Day 6 Touring Romania

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Here are 2 days descriptions of our tour from the website. At this point, it may not even be helpful anymore. The end is in sight. I am posting 2 days again, because we did things from day 7 today. Day 6: Piatra Neamt - Brasov We have breakfast and depart to Brasov on one of the most beautiful scenic roads of Romania, Bicaz Gorges. We continue our journey to the Red Lake and after a stop in Miercurea Ciuc we will arrive in the medieval town of Brasov. Visit the beautiful city of Brasov  with its Black Church and overnight in a 3* Hotel close to the old town. Day 7: Brasov - Sinaia - Bucharest After breakfast we have a stop in Bran to visit Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle) and depart to Sinaia, with a visit of Peles Castle (considered among the most beautiful in Europe). Later we continue to Bucharest with a visit to the Village Museum. Overnight in Bucharest in a 4* central located Hotel.

We are actually overnighting in Sinaia at New Montana. It has no air conditioning again. The hotel is so close to the towering mountainside there was no chance of afternoon sun overheating the room, so it isn't too bad. Last night in Miercurea Ciuc, the temperature overnight dropped to 42 F. We're told Sinaia will be just as cold overnight. The number of mosquitoes here tells me it hasn't been that cold here recently. 

So we had a pretty bare bones breakfast buffet in Miercurea Ciuc before setting off at 9 am. We drove to Brasov with one potty stop. We parked and walked a pretty big loop of old town Brasov for an hour or more. It was a big area and we didn't cover it all. Though it was around noon as we walked, Vlad discouraged lunch here as it was too early. He suggested drinks and a local dessert specialty for 2 called papanasi. Unfortunately, it would take k45 minutes or more to cook the dessert and that wasn't advisable. We just stayed with the drinks. Since it was his birthday today, Vlad bought us drinks. I declined further touring on foot of Brasov and we set out driving for Bran Castle via Poiana Brasov. 

Bran Castle is a medieval fortification, later customs house, later private royal residence and now tourist attraction that an image of served as inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula's castle. First we had a quick lunch at one of the many restaurants at the foot of the hill of the castle. We paid 30 lei pp at a senior rate for entry. It was helpful to have our private guide to talk us through it and explain things. Evidently they also have an audioguide option. We were fortunate that it wasn't too crowded this first day back to school in Romania. I should have mentioned that our hotel room overlooked the street entrance of a school and we saw all the boys wearing their ties and all the children carrying bouquets of flowers for their teachers on their first day in Miercurea Ciuc. Meanwhile by 11 am until when we left, old town Brasov was overrun with teenagers in coffee shops and bars drinking and smoking. We never did understand how they could be having a first day of school and be in town by 11 am and still there into afternoon. First Day! Anyway, Bran Castle was impressive.

About 5:10pm, we crossed the line in the Carpathians between Transylvania back into Wallachia where we'll finish touring tomorrow in Bucharest. Vlad says tomorrow we'll tour Sinaia Monastery and Peles Castle. On day 8, we only have breakfast and hotel to airport transfer.

We went out to an apparently nameless corner restaurant near the hotel. Vlad recommended it and it was attractive and served Traditional Romanian Restaurant fare. Per Vlad's advice, we ordered dessert of papanasi when we ordered drinks and dinner. The timing worked out. It was good, again more than we could eat, and cost 76.70 lei or about $17.95. 

After dinner, we crossed the street to buy a bottle of water for tonight. We went to a Mega Image which has a logo that looks like our Food Lion. It turns out they have the same parent company, Delhaize.

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