Romania 04
Eastern Europe to the Black Sea
Grand Circle Travel
16 Day Tour/River Cruise 2004
September 12 to September 27, 2004
Under TRAVELS, click under CRUISES, Danube River 04, and Bulgaria 04, Croatia 04, Hungary 04 and Serbia 04 for other parts of this vacation.
To speed up downloading time I have used small pictures in place of larger ones. However, please "Click" on any small one and a larger picture will appear. Click the "Back" button to return to this story.
Romania demographic data is included with the larger pictures.
Our tour group arrived at the port of Constanta, Romania on Wednesday afternoon, September 22. Constanta is Romania's second largest city with a population of about 350,000 people. It is one of Eastern Europe's most important commercial links and until 1990 a coveted Soviet port.
Shortly after arrival we toured parts of the city which included the Archaeological Museum and excavated commercial center dating back to Roman times.
The tour concluded, we returned to our ship for final packing, dining and entertainment. Packs of stray dogs hung around the dock but were never a nuisance. They were actually seen in lots of places.
A good nights sleep then we said our good bys to our servers at breakfast. Bags outside cabins at 7:30 a.m.! Departure on our buses to the train station was at 8:45. Our train ride was short, about two hours, and comfortable. Upon arrival we said quick so longs to those who would be spending the night in Bucharest before returning to the states.
Seventy four of us would continue by bus for an optional Post-Trip Extension in Transylvania. Along the way the very large farms and clusters of houses were reminiscent of the communist era. The industrial city of Ploesti, site of the great raid on the oil fields in World War II appeared to be thriving today.
We arrived at our destination, Sinaia, after a two hour bus trip. After checking into our hotel, the New Montana, we captured a few pictures from our room . Sinaia claims to be one of the finest mountain resorts in all of Europe and is noted for some awesome skiing sites.
There was still lots of day light left in Sinaia so we visited the Sinaia Monastery, founded in 1695, and still functioning as such. At the left side of the church were these shelters for candles offered in prayer. Dotty and Larry both participated.
Immediately to the right of the church were these beautiful structures.
We were briefed outside the enclosure then went inside the enclosed area to view a small chapel and mural just inside the entrance.
Back at the hotel we spotted these ladies in fur coats. Dotty had to do a little shopping across the street. Inside the lobby before dinner we joined friends for a quick photo op.
Dinner the evening of our first day in Sinaia was at a local restaurant. It was our first opportunity to enjoy Romanian cuisine and it was good. The day began with disembarkation from our ship in Constanta, train to Bucharest, bus to Sinaia then a tour of the monastery. No wonder we look a bit tired!
On Friday we took the optional excursion to Sighisoara. Alongside the highway we passed these Gypsy hootches. Compared to the more nomadic life style of Gypsy's we had seen in other European countries these folks look settled in. The larger pictures are worth looking at, especially the third one. Cute story there!
Down the road a piece we saw cattle crazing, the ruins of a fortress, a hops vineyard and a church. Rain drops appear on the pictures, especially the one of the hops. They were taken from the inside the bus. Check the larger pictures to learn more about hops.
Sighisoara has a history thousands of years old and has been the home of Romanian, Hungarian and Saxon nations. At left is a brochure picture of the entrance to the city fortress, one of the very few still inhabited. That's the 180 foot-tall clock tower built in 1360 in the right two pictures.
These are some of the interesting homes within the citadel area. At right is the home of an important person.
Two of the churches in the citadel area. The inside view is of the one on the left.
We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in this rathskeller.
These are shots of Sighisoara town below from the Fortress. The third picture is Casa Vlad Dracul. Check out the larger pictures for details.
On our drive back to Sinaia we had a rest stop where I captured the wagon at left. Further down the road we stopped beside this young man on his wagon. We convinced our driver to wait while we took pictures. Across the street was a stork's nest on top of a chimney.
These pictures of the Carpathian Mountains were captured from the bus window. When we arrived back in Sinaia our bus was stopped about a half mile from the hotel where we dismounted and walked back. Our driver had to wait for the Sinaia Festival activities to clear that night before bringing the bus back to the hotel. Another wagon was captured right in Sinaia by friend Bill Ackermann.
Sinaia Festival Brochure. The festival ran from September 24 to September 26. Before we ate at the festival we visited the Internet Cafe across the street from our hotel and enjoyed high speed access for 70 cents an hour!
This is one of the food vendors where we ate Friday evening. Dotty admires one of the pastries that we bought. She is holding a box of mystery chips. Friend Bill Ackermann took the last two pictures of folks attending the festival.
Saturday morning we drove up to Peles Castle, one of Romania's most important museums. It was one of the most impressive Dotty and I have ever seen! Friends who opted not to be with us for the Brasov tour walked back down to Sinaia, only a short distance. Don't miss the larger views!
These pictures were of the courtyard just left of the main entrance. Sinaia was a quiet monastery settlement prior to the construction of the castle. It quickly became a popular resort afterwards. A direct train line from Bucharest allowed people to escape from the summer heat of the capital city.
Pictures inside were forbidden but we purchased a book and several of the room pictures are presented below. The wooden carvings were simply spectacular! Details are with the larger pictures.
We next traveled to Brasov, some 30 miles from Sinaia. Brasov is consider to be the second best city in Romania next to Bucharest which is only 100 miles away. The city population is the third largest in Romania. It has been continuously settled since the Bronze Age.
Before our touring began we had lunch. It was in a restaurant near the town square with a pleasant setting and enjoyable food. The buildings pictured give a taste of some of the local architecture.
Pictured at left is the 1420 Council House with the 16th century Trumpeter's Tower rising 190 feet to the rear. They are in the center of the Old Town Hall Square. The shopping boulevard, running from the Square, was busy with shoppers. The beautiful church was off the Square and accessed through a narrow passageway. The mural was on a wall of the church's open court.
Near the Old Town Hall Square is the Black Church, built between 1384 and 1477. It is the largest Gothic church in Romania and one of Eastern Europe's finest. There was a wedding in process so we weren't allowed inside.
Bran Castle atop the hill was located near an outdoor vendors mall where we stopped on our way back to Sinaia. Some of our group took the trek to visit it while others, including us, stayed below to shop. The small, being renovated or being constructed, church (?) was nearby as were the two women and child.
Our Program Directors could always be counted on for at least one surprise each day. After faking an engine problem on our bus, we stopped for "repairs." It just happened to be very near where the movie "Cold Mountain" was filmed and in a pasture. Dear Valentin had timed our arrival with the shepherd, and I suspect, with the passing farmer. Magic was performed when from the bus luggage area appeared tables, cheeses, crackers and Vampire wine. What a fun time our group of 74 happy travelers had.
Sunday morning after breakfast we headed for Bucharest, capital of Romania since 1659. Upon arrival we were treated to today's surprise, an unscheduled visit to the museum of period houses. Houses and secondary buildings dating from the 14th century were recreated to demonstrate the progression of building techniques and styles to the 18th century. Dotty manages to find a shop!
Bucharest is known for it broad, tree-line boulevards, well kept parks and variety of architectural styles. Because of its wide boulevards, the capital is often referred to as the Paris of Eastern Europe. Many of us remember Romania during its troubled times under the late communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu.
Unfortunate that such a man gets credit for the views you see below. More details are included with the larger pictures.
At the conclusion of our city tour we were taken to our hotel, the Sofitel Bucharest. That evening we all enjoyed a farewell dinner at a local exclusive club. Musical entertainment was provided.
We had all next morning to get our clothing packed and ready ourselves for the trip home. Programs Directors Valentin and Madalina were in the lobby to say good by. Istvan escorted our small group at 2 p.m. for the short ride to the airport.
Romania was filled with interesting places and people. Their enthusiasm and optimism is apparent and should help them make great progress out of the throws of communism. We will watch with a hopeful eye that they can turn their economy around, address other issues and become a member of the European Union before too many more years. They certainly have the strength of a vibrant populace to move forward.
Our trip home, with a brief stop at London's Heathrow to transfer to another British Airways aircraft, was smooth and comfortable. Grand Circle Travel provided us with another excellent trip in every respect. We're ready to book another!
Posted on the Internet on 12/1/04