Church, then Peleș Castle.

We have enjoyed Brașov. I really like this city. It's the largest city in the Transylvania region of Romania and is ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. We could easily spend more time here but then we don't get to see other places. We enjoyed going to church this morning. It has been a long time since Russell and I visited Brașov with Matthew Mathias, our manager during our mission. It would have been early December 2019. Once Covid came we then had to communicate with the Brașov leaders by zoom as the border to Romania was closed. It was lovely to meet up with President Radu Stoica. To our surprise he asked us to speak during a special lesson on temples. We obviously weren't ready for any photos!

This afternoon we drove to Peleș Castle. It's renowned for its beauty and is sometimes compared to Neuschwanstein. All we read told of its luxuriousness and beauty. It was the summer palace and was built by the first King of Romania, Carol I of Hohenzollern – Sigmaringen, between 1873 and 1914. Many people told us not to miss seeing it. So when we arrived and saw the facade of the palace covered in material that looked like shade cloth and with scaffolding we felt rather let down! However we still walked to the castle and went in. It was well worth it. There is no way the decor would suit me as it was very lavish and not my taste, but it was exquisite and the craftsmanship superb. The photos of inside are really ordinary. If you like royal palaces Google it and check out the palace. I was really taken by the courtyard.

The drive to and from the castle was extremely pretty. Such lovely mountains and villages. Many of the towns we passed cater for ski enthusiasts in the winter and other tourists during the rest of the year. It is a beautiful area.Read more