Two archaeologists were still drunk and felt like vomiting on the bus, they said.
The two who missed the 6:15 bus, due to heavy intoxication and over-exhaustion, caught a 10:45 bus straight to Transylvania and arrived within 10 hours.
There were no casualties.
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After a somewhat gruesome journey to Transylvania, we checked into The Rolling Stone Hostel in Braşov, washed up and headed back out for dinner.
Our hostel was located in the Old Town and was a five-minute walk from the main square, where concerts, craft shows and flee markets were held each day and night. The main square (Piaţa Sfatului) has been a place for annual markets since 1364 and boasts indoor/outdoor terraces, restaurants, fountains, the Black Church and the former Council House. Lastly, Old Town is nestled by beautiful, forested mountains, where the Hollywood-type sign of Braşov overlooks the city.
Picturesque, pedestrian-only, cobblestone streets spread out from the square like long, thin arms of an octopus.
Buildings here look medieval, featuring different architectural styles, each made of stucco and worn tile roofs. Wooden doors, windows and gates were ornate and intricate in their designs. No building looked the same. Some looked more gothic than others. Some were blue, mint green or purple stucco, others tan, yellow or brown. But each one was as charming as the next.
Streets were quaint and narrow, some cobblestone others paved. And there were people everywhere- eating, shopping, sitting, walking, reading, selling, begging, watching, hiking, cycling.
Although Braşov was obviously a tourist hub, the Romanian culture felt authentic and rich. And we all agreed that it is one of the most beautiful cities we've seen.
In fact, if I had to suggest you visit only one place in Romania, I would tell you to go to Braşov. I'm ready to move there. Now if only it was close to the beach...
The next morning, all nine of us woke up at a reasonable time and got on a bus with other people from our host and spent the day sightseeing. First, we drove an hour to the village of Bran, where Dracula's Castle (or Bran Castle) is located and hundreds of shops and merchants sell Dracula-themed trinkets.
Unfortunately, the bus-driver wasn't very clear when he said "you have an hour." We all thought he meant we had an hour to shop and then he would take us to the castle. Turns out, the entrance to the castle was located in the maze of merchants. So we all spent our time wandering around, gift-shopping, until we found the castle entrance and realized it was too late.
We then hopped back on the bus and drove an hour and a half to the town of Sinaia to see Pelişor Castle. This castle was built between 1899-1903 by order of King Carol I of Romania, as the residence for his nephew and heir, future King Ferdinand and his consort Queen Marie.
Pelişor was designed in the Art Nouveau style by a Czech architect. There are several chambers, a chapel and "the golden room," a room covered top to bottom in 24-karat gold, where Queen Marie died.
Queen Marie was a talented artist, known for painting flowers, and many of her paintings adorn the chamber walls. She participated in the castle's decoration, including a set of chairs on which she painted lilies.
Unfortunately, I was not able to take any pictures of the inside of the castle; the tour guides were asking for 32 lei for a photo, which I thought was ridiculous.
Pelişor Castle is part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleş, a Neo-Renaissance castle built between 1873-1914. Unfortunately, we did not have time to go inside, but still took some pictures of the outdoor facade, statue garden and courtyard, which you can see in my pictures below.
I really hope to return to Romania so I can see all the things I didn't have time for in Transylvania. I feel as though there are so many things to see here that Transylania requires its own separate trip. One day of sightseeing felt rushed and was simply not enough time to see more than one castle. We all agreed that we could easily spend a week or more here.
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