Mostar, BiH to Zagreb, Croatia

Saturday, May 31

Tom got up early to take photos of Mostar without tourists and overflowing shops and then we were on the road back into Croatia.

 In order to avoid post-flooding road troubles, we headed back toward the Croatian coast to travel on the modern toll road, rather than our originally planned route through the interior of the country on rural roads.  The highway was modern, efficient, and ran through lovely countryside, but relatively uninteresting and monotonous compared through routes that pass through towns and villages.

We arrived in Croatia's capital, Zagreb by mid afternoon and were delighted to find that our original booking had been upgraded, so we're in a modern two-bedroom apartment in a former palace!  After checking in, we walked five minutes to Jelacica Square, the town's main square and, at the tourist information office, found that we were just in time for a special walking tour being offered today in celebration of Zagreb Day.  We had a great overview of this beautiful city, which in medieval times, was actually two separate hill settlements, Gradec and Kaptol, separated by a creek.  With their merger in 1850, the unified city of Zagreb was born.

The city's main square is a large and busy expanse at the base of Kaptol.  Just up the gently sloping hill is Kaptol Square, which is dominated by the city's cathedral.  Nearby the Dolac Market was in the clean-up phase of daily operations; we'll be back to see it in full swing tomorrow.  We crossed the Bloody Bridge, the traditional link (and front line during conflicts)  between Kaptol and Gradec; the bridge is now a street, as the creek has been paved over.  

Gradec is the site of the Stone Gate, the only surviving entrance of the original four in the old walled city.  Within the gate is a shrine to Our Lady of the Stone Gate.  On May 31, 1731, a fire destroyed most of Gradec, and the only part of the wooden gate to survive was the painting of the Virgin and Child; even its frame was destroyed.  Popular belief credited this to a miracle and Our Lady of the Stone Gate was declared the city's patron saint; for that reason, today is celebrated as Zagreb Day, and also the feast of Our Lady of the Stone Gate.  Earlier today, the painting had been moved to the cathedral, where there were Masses and other activities throughout the day, until the painting is returned. 

 In St. Mark's Square, the large church is joined by the parliament, other state buildings, and the city hall.  Of the city's 90 museums (impressive, for a population of 700,000!), several are in Gradec, including one that must be unique in all the world -- the Museum of Broken Relationships!  Interestingly enough, it's located on the same small square as the church, one of Zagreb's most popular wedding venues!

After the tour ended at the terrace in front of the medieval Lotrscak Tower, with its fine view of the Lower Town below, we walked back down to the Jelacica Square and our apartment to settle in a bit and have dinner.   

Later on, when we decided to go out so that Tom could photograph the main square at night, we had no idea what a treat lay in store.  As we headed toward the square, we heard singing and saw people lining the road to the cathedral holding candles.  We knew immediately that it must be the formation of a procession to return the painting to the Stone Gate.  Masses of people filled the cathedral and Kaptol Square, as well as the street leading to Jelacica Square.  Locals in native dress were joined by more nuns and priests than we've seen anywhere other than St. Peter's Square in Rome, then came the painting, followed by the crowd; it seemed as if the entire population of the town joined the procession.  The sounds of hymns that were broadcast via loudspeakers and the cathedral bells pealing for more than half an hour could be heard all over town; this was an unforgettable experience.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time, on exactly the right date!

Sarajevo to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Friday, May30

We spent a bit of time this morning walking around Sarajevo's old town, which was much quieter than it had been last night; the clink of coffee cups in cafes having replaced last night's bustle of busy restaurants, hookah bars, and shops.  We capped our walk with a stop at a bank to exchange some of the many currencies we've used on this trip and got an interesting look at commercial bureaucracy here.  Somehow, a transaction that resulted in our pocketing 25 euro necessitated duplicate copies of three identical forms, each signed then stamped twice -- a process worthy of Italy!

It's hard to imagine that so much of this city was destroyed during the wars of the 1990s, when it's position hemmed in in a valley with mountains looming on both sides made it an easy target of Bosnian Serb shelling.  In fact, for three years, 1992 to 1995, the city was under seige, virtually cut off from the outside world.  The only access for food, supplies, and defensive material was a tunnel one meter wide and extending 800 meters under the airport runway!  10,500 Sarajevans were killed and 50,000 wounded during that time.

Our drive to Mostar through green mountains and along the sparkling Neretva River was lovely and the overcast skies of Sarajevo turned sunny en route.  Once we found our apartment on a small lane, we took off to see a couple of places outside the city.  

We drove to the beautiful Kravice Waterfalls, crashing powerfully into pools below.  It was just beautiful, a compact version of Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park, which we visited at the start of this trip.  

We also stopped at Pocitelj, a fortress village built into and atop a rocky mountain.  The Ottoman-era town's narrow streets, old fortifications, a mosque, and houses roofed with thick stone slabs made for an interesting wander.

Back in Mostar, we explored the old town, dotted with the minarets of many mosques, alleys lined with bazaar-like small shops, and restaurants on both sides of the Neretva. Tourists filled the small lanes and congregated on the famous (rebuilt) Stari Most, or Old Bridge.  The original bridge, built in the 16th century, and the emblem of the city, was destroyed in1999 by the Croats when conflict broke out with the Bosniaks (Muslims), their former allies against Serb and Montenegrin forces in one of the innumerable Balkan Wars. For two years, the two sides fought, with one of the city's main streets a virtual front line.  All the bridges were destroyed, and all but one of 27 mosques left in ruins, as was much of the city.  With much international help, the core of the old town has been rebuilt, but there is still evidence of destruction.

We ended the day on the riverbank so we could see the bridge and old town beautifully lit.  A photo or two may have been taken!

This is probably as good a time as any to admit that we are totally confused by the many wars among the nations that once formed Yugoslavia.  The conflicts of the 1990s and the combinations and permutations of allies, enemies, ethnicities, religions and languages (with each country putting its own stamp on the same language) are just beyond us. 

And, speaking of stamps, Bosnia and Herzegovina (or BiH, or just Bosnia, even if you're here in Herzegovina) is one country divided into two entities: The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ethnic Serbian dominated Republika Srpska (not to be confused with Serbia) and each entity issues its own stamps!  It gets even more complex here in Mostar (part of BiH), which has its own two postal systems, Bosniak and Croat, as well as two separate bus stations.  This brings balkanization to a new high.

And, we haven't even gotten to Slovenia yet!

Long Road to Sarajevo

Thursday, May 29

Our GPS had projected that the trip from Belgrade to Sarajevo would take four and a half hours, but we knew that the effects of the devastating floods earlier this month in Serbia and Bosnia might affect our travel.  The GPS offered several routes and, from them, we chose roads that would take us through a corner  of Croatia, so it was to be another three-countries-before-noon day. 

After we left the highway in Croatia and headed the short distance on a rural road to the Bosnia Herzegovina border, we began to see some fields covered with water and some sandbags.  We found that the border was closed and the agent on duty sent us to another crossing station about fifteen miles away.  There, the Sava River, which forms the border, was badly swollen.  As soon as we entered Bosnia, as we waited in a long line of vehicles, we saw LOTS of sandbags lining the road ahead.  

A section of road was washed out and traffic was reduced to one lane as it traversed an unpaved temporary diversion.  The sandbag barriers bordered the road for miles, and in that area, we saw German Red Cross and emergency workers, as well as several vehicles that were involved in the effort to search for landmines (and their posted warnings) that had been displaced in the mudslides during the flooding. 

Once we arrived in the outskirts of Sarajevo, the inbound traffic was very heavy, slowing to a crawl as we neared our hotel in the city center.  So, spent much more time (eight hours) in the car than we'd planned, arriving at 5:00 -- just in time for happy hour!

Refreshed and happy to get moving, we walked down the pedestrianized old town and through Bascarija, the old Turkish quarter. 

The area is full of mosques, churches, and narrow alleys lined with small shops and many restaurants.  There is even an indoor market with a bit of the flavor of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.  The street scene includes many women wearing head scarves and a fair number of begging children. 

 We wandered around, had a traditional dinner outdoors so we could take in the action, and then walked some more, checking out the bridge where the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that led to World War I took place. 

To compensate for our late arrival today, we'll spend a bit more time here tomorrow before moving on to our next destination.

Belgrade

Wednesday, May 28

This morning, we began by walking the short length of Skadarlija, the narrow street billed as the city's bohemian quarter.  It was quiet at the start of the day, but we understand that it doesn't stay that way once the restaurants fill, the pubs open, and the music starts.

 We continued on several blocks through downtown to see the large St. Mark's Orthodox Church.  Under its five domes are important icons and the tomb of the Serbian Emperor Dusan the Mighty (14th century).

We arrived at Republic Square, in front of the National Museum and the Opera House, to join the city's walking tour.  For close to three hours, we walked through the old parts of the city and learned a bit about its history, culture, and contemporary life from our young guide, Mina, who loves her city and is eager to have others know and love it, too.  She shared  some of Skadarlija's lore as we wandered there before moving on to see the one remaining mosque in this city that once had 200.  We moved through Dorcol, an old neighborhood, and made our way to Kalemegdan, the landmark fortress we'd visited yesterday.

 Like the fortress, Belgrade itself has seen much warfare and destruction; other than the fortress, though, the oldest buildings of the city are actually not very old.  Among the things we took in while at Kalemegdan, were landmarks along the riverfront below the fortress.  Mina showed us the city's most important bridge, which connects it to New Belgrade.  During the 1999 Serbian - Kosovo conflict, NATO's bombing of the city included civilian as well as military targets.  When the warning sirens signaled approaching attacks, the citizens gathered on the bridge to shield it with their presence.  They brought musicians and a festive atmosphere ensued, so it's now referred to as the Party Bridge!

After the tour, we visited the beautiful St. Michael's Orthodox Cathedral and then just sat for a while in the shade of the Students' Square near our apartment.  Deciding that we were pretty "walked out", we called it quits mid-afternoon and headed to our digs for some R and R.

Tonight, we had another of those experiences that make travel so special.  Our niece, Eileen has friends in New York who are from Belgrade.  Dusan Lakic and his mother Vesna had each given us lots of information to help us plan our trip, and shortly before we left we found out that Vesna and her other son Milos would be in Belgrade while we were here!  Though they arrived at midnight last night, and we're leaving in the morning, we were able to connect this afternoon and make plans to meet for dinner this evening.  We sat outside on a street lined with lively restaurants and cafes and had a fine dinner of Serbian dishes.  The best part of all, though, was the opportunity to spend time with Vesna and Milos, talk to them about some of the things we've seen, learn about this country from the inside, and make two new friends.  As we learned on our visit with Spaso's family in Nis, Serbian hospitality is extraordinary; though we had invited Vesna and Milos for dinner, unbeknownst to us, they took care of the check, insisting that this is how guests in their city are treated.  It was simply amazing and a terrific end to our visit to Serbia!

Belgrade, Serbia

Tuesday, May 27

After leaving Timisoara, it did not take long for us to reach the border and cross back into Serbia.  With the re-entry, we reclaimed the hour we'd lost when in Bulgaria and Romania, and reached Belgrade early enough to visit the close-in suburb of Zemun, where we took in the view from the hilltop tower at the Gardos fortress.
We were at our apartment in Belgrade by noon and had lunch there; we're on the top (13th) floor of one of those Soviet-era "workers' paradise" apartment blocks that are among the least attractive architectural features of this part of the world.  

Despite their unappealing exteriors, each of the apartments we've stayed in such buildings on this trip and a previous one has been bright, comfortable, updated, sometimes spacious, and a pleasant surprise.  Our apartment here was billed as a studio, but we've got a separate (very tiny) kitchen, a balcony overlooking the city, and even a washing machine and dishwasher.

We spent the afternoon walking, first up the nearby Knez Mihailova, which is a long pedestrian boulevard lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops housed in beautiful old buildings; it was lively and lovely.  When the pedestrian zone gave way to busy city streets, we continued walking, past the Art Nouveau Hotel Moskva, where a small crowd of people were gathered in groups of four or five playing some kind of game, or betting, that involved checking pages full of numbers against the information on packs of small cards. 

 We could make neither heads nor tails out of it, but that, after all, is another game!  We walked on past the city council building and the presidential palace, beautiful buildings separated by a fine park, and wound up at the massive St. Sava, the largest Orthodox church in the world.  The interior space is enormous, but almost completely bare.  Pillars, icons, arches (even in the high gallery of the huge dome), and walls are all sheathed in plastic, and the construction, begun in 1985, continues.

We walked back through the city to the Kalmegdan Citadel, the fortress commanding the bluff above the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers.  The fortification has been destroyed over 40 times since the Celts first fortified the area in pre-Roman times.  Now, the citadel complex is part of a large, leafy park at the end of  Knez Mihailova that now includes museums, the zoo, tennis courts and a soccer field (in the moat!) and lots of strollers and others taking in the  river views. 

The Belgrade that we've seen thus far has surprised us with an urban vibe that feels like Western European cities.  Lots of parks, impressive buildings, and people out and about; it looks good to us, from our bird's eye view, and at street level.

Transylvania to Timisoara, Romania

Monday, May 26

We spent the morning on the road between Sibiu and Timisoara, which is in western Romania, near its borders with Hungary and Serbia.  The ride was lovely, lots of small villages, each with a pointy-turreted church tower and a cluster of homes with red tile roofs.

We had high hopes for Timisoara, which not only has an important role in the country's recent history, but is known for its large and lovely squares and green spaces.  It was quiet difficult to get around the city center, as so much it is torn up for extensive infrastructure repair.  Entire squares and many streets were just a mess; evidently the concept of approaching such major work in a piecemeal fashion didn't occur to the powers that be.  The project at the important and probably very impressive Union Square has evidently been under way since 2011 and the end doesn't appear to be in sight.  In Liberty  Square, where ruins of a prior settlement have been unearthed, there's no telling what timeline might apply.  

We were headed to the museum dedicated to the uprising of 1989, but when we managed to pick our way through multiple construction sites to its address, we found that it had moved.  Luckily for us, it was just a few blocks away in an old army barracks, and we were able to visit it. The museum contains memorabilia from the struggle, examples of international press coverage of the events, artistic representations of the uprising, and samples of the regime's propaganda.  

Also displayed were several flags that the rebels waved during their protests; the tricolor flags have circular holes in the center, where the symbol of the Communist regime had been cut out.  The popular revolt that toppled Ceausescu in 1989 began here in the streets of Timisoara, spread through small towns and cities to Bucharest and, in a matter of just ten days, resulted  in the trial and execution of the dictator and his wife.  While at the museum, we were able to meet Dr. Traian Orban, who oversees the collection.  He is a survivor of the uprising here and was shot twice in the leg when the army turned its guns on the protesting citizens.  After 45 years of deprivation under Communist rule, Dr. Orban told us that 1989 was a rebirth for him, so he'll be 25 in December!

One important public space that has not been jackhammered away is the large Victory Square, which runs from the Orthodox Cathedral to the National Theater and is lined with cafes and graced with fountains and flowers.

We found that one of the restaurants most highly ranked by both Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet was just a stroll across the park from our small hotel and we had a fine dinner of local specialties in its lovely garden. 

As this is our last day in Romania, I'm going to toss in some observations that I either forgot to include in previous posts, or just didn't fit in with them.  Along country roads, farmers set up small stands to sell not just the usual produce, but also homemade cheese and honey.  There are lots of beehives around, some of them stacked in rows and columns on trucks.  Another common rural sight were haystacks unlike those we've seen elsewhere: they're conical and centered around a vertical pole or branch which protrudes from the top of the stack.  In pretty much every country we've visited on this trip, a favored police activity seems to be parking along a road and, with one or two officers standing on the side and/or in the middle of the road, stopping randomly chosen drivers to examine their papers.  And, there are LOTS of casinos and betting parlors in Romania.  In Bucharest, we were told that this was due to its proximity to Turkey and Greece, whose citizens travel there to gamble, but at this distance from traveling Turks and Greeks, one starts to wonder about the Romanians!

That's it from Romania; tomorrow we'll be back in Serbia to visit Belgrade for a couple of days.

Transfagarasan Road

Sunday, May 25

THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME, AND HOW WE LIVED TO TELL THE TALE!

We headed out this morning on a much-anticipated (especially by Tom) drive up, into and through the Fagaras Mountains on the road the BBC's Top Gear has declared "the world's best."  During our time in Romania, Tom has asked several people whether the road is open now, as many years the snow is not cleared until June; each time, he was assured that the the road is passable.  (Lesson #1: Don't believe everything people tell you.)

As we drove toward the high, rocky, and snowy peaks, through a green meadow populated by sheep, their shepherds, and small inns, we felt as if we were in a scene out of Heidi.  The feeling continued as we began to climb the winding road up the deeply forested mountain.  As we drove higher, the trees thinned, the temperature dropped, and the views were stunning; the fantasy continued!

At a certain point, the ascending lane of the road was barricaded and posted as closed (a Romanian word we had no need to look up, but did anyway), but when another car just continued upward, we did, too.  (Lesson #2: Even if all your friends tell you to jump off (or drive up) a cliff, don't.)

We were soon above the tree line (proving that trees have lots of common sense!) and began to see signage warning of falling rocks.  Judging from the looks of the debris on the road, there should be a sign for falling boulders!  (Lesson #3: Don't mess with Romanian falling rocks.)

Then, things began to get REALLY interesting.  We began to see snow alongside the road, which was, at that point,  decidedly and sharply zig-zagging.  The scenery, of course, was spectacular, with lots of photo ops -- cascading waterfalls, swirling clouds and fog, snowy peaks, rushing creeks, cable cars climbing to the top of the mountain, which we could sometimes see, hearty hikers and cyclists.  At one spot where we stopped to take all this in, we spotted several small cars making their way down the mountain above us, making us feel vindicated in our decision to disregard the posted road closure.  (Lesson #4: Appearances can be deceiving.)

And so, it was onward and upward -- WAY upward -- for us.  We soon found that much of the twisting two-lane road had been reduced to (barely) one lane and the fog was closing in.  Then, the narrow lane of clear road became the width of a snow plow's blade, and there was a wall of snow on either side of the car -- except for the places where there was no wall at all, always on the fall-off-the-cliff side of the road.  It was difficult and a bit scary as we neared the top, praying that we would not meet any descending cars, and thankful when we didn't.  (Lesson #5: If there's no oncoming traffic, probably a reason.)

As we (thought) we were nearing the top, we encountered two cars.  STOPPED.  EMPTY.  By a snowbank that completely blocked the road.  Talk about a dead end!  If we were not to leave the third car there, there was only one way down -- backwards!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was at about this point that we wished we' d mentioned our plans for today in yesterday's blog -- so people would know where to send the search party!  Tom is not only an amazing driver, a fact that I have relied upon and can attest to many times over, but he has the ability to convey absolute, everything's-under-control calm in absolutely hair-raising situations.

  So, VERY slowly, eyes on side and rear view mirrors (and the dropoffs visible through breaks in the snow wall) he maneuvered us backward and downward until we reached a place about 300 yards back (and a couple of ascending cars) where he could execute a multi-point turn.  We were shaking, from our core to the ends of our limbs, by the time we were actually moving forward again.  And then, while we still had every muscle -- physical and mental -- clenched, came the lovely, British-accented voice of our GPS advising us, "If possible, do a U-turn!"  We just howled with laughter -- COULD NOT STOP -- at the perfectly-timed release of our extreme tension.  Lesson #6 (and you really don't have to know any others):  If the road is barricaded and posted as closed, DO believe it.)

The snow-narrowed road down to Heidi-territory seemed much easier on the way down -- switchbacks and falling boulders no longer held any terror for us; the ride of a lifetime was not our last, after all!

Lesson #7:  Read Lesson #6!

We spent the afternoon in much calmer pursuits, touring several more small towns and villages in the Transylvanian countryside.  In Cisnadie, the sexton unlocked the fortified church for us, so we could admire it (very German-feeling) and the green and now-peaceful walled enclosure that encircles it.

  In Cristian, we were unable to enter the walls to see the church or the Bacon Tower, where townspeople stored sides of pork against the event of a siege.  We were able to see the extraordinary number of massive storks' nests that proliferate in the small town; the main street is full of nesting platforms above telephone poles, creating a display somewhat like the banners that often line neighborhoods in American cities.

  Our last stop was in the tiny town of Tilisca, which is home to an Orthodox church, whose exterior is painted light blue and adorned with gorgeous frescoes, and whose courtyard serves as a cemetery jam-packed with large family monuments.

This was a day to remember, if not to be repeated, though Tom does want to return in full summer someday to finish that drive!

Sibiu and around Transylvania

Saturday, May 24

We spent the day driving through the Transylvanian countryside and stopping in small towns along the way.  The area we covered was predominantly rural, though there were some industrialized small cities, too.  As we've been traveling in this part of Romania, we've remarked upon the fact that, in virtually every town, the houses have a very particular look.  They line the streets with flat sides abutting the sidewalk, shuttered windows, and adjacent wooden-gated driveways.  The only adornment is an occasional cross and choice of paint hue.

 Very obviously, there are no  CC&Rs or HOA monitoring here; every house is a different color, and the palette is extensive!  Nevertheless, the "flat" orientation to the street results in a vaguely institutional feel until, that is, we really opened our eyes, when we realized that the homes were actually showing their "backs" to the street.  Behind the blocky, plain walls and fences, there were extended buildings, completely separate buildings, barns, substantial family vegetable garden plots, and who knew what else?!? 

Sharing the roads with us and the usual array of truck traffic and road crews mending ubiquitous potholes were many horse-drawn carts, some carrying loads of hay, tree limbs, or other rural impedimenta, others bearing a farmer and his kids, and our favorite, one whose sole passenger was a farmer on his cell phone!  Old meets new...

We stopped first to see the fortified church in the town of Biertan.  This Gothic church, for centuries the seat of Lutheran bishops, is being beautifully restored.  The ribbed vaulting, beautiful multi-paneled altarpiece, and the marquetry of the choir seats were standouts, not to mention the sacristy door, with its nineteen locks! 

  The church is surrounded by a double-ring of walls, connected by a covered wooden staircase (currently undergoing restoration).

We drove a couple of kilometers to the tiny village of Copsa Mare, whose fortified church was padlocked as well, and inaccessible to us.  So, it was on to Sighisoara, birthplace of Vlad Tepes (Dracula), and notable for its citadel/old town, high on a hill.  Nine of the citadel's original fourteen towers remain, each named for the craft guild responsible for its building, defense, and maintenance.  The exception to that protocol is the massive clock tower, which belonged to the town council. 

 It towers above the citadel and the lower town, as well, and its carved figures emerge to oversee the town when midnight strikes

By mid afternoon, we were back at home base in Sibiu for a walk around its old town and pretty squares.  Our wonderful apartment here is just inside the old town, on a street adjacent to the walls and several of the craft guilds' defensive towers.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of Romanian traditional food at a restaurant between our apartment and the main square, then headed out to the square for some evening photos.  While there, we heard symphonic music coming from the large ("non-agressive" Baroque) Catholic church we'd visited earlier today.  We were lucky enough to end the day with a Mozart flute concerto in that lovely setting.

Bucharest to Sibiu, Romania

Friday, May 23

We had a little taste of rush hour this morning as we left Bucharest, happy that, for the most part, we were headed away from the city center as others crawled in.  We also got to see some neighborhoods a bit removed from the old town and center.  The city has some lovely parks, lots of wide, leafy boulevards, a good bit of French-inspired quite lovely architecture, and miles of Soviet-era cement apartment blocks that haven't worn as well as their older neighbors.

We  were headed to Transylvania, and after a drive through the mountains, arrived in Brasov at lunchtime.  We had a bit of a wander around the main square and old town of this pretty town with a mountain in its back yard and then drove the short distance to Prejmer.   

 

There, we visited a spare and beautiful 13th Century fortified church, perhaps the most impressive of many such churches that are a legacy of the Saxons' presence in southern Transylvania; they testify to the fact that the church functioned as a physical, as well as a spiritual, refuge.  The church is in a courtyard reached through a long passage bisected by a portcullis.  In addition to the church, the inner compound contains numerous rooms once used for housing and

to store the supplies necessary to withstand a siege.  The compound is surrounded by walls whose height and thickness testify to its role as a fortification, notably against the Turks.
 

Not far away was Bran, the home of a castle built by the Saxons to protect an important trade route, but known to all as Dracula's Castle.  Though Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure upon whom Bram Stoker's Dracula is based, may have stayed at the castle briefly while combating the Turks in the 15th century, the castle actually became a royal residence in use until the 20th century by Romania's beloved Queen Marie.  Viewed from the outside and below, the castle, with its turrets and towers looks forbidding, but the interior is actually a warren of small rooms, narrow staircases, balconies, terraces and small courtyards.

It was after 6:00 by the time we arrived at Sibiu, where we'll spend three nights as our base for exploring Transylvania.  We have a very large, modern apartment with amazing facilities in an old building on a pedestrian street in the old town.  We're just a couple of blocks from the main squares an a pedestrianized shopping street.  We walked around the very lively scene, with lots of people out and about, enjoying the mild evening; the sun didn't set until almost 9:00!