similar substnace and are decorated with chilis, corn, and other natural items....quite unique...we are told that they are a traditional hungarian concept...we also bought 1/2 dozen hand painted hollow eggs, a traditional romanian craft...she packed them nicely for us..
this lady also offers B&B in newly outfitted rooms in the house that her family has owned for many years...there is a coffee shop there as well....she took us on a tour of the B&B....
we visited one of the churches, walked around the tin maker's tower---each occupation had a tower around the wall in Sign....
if you are looking for a place to stay i would suggest, casa legenda or a newly refurbished place called casa epoch---it looks fantastic and the lady spoke decent english...
we had lunch at the House on the Rock, just on the main square...this is run by a foundation based in Quincy Ma...i think it is the church of the nazarene ....the lunch was delicious and they have fantastic pies as well and pastry....the best place in town...they even sell "american cookies"--chocolate chip....
we had delicious quiche, and pie for dessert....
we also bought desserts for that evening and breakfast items for the next morning so we could eat in the room...
their rooms are painted a bright turquoise, floor, ceiling and walls...
in the afternoon we decided to take a drive out into the countryside...
the countryside was beautiful with rolling hills and farming...we visited a couple of walled churches...
one "B" road that we tried to use was so pot holed that i turned around and went the long way around...
i took lots of pics that afternoon...
one of our most unique romanian experiences happened as it was getting dark....in a small village, which had tons of traffic, including 18 wheel trucks and cement trucks (nearby cement factory), we encountered about 100 cows returning home from pasture...they were all over this small village road....they own the place or so you would think....traffic came to a stop...it took about 15 minutes to go 100 yards....we just laughed and enjoyed it....each cow knows where they live and when they reach their gate, they just enter....they were unattended....it was a hoot...took pics of course...one truck driver blew his horn...don't know what he thought that would do....probably turned that cows milk to cream....
back to Sign. and paid our 12 ron again at the gate...
that nite we ate at casa du cerb, right on the square....its the building with the famous deer's head sticking out at the corner of the building on the 2nd floor....
we ate in a newly created wine cave with its rounded roof....delicious dinner...63 ron...very nice waitress....much better than casa wagner the previous nite...
the town is really geared for tourists....its on the cusp and will in 5 years be like so many other western european sites---overrun....
in retrospect, it probably was our favorite stop...
dessert in the room....
we went back to the sign. hotel for a nice breakfast with warm toast, at our request...same nice waiter...
we walked around the village for most of the morning....at one point we visited a small shop on a back street that had the nicest things we had seen during the whole trip....we made a number of purchases from this nice young lady, including a nice clay pot for a fodors friend we would be visiting later in england...
karen also bought a number of door hangings....they are made of stiffened burlap or a similar substnace and are decorated with chilis, corn, and other natural items....quite unique...we are told that they are a traditional hungarian concept...we also bought 1/2 dozen hand painted hollow eggs, a traditional romanian craft...she packed them nicely for us..
this lady also offers B&B in newly outfitted rooms in the house that her family has owned for many years...there is a coffee shop there as well....she took us on a tour of the B&B....
we visited one of the churches, walked around the tin maker's tower---each occupation had a tower around the wall in Sign....
if you are looking for a place to stay i would suggest, casa legenda or a newly refurbished place called casa epoch---it looks fantastic and the lady spoke decent english...
we had lunch at the House on the Rock, just on the main square...this is run by a foundation based in Quincy Ma...i think it is the church of the nazarene ....the lunch was delicious and they have fantastic pies as well and pastry....the best place in town...they even sell "american cookies"--chocolate chip....
we had delicious quiche, and pie for dessert....
we also bought desserts for that evening and breakfast items for the next morning so we could eat in the room...
their rooms are painted a bright turquoise, floor, ceiling and walls...
in the afternoon we decided to take a drive out into the countryside...
the countryside was beautiful with rolling hills and farming...we visited a couple of walled churches...
one "B" road that we tried to use was so pot holed that i turned around and went the long way around...
i took lots of pics that afternoon...
one of our most unique romanian experiences happened as it was getting dark....in a small village, which had tons of traffic, including 18 wheel trucks and cement trucks (nearby cement factory), we encountered about 100 cows returning home from pasture...they were all over this small village road....they own the place or so you would think....traffic came to a stop...it took about 15 minutes to go 100 yards....we just laughed and enjoyed it....each cow knows where they live and when they reach their gate, they just enter....they were unattended....it was a hoot...took pics of course...one truck driver blew his horn...don't know what he thought that would do....probably turned that cows milk to cream....
back to Sign. and paid our 12 ron again at the gate...
that nite we ate at casa du cerb, right on the square....its the building with the famous deer's head sticking out at the corner of the building on the 2nd floor....
we ate in a newly created wine cave with its rounded roof....delicious dinner...63 ron...very nice waitress....much better than casa wagner the previous nite...
the town is really geared for tourists....its on the cusp and will in 5 years be like so many other western european sites---overrun....
in retrospect, it probably was our favorite stop...
dessert in the room....
