After renting our car (roller skate?) in Bucharest we headed north into the mountains. Our first stop was Sinai (they spell Siniai) to visit the Castle of King Carol I., who, incidentally died one year after its completion so there you have a sermon illustration for "bigger barns". As we walked up the pathway through the forest to the castle we could hear strains of a flute wafting through the trees. Walking farther we recognized the tune of "A Mighty Fortress". How did he know we are Lutheran? The sincere looks, the looking at our shoes, the sense of guilt for having so much fun in Romania? The castle/palace was worth the time.
Last night in Bucharest our hotel got us a reserved table at Cara Ru Bere, translated House Of Beer. I know I don't get out much but I'd never seen anything like that! Vaulted painted, ceilings, three floors of serving, beer in 300ml, 500ml, and 1000ml steins and live entertainment. Two couples who danced traditional Romanian, modern ballroom and jitterbug. Food was great, beer plentiful, entertainment fum and the ambiance superb...and one block from our hotel.
Did I tell you we're in Brasov? We're in a classic old hotel in the historic quarter about 4 blocks from the famous Black Church, so called because of a fire. Getting here was a trip. Imagine navigating through Detroit without a may to enter a medieval city not designed to cars with the barest map....yet Joanne pulled it off. We parked about 4 blocks away, walked to the hotel, registered and the clerk walked back with us to the car. Then we learned, from her, never to leave our baggage in the car...even on a busy street in broad daylight. Lucky and again the beneficiary of exceptionally helpful hotel staff!
I tend to travel in my 'happy space' ignoring the others around me on airplanes, etc. Joanne, on the other hand is making friends across the continent: a young man from Uganda, who graduated from college in Toronto now on his way back to run a business in Africa; a government employee from Romania on the flight to Bucharest, etc.
1 comment:
Hi Joanne and Al, We're enjoying your blog and getting many laughs imagining Al dancing on Romanian tables. Great to hear from both of you. Thanks for your prayers. Am feeling Xtra kin to Count Dracula lately, so please say hello. Love, T (and B)
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