Blogs from Sibiu, Sibiu, Transilvania, Romania, Europe - page 3

We went up a hill after getting keys from somebody. It was very pretty. We did a lot of videos and pictures. We went up a clock tower. We tried to hurry down before the bells did not ring, but they did. We went to a park and I saw a lot of snow and jumped in it. I got wet and daddy brought everything but socks so I had to use my gloves on my feet. - Sofia ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A couple hours and we arrived in Sibiu. This was a really cool city and we stayed right in the middle of the old town at the Old Town Hostel right in the middle of one of the big squares. We stayed there for 2 nights. We checked out the old town area when we arrived ... read more

Romania's got beauty, indeed. I think I've never denied it, but I've never embraced the idea, either. But ROMANIA HAS GOT BEAUTY. Beauty we do not promote or capitalise on, but nevertheless Romania's got tremendous natural and man-made beauty. History. Culture. Despite the horrible weather, I went into raptures about the historical monuments, cathedrals and sites we visited this past weekend. Amazed, delighted, mesmerised, bewitched. In addition, the German influence has definitely left its mark on the level of culture, civilisation and people's life-style. 'Thank you', 'sorry' and 'pardon' are just as often heard here as anywhere else in the civilised world. Amen to that! SIBIU, formerly known as the European capital of culture is a little paradise where everything old remains untouched and keeps on telling ... read more

A successful tourist city is a double-edged sword. It provides jobs and prominence. But for someone like me it is more tourist shops than normal shows, more out-of-towners than locals and the question of the town's true identity. I spent the better part of the day with a couple classes of second graders. Their knowledge of English is so limited than it's really just about paying attention to them. I gave each a decorated pencil and a big smile as souvenirs. I met up with a friend of a friend (cyber-style) for an apa minerale and an hour or so of conversation. Lucien is a very "pay it forward" kind of guy and we talked about small clean-up projects he and his friends do, my book project, politics, schools and more. I got to briefly meet ... read more

Meal time at N.'s house in Sibiu is always a glorious hodge-podge affair of food grabbed from the fridge supplemented by the ocassional new aspect. Breakfast, lunch or dinner there is not a firm division of types of food for each one. After breakfast Nick and I went for a brisk walk in the warm sun to attend the weekly get-together of the local philatelic association... the half that meets in the smoke-free environment. They have a storefront the club uses. We stopped at a church for a quick visit and then N. and the guys discussed a major philatelic event they are hosting next week. Collectors from all over the country will converge and buy, sell and swap. Afterwards, at N.'s suggestion we relaxed a while. Regretably I missed arriving in time to go to ... read more

Ok, as I already thought, things never go exactly as you plan them. Due to technical problems (this pc of mine seems to be older than I am - and I am not getting any younger either = ) I couldnt upload my pics from the last days of travel around Sibiu. Finally here I am, hoping that I ll finish what I've started a few weeks ago. Although the plan was to visit most of the saxon fortified churches around Sibiu, Friday a few friends from Agnita and UK invited us on a fishing trip (70 km away from Sibiu) near the small village of Bradeni. Of course we planned to visit the churches from Agnita & Bradeni but also enjoy our time in the nature. Well, after the Medias experience we were all exhausted. ... read more