Tag: Romania

• Brașov, România – Pt. 2

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 4, 2020

  After a lovely introduction to the city of Brasov during our free walking tour, my roommate at I headed back to our Air B & B for a quick rest and refuel. My main objective in Brasov was to hike up to the Brasov sign for a better view of the city. I found the trail head the day before, and planned to hike to the sign in the afternoon after our walking tour.

  The Brasov sign is a replica of the Hollywood sign, and sits at a comfortable 955m.

  

  The hike itself is by no means difficult, however it did elevate my heart rate which was nice. If you’re not feeling up for the climb, there is also a cable car that will take visitors to the summit. My roommate chose to take the cable car up, and I chose to hike up and take the cable car down.

  The weather was perfect the entire time we were in Romania, and this day was no exception. The sun was out and it was relatively warm, allowing me to work up a sweat. Those who know me know I love sweating, I literally feel the toxins sliding down my skin. You’re welcome for that mental image.

  The trail was easy to follow, and I relished in the moments of quiet I had. It took me about 50 minutes to get to the top.

  

  

  Follow the triangles.

  I couldn’t help but look around and think to myself, “I am in the middle of the woods in Romania.” It was a surreal thought, and I remember becoming teary eyed. I felt such a wave of peace and gratitude for the ability to travel. Before I began traveling on a regular basis hiking alone (granted, this was in the middle of the city) in Romania would have given me anxiety, but now it’s liberating.

  I made it to the top and I walked towards the Brasov sign for a view of the city below. I then continued up towards a platform I thought would be more isolated. Not only was this location full of other humans, there were two platforms with couples sitting on them to enjoy the view. I waited for about ten minutes hoping one of the pairs would move, but no one moved.

  

  

  I wanted this tourist photo of me, sitting on the platform with the city down below to showcase my accomplishment of climbing the mountain, but instead these selfish people with their jackets, jeans, and purses (who clearly took the cable car up) hogged the location. Needless to say, I was a little bitter that I did the work of climbing and didn’t get to enjoy the platform…because I am five years old.

  My roommate had already been waiting long enough, so I called this a loss, put my big girl pants on to enjoy the view one last time, and headed towards the cable car for the ride down. The cable car down took all of five minutes, and was a worthy reward for doing the hard work of climbing up.

  

  After our adventures up Tampa Mountain, we wandered the city a bit more and I found a shop selling raw desserts. Despite the fact that certain ingredients within raw treats make me feel off, I am a sucker for vegan desserts. I by no means associate “vegan” with healthy, but it momentarily takes me back to a time in my life when eating food was…simple.

  Until it wasn’t. Alas, the treats were delicious.

  

  Raw tiramisu and raw brownie.

  The remainder of the day was spent solo wandering around the city, ending at a popular restaurant suggested to me twice for their Sarmale. A friend from the states had been to Brasov, and told me to eat dinner at La Ceaun. Then our tour guide Diana also suggested this place to eat for authentic Romanian food, so I decided to try it.

  I ordered Sarmale, a traditional Romanian cabbage dish stuffed with meat. I was disappointed to see how quickly the food reached my table after I ordered, leading me to believe the restaurant pre-makes the food and reheats when ordered. My food was lukewarm confirming this suspicion.

  My meal tasted good, but my experience was tainted by the lack of freshness. 

  

  I soaked up the calm energy of the evening, before heading back to the Air B & B to rest. The following morning we had a few hours to spare before heading back to the airport, and we decided to go back into town for breakfast. I found an adorable place called La Birou Bistro, where I enjoyed the most amazing avocado toast of my life.

  

  

  I mean look at those eggs. They glisten with perfection. Our waiter, along with everyone else we met in Romania, was unbelievably kind. With full bellies we finished packing our stuff to head back to Bucharest. I drove us to the airport in the small bus, which wasn’t as terrible as I anticipated. I literally feel like I can drive anywhere with anything after my time living in Europe.

  Except stick shift…aka the most important lesson I could have learned while living here. 

  

  Bistro on the left, we sat in the area where those two people are.

  Romania was such a pleasant surprise of a trip. Rich with history, culture, and beauty. I have officially been to Eastern Europe now, and I hope to visit more countries nearby when the world starts to breathe again. We arrived back in Germany just in time for shit to hit the fan in the world, and our timing couldn’t have been better.

  I am thankful my last trip was such a positive one, and I’m thankful I didn’t have to cancel it.

  

  

  Q: Am I being dramatic about the Tampa Mountain platform hogs?? LOL.

  

  | 12 Comments Tagged Brasov, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Hiking, Romania, Tampa Mountain, Travel Abroad

• Brașov, România – Pt. 1

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 1, 2020

  The final stop on my Romanian tour, was to the Transylvanian town of Brasov. Brasov is considered to be the heart of Romania. It is one of the most important economic and cultural cities in the country. Settled along one of the oldest trade routes between Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania, this beautiful city is full of history, mystery, and traditions.

  The drive to Brasov crosses the Carpathian Mountains through the Timis and Prahova valleys. The city is placed in the inner Carpathian curve, at the foot of Tampa Mountain.

  

  Our Air B & B in Brasov couldn’t have been more perfect. A five minute walk from the market, five minute walk from Tampa Mountain, and a ten minute walk to the center of town. Not to mention the interior was aesthetically pleasing and cozy.

  

  

  

  We arrived in Brasov around 1400, and unlike our arrival in Bucharest, I wanted to explore the area right away. My roommate stayed back and enjoyed the apartment to herself for a bit, and I headed towards Tampa Mountain. I wanted to get an idea of where the trail was that led to the Brasov Sign, a popular hiking destination (think Hollywood- but Brasov.)

  I found the trail, as well as another furry friend. Brasov was no exception to the “cats are everywhere” rule, and I was living for it.

  

  

  Brasov sign on the hill.

  

  

  As you can see in the above photo, Brasov is a walled in city. The path along the base of Tampa Mountain provides a sizeable view of the medieval protective barrier. I have been to a handful of walled in cities, but Brasov is one of the most in tact I have seen (along with Rothenburg.)

  Upon first glance from a slight elevation, Brasov’s walled in buildings looked overwhelming, but upon exploration I quickly learned it was an easy city to navigate.

  After my premature exploration, I settled into our Air B & B for the evening to prepare for the following day. We had two days in Brasov, and we originally planned to do a free walking tour with the same company we tagged along with in Bucharest, however we caught the company on their last day for the unforeseeable future while in Bucharest.

  Thankfully we found Diana, (a local woman) through another website who was giving free walking tours, and she did a great job. 

  

  View of city from one corner of the wall.

  

  Before we met up with the tour we stopped by a local coffee shop for a hit of caffeine, which was conveniently located next to a local bakery, where we stopped for a hit of sugar. The americano at Velo Coffee was good, but the barista who made it was great. A beautiful Romanian man as kind as butter is smooth.

  The decorations inside of Velo were just my style, and if I were a local I could easily sit inside for hours working on blog posts.

  

  

  I literally had no idea what this cake was, some kind of chocolate coconut called “Negresa”, and it was divine.

  Our tour began in The Council Square, a beautiful location where I later enjoyed an authentic Romanian dinner. We arrived early with time to kill, and noticed there was a smaller, but just as beautiful branch of Cărturești Carusel across from the square.

  We went in for a glance, and I was transported back to the fairytale land of adventure and mystery.

  

  

  Council Square

  Unsure of how the turnout for our tour would be, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a total of eleven people accompanying Diana for two hours walking around the interior and exterior walls of Brasov. Diana talked about things we had already learned, like communism, the three regions of Romania, and Romania’s most popular dishes.

  Overall, it was nice to have someone guide us in and out of the streets with specific history that related to Brasov, and Diana was one of the kindest people I have ever met. She invited us to ask her questions both before and after the tour (in her own spare time) with regard to Brasov. We were lucky to find her for this tour and as with everything else we experienced, her tours ended shortly after our visit due to the Coronavirus.

  

  

  

  One of my favorite places on our tour was a street I later visited for a second time on my own to fully soak in the experience, called Strada Sforii (or Rope Street.) This is the most narrow street in Brasov, and was originally used as a corridor for firemen to use. Now the street is simply a tourist attraction filled with multicolored walls, and “so and so was here” like graffiti.

  

  

  Other honorable mentions during this walking tour of the city were all the walls of graffiti, which added a type of charm. Brasov was worlds different from Bucharest with regard to the residual “run down” vibe of the communist times. Brasov has a medieval feel, with less sketchy buildings that look as if they could collapse with the force of a sneeze.

  And of course, no tour would be complete without the sighting of more Romanian felines. 

  

  

  

  

  Our tour ended in time for me to grab a bite to eat before heading up Tampa Mountain for a closer look at the Brasov sign. More on that and on our final morning in Brasov before heading back to Bucharest in my next post. 🙂

  Q: Do you find graffiti charming, or destructive? 

  

  | 15 Comments Tagged Brasov, Brittanys Life Abroad, Romania

• Transylvania Tour

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 28, 2020

  After spending some time in Bucharest, my roommate and I went off on an adventure north to Transylvania. I, like most people, associate Romania with Transylvania – the mystical home of Dracula the legendary vampire, created by author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel of the same name.

  Though Dracula is a purely fictional creation, Stoker named his infamous character after a real person who happened to have a taste for blood: Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia or as he is better known: Vlad the Impaler. The morbid nickname is a testament to the Wallachian prince’s favorite way of dispensing of his enemies.

  

  I would argue the real Dracula’s taste for blood was much worse than the fictional character. According to one of our tour-guides in Bucharest, Vlad would take a stake, coat it with pigs fat, and impale his victims between the buttocks. I will spare you the details, as they are quite gruesome, but if you are up for the cringe you can read more in this article.

  Dracula history aside, Bran Castle (in the town of Bran) is a must see. The castle sits atop a hill looking over the city below, and the inner courtyard is one of the loveliest I’ve seen. The town itself is quite small, and the castle is what brings in most people. We were lucky we visited Bran on the day we did, because the next day the castle closed due to the Coronavirus.

  Our walking tour in Bucharest also had to close the day after we partook. We were literally one day ahead of everything closing. 

  

  

  

  As a result of Corona starting to spread, there were little to no tourists in any of the cities we visited in Romania. Going in March likely helped as well, March is not a hugely popular travel month. Dracula’s castle was the only thing “I had to see” when I decided to visit Romania, and I am thankful I made it just in time.

  

  

  

  The path leading towards the castle takes you through a mini market of sorts, with vendors selling local products like cheese and meat, as well as handmade items. This was something I noticed driving into Transylvania, handfuls of vendors along the sides of the road selling items like honey, alcohol, and trinkets.

  I saw three cats and three dogs in Bran. The dogs were in a pack, and the cats were each on their own (naturally – which is why cats are my spirit animal.) My favorite cat was the below photographed scowling puss who was going in and out of the castle restaurant like he owned the place.

  

  

  Bran Castle was a bucket list visit for me, but arguably superior to Bran is Peleș Castle, a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia. Sinaia is technically about 31 miles from Transylvania – but it’s close enough to be included in this post. Peleș Castle was the summer home of King Carol I (whom I briefly mentioned in my previous post) and I have never, ever, seen ANYTHING like it.

  

  The town of Sinaia is a mountain town, and this town convinced me I needed to return to Romania someday for hiking. The castle is tucked into the mountainous woods, with an immaculate view of the surrounding landscapes. I regrettably didn’t go inside this castle, because we visited Peleș Castle before going to Bran, and I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to go inside Bran.

  In hindsight, we would have had time for both, but alles gut. 

  

  King Carol I

  

  I did spend more time wandering the exterior of Peleș than Bran, which felt endless. The grounds are also home to Pelisor Castle, a smaller version of Peleș with more of a German texture style if you ask me. Peleș also has a bit of German influence with the criss cross lines on the exterior. Only makes sense with a German king.

  

  Both castles were 10/10 visits, and the moment time travel is figured out I plan to go back to King Carol I times to visit his summer home with him. I did say he was a babe after all, and Peleș Castle is almost as beautiful as he was. 😉

  Q: What’s the most unique castle you’ve ever visited (or seen in photographs if you haven’t been to a castle?) Peleș Castle is officially the most unique castle I’ve seen thus far.

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Bran Castle, Brittanys Life Abroad, Dracula, Europe, Peleș Castle, Romania, Transylvania

• București, România

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 25, 2020

  I was fortunate enough to squeeze in one final trip before the world started to shut down in the middle of March, and my last adventure was to Romania. I know I have said certain countries weren’t on my radar before, but really and truly I never imagined I would visit Romania. I can confidently say I will return, solely for the purpose of getting lost in the mountains, but today we will talk about Romania’s capital city, Bucharest.

  

  We’ll start at the beginning, when my roommate and I left our room at 0500 to catch a bus to the Munich airport. I didn’t sleep well the night before, and my body ended up having a bit of a Sjögren’s flare with all the travel. Thankfully our Air B & B in Romania (pictured above) was an amazing sight for tired eyes.

  But before we made it to the Air B & B, we had to get our rental car.

  This was a comical encounter – as we had asked for a small car and were given a van. A VAN. My roommate was the first driver on this trip, but navigating a somewhat busy city in a small bus was something that triggered anxiety in us both. Me as a passenger, her as a driver. Thankfully we found our Air B & B fairly easily and decided to spend the remainder of the day inside – sleeping.

  Pro tip: don’t just pick a cheap place to sleep, pick a place you actually want to be inside just incase you arrive and need to rest.

  

  We had one full day in Bucharest (after our arrival day), so our plan was to tag along with two free walking tours. One in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Walking tours are my favorite way to see a city when I have limited time. Bucharest is full of history, but one of the first things we noticed about this city was how run down it looked.

  In the early 20th century, Bucharest came to be known as the “Paris of the east” thanks to its Art Nouveau architecture and grand municipal buildings, often French-designed. This architecture is now mixed with utilitarian buildings left behind from decades of communist rule. 2019 marked 30 years since the Romanian Revolution in 1989, when Romanian leaders Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were assassinated on Christmas Day. 

  

  I knew nothing about Romania before I arrived, and I left with more knowledge than I would have learned in any of my school classes. I’ll save the history lesson for the Google, and instead show you some of the highlights from the two walking tours. Our Air B & B was about a 30 minute walk from the city, and after asking a Romanian police woman where to go (she spoke no English, but was very kind) we found our way to the city.

  We passed by the Romanian Orthodox Church, which we later discovered is the bane of Bucharest’s existence. Bucharest has churches everywhere, and this project is costing the tax payers money they would rather be spending on hospitals, roads, schools, etc. Alas, the church continues to have construction costing more and more $$$.

  

  

  Our first walking tour covered the general history of Bucharest, but the majority of this tour took us to see some of the many churches throughout the city. During the communist times, churches were lifted by engineers and moved, often to places that were hidden. We saw one church that was squeezed between and slightly behind other buildings.

  

  How people can lift and move an entire building is beyond me, but they did this many times in Bucharest, specifically in order to make room for the Parliament building which is the second bane of Bucharest’s existence (and the second largest administrative building in the world.) The electricity cost to keep this building running, in rooms people don’t even use is astounding.

  Before his assassination, the Romanian leader wanted the Parliament building built to specific standards, which meant apartments and churches needed to be moved to make room. The apartments on the street leading up to the parliament were literally lifted and moved just slightly to make the path wider. Insert eye roll here, what a waste of funds.

  

  Parliament

  

  

  Of all the churches we saw, the most memorable was the Church of Saint Anthony. This church is the oldest in Bucharest, but what made this church so memorable was the story  behind what happens here on Tuesday’s. Saint Anthony is the finder of lost things, and the saint of small requests, so on Tuesday’s people line up outside of the building to ask Saint Anthony for lost items.

  On Tuesday EVENINGS, women line up to ask Saint Anthony for love. We happened to pass by on a Tuesday and were able to see the line out the door. I should have come back that evening to ask for an Irishman.

  

  After our first tour, we had a few hours to kill before our second tour. We headed towards Cărturești, aka one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. Walking into this bookstore felt like walking into a fairytale. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  

  

  

  I could have spent hours in there with a good book and a hot cup of coffee.

  As we made our way towards tour number two, we ran into a small friend. If there is anywhere in the world I belong the most it would be in Romania, simply for the amount of stray animals. The number of cats we saw was unimaginable, and all of them friendly.

  

  I tried to feed her some of my salmon, but she wasn’t having it. 

  Tour two covered more of the communist history of the city, and our adorable tour guide named Serban was a plethora of knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this subject. Serban took us through neighborhoods with bullet holes in the tops of buildings, past buildings that were used as old decoys without anyone actually living inside, and gave us a history lesson about King Carol I, Romania’s first king.

  King Carol I was German, and he was a was a babe.

  

  King Carol I and his successors in the three right circular photos.

  

  Source

  

  Modern building built out of the shell of an old building on right.

  We weaved in and out of alleyways, saw “hidden” apartment buildings, and talked about the three United Principalities of Romania before Romania became…Romania. These were Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia (which became the basis for the Kingdom of Romania.) We also walked underneath buildings that were literally crumbling due to the fact the Romanian government has left all these buildings as they are.

  These dangerous alleyways had a unique beauty…as long as we walked quickly. 

  

  

  My first impression of Bucharest was not favorable, but after this day of history and exploration I saw the charm. However, one day here was enough for me and I’m glad we spent more time in our other cities. Next up: two times the castles, two times the fun.

  Q: Have you been to a city where you prematurely judged the book by its cover?

  

  | 13 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Bucharest, Europe, Romania, Walking Tour

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