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May 23, 2017- Home

We had uneventful flights from Bucharest to Munich to Washington, DC. We spent the night at Judi's and drove home this morning. The laundry is on its way to being done, and we've gone through the mail.

On our drive through Maryland and Pennsylvania, we remarked that the scenery was just as lovely as in Bulgaria and Romania but with better roads.

To fill you in, as for the hippo search, we scored three. Rylee, our almost 11-year old granddaughter, collects them. We have found them in unlikely places. Our hippos on this trip range from a photo of the hippo taxi to be printed and framed; an Romanian alphabet book for kids with “H is for hippopotam;” and a small plush combo hippo/giraffe I found in a gas station, of all places.

David and I had six hours of driving to discuss the trip. We re-hashed what we remembered, which was a lot. Were still fuzzy on the names of towns. One thing we recalled clearly was when I asked if he could name the dumbest statement anyone of us made during the three weeks. It was mine. When we pulled up to the airport in Bucharest I said, "It doesn't look familiar at all." That was because we'd begun our trip in Sofia. I weeen!!

Toby

Bucharest Again

Horowitz Travel- May 21, 2017- Bucharest Again

Our day started off with a Marathon. The course was all over Brasov. Runners were everywhere. Cars weren't permitted anywhere. Radu had to get special dispensation from a policeman to park so he could walk to our hotel and retrieve us. Then we had to re-trace his steps the length of 6 football fields to get to the car. 

Our first stop was Sinaia, named for Sinai after the return of a traveler who was so impressed he built a monastery in Romania and changed the name of the town to Sinaia. But we weren't going to the monastery, we were going to the Peles Castle, built by Carol I (Charles) in 1875. Radu wove his way through tour groups and gave us a Cliff Notes narration as we stayed ahead of the crowds. It is quite modern for its time. It has electricity, an elevator, central vacuum system, and central heating. Walls, doors, and trim are rich, think, deeply carved and embossed walnut. Marble is used abundantly. The entry hall has a 36-foot high stained glass ceiling that can still be opened by the original motor. Murano chandeliers and mirrors are liberally used in decorating. There are even Klimt frescoes in muted tones embracing a sitting room. To me, it was warm and livable. There was an intimacy that I could see in scale and softness of appointments. In 1947, the royals left and the state took it over. After Communism failed, the castle was given to King Michael who has written his will so that it stays a museum in perpetuity.   

We were on a tight schedule trying to make our stops in Bucharest. The Great Synagogue was still open. Built in 1847, it is now a museum of Romanian Jews and the Holocaust. The docent told us that 15th century Jews were oppressed in Europe and Russia. They sought a peaceful home in Romania. They proved their loyalty to the country by fighting against the Ottomans and paying taxes without being citizens. Carol I, pushed for citizenship regardless of religion but with special barriers for Jews. Carol II whose lover, Elena Lupescu, was Jewish, was against anti-Semitism. Eventually, Jews obtained the rights of citizenship around 1923.

We made it to the Choral Temple, modeled after a synagogue in Vienna and named for the outstanding men's choir. We were in time to hear an orientation from a genius of a man who grew up in that congregation. He was determined to preserve the memory of his parents by being a one-man protector of the facility. He plays the role of gabai, caretaker and leader of worship. He spoke fluent English, Hebrew, Romanian, Italian, and French with lightning speed. It was hard for my ears to keep up with his mouth.

He made it clear that in WWII, there was a difference in the fate of Jews in the NW of Romania and the South. Jews in the NW were transported and perished in the concentration camps with the special cooperation of Germany and Hungary. In the South, they were able to hold out until Romania switched from Nazi to Ally loyalty when they saw Germany was losing. Nice timing. Still, of the 800,000 Jews, 400,000 were transported. Only 6-7,000 live in Romania today with many of those counted not being Jewish, but being married to Jews. Wikipedia puts the population at 3,200. 

The Choral Temple has had a bumpy past. It was built and burned down in 1866. Rebuilt in 1867, in the Moorish style, it was devastated by an earthquake and fire in 1941. In 1945, it was renovated. In 1974, there was another earthquake. Repairs were painstakingly made between 1986-1990 and are ongoing.

During the Communist regime, the head rabbi was a very strong personality. He joined the Socialist Party and brokered a deal with the state allowing Jews to continue worshipping in their synagogues. He also worked with Israel and the government to allow Jews to emigrate to Israel. Once they applied to leave, they lost their homes and jobs. They were charged a "ransom" based on their value to the regime. They had to leave with no money and no more than they could carry.

We got to our hotel around 3 PM. It's the same place we stayed our first night in Romania. We settled in then took a walk around the area. It's Sunday, so most places were closed. We did find the ice-cream we never had last night and scoped out places for dinner.

We ended up at Primus, an Irish pub, of all places. David and I enjoyed a burger and Judi finally had chicken schnitzel. We were intrigued by the dumb-waiter next to our table that brought food up from the basement kitchen. Reluctant to begin sorting and packing, David and I had Kahluas back at the hotel.

This has been a most wonderful trip. It's rare three people can be together for three weeks and be so compatible. We've shared ups and downs including steps, hills, caves, potholes, slips and slides. We've seen amazing sights and learned history through others' eyes. Being with Judi is always a pleasure and this was no exception. We even chatted about the "next trip." 

Radu said Romania was overdue for another earthquake. I hope it waits until after tomorrow. He'll pick us up at 9 AM and take us to the airport. We fly through Munich, then to Washington, DC. If awake, we'll drive home Tuesday.

Toby

Peles Castle-Sinaia

Choral Synagogue-Bucharest

Brasov

Horowitz Travel- May 20, 2017- Brasov

We've created a new dance step.  It's the windmill wave. Hallway lights are turned on by motion sensors, which can be hard to activate. Last night Judi couldn't see well enough to put the key in the door of her room. We both pin wheeled down the hall until we found the sweet spot and the lights went on.

For the first time in many nights it was quiet. There were no dogs, cats, gulls, bells, roosters, or horns. I still used earplugs. Slept like a baby. I hope Prince Charles did too. He stayed at our hotel for three days in 2002. He likes summers in Transylvania and comes to check his properties. His son, Prince Harry, has joined him at times. Radu has met them and says they're just nice people.

We said good-bye to our New Zealand friends at breakfast. At least I think we did. He was almost impossible to understand. Their program in Romania now diverges from ours before they go to Bulgaria. We also said good-bye to Jimmy, the 17-year old hotel dog who came out to the parking lot with a tail wag and for a farewell pet.

Believe it or not, we were going over the Carpathians again. We've not been traveling in a straight line and find ourselves on the wrong side of them daily. The roads were much better, but still quite winding. Again, I slept.

It was misty as we approached Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle. Built in 1332 or 1377, depending on whom you believe, the fact is that Vlad Dracula never lived there. His grandfather moved in in 1395, for a couple of years. It's a Medieval fortress with all the usual elements thereof. Its strategic location on the main commercial road between Transylvania and Wallachia created opportunity for occupants (Germans, Austro-Hungarians) to charge a toll to travelers for their passage. Over the ages, it went through many owners with Marie of Edinburgh (Queen Victoria's granddaughter) married to Ferdinand I of Romania being a favorite. During WWI, she worked with the Red Cross and was beloved by the people. It is said that she loved Romania but hated her husband. She summered at the castle with her seven children (and some lovers) until 1947, when the Communists came and royalty left the country.

Visiting the castle is an exercise in duck, grab, and swerve. Archways to entrances were low. Steps were steep, spiral, had rope grab rails, and were more abundant than we expected. Tour groups, though not oppressive, made it challenging to maneuver. Rooms were furnished in the style of Marie's time and not all were authentic. It was fun experiencing the place. Knowing the myths were false and seeing it surrounded by countless souvenir stands didn't detract from what it actually stood for. Archduke Dominic of Austria-Tuscany literally bought into the history of the castle. He purchased and renovated the property and is making money from the tourists. The Hapsburgs have returned! 

We ate a most remarkable lunch across from the castle. David and I ordered goulash and potato pancakes. We didn't realize that the pancake was made into a crepe with goulash inside. It was delectable.

We arrived in Brasov and managed to beat the rain for our walking tour. Radu is from here and was happy to show us the highlights of the Old City.  The first records of Brasov date from 1235. It is the most charming of all the old towns we've seen on this trip. The pedestrian area is sizable and compliments the character of the buildings. The promenades are filled with umbrella covered tables and flowers. The city circles a mountain where Radu spends his winters as a ski instructor. 

The synagogue was closed, of course. Built in 1901, it is a stunning building that is still in use. There was a poster indicating the celebration of synagogues was tonight. It would be open from 6 PM to 3 AM. We went back at 6:00 and were rewarded with the sight of a splendid interior. Walls were white with gray details and blue accents. It was somewhat Moorish in style. A rabbi comes from Israel on a regular basis to serve the 200 members of which 100 are Jewish. I figure there are lots of intermarriage. Stained glass windows circle the sanctuary decorated with insignia of towns in Israel where former congregants have settled. Outside is a memorial to the 240 of the community who were transported and died in the Holocaust. The fact that this is a functioning synagogue was encouraging. I don't know how this tiny community manages, but it's staying alive. 

Amusing note: carp, the fish, is crap in Romanian. When I told Radu what crap means in English, he said it was appropriate. Carp are bottom feeders and eat crap.

New discovery: After dinner, we wandered around the Disneyesque old city in search of ice-cream. We'd noticed food trucks selling crepes and corn, but they were also selling something strange to us. It's called kurtos. We tried to figure out what it was and watched the truck until we saw that it was dough wrapped around an 18" hot metal tube on a spit. When brown, it was slid off and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. We bought one. It was divine. Never got to the ice-cream. 

Tomorrow we go back to Bucharest and our last day in Romania.

Toby

Bran Castle

Impaling

Brasov Mall

Disneyesque architecture in Brasov

Gypsy family joins Mickey on mall

Brasov Synagogue

Sighisoara

Horowitz Travel May 19, 2017- Sighisoara

Oy! An endless day. We left the hotel and drove south through flat farmland to the oldest wooden synagogue in Romania. Jews had been in the area of Pietra Neamt since the 17th century. Before the Nazi transports and Communists, it was a thriving community of 24 synagogues. There's one left and its mainly a museum with a small chapel used by the remaining 130 Jews. It's also used as a gathering place for the town to hear concerts and for art exhibits. There will be a celebration of synagogues in many Romanian cities tomorrow night. The Cathedral Synagogue of the Bal Shem Tov, the wooden synagogue, will participate. 

Permission was granted in 1766, for a wood synagogue using wooden nails to be built on the foundation of an old stone synagogue as long as it wasn't taller than surrounding churches. Wood signifies impermanence and the fact that it was built several steps underground was to assure it wouldn't be too tall. The interior is typical of what we've seen, but the memorial board was unique. It's lit by candles instead of bulbs. In addition, after electricity came, there were large opaque glass globes with names of the deceased. I found this the most unsettling synagogue we've visited because it's function is as a relic.

We were now going back into Transylvania through the Bicaz Gorge and over the Carpathians again. It was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Space Mt. combined. The curves were of the switchback variety. I tried to close my eyes and sleep so as not to get dizzy. But the limestone cliffs, stream, and souvenir stands were too interesting to miss. Busloads of people were walking on the foot wide "shoulder" of the road risking death by plunging or death by crushing against the rock wall depending on what side of the road they were using. They were risking life and limb to buy refrigerator magnets, t-shirts, and post cards. Semi's had to use the oncoming lane to maneuver the curves and there was one showdown where the face-off resulted in the car partially climbing the cliff. We hurried along following semis or buses when possible allowing them to run interference for us.

We took a lunch break at Lacu Rosa (Red Lake) where I took note of the mandatory list of at least a dozen allergens detailed in all menus. Foods on the menu containing those allergens were noted in the margin. The restaurant was Alpine in motif and set lakeside. Picturesque, only to be marred by a giant inflatable Mickey Mouse slide.

We were on a tight timetable to get to Transylvania. In this region, road signs indicating names of towns and villages were in German, Romanian, and Hungarian to reflect the history and make-up of the residents. We had to be at a gypsy home to meet the woman who would tell us about the life and answer our questions. She never showed, but her mother filled in admirably. 

The household consists of four generations: the mother is 44, grandma is 63, there is the adult daughter, who is twice divorced, and her children. Grandma was widowed 8 years ago, but her son, head of family, is in residence. He works as a policeman and is an example of how gypsies in this area are integrated into village life. They call themselves gypsies, and so I will. As I mentioned in another email, they are said to have migrated from India and arrived in Romania in the late 1700's. They weren't permitted to own land and few wanted to hire them. Thus, they moved from place to place and were associated with nomadic people. Today's laws offer equal rights and protections.

They are organized by caste/clan with a male leader. They have no religion of their own and, unless converted to Christianity, they remain irreligious. 

Marriages take place in mid to early teens, and brides live in their husbands’ homes. Only the boys stay in the family home and dowries are passed down through males. This family's dowry is pots, china, and glassware that's on display, but never used. Marriages of children that young aren't recognized by the government. Girls go to school four years and boys eight. The three-year old granddaughter spoke the Gypsy language, Romanian, some Hungarian, and was learning English. The mother didn't do poorly in English either.

The family we visited has a newly married 15-year old daughter who is pregnant. They said she was a wild one and the only way to keep her safe (not pregnant before marriage) was to get her married. I had Radu translate the story of the marriage of my 14-year old grandmother and I think a bond of understanding developed with the mother. When her husband, the policeman, came home on a break, I wished them both the love my grandparents experienced. 

Onward and upward we went to Sighisoara. I love the name. It's pronounced "siggy-schwarah." We checked into our 17th century hotel, The House With the Antler, and began our climb up 56 steps to our rooms. Poor Radu insisted on carrying our bags. We're in a garret with sloping ceilings and David has hit his head multiple times. But it's charming. We thought we'd never come down until breakfast, but we had a walking tour of the town to do. It was "in the program" so Radu was determined we accomplish it.

Established in 1200 AD by Germans, Sighisoara was attacked by Tartars and Ottomans. Today it's the oldest inhabited citadel in Europe.  Completely walled and boasting eight guard towers, it is a formidable sight. Towers were organized by guild with each guild responsible for deploying to and defending the city from its designated tower. The clock tower, originally the main gate, dominates the town and has the traditional central steeple with four lesser ones on each corner. The four small steeples indicate this is a town where capital punishment is meted out.

There's a myth that this is where the Pied Piper brought the Children of Hamlin after their ungrateful parents refused to pay him his ransom. But it's no myth that Vlad the Impaler was born here in 1431. As explained by Radu, Vlad got a bad rap. His father (Vlad Dracul II) came to the city from afar and used the dragon as an emblem on the family crest. No one here had seen a dragon before and said that Vlad II was the devil. Vlad III was called Dracula meaning son of Dracul. The family moved to Walachia, a southern area of Romania, and in an attempt to have good relations with the Turks, the father sent Vlad III to train with the sultan. But once Vlad III learned their tactics, he returned home and used the tactics against them. Impaling an enemy was not an unusual custom in the day. It wasn't a stake in the heart, but a stake forced up and through the body from the nether regions. Blech! Vlad III used that method of execution on criminals and his enemies. He wanted the merchants of Walachia to have the same rights as Germans and Hungarians and fought viciously for his people. Unfortunately, he married a Catholic woman and fell out of favor. He was beheaded at age 45. There is a story of a younger brother who fared better. He was called Radu the Handsome. He too went to work for the sultan. The sultan was said to like young boys. When Vlad III died, guess who succeeded him? You got it. The handsome Radu.

We have to get up early tomorrow for another big day. We'll go to Brasov.

Toby

"Underground" Synagogue-Pietra Neamt

Synagogue interior

Gypsies in front of dowry display

Typical street in Sighisoara

Bucovina

Horowitz Travel- May 18, 2017- Bucovina

To quote Longfellow, "This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks." We wove our way down wooded roads and emerged in a miniature Switzerland of variegated green hills, pastures, and tidy houses looking freshly painted. Farm animals roam freely as do children, bicyclists, and more horse carts than we expected. There was even a horse cart leading a cow behind it. Reminded me of Jack and the Beanstalk. Moldova is, literally, a breath of fresh air.

We did a 60-mile loop of painted monasteries today. They all house nuns. Frescos in various states of preservation were the main draw to these structures dating from Stefan the Great through his son and successor, Petru Rares. Stefan began building in the area of Moldova in 1488. His masterpiece is Voronet known as the Sistine Chapel of the East. The preferred color for the background of his churches was blue. The technique of mixing lapis lazuli into paint was new and the artist was enthralled with it. I said that Stefan built churches, because he built one after each battle with the Ottomans. As for his lineage, he's a cousin of Vlad The Impaler. More on Vlad another day.

Moldovita Monastery, built in the 16th century by Petru Rares, reflects the Ottoman attempts at conquering the area. It is surrounded by a Gothic fortress, guard towers and all. This artist preferred green backgrounds. By now, the frescoes were running together in my head whether they depicted the Creation, the life of Jesus, or the Last Judgement. Then came the Sucevita Monastery. Ditto. By this time, we were more interested in the graffiti on the exterior frescoes some dating from the 19th century and using the Cyrillic alphabet.

Of interest, we passed through the village of Clit. I was not sophomoric and didn't ask Radu to stop so I could get a photo of the sign. I am however, writing about it to you. We also went to a black pottery workshop in Marginea, and I lunched on forest mushroom soup in a light broth.

In Campulung, we saw our first Egg Museum. The award-winning artist, Lucia, has created thousands of eggs decorated in traditional Romanian style. They are displayed along with her daughter's work and eggs from around the world. Her husband's job is emptying the contents before the eggs are painted. So, when Lucia tells him to go suck an egg, he does. 

Although the road construction was at a minimum today, Radu found opportunity to curse other drivers in Romanian. As I did during yesterday's frustrating drive, I followed his curses with shouts of, "Yeah! And your Mother."  He explained that they don't have curses about their mothers as we do, so I began to vary my tag-lines with other family members. 

Donald Trump, Jr and his son were reportedly in Romania until today. He did some sightseeing and took advantage of bear hunting season. Foreigners are permitted to hunt if they pay a tariff. Gag me with a spoon.

Dinner tonight was back at Hilde's where Judi enjoyed goulash and David had duck. My meal was perch in lemon caper sauce. We were joined by the couple from New Zealand. We'll be with them the next couple of nights and look forward to their company. Quite a lot of tale telling yet to go.

Tomorrow we end up in Sighisoara.

Toby

Sfanta Monestary Voronet

Sucevita Monestary 

Giant painted egg

Another horse cart

Gura Humorului

Horowitz Travel- May 17, 2017- Gura Humorului

Forty-eight miles in three hours excluding touring and lunch. I'll try to explain.

We did a little touring in villages in the Iza River Valley. At Teodor Barson's woodworking shop in Rozavlea we were shown the secret to how he carves long wooden chains. They're cut from a single piece of oak. The chains are in the wood. All he has to do is carve away anything that wasn't a chain. He's world renowned and built a wooden church and gate for the Chicago Romanian Festival. In 1999, it was shipped there then to the Smithsonian World Folk Festival in Washington, D.C.

Next on the list was the Barasana Monastery, built in 1992. It is served by nuns, but the Orthodox Church calls everything a monastery. It had a campus atmosphere with several school groups visiting the lush, hilly location dotted with dormitories, a wooden church with an ornately painted interior in a primitive style, museum, dining hall, and guest house. I was amused as a nun hurried by wearing a long black habit, black wimple, black scarf covering her forehead, and black veil. She was seemingly talking to herself as she carried a full basket. It took me a second to realize she had an earpiece and was talking on her phone. Nuns can't give sacraments or lead Mass so a priest is assigned to take that role. Priests who are married may service churches or monasteries. Those who aren't married serve monasteries. Nuns can't marry.

Lunch was strategically timed because we were about to enter the "dead zone of roads." We were greeted by an aged Great Dane who lived in a brightly multi-hued doghouse in the style of the region. There was a sign warning that there was a large dog on the premises who would greet you but who is friendly. As far as I could tell, his job was to move from one sunspot to another and to stalk and eat flies.

Houses in the area decorate the exteriors with painted reliefs reflecting designs used in weaving. They were a nice addition to the green of the forests and hills.

If I made fun of the condition of roads in Bulgaria, I apologize. If I praised the good condition of roads in Romania, I take it back. Generalizations generally don't work, and we met the exception to the road rule today. To get across the Carpathian Mts. and through the stunningly picturesque Prislop Pass, we followed a road that followed a stream. We had to run the gauntlet of a 48-mile long construction zone. Construction is a bit optimistic. The road was 1 1/2 cars wide to begin with. Add machinery, gravel, mud, no guard rails, crews mostly not working, trenches, semis, buses, horse carts, pedestrians, sheep, dogs, cats, chickens, cows and you have continuing chaos. We had ample time to nap and take pictures. During our sheep encounter, a shepherd held up a lamb. Excited, Judi started making a video with sound. When she went to view it all she had was her finger over the lens with lots of bleating. 

We're staying at a Best Western in a town with one of the weirdest names. Makes sense only if you know we're on the Humor River. Church bells have been ringing forever. Just when I think it's over, it starts again. Church bells or dogs. Take your pick. Oops. The dogs just started up.

We walked to Hilde's for a lovely dinner of beet borscht and goulash, at last. Judi had chicken with a Camembert sauce. We may go back tomorrow. David has his eye on duck. 

Tomorrow we tour the area's monasteries.

Toby

Barsana Monestary

Sheep,goat,cattle drive

Decorated house

Maramures Tour

Horowitz Travel- May 16, 2017- Maramures Tour

I thought we'd wake up with designs on faces and bodies. The bedding, including the pillow case, was textured, rough seersucker. At least I could scratch my back when I turned over. And we tossed and turned a lot. Even with earplugs I heard the village dogs barking late into the night. Their inner nocturnal wolf DNA kicked in and turned them into hounds of darkness.

Speaking of the dark side, today could be called the day of the dead. I'll fill you in. There have been references to Jews in this area since 1062 CE. We did get in to see the remaining synagogue. It is in Sighet, and the only one of the six that were here in 1885. It is still in use by the 130 remaining Jews and is in the process of being repaired. Fifty percent of the population was Jewish. Of the 25,000 in the area, 12,000 were deported to concentration and labor camps. We were shocked to see that Auschwitz was only 600 miles away. Jews who returned to Romania after WWII and wanted to emigrate to Israel were traded for a bounty based on their education and how much the Communists thought they were worth. Conversion to Judaism was prohibited at the time for obvious reasons. Christians who were determined to escape by reason of becoming Jewish had to go to Hungary. From 40,000 Jews in all of Romania before WWII, there are now 6-7,000.

Elie Wiesel was born and lived with his family in Sighet until they were deported. He is a favorite son of the town and his house is now a museum of Jewish history of his time. The curator was an extremely knowledgeable woman whose mission was to educate locals, especially school children, about Jewish history and the Holocaust. On a hopeful note, right next to the Holocaust Memorial is being built a second synagogue.

The visit to the farmer's market held more excitement than usual. The place was crawling with police looking for smugglers. Evidently, Romanians cross into the Ukraine, some 200 meters away at some points and separated by a river, to buy cigarettes and drugs. They then try to sell them "under the table" at the market. Of course, I got a welcome to the Ukraine from Verizon.

We walked over to the Communist Memorial, which is to Romanians as our Holocaust memorials are to us. Our ignorance soon became apparent. A former prison for political, religious, and intellectual "criminals," it tells the story of the 250 prisons throughout the country where 600,000 were jailed between 1944 and 1989. Pictures of the bunks where prisoners slept couldn't be distinguished from Nazi camps. Photos of faces lined the walls commemorating those who died through torture, neglect, illness, or execution. There's a black memorial wall with names engraved of those lost. An interesting feature is that large blank areas have been left where more names can be added. Not all archives of the period have been released. Radu said that there are old Communists still living who don't want to be named as oppressors. When they die out, the remaining files will be opened and names added to the wall. A heart-wrenching bronze sculpture depicts naked men and women in varied states of grief, pain, and desperation as they face the barbed wired impenetrable wall of the prison yard. 

We drove to Sapinta to see the Merry Cemetery. Towering over it is a colorfully tiled church with mosaic exterior. But that's not why people flock there. Headstones are ornately colored and illustrated with carvings depicting the life of the deceased. The epitaph tells a funny anecdote about the person's life.

Next was the Jewish Cemetery back in Sighet. Fortunately, the lady with the key was home, and we entered through barbed wire fencing and under a guard tower (not occupied) to see a somewhat maintained facility. Graves of important rabbis and their wives were in a "chapel" while the rest had to make do with lesser accommodations. Some stones were tipped, but many were new. You could tell that the grave was old, but someone had recently replaced the headstone.

Onward we went to a display of today's living illustration of old traditions. A woodworking shop still made fences and gazebos. Women washed heavy rugs in the stream using an ingenious method of placing them in a large tub and letting the power of the naturally flowing water do the work (better than scrubbing on a rock), and, the ultimate in optimistic advertising, a dowry tree. A leafless tree is set in the yard. Pots are hung from it depending on the wealth of the family. If the pot on top is red, there's a young woman who's available for marriage. The one we saw had a green pot on top. I guess the family is fresh out of virgins. 

So, from death we arrived at life and hope for the future.

Dinner was a repeat of last night only with beef soup, chicken and risotto. There were an additional 21 guests from the U.S. who are Eastern Orthodox, plus the gang of seven from last night. We continue tomorrow with the New Zealanders while the New York couple head to Bulgaria. A distraction during the entertainment was Alicia, the three-year old little girl who wears all the shoes I spoke about. She stood to the side during the entertainment singing along and dancing. She stole the show.

Tomorrow we go to the North of Moldavia and the town of Gura Humorului in Bucovina.

Toby

Synagogue Sighet

Anti-Communist Memorial

Stream run washing machine

Dowry Tree

Maramures

Horowitz Travel- May 15, 2017- Maramures

Where the hell are we? I don't know the name of the town, but it took a day to get here. I do know that we can see the Ukrainian border from here. That could be due to my extraterrestrial experience this morning. Our shower was enclosed top to bottom by a cylindrical clear plastic sliding door. Once inside, I looked out at David and said, "Beam me up Scotty." Oh wait, my phone just told me we're in Vadu Izei.

Breakfast was a collaborative effort of the approximately ten people in the intimate breakfast room. Food and supplies were stored on a multi-level buffet in no particular order. Guests would see someone searching for an item and call out its location. Coffee was a whole new adventure. The machine had tiny pictorial outlines of different coffees. David got me through that, but I never would have figured out that there was a side lever under which to put the filled cup for steamed milk. Amidst all the interchanges, we met a couple from New Zealand and their guide. The guide was from the same company as ours, and we're on the same program. We should see them at dinner tonight.

We took the obligatory walk around the old city seeing exteriors of churches and multiple other curlicued facades on buildings used for government or university purposes. Clusters of students were on the move as we wove among them trying to stay together. On returning to our hotel, we loaded the van and immediately had troubles. Radu couldn't get it to go into reverse. In this model, the gear shift has to be pulled up before being slid into reverse. Despite a mighty effort it kept going into second. Since we were parallel parked on an incline, it was a major issue. Radu stopped a policeman who stopped traffic until the gears cooperated. At last, we were off.

I slept a lot in the car. There was a sameness to the roadside. Houses in Romania hug the road. Many seemed vacant, but had signs of life if I looked closely. Most exteriors were run-down and the surrounding property unkempt. This went for towns and villages we passed. I think this is a poorer country than I imagined from being in Bucharest. But the highways, even the two-lane ones, were in very good repair. 

We were going North into Maramures County (land of forests). We breezed through Baia Mares (large mines) without seeing a single copper or silver mine. We crossed the Maramures Mts. and deadheaded to the 1720's Church of Surdesti, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until recently, at 225 feet tall, the spire of the church made it the second tallest in Europe. It is now a Greek Catholic Church using the Romanian language to worship and whose pontiff is the Pope in Rome. It had been Eastern Orthodox until the Hapsburg's influence prevailed and it became Catholic with its own twist. Original faded paintings peer out from the aged walls making it a challenge to decipher them. White fabric swags with red and black embroidery are hung around the perimeter of the interior draping each icon with a handmade token of devotion. Backless benches and floors are covered in gray and white wool rugs doing nothing to warm the frigid interior. Women still sit in back of the men as old traditions prevail. In the end, it might be Mother Nature that puts an end to it all. A very determined woodpecker was hard at work on the steeple as we left. 

This area is known for decoratively carved wooden gates with wooden chain embellishments. Those homes without the old gates still install unique, though modern ones. The old ways die hard in this area. Horse carts are a common sight and haystacks are assembled in the shape of Orthodox Church domes. But progress must come. I asked about the bright yellow guard rails on the roads. I was told those aren't guard rails. They're gas lines. Evidently, they're not concerned about cars running into them and causing explosions.

We're staying two nights in a private home. Well, it's a series of three homes owned by the same family. The daughter and her children live in ours. I don't know how many toddlers she has, but there are enough tiny shoes of the same size in the entry to provide for triplets many times over. The rooms are modern though sparsely furnished. The bathroom is clean and basic with a Stark Trek shower. Doors to the rooms are interesting. Translucent glass is the main component in the doors. It's easy to see who's who in the rooms and view all kinds of details of dress and undress that is better unseen. David stayed in the room as Judi & I stood in the hall trying to see how far back he'd have to go to not put on a show. He has to be out the window or in the corner behind the armoire. However, the bathroom door is solid. Speaking of bathrooms, so far today, we've used blue, pink, and now orange crepe paper textured toilet paper. 

Dinner tonight was home hosted by the family who runs the houses. There are seven guests staying here including the New Zealanders and a Jewish couple from NYC. We assembled under a large gazebo for drinks of pear/apple brandy and/or blueberry and sour cherry liqueur. We were treated to a show of local music and dance performed by young people in typical costume. Some of the tunes had a W. Virginia sound and one sounded like a Romanian rap to Judi. One of the young dancers came over to shake my hand, or so I thought. He wanted me to dance and I did. It was a simple step, but when he reversed and I started twirling backwards, I was glad I hadn't had much to drink. We all joined in. Then the songs switched to Hava Nagila and Hevenu Shalom Aleichem. Judi and I got up to dance and grabbed the Romanians to join us. Turn-about is fair play. The food was delicious and all homemade if not home grown. They understood we didn't eat pork, but it seemed to be a challenge. We ended up with chicken in a delicious sauce and a to die for chocolate cake.

Tomorrow we'l tour locally.

Toby

Church of Surdesti

Ornate carved gate

Stark Trek shower

Dancers for tourists

 To

Tourists dancing

Cluj Napoca

Horowitz Travel- May 14, 2017-Cluj Napoca

Things looked better this morning. It was nice having two bathrooms. We got to breakfast in record time. The grand ballroom also served as the breakfast area. I could see shadows of the former grandeur of the hotel. Radu came to breakfast only to check that we had a good night then left us alone. Unlike Patrick, he walks slower. It's easier for us to keep together and keep up. Our daughter, Wendy, asked if Patrick set "unrealistic expectations" for us. I must say he did cajole us into doing some daring things by telling us that older people than we had done them. Fortunately, we didn't get injured.

Jews had been in Transylvania for 600 years. We started our walking tour of Sibiu this morning by going to the synagogue. It was closed, surrounded by weeds, but still in use. Crows circled overhead providing ominous symbolism of the fate of the Jewish community. Radu told us that depending on the predominant religion, the churches and synagogues nearby had to be built of wood. Stone and brick was reserved for houses of worship of the majority.  

Sibiu is a blend of Medieval and Renaissance. There are remains of the old fortress wall and ornate pastel buildings. Most buildings have "eye windows" in the roof to provide ventilation. It really feels as if you're being watched. Three churches dominate the skyline: Lutheran, Romanian Orthodox, and Catholic. All bells tolled at once to announce Sunday morning worship. 

We visited the Bruckenthal Museum featuring the collection of Baron Bruckenthal, governor of Transylvania in the 19th century. We were impressed with the Romanian artists who were unfamiliar to us. Other European artists were on display as well. A painting by Peter Bruegel took our breath away. It's entitled Massacre of the Innocents. I took an illegal photo of it as Judi stood guard. It translates a Biblical massacre into the Dutch culture showing soldiers killing babies and young children as they rip them from their parents' arms. Brutal.  

We packed our luggage into the van and headed for the farmers' market on our way out of town.  We've been to many markets and this was a simple one. But the produce always is stunning. We bought dried fruit and water, but noted that bananas were less expensive in the large grocery.

We had a two-hour drive ahead of us. Travel is always filled with these long hauls between cities and sites. The Carpathian Mts. were sunlit and the colors of the stucco houses glowed. Radu said that the brighter the color of the house, the more likely the paint was on clearance sale.

We were on our way to Turda. I kid you not. We even ate lunch there. Now I can say I had lunch in Turda. It's a famous town in Romania known for an ancient salt mine. The Romans worked the mine as did everyone who followed. It was closed in 1932, but salt is still big business in this country. In 1992, it opened to tourists and has been developed to be user friendly. We were told there were 13 flights of steps down to the main level and 13 more below that. It's conical in shape and almost 400 feet high. What we weren't told was that it was large enough, enormous enough, mammoth enough (sorry Mammoth Cave) to hold a small amusement park. There was a small bowling alley, ping pong and pool tables, miniature golf, children's playground, and full-scale Ferris wheel that we rode. Down 13 more flights, was a natural lake with rowboats. I'm conflicted about what they did with such a grand display of natural beauty, but understand the unique nature of this tourist destination. Footing was dicey. In case you wonder, there were elevators between the levels. We walked down and up about six flights then used the elevator.

Our stop for the night is Cluj Napoca, the second largest city in Romania. It has a university and a large IT community. We did a drive by of the synagogue which was not opened, of course. Radu has been calling the three phone numbers he had to contact them, but they didn't answer. We're at Hotel Siago, a small, old hotel. Bathrooms are updated and have shower stalls which we appreciate. I'm still not good with wand showers and no shower curtains. 

Dinner was at Marty's, a modern place catering to students. Big menu, cheerful, servers were happy to practice their English. I still haven't had goulash.

I started the conversation with Radu about LGBT issues. He's very liberal and told us that Parliament voted for one man one woman only marriage with pressure from behind the scenes by the Orthodox Church. He doesn't know how clergy can be so judgmental when some of them have been caught doing horrible things to children.

Toby

Peter Bruegel's massacre of the Innocents

David tastings alt

Amphitheater in salt mine

In Turda Salt Mine

Sibiu

Horowitz Travel- May 13, 2017- Sibiu

They never promised me a rose garden, and that's a good thing. What we got today was a learning curve and a new normal. 

We met our guide, Radu, after breakfast. He'd traveled into Bucharest by train starting at 3 AM from his home in Brasov. The Mercedes van he was driving was unfamiliar to him and it took a while and a call to the company owner to get the AC working correctly. As it turns out, this 49-year old was a bad boy during the Communist era. He was into heavy metal, had long hair, and wore black clothing. He was detained frequently by the police trying to convince him not to listen to Western music. Now he doesn't like Trump, is socially liberal, agrees with the country's strict gun laws, is against drugs, and is hoping his 15-year old son learns from his mistakes. The one vestige of his risk-taking youth is that he's a ski instructor in winter.

We did a quick drive-by of the royal palace, art museum, & the square where Ceausescu gave his final speech before escaping, being caught, then killed. For a moment, I thought the entire tour was going to be on wheels.

Then we pulled up to a ginormous building. We'd arrived at the showpiece of Romania, the Parliament. The Soviets never ran the government of Romania. They let the local Communists run things. This is reflected in the Parliament Palace. In 1977, there was a massive earthquake. This motivated Ceausescu to implement a building frenzy. He had a competition for the design of the building and a woman won. Not only does the building not look "Soviet," but it’s elaborate by any standards. It is second only to the Pentagon in size of an administrative building. We waited 45 minutes before the tour started then 30 more to go through security. They took our passports and we were cautioned to check to be sure we got the right one when we left. Good advice. They tried to give Judi a Canadian one.

 Ninety-nine per cent of the building material is Romanian. Many floors are parquet, towering doors are artfully carved, most walls, columns, and floors are marble. Chandeliers encrust ceilings and sconces festoon walls. It is a treasure to behold. The problem is that when government money was being spent on the building, the Romanian people had little food or electricity. 

An amusing story was that a film was being made about the Nazis and the papacy. They didn't get permission to shoot at the Vatican, so used the Romanian Parliament building as a stand in. They hung posters replicating some of the art in the Vatican and have not been able to remove them. I suggested Goo Gone, but the guide said they want to keep them now. It makes a good story.

And we were off to the Village Museum. It's a collection of 136 reassembled buildings brought from different regions of the country. Interesting, touristy, and Radu kept telling us we'd see most of the examples in place when we traveled. It drizzled, we took a quick walk through, dismissed eating at the snack shop, and left.

We had a 4-5 hour drive ahead of us. There are 2 million people living in Bucharest and I think they were all trying to leave at the same time. It was a good hour in traffic before we decided to pull into a Subway for lunch.

Radu filled us in on a cursory history of Romania. The people were originally called Dacians by the Romans. In Bulgaria, they were called Thracians. No alphabet, no history. But we know that already. Then there was a series of separate states, unions, partitions, reunions. The Ottomans tried to conquer them, but were paid tribute to stay out. After World War I part of Hungary became Romania. Some people still hold a grudge. Then there were the Hapsburgs who were everywhere. Don't want to leave out Saxons (not to be confused with Anglo-Saxons) who settled Sibiu where we are tonight. Romania joined the Nazis at the beginning of WWII but switched to an alliance with Russia. What a jumble.

We still had the Carpathian Mts. to traverse. It went from industrial to beautiful pretty quickly. Old red roofs are being replaced with metal ones making villages look pock marked. Fields of yellow rape seed plants waved good-bye as we entered the foothills and climbed through Olt River Gorge. 

Our hotel, Imparatul Romanilor, a 16th century building, was a shock. The first thing I noticed was that the carpet had stretched out of shape causing ripples in the lobby. We were told there's only Wi-Fi in the lobby, but we have a good connection in our room. Speaking of which, it's our second room. The first one was two levels. The bathroom and sitting area were as you entered and a flight of steep steps led up to the sleeping loft. One of us would be dead or maimed if we spent the night there. We asked for a new room and were given a "suite." I use quotations because, although it has a sitting room (with a twin bed in it), separate bedroom, and two bathrooms, it is shabby. There are plaster patches on the wall and aged TVs (yes, two of them). Since there are two doors to the hallway from our rooms, David asked me to check to see if the second one was locked. When I tried it, an alarm went off. I laughed so hard I almost fell down. Judi's word for the place is "horrendous."

We couldn't wait to go to dinner. The guide suggested a "cellar" for typical Romanian fare. We found it easily, walked in, and walked out. It was as hot as a sauna. I couldn't breathe and the others couldn't stand it either. We walked down the pedestrian mall of trendy shops in old buildings and chose poorly. The menu went for pages, but when we ordered they were out of what we wanted. Of a dozen soups they had two. We got pizza and salad. It was forever coming and the waiter didn't bring plates from which we could eat. The table next to us had to translate that request for us. He then brought us saucers.

All in all, we're happy to have the day end. Tomorrow we go to Cluj Napoca. Huh?

Toby

Parliament Palace

Parliament Palace

Hotel Imparatul Romanilor photographs well