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After arriving in Romania around midnight (and being awakened by the border police) we tried to sleep. Everyone happily but sleepily woke up around 7. We tried to brush teeth and get dressed in the very small cabin. It was a fun challenge :) Then we just hung out there until noon.

When we arrived in Bucharest, the train station was just as you would expect a developing country’s train station to be. We bought Gabriel a pretzel for 25 cents (he didn’t like it). Then had a long hot walk to Hotel Yesterday (where the conference placed Andrew). The AC didn’t work in our room - in fact I think the heater was on. It was miserable. Felicity and Gabriel were both screaming and sweating. I made a quick decision to get another hotel for the three of us so that we could let Andrew focus on his conference. I did a Priceline express deal and wound up in a terrible location but at a nice hotel (with AC!).

We settled in at the Premier Palace. Had some dinner at the hotel restaurant. Then Andrew headed back to his conference. I gave our sweet sleepy children a bath and tucked them in. Then sweet sleep time.

1
Bucharest

What a sweet day. Last night I thought that I would be anxious sleeping alone with our angels. I thought that someone would kidnap them. But I slept so soundly (probably from sheer exhaustion - I only slep about 4 hours on the train).

I woke up around 6:30 and was able to brush my teeth and wash my face before Gabriel woke up. Then we snuggled. Then Felicity woke up and we nursed while Gabriel played Khan Academy Kids in my phone.

We had a beautiful breakfast at the hotel. Everyone was very kind and helpful.

Then we headed out to take the bus to the old town. Poor Gabriel had a blister so we decided to turn back. We had a really nice time playing in the hotel room. We turned on some Okie Dokie Brothers and just had relaxed playtime until lunch. One of our favorite activities was filling an empty water bottle with coins then dumping it out again.

We had hotel lunch again with chocolate lava cake for dessert again. Felicity really liked taking selfies :)

When I asked Gabriel what his favorite part of the trip has been, if there is any part he would like to repeat someday, he thought for a moment and said “All if it. When we get home can we please fly to Paris again and start it all over?” :) I guess he’s enjoying our adventure!

We had a nice long nap, then Andrew came back from his conference and we all went to old town together. We got a gelato (much better than anything we had in Croatia, but still not as good as anything in Italy). Then went to a Greek restaurant. But we were done. The prostitution everywhere made me really sad. And people seem so beaten down. I feel bad just being a tourist when people are suffering.

We got home late, but finally got everyone to sleep.

Felicity was ready to go early and Gabriel woke me up three times during the night. It was a grumpy start.

We had a nice breakfast, then packed up and took the bus to the train station. We got “first class” tickets to Braşov. It was still the grimiest train I have ever been on. Gabriel and Felicity touched everything. I hope we don’t get sick!

When we arrived in Braşov we decided that it would be safest to take a taxi up to our mountain hotel.

We got lunch at a very glitzy but not too tasty restaurant. Then checked into our spacious hotel apartment. During nap, Andrew and I got to have the longest chat that we’ve had in a while. It was very nice :)

We woke up (late and grumpy) but finally made our way out for a walk. We walked to where the gondola was so that we would be all ready to go tomorrow. It really is beautiful and so nice and cool and crisp.

We stopped at a minimart and bought waters and snickers for our hike tomorrow. Then we came back for baths. And had room service dinner (chicken schnitzel again-just like lunch).

Gabriel and I made paper airplanes for Mama-Gabriel special time :)

I was up first this morning. It’s so nice to have a few minutes of silence to start the day.

We all headed down to the breakfast buffet in the hotel. It wasn’t as good as our breakfast buffet in Bucharest. But I would much rather be in Braşov than Bucharest, so I won’t complain :)

We headed straight out to the lifts. But they were closed so we hiked up a beautiful mountain until Andrew saw bear claw marks all over where we were on trees and rocks. So we decided to turn around.

We went to a fancy hotel for lunch. But it was a disaster because they sat us at 11:45 even though the kitchen didn’t open until 12:30!!! But at least it was tasty.

Poor Felicity has been really fussy the past few days. I think she must be getting some new teeth.

After nap we played around in the apartment for a bit. Then Andrew and Gabriel headed downstairs to order dinner (Felicity and I were supposed to meet them after they had ordered so that Felicity wouldn’t have to spend so much time sitting down). The restaurant wasn’t open so they took the elevator back up to us, but Gabriel jumped up and jammed the elevator just above the 7th floor!!! Andrew texted me and we ran down to the front desk to get help.

Help arrived quickly and managed to get my boys out of the broken Romanian elevator. SO scary.

After that we still needed to kill some time before dinner so we went to the “adolescent room”. Andrew and Gabriel went up to the restaurant to try to order again while Felicity and I played “whack the frogs”. Fun times :)

2
BraΘ™ov

Gabriel and I got some nice early morning snuggles. He woke up early to check for snow :) Felicity woke up and we got some snuggle nursing time.

Then we all headed down for the hotel breakfast buffet. Gabriel thinks these free hotel breakfasts are very fancy :)

After breakfast we headed out to the lift. It was SO cold. When we got to the lifts, we saw that they were in fact running so we got a return ticket. Thank goodness we did, the lift took us MUCH higher than I expected. Straight through the clouds and into a frozen land.

It was SO cold at the top. Poor Felicity’s hands were so cold that she just cried and cried until we got back down. It even hurt to smile for this photo with Gabriel.

It really would have been spectacular if we had been wearing the right clothes.

Then we went back to our hotel, gave Felicity and Gabriel a nice warm bath and played a little. Then went to the nice restaurant that we went to yesterday. The food was so delicious and the chamomile tea was the best I’ve ever had!!!

Our last day of our journey!

We woke late and quickly got ready for our hotel breakfast. Then we called a taxi and went to the Braşov station. Poor Felicity got carsick and threw up right as we got to the station. Luckily she was in the front pack facing me, so most of the vomit landed on me (and not her or the taxi).

Our train was delayed so we had plenty of time to get cleaned up on the very cold platform. The train ride was pleasant. We got to Bucharest about one. We missed our bus to the airport so took our time and had tea at the coffee shop in the station. The bus ride was packed and slow. Luckily it’s quite cold so it wasn’t too hot carrying Felicity in the front pack, standing on a crowded bus.

We made it to the airport and on a whim tried to see if we could fly out this afternoon. We could have, but it would have cost 400 euro. So we decided to wait for our flight tomorrow and head to our airport hotel.

We tried to keep everyone awake until 8. Then bedtime. I’m still reading Dracula. SO creepy!!!