Flight from YVR to Frankfurt then on to Bucharest. Long day! After 21 hours we checked in to our hotel.

Enjoyed a short walkabout. So nice to move around after so many hours in flight.

It’s hot—29C and is expected to be that temperature our three days here.

Found a nice outdoor restaurant serving local beer and food.

Vegetable salad and local cheese.

Cabbage rolls for Holly. She substituted fries for the polenta.

Sausage & beans. Very tasty!

After an amazing breakfast at our hotel (Bucur Accommodation), we set out to explore the Old Town.

Zlătari Church

Cărtureși Carusel Bookstore.

Capitoline Wolf of Bucharest. Gift from Rome 1906.

Umbrella Street

Revival’s Memorial. ‘Eternal Glory to the Romanian Revolution and its heroes December, 1989.’

Revolution Square

CEC Palace. Built 1897-1900. Eclectic style. Now CEC Bank.

Kretzulescu Church

Caru’ cu Bere Restaurant

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Entertainment in the restaurant.

Patosul Jupãnului ‘Master Delight’

Glazed Pork Ribs in Beer Sauce & Pork Tenderloin

Judy had cream vegetable soup with croutons

Holly also enjoyed the ‘Master’s Delight.

After dinner we were delighted to see many of the buildings beautifully lit up.

CEC Palace

Stopped for a latte and dessert.

Rich & Holly had ‘Papanasi’. Romanian cheese donut with sour cream & jam (Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Sour Cherries and Strawberries.) Judy & I helped them out!

Got an early start to the day. Walked past this University toward the upscale Cotroceni neighborhood.

The Opera House. Couldn’t go inside but walked around the grounds.

Saint Martyr Eleftherion Church. Neo-Byzantine Style Church.

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Yo-yo family-owned pastry shop.

‘Like this tree that changes with the seasons, we constantly innovate offering fresh, delightful creations. The tree symbolizes our promise to surprise & delight you with every visit.’

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Stairs of Happiness.

Palace of Parliament.

Heaviest building in the world. Built 1984-1997. 17 floors, 1100 rooms. 700 Architects. 100,000 workers. All materials sourced in Romania.

We enjoyed a one hour tour with an English-speaking guide.

We visited only a few of the 1,100 rooms.

So much marble!

The building was ordered by Nicolae Ceaușesca, dictator 1965-1989. He and his wife were tried and executed by firing squad Dec 25, 1989

King Michael Park.

Took the Bucharest subway to this park and walked back from here to our hotel. Walked over 15 Kms today.

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What’s with these Canadians drinking beer in paper bags? Yup—it was sold this way!

We checked in to Villa Camilia alpine-style 20th century villa in Sinaia. Fabulous breakfast!

Lunch on our balcony.

Strolled around the town.

Checked out mountain hikes in the area and visited the information centre.

At check-in we were given two coupons for complimentary bottles of wine with dinner. I had the Romanian stew with mashed potatoes and it was delicious!

Holly had the ribs and sautéed vegetables.

Walked in the rain from our hotel to visit \240Peles Castle.

Peles Castle. We purchased tickets online for a 12 noon visit.

Peles Castle, now a National Museum.

Stunning Neo-Renaissance castle that was built between 1873 and 1914.

The castle is renowned for its exquisite architectural style, intricate woodwork, and luxurious interiors, featuring over 160 rooms adorned with beautiful art, stained glass, and antique furniture.

Commissioned by King Carol I of Romania, it served as a summer residence for the royal family.

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Every room is so opulent!

The surrounding natural landscape adds to its picturesque beauty, making it a popular tourist destination.

King Carol I, born on April 20, 1839, was the first king of Romania, reigning from 1881 until his death in 1914. He played a crucial role in Romania's modernization and independence, particularly during the War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1877.

Judy and her friend, King Carole I.

His reign was marked by significant social, economic, and cultural advancements, including the establishment of a strong national identity. Carol I's commitment to developing education, infrastructure, and foreign relations helped shape modern Romania. His legacy is celebrated through various monuments and institutions, including Peleș Castle, which stands as a testament to his vision for the nation.

Dinner at our hotel where we enjoyed our second bottle of Romanian wine.

Our plan is to take two gondolas. First one to Cota 1400 and the second to Cota 2000.

Pretty foggy and light drizzle but we are hoping for improvement.

It’s a bit chilly but at least the wind isn’t too bad.

The sheep seem happy.

Shepherd minding his flock.

It is getting a bit clearer.

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The hiking is pleasant.

On our way down. Even though the weather wasn’t as good as we had hoped we still enjoyed the hiking. 14 Kms, 527 elevation gain.

Perfect weather!

On the gondola ride up we went thru a layer of cloud then pleased to end in sunshine and blue skies!

On our way to Caraiman Cross.

Caraiman Cross.

It is huge!

Great views!

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Perfect day! Loving our view!

At the cross.

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On our way to Caraiman Peak.

It is very rugged terrain,

Yeah! Caraiman Peak!

Long way down toward Babele and the Sphinx.

The Sphinx.

Babele (means the ‘Old Woman’) is the name of this area of the Bucegi Mountains within the Southern Carpathians.

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Herding the sheep.

Back down from the Gondola in Busteni. Walked around to look at the village before taking a taxi back to Sinaia. Taxi was as cheap as the train for the four of us and we didn’t have to wait for the next train.

Back in Sinaia for dinner.

Lamb and mashed potatoes for Holly.

Pork Tenderloin and grilled vegetables for Rich.

(Judy & I had boring meals!)

Walking by lovely neighborhood with beautiful homes and views.

On the trail now that is much like an old Roman Road.

As we climb steadily we get good views of the surrounding area.

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View from Saint Joseph Monastery lookout.

Slight downhill relief from the climb.

Climbing again and enjoying the view.

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Not sure what this is?

The Hermitage of Saint Anne’s Monastery. We could hear music and service from the speakers as we walked by. \24012 Kms, 728 elevation gain today.

Our last night in Sinaia we enjoyed dinner at our hotel restaurant.

Holly tried the traditional grilled minced meat rolls. Also, grilled vegetables and fries.

Taking an hour long train to Brasov. Cost is 25 Lei per person (Just over $8 Can)

Picking up rental car in Downtown Brasov.

All our luggage fits well in the Kia Station Wagon.

Transfagarasan Road, known as one of the most scenic drives in the world, winds through the Fagaras Mountains.

Tough rider!

Spanning about 90 kilometers, the road connects the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia

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Perfect day for driving this epic road!

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Our accommodation for three nights.(Hotel Paraul Capra). Good hiking in the area.

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Lots of bears in the area. Unfortunately people do not obey the signs and feed the bears.

From our deck.

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Entertainment from our deck!

Judy’s amazing Caesar Salad!

Enjoying dinner at our hotel restaurant. I had the roasted duck leg, sauerkraut & polenta. Yum!😋

Woke up this morning totally fogged in and hearing the roar of car engines. The road was closed and the exotic cars were lined up.

Waiting for the road to open Holly took advantage of the extra time to enjoy Papanasi!

Finally the road opened. It was not clear enough to attempt our planned hike. We stopped to explore a roadside market.

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A couple making Kürtőskalács caught my eye!

Kürtőskalács is a traditional sweet treat originating from Eastern Europe. This unique dessert is made by wrapping dough around a wooden or metal cylinder, then baking it over an open flame.

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Loving my Kürtőskalács! (also known as Chimney Cake)

Yes—I did share!

Still fogged in and very windy.

Decided to pull off and attempt a hike up from the road.

It wasn’t too exciting and very cold and windy, 7C. It was still nice to \240venture out on the hillside.

Unfortunately the weather did not improve. Hoping for better tomorrow.

Huge monument beside the road.

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So many huge waterfalls in the area.

More market stalls beside the road all selling the same stuff. Who buys all this?

Holly is eyeing the pepperoni.

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Another waterfall.

Found parking at a trailhead.

Excited for this hike. Windy and cold but happy to be on the trail.

Steady climb on rough, rocky footing.

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Steadily climbing.

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Up we go. Windy!

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A bit of flat stretch. Not ver clear but much better than yesterday.

Steep up!

On the top!

We can see the ‘Dragon’s Window’!

Located in the Rarău Mountains of the Eastern Carpathians, this trail is renowned for its unique rock formations and panoramic views.

The Dragon's Window features impressive geological formations.

The "window" is a natural arch in the rocks, providing an extraordinary viewpoint directly into the valley below.

On a clear day you would see breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains & valleys.

Romanian hikers on their way up.

This was not the day for spectacular vistas but thrilled to have achieved this grinding hike up to ‘Dragon’s Window’

Back down!

Still foggy but stopped at a market place to find a trailhead.

Found a trailhead and decided we would hike at least a couple hours before driving to Sibiu.

More waterfalls in the distance.

It was nice to get a short hike done before heading to Sibiu.

Checked in to our accommodation and walked into Old Town. First priority for Holly was an ice cream! She declared it to be delicious!

Council Tower in Sibiu on the Grand Square.

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Grand Square

Latte on the square

The Small Square is an historic square from the 14th and 15th centuries. Note the ‘Eyes’ on the buildings.

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Small Square.

Sibiu Lutheran Church

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St Mary’s Evangelical Church

We climbed the tower (200 steps)

View from the tower

Great views!

Back inside the Church

Baroque style built 1726-1733

The iconic eyebrow dormers on the roofs of Sibiu’s houses. Sibiu lies in Transylvania, an historic region of Romania. The eyes, which are symbol and tourist attraction of the city, have given Sibiu the nicknames of ‘The City with Eyes’ and ‘The City Where Houses Don’t Sleep

Romanian Soup in a bread bowl.

Holly said her pasta was delicious 😋

Rich enjoyed his pasta too. Good choice of restaurant in Sibiu.

Bread bowl with the lid still on.

Sibiu Town Square

One of many towers in Sibiu.

Wall surrounding the fortified city. The defensive bastion has 27 towers, built and defended by the various Guilds of the day. This one is the Carpenters’ Tower. Holly was happy to see a Potters’ Guild Tower!

Filharmonica de Stat, Sibiu.

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Brukenthal National Museum

Will leave Sibiu now and stop in Medias and Biertan on our way to Sighisora.

Saint Margaret Church in Medias

Medias

Inside Medias Castle

Medias City Walls.

Inside Biertan Fortified Church.

The ceiling

The sacristy door dated 1515. It is framed by a late gothic portal with renaissance cornices.

Inside the door is a magnificent lock. It contains a special mechanism with a crank that works four locks and 15 further ferrules that move into the wall for extra security. The door was considered so important that it was exhibited at the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris.

Biertan

Click Tower Biertan

The Eastern Bastion (prison for unhappy couples). In peacetime this tower was transformed by the local priest into a place for quarreling couples and called a ‘prison’. The couple was locked inside the room with a single bed, table, chair, plate, glass and one spoon that they had to share until they pledged to get along with each other. Do you think Rich & I made it out?🤣

Biertan Fortified Church

Covered stairs to The School On The Hill.

Top of the stairs.

Checked in to our apartments in Sighisora.

Dinner in our apartment in Sighisora. Great day!

Loving our huge outdoor area. We have 3 apartments and each has a washing machine.

Locked gate and good parking for the car. Enjoying the swinging chairs.

Entrance to Old Town Sighisora.

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Piata Cetatii, Sighisora.

Colourful buildings.

Vlad ‘The Devil’ lived in this house between 1431 and 1435.

Stopped in to visit Vlad but he wasn’t home🤣

Sighisora Clock Tower

Holly loves the Papanasi dessert.

Evangelical Church ‘On The Hill’.

Private residence on the hill.

Graveyard by the Church.

School ‘On the Hill’

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Cappuccino on the square.

The Cobblers’ Tower, 1681.

Saint Joseph Catholic Church.

Period SANDOR, Hungarian poet, 1823-1849.

Drone is taking wedding photos.

Village of Viscri. King Charles III purchased his first Transylvanian property here in 2006–an 18th Century Saxon house.

Viscri Fortified Church

Inside the Church

Walked around Viscri Village.

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Cobblestone streets in much of Viscri.

The King’s house.

Entrance to Bran Castle.

Bran Castle

Judy at Bran Castle.

Inside Bran Castle

Judy making a friend?

The King’s Bedroom in Bran Castle.

More of the bedroom.

Finished touring Bran Castle.

Checked in to the 3 bedroom house we rented in Zarnesti.

Shopped at ‘Penny’s’ Supermarket for Happy Hour, \240breakfast and lunch fixings. Pizza delivery tonight that will be enjoyed at this lovely table!

Our front yard.

The rental house (that we found on Booking.com), is very well equipped. Owner drops by in the morning and evening to feed chickens and rabbits.

Interesting woodwork.

Found the trailhead and appreciating the beautiful day!

Blue sky and 23C.

Met up with Naama from Israel at the start of the trail and she joined us on our hike.

Interesting conversation and lots of fun!

The Bats Cave, also known as The Cave with Bats, is a National natural monument. The cave’s name is derived from the numerous colonies of bats inhabiting it.

The Bats Cave, reported in documents dating many centuries back. The cave is 370m long is islanded inside with various limestone formations, called “tears of the earth” and is divided in several rooms with different coloured ceilings.

Beautiful views.

Loving the mountain views!S

Sunny, 24C.

Surprised by the number of houses and farms in the area.

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Shepherd tending his herd.

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On our way back to the car.

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Stopped in Zarnesti for refreshments after an exhilarating hike!

Judy checking out the apple trees in our front yard.

Starting off on the trail.

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Which way should we go?

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Admiring the view.

Checking out the hut.

Sticking with the Red Cross route.

This route takes us into a canyon.

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Contemplating our route down.

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Very steep trail down to the creek bed.

Rescue crew honing their climbing skills.

Further into the canyon.

Finally made our way out of the canyon and back in the upper trail.

Nice views.

Lots of haystacks. Almost back to the car. 17kms, perfect weather.

Enjoyed our 3 bedroom house in Zarnesti. Today we will drive to Brasov and in the way we will do the Seven Ladders Hike.

This is the main eating area.

This is in the barbecue room in the back of the house.

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Hiking up to the ladders.

Looking forward to this hike. It is high on my list of Romanian hikes.

The first ladder.

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More amazing than I had imagined!

This caged ladder is the longest of all the ladders,

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I’m sure there are times when there is more water in the gorge. Definitely enough for me!

Climbing vertical ladders and crossing suspended bridges inside the canyon.

Sections with chains along rock walls.

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Hiking out of the canyon, then a loop back down.

Dropped the car and walking to our apartments on the square in Brasov.

Apartment for me and Rich.

The windows face the square.

View from our apartment. Getting set up for market tomorrow.

Little walk around our neighborhood.

Dinner for Rich is Beef & Vegetable pie.

Holly enjoyed the cabbage rolls with dip and potatoes (substituted for Polenta).

The Black Church.

Door of the Black Church

Baptismal Font, 1472. Oldest decorative object in the Black Church.

Largest organ in Romania, built between 1836 and 1839.

Some of the tombstones in the church.

View from the Black Tower.

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From the Black Tower.

Lots of steps up to the White Tower.

From the White Tower.

Catherine’s Gate—oldest gate and main entryway to the city, 1559.

Neolog Jewish Temple, 1807.

In memory of 135,000Jews from Northern Transylvania. In May 1944 almost 150,000 Jews living in Northern Transylvania were deported to Auschwitz by the German Nazis.

St. Nicholas Cathedral, 1495.

Holly is ready to enter Braşov’s smallest street.

Yup—very narrow!

Brasov Council Square.

Judiciary Hall. Totally impressed with this amazing city. One more day here.

This morning we will hike up to past the ‘BRAŞOV’ sign where the gondola goes. Currently closed for maintenance.

We will take the steeper route up.

View from near the top.

Black Church is easily spotted in the middle of the photo.

Took a different route down with lots of switchbacks and not as steep. Some chains which would be helpful in slippery conditions.

Cappuccino treat! Decaffeinated coffee not available everywhere.

Dinner at a restaurant on the square. Lots of people eating outside but we prefer inside where it is warmer. (And no smokers)

Holly & I had the Beef Goulash with Spätzle and pickles.

Judy had the Mushroom Soup with Potato Bread.

Rich had Traditional Sarmale (cabbage rolls) with Polenta and Sour Cream.

Enjoyed our last dinner in Brasov.

So nice to be familiar with the city. Staying at the same hotel.

Walked around our neighborhood.

Rich’s favourite place for ‘Happy Hour’. $3 Can for a beer enjoyed with a bucket of popcorn! Wonderful to see all the families in the park on a Sunday afternoon.

Rich seems to have made a new friend?

Dinner at Restaurant Excalibur.

Judy had chicken soup,

The meals were huge!

I loved my salad with chicken.

Couldn’t resist this silly photo op!

Enjoyed a little walk after dinner.

Pedestrian street. Beautiful at night.

The buildings were beautifully lit.

Tomorrow we will have an early breakfast at our hotel, Accommodation Bucur, where we stayed when we first arrived in Bucharest. We all agree it is the best breakfast!

After a lovely, early breakfast at our hotel we took an Uber to the airport. Judy, Rich & I catching a flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. Holly flying to Vancouver via Munich.