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More Adventures!
  • Julie Bielenberg
mai – jul. 2024

More Adventures!

A log of our adventures from May to July 2024 as Russell and I get to experience a little more of this beautiful world. "Every Day Is An Adventure". Les mer
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  • Julie BielenbergMore Adventures!Reisende

    The Hypergeum and The Malta Experience.

    14. juni 2024, Malta ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    When he heard we were coming to Malta, our friend Stephen Sacco suggested we visit the Hypogeum but warned that tickets sell out early, so book before we go. When we got there this morning we saw many turned away. There was a sign saying the next available tickets were for July 27. It is a unique and fascinating place and only 10 people are allowed per group.

    Photos were not allowed and phones, cameras and bags were placed in lockers before we could enter. The photos that follow are either from the brochure I picked up or the official website. The wording that follows also comes from the website. Thanks Steve for the recommendation. What an incredible place. Older than the pyramids and Stonehenge.

    The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an outstanding underground burial complex that bears testimony to a civilization that has disappeared. It was in use between 4000 BC and 1500BC. It is a unique monument, consisting of halls, chambers and passages hewn out of globigerina limestone. The complex is dug in three levels: the upper level, the middle level, and the lower level. If you want more details go to https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/130/

    We learnt a lot about Malta this afternoon when we attended The Malta Experience. Right next to St Elmo's Fort it is also a great viewpoint for overlooking part of the Grand Harbour. The audio-visual show tells the dramatic story of the islands’ 7000 year history. Educational, informative and entertaining, the show runs through the turbulent history of a small island nation that has overcome almost unimaginable odds to survive and prosper.

    We then did the short La Sacra Infermeria Tour in the same building. Malta’s Knights of St John are famous for repelling an invasion and their military exploits abroad. But their origins were actually those of peace and caring for the sick. This noble past is revealed on a tour of “La Sacra Infermeria” (Holy Infirmary)

    Other photos from today are added to the post.    Les mer

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    Mdina and Rabat at night.

    14. juni 2024, Malta ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Mdina, an ancient fortified city was one place we didn't want to miss - but when could we see it?

    We decided to visit in the evening .Very few tourists and it's cooler at night. We joined a night tour which started by driving by the Valletta nations and fortifications. We stopped at an area now called the Valletta Waterfront. It is old restored warehouses, shops, restaurants etc. A large screen was playing a soccer match. The
    Most restaurants were busy.

    Rabat and Mdina were once one town but the Arabs divided it.

    Rabat has a growing population, lots of cars and the hustle and bustle of a busy town. We enjoyed walking the streets of the old town section before walking to adjacent Mdina.

    Mdina is known as the silent city and it certainly was at night. It was a very charming town, spotlessly clean - immaculate in fact. The few residents cars seemed out of place. Games of Thrones fans apparently would recognise the main city gate but they haven't really capitalised on the connection as Dubrovnik and Split have. You can see over most of Malta from Mdina so it was a perfect place to see if enemies were approaching. It was once the capital of Malta and like everywhere else in Europe has a long and very interesting history.

    (Night photography is not high on my list of skills unfortunately.) Photos:
    - our initial view of Medina.
    - photos of Rabat
    - in the waterless moat and then the city gate and photos in Mdina
    - photos around Valletta
    - lastly, 2 snaps about 150m around the corner as we walked home after the tour.    Les mer

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    Gozo - part 1.

    15.–18. jun. 2024, Malta ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Gozo is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, one of 21 that make up the Maltese archipelago. The 2nd biggest island, the island of Malta is the largest. We spent the day there today.

    We booked an all-day trip so we could easily see different parts of the island. It was a very long day. We were picked up near our flat and spent an hour picking up others and driving to Cirkewwa. It's close to Gozo, about 25 minutes on the ferry. It was really interesting to see different parts of the island.

    Our first stop was at Xaghra. The Ggantija temple complex is a unique pre-historic monument, situated at the centre of an extraordinary archaeological landscape, the Xaghra plateau on the island of Gozo. The oldest part of this complex dates to 3600BC, thus making it one of the earliest free-standing manmade structures in the world.

    Next was Xlendi. A small touristy town that was traditionally a fishing village. Some fishing still happens but it is better known now for diving and leisure. We were taken there to a restaurant for an okay but not great lunch and a bit of time to look around. Some nice coastal scenery but not a lot to see in the village.

    We drive through several Gozo towns during our day. The island had many towns and an overall population of approximately 40,000.

    Dwejra or The Inland Sea was our third stop. It is a lagoon of seawater linked to the Mediterranean Sea through an opening formed by a narrow natural arch. It was probably formed where a geological fault in the limestone had created a sea cave and the roof then collapsed. The bottom of the lagoon is also mostly pebbles and rocks and is fairly shallow. Exiting through the tunnel towards open sea, the floor drops away in a series of shelves to a depth of up to 35 meters on the outside. We chose to go on a boat through the archway and then for a tour of the nearby cliffs and other sites such as Fungus Rock. Once we sailed through the opening to the Mediterranean Sea the water was an amazing brilliant blue.    Les mer

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    Gozo Island - part 2

    15. juni 2024, Malta ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Victoria was the last stop on our Gozo day tour. The Citadel or Citadella as it is known to the Maltese is an old city overlooking Gozo Island. It is located in Victoria (formerly known as Rabat), the “capital city” of Gozo. This ancient fortified city was built during the Middle Ages to protect the local population. The history is mind boggling. So many rulers at different stages for the same area. (Australia's history is so very different to all these European countries.) Great views from the walls, you can see pretty much all over Gozo. (Very similar to seeing all over Malta from Mdina.)

    After Victoria the bus returned to the port for the return ferry ride and then bus transfer back across the island to Valletta. We decided to leave the group and catch the fast ferry. Instead of going the short distance to Cirkewwa it goes directly to Valletta. It was an easy decision, glad we thought of it. The 4:45pm fast ferry (a catamaran) would have us very close to home when it docked at 5:30 whereas the other ferry left at 5pm and with all the dropping off etc we'd be lucky to be at our drop off point by 6:30. We would get to see more of coastal Malta plus enter the Grand Harbour at Valletta and enjoy those views. On top of that we didn't feel happy with the driving of the bus driver in the morning so we were happy to miss his drive back.

    The fast ferry docks near where we are but very much lower. Our ticket on the ferry included a ticket in the lift that goes up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens which is super close to our flat. The video is from there overlooking the harbour.

    We very much enjoyed our day on Gozo Island.    Les mer

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    Mosta.

    16. juni 2024, Malta ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We started our Sunday at the Mosta branch of our church. We were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed our time there. It was like a little bit of home. The Mission President was attending from Rome to reorganise the branch leadership. A young woman sat by me and it turns out she lived in Hungary for 3 years and is a friend of Kamilla whom we know. It's a small world.

    In the very next block to where we attended our Sacrament meeting, the very well known Mosta Rotunda sits in all her glory. The Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady is the full name of the church but gets called the Mosta Rotunda or the Mosta Dome. It was built in 1860. During the Second World War the church was almost destroyed when, during an air raid, a 200kg bomb fell through the dome without exploding. All the 300 people attending morning mass were left unharmed. (Malta was bombed more than anywhere else during WW2.) On the 9th April, 1942 the detonator was removed and a replica is now on display inside the church as a famous tourist attraction. The design was based on the Pantheon in Rome and has the 3rd biggest unsupported dome in the world. As well as being a church it is a big tourist attraction and they have a self guided tour with an app to guide visitors through the building and also to the underground war shelters.

    We meet up with Angela and Brian, Queenslanders who were part of our Italian tour group, for dinner tonight. They arrived in Valletta last night. It was fun meeting up them again and was a lovely way to spend our last evening in Malta.    Les mer

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    The Three Cities, Malta.

    17. juni 2024, Malta ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    'The Three Cities' in Malta are some of the island’s historic towns. They’re right across the harbour from Valletta. There are: Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua. Surrounded by fortress walls, these fortified cities are full of culture, history, and architecture.

    We decided that taking a very short ferry ride across the harbour would be a good way to fill in the hours between checking out of our apartment and checking in at the airport. So after we stored our luggage we did just that. Originally we expected to explore much more but it is way too hot for us today to enjoy much walking. So we did walk for a while and then saw the little white tourist train and decided that was a good idea. No doubt we missed lots of great places but we were happy enough with our sightseeing. It went through Kalkara as well. These towns are quieter than Valletta and seem to be less changed by tourists - so far at least. After a bite to eat and some gelato we decided to head back. We ditched the ferry and went back on one of the cute small boats that we had often seen on the harbour. It was a really great ride back. We were shaded by the fabric roof and the sea breeze was great. Sadly it came to an end. We walked a little around Valletta until it was time to collect our luggage and head to the Malta Airport. That's where we are now waiting until we board our flight. It's a small airport. What is nice is that there is a piano here for anyone to play - and people do play it. They usually get clapped when finished. Rome airport also had a piano, in fact more than one I think. Maybe it's a European thing; it's nice. At least we are no longer boiling hot, we are in good air-conditioning. The heat is draining. By the time we reach our next apartment later tonight we should sleep well. Note to self: don't ever visit Europe within cooee of a northern summer. Not unless it's Iceland or somewhere much further north than where we've been.

    Malta has been fabulous, but it's time to move on.    Les mer

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    We're back!

    17. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    It's wonderful to be back!

    It's a bit after 10pm and we have arrived at our home in Budapest for the next 3 nights. It's lovely. Great views from the balcony as you can see. I can't wait to see it in daytime.

    SO HAPPY to be back in Hungary ♥️🇭🇺💚    Les mer

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    Budapest and the Great Synagogue.

    18. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Budapest is just as beautiful as when we left Hungary almost 3 years ago. How wonderfully familiar it is to us. We are in another country that is so different from home but feels so comfortable. The language again is not one we speak but instead of sounding strange it sounds familiar. It's so good to be able to come back and visit. ♥️🇭🇺💚

    The two highlights of today's sightseeing were the Dohány Street Synagogue (also known as The Great Synagogue) and the Danube Night Cruise. So first the synagogue.

    We weren't able to go into the largest synagogue in Europe (and 2nd largest in the world) when we lived in Hungary as it was Covid time so had merely walked by the perimeter of the complex there. As we arrived we were told there would be a tour in 15 minutes. The guide told us some fascinating facts. It was built at a time when the Budapest Jews were trying to less conservative and assimilate more into the community. So this synagogue was built to look more like a Hungarian church. No other synagogue is like it at all. The architects were given a list of instructions but much was ignored and the interior was built to resemble a Catholic church. The two pulpits for example weren't meant to be added. Our guide said they sometimes get used by camera operators if a concert is on!! Synagogues don't have organs. The story there is hilarious but too long to add here!

    Of course much of the Hungarian Jewish story is tragic. The Budapest ghetto was right beside the synagogue. There's mass graves of 2281 people who died in the ghetto from starvation, sickness or murder - many of whom are unidentified. Behind the buildings is a holocaust tribute. We had seen that through the fence previously but not up close. It is known by many names including The Tree of Life, The Holocaust Memorial Tree, The Emanuel Tree, and The Memorial of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs. The sculpture was created by Imre Varga in 1991. The memorial was sponsored by the Emanuel Foundation of New York for an estimated $2 million. The foundation was created in 1987 by Tony Curtis in honor of his father, Emanuel Schwartz, who emigrated to New York from Mátészalka. The sculpture commemorates the at least 400,000 Hungarian Jews murdered by the Nazis and their Hungarian collaborators during World War II. The sculpture takes the form of a silver-colored metal weeping willow tree symbolic of mourning. The tree has thousands of small metallic leaves, some of which are engraved with the names of victims of the Holocaust that were once housed in the Budapest Ghetto.

    Some suggest that the weeping willow tree form also represents an upturned menorah. In front of the tree stands a tall, black pillar with two spaces that form the image of the Tablets of the Covenant. It’s believed the pebbles placed around the base of the sculpture are left in memory of those who lost their lives.

    After the tour we checked out the other areas in the complex, including a museum and a photographic exhibition on the Budapest Ghetto 1944-1945.

    Whilst not at this location I was reminded of when we previously saw the 'Shoes by the Danube'. They are made of iron and set into the concrete of the embankment. They are a memorial and a monument to the Hungarian Jews who, in the winter of 1944-1945, were shot on the banks of the Danube River by the members of the Arrow Cross Party. Such a tragic history. The House of Terror museum which we also saw wh en we lived here is another testament of man's inhumanity to man. ... And yet ward and atrocities continue in the world today. 😢    Les mer

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    The Danube River Cruise.

    18. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    We saw many familiar sights as we walked around the Pest side of Budapest. The lovely St. Stephen's Basilica for example - which we have toured from top to bottom previously.

    While we have been on a night cruise in the Danube before, it was something worth repeating. Nothing beats seeing the beautiful Budapest buildings at night from the river. The incredibly gorgeous Parliament building. No matter how many times you see it, day or night you never tire of seeing it. The Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, several churches. There's so much beauty, the Gellert Hill, the hotels, the universities and technical unis, the arts complexes, concert halls even the bridges. It is just a magical sight.

    Even the view from the tram stop and bus stop (last collage) are better than you usually find elsewhere!

    Beautiful Budapest ♥️🇭🇺💚    Les mer

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    The Castle Quarter.

    19. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Today we spent the day in the Castle area in Buda. Some of the time we were revisiting favourite spots which we love. The rest of the time we were able to check out places we have only seen on the outside because of Covid regulations at the time.

    The area on the castle hill is very special. Still lots of rebuilding and renovating is taking place as in recent times the plans have been to restore it all to how it once was. Much of the castle quarter was bombed and destroyed during the war. The heaviest damage was to the Palace. The whole building was burnt out, its dome had collapsed, its roofs and staircases had come down, and the walls of the southern wing had also collapsed. We toured some of the museums, exhibitions etc. We enjoyed lunch at the Royal Guard Restaurant. No matter where we went, the views over the river from this elevated area were simply outstanding. I remember saying when we first came here in 2019 (before we felt attached to Hungary), and I still believe it, that Budapest is more beautiful than any other capital city I've seen. I thought Paris was beautiful, and it is, as well as many other places but still this is my all time favourite.

    The very last collage is of the front of our apartment. It's quite typical of an older Hungarian apartment building. The front door, the internal courtyard, internal stairs (there is a lift) and the little park just 20 metres away. It's an ideal spot; walking distance to the main attractions if you want, but plenty of buses and a tram right nearby. The Metro (underground) is not very far. Public transport in Budapest is free for seniors regardless of nationality. (It was just for EU seniors when we lived in Hungary.) The flat itself has been renovated to a high standard, we'd be happy to stay longer but we leave tomorrow for Eger. Super excited to return to the town that was our home for 21 months.    Les mer

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    Home to Eger 🏡

    20. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today we travelled to Eger, our home for nearly 2 years. It is just a month short of 3 years ago that we left, however part of our heart never left. As we collected a rental car and drove here it was exciting to see names in the road signs that were so familiar to us. I remember seeing the name Nyíregyháza on a road sign on our first trip to Eger in 2019 and thinking I'll never learn how to say these names!! Of course I did and they no longer seem strange!

    As we will have ample time to wander about Eger over the next couple of days we didn't drive directly there. We decided to drive to some nearby villages before settling in to our flat. We did a round trip through Kerecsend, Demjén and Egerszalók. We headed that way to drive through the hills which were our way in and out of Eger for most of our stay here. A new highway opened before we left and takes a different route. Egerszalók we have been to many times. On our way into Eger we stopped on a hill amidst grape vines to overlook Eger and Nagy-Eged Hill. We always knew we were nearly home when that hill came into view.

    We then drove to Noszvaj, 15km from Eger in a different direction. It's a lovely village which we always liked.

    It is fabulous seeing all these familiar places. The countryside is lovely and green. A huge change from Malta.

    When back in Eger we checked in to our accommodation, went for a walk up and down Bródy Sándor Utca, the street where we lived in an apartment above offices and 2 small shops.

    Then we had the best evening. Dinner at a restaurant with friends Ottilia and her husband Lajos, followed by visiting one of the many icecream shops for dessert. I've taken a liking to cantaloupe icecream which I'd never had before this trip to Europe. Ottilia and Lajos then came back to our flat to chat for a while. It was so good to see them. Our flat is huge compared to the other apartments we've recently been in. Very nicely restored, modern and right in the old town. There's an area set up by the creek just 40 metres away with a large screen, food and drink stands etc to watch the Euro24 suffer games, but with the very thick walls of this old building and the double glazing we don't hear a thing until we open our door. We remember the same set up when Euro 2020 was on. The crowd swells incredibly when Hungary plays.

    We have missed Eger. We're happy back in our home away from home.    Les mer

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    Memories Galore ♥️🇭🇺💚

    21. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    What a special day. Another hot one so we headed into the mountains where it's a bit cooler.

    We stopped off at Felsőtárkány on our way. It's only 14 KMs from Eger. We often went there for a quiet walk around the lake.

    Once in the Bükk mountains we sometimes stopped at a particular place in the first which had nice views over the mountains. A planetarium was being built right by there. It is now finished.

    We had to stop for workers trimming trees for a while but finally got to our destination.

    Lillafüred was one of our 2 favourite places to visit when we lived in Hungary. We went on our own a few times, even stayed in the hotel one time, and came many times with missionaries when they were new to the area. It is so picturesque. Absolutely a picture perfect place. We have never seen so few people walking around the grounds except maybe on one winter trip in the snow. We had the loveliest day with lots of "Remember when..." moments.

    Instead of returning to Eger by the very windy road we drove on to Lillafüred (hardly any straight stretches) we drove around the outskirts of Miskolc. We ignored the freeway option and came home through Mezőkövesd. We saw lots of sunflower fields and it's almost time for the flowers to bloom. We might be just a bit too early to see them in an their glory.

    Late this afternoon Russell went out to meet with his friend Eugene. They became friends during the English classes we were involved in and have kept occasional contact after we returned home.

    Our day ended with dinner and a walk before it got dark.    Les mer

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    Into the Bükk Mountains again.

    22. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    My day started with a trip to the market, then after breakfast we headed out for the day. We revisited the other favourite of our 2 favourite nearby places. Szilvásvárad. It's a small town in the Bükk mountains but brings in lots of Hungarian tourists. Not a huge number of English speaking tourists in this out of the way place. It has many Equestrian events, is a centre for many outdoor activities like hiking, mountain bike riding etc. We like it because it has a fabulous forest walk along the Szalajka Valley. It's very well set up for tourists, it's not like the goat tracks we sometimes found ourselves walking on during our stay in Hungary!

    We caught the forest train up to the picnic area and walked back. The approximately 4km walk is more downhill on the way back! It's just a beautiful spot. The stream runs along side the path. You hear that running and birds chirping. It's a relaxing place.

    The area is renowned for trout so that's what I had for lunch. Delicious 😋.

    Before leaving the area we drove higher into the mountain to a lookout. One of Hungary's many Millennial Lookouts built to celebrate the new millennium in 2000. The steep walk to the lookout from the carpark is actually worse than climbing up the tower.

    As we drove home we remembered a very old church at Bélapátfalva. The Cistercian abbey was founded by a bishop of Eger way back in 1234. We have visited a couple of times in the past, saw some ruins and inside the church. It was all fenced off this time and is currently being renovated. A new building has been built as well and is almost finished.

    It was another lovely day of seeing places that we love and having many memories return. (Like Russell falling flat when slipping on ice on one of our walks in winter. We both bought new boots with lots of tread after that! He wasn't hurt fortunately.)    Les mer

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    The people are special too!

    23. juni 2024, Ungarn ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Apparently there was a massive thunderstorm, lightning and lots of rain about midnight. We slept through it all! However the stream that runs through Eger was rushing quickly this morning and had swollen so much the water was spilling over onto some of the paths.

    Hungary is not only special because of its beauty, but because of its people. We had been looking forward to seeing some people at church this morning that we knew when we lived here. Unfortunately 2 of the ladies I wanted to see were ill and not there but we fortunately got to see some others. Not all got in the photos but most did. I love these Eger ladies. As we were here during Covid we didn't get to mingle as much as we would have done otherwise but we did enough to know how special they are and we have missed them. Kati made a very yummy chocolate and sour cherry cake to share after the meetings.

    Ottilia and Lajos invited us to their apartment for lunch.
    A very Hungarian menu and it was delicious. A choice of fruit soup (chilled) or a vegetable and dill soup (hot), followed by chicken paprika with pasta, and a cake and a pastry dessert. We had such a wonderful afternoon.

    Later in the day we took a last walk around Eger and headed to the Archbishop's Garden, the name of the large park that was a regular walking destination for us. Then finally a walk around the castle and a chance to enjoy the views over Eger.    Les mer

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    Oradea

    24. juni 2024, Romania ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    We are in România now! 🇷🇴 We left Eger this morning 😓 and returned our rental car in Debrecen and met up with good friends Patty and Mac Richards from the U.S. We are now in a bigger rental car and the 4 of us have begun a road trip into parts of România. Tonight we are in the city of Oradea and are looking forward to our time in this beautiful country.Les mer

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    Oradea.

    25. juni 2024, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Oradea, so glad we have returned to visit! We started by visiting the Fortress which we interrupted by walking across to the Cathedral of the Orthodox Episcopate Oradea. Then back to the Fortress to visit the 3 floors of the main museum. To view it properly would take all day. We had a light lunch then headed to the Oradea Roman Catholic Basilica and the garden there.

    The best part of the day came next, when we were able to catch up with Izabela, Florin and Ammon Geambasu 🥰

    Izabela was born in Oradea and not only has a great love for her city but a great knowledge of the beautiful buildings and history. We were treated to a personal guided tour! Oradea has some really special buildings. My photos don't do them justice. It's a lovely city. Following the walking tour we enjoyed dinner together. It was so lovely to see them again and appreciate their friendship and kindness.    Les mer

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    The Merry Cemetery.

    26.–30. jun. 2024, Romania ⋅ 🌩️ 23 °C

    I woke very early and while I would have preferred to sleep longer I was rewarded with a very pretty sunrise.

    We left Oradea this morning and drove north to the Maramureș region. It is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathian mountains. Obviously we stayed in Romania. We were close enough for a part of our trip to see the Tisza river which in that area forms the border. (Close enough that Mac's phone received the "Welcome to Ukraine" message from his mobile phone provider!). The Ukrainian countryside was visible for quite a while. While there hasn't been bombing within 100km of the border with Hungary it must be stressful for those who still live there.

    Our first major stop was at Săpânța the village that is home to The Merry Cemetery. It is famous for its brightly coloured tombstones which are painted, carved and have a poem telling of the people who are buried there in addition to scenes from their lives.

    It really was an amazing place. Some of the 'poems' are quite sad, some quirky. It's fascinating really. While I was waiting for the others to wake up this morning, I read several articles about the cemetery. I also read many translations of the words written on some of the crosses. What an unusual cemetery. This is one of the articles I read. https://romaniatourism.com/press-sapanta-maramu…

    Săpânța also has one of the wooden churches the Maramureș region is famous for, so we then visited it before heading to our hotel.

    We are staying in Baia Mare for 2 nights, so on the way there we stopped at Deseşti to see another wooden churches. We only knew of one there by a pretty cemetery. We saw a wooden church, stopped and looked but there was no cemetery so thought maybe there was another. So we looked about and found it just as the thunder and rain started. Patty and I still went to check it out but unfortunately the church was already closed for the day. It was about 5pm.
    We headed to our hotel and the descent from the mountains was full of twists and turns the whole way. An incredibly windy road that seemed to go on and on.

    It was a long but fascinating day. We were surprised how good the roads were and how prosperous many of the villages looked. We expected dreadful roads and much poorer villages. Not everyone is well off but the number of impressive looking homes was a surprise.

    Baia Mare is the major city in the region. Quite a few locals were out watching the Romania vs Slovakia Euro 2024 soccer game as we went out for dinner.    Les mer

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    Maramureș Region Day 2.

    27. jun.–1. jul. 2024, Romania ⋅ 🌩️ 23 °C

    Today wasn't as full a day for us. We didn't travel too far. The plan was to see 2 or 3 more wooden houses. It is amazing how they were built with no nails etc - just all wood. We mapped out a route and I realised we were only a few kilometres from Baia Sprie and we would be driving through there. My friend Suzanne Johnson has Romanian heritage. Her now deceased aunt and uncle used to look after a little round church there. We decided we would visit the church on our way through.

    We noticed a wooden church on the way out of Baia Mare and stopped for a few minutes before hunting down the round church in nearby Baia Sprie. It was quite a marathon getting to the church. The very narrow uphill road was incredibly rough with lots of loose stones. We wondered if we should drive our standard (not 4-wheel drive) on that road. We finally parked when we got as far as cars were allowed and then climbed a hill through the overgrown yard - but we got there! It obviously hasn't been used for a long time and unfortunately we could only see it from the outside.

    We then visited the wooden church at Plopiș. Back in 1798, when its construction started, 49 families lived in Plopis, a village renowned at the time for the carpentry skills of its inhabitants. Each family contributed with one gold coin to the construction of this splendid church, the 49 coins being later discovered at the base of the altar. The artwork on the walls and ceilings inside have never been repainted just cleaned - no doubt with much care when the church was renovated.

    Only 2-3 km away, the wooden church of Șurdești (from 1767) was the next church stop. It is renowned as the tallest wooden church. It's 72 metres high. The Săpânța wooden church is 75m high so its claim to the tallest title but has a stone base so is not really all wooden.

    As we walked home from dinner to our hotel in Baia Mare we passed a square of beautiful buildings, some ruins and bells.    Les mer

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    Cluj-Napoca.

    28. juni 2024, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Tonight our hotel is in the city of Cluj-Napoca. Not too early, we left Baia Mare, a much bigger city than we had expected, and headed south towards Cluj. The countryside was really pretty and we went through lots of typical Romanian villages.

    We actually set our GPS for Turda about 40 kms the other side of the city so we could go to the Turda Salt Mine. It is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. It was dug during medieval times for salt exploitation, with the first documented reference of the mine dating all the way back to 1271.

    Excavations continued until 1932. After that, the salt mine served multiple purposes. The mine was used as a cheese storage unit, as well as a bomb shelter during World War 2.

    Despite the passage of time, the mining and machinery used to transport salt were kept in an excellent state of preservation. And, in 1992, the salt mine was opened to tourists, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the past.

    Russell and I had been once before. It is an interesting experience. 120 metres underground is a brightly lit adventure park! Right at the bottom they have a lake with row boats. Also things like a ferris wheel, mini golf, table tennis, bowling, an amphitheatre etc.

    It was really nice seeing the countryside while it is green. Our Romanian trips when we lived in Hungary were all in winter time, so we were used to either snow on the ground (pretty) or the dead winter brown look (not
    so attractive).

    Our GPS sent us a crazy way to our hotel, not on the obvious main road and we passed a shanty town. It was terrible to see.

    We missed lunch as we arrived at the Salt Mine at 1pm and it was too late when we had finished. So we had an early dinner at our hotel restaurant - including the delicious Romanian dessert called Papanasi and chocolate lava cake.

    That's our day!    Les mer

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    Brașov.

    29. juni 2024, Romania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Our latest "home" is in Brașov. We will be here for 2 nights. The apartment has beautiful views and is very large but one aircon in a centrally located spot is not central air-conditioning!

    Our drive from Cluj to Brașov was broken up by a stop in Sighișoara.

    Sighișoara is quite a gem. We were able to visit the citadel / medieval town. The name of the citadel was first mentioned in an official document issued by the Wallachian prince Vlad Dracula (father of Vlad the Impaler), who was forced to live here in exile. So many places in Romania have reference to Dracula. At least this town has the honour of having the house he was born in back in 1431. The family moved in 1435. It was a very cute little place with narrow cobbled streets (old ones, hard to walk on).

    We passed a very impressive looking fortress high on a hill after we left Sighișoara for Brașov. We learnt later it was the Rupea Citadel.

    After the 2 photos taken from our balcony in Brașov the other photos are in order.    Les mer

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    Church, then Peleș Castle.

    30. juni 2024, Romania ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    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.    Les mer

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    Bran Castle

    1. juli 2024, Romania ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Today's journey took us first of all to Bran Castle. It was nothing at all like the luxurious palace we saw yesterday (Peleș Castle). It was built as a fortress.

    Bran Castle is not too far out of Brașov. It is known as Dracula's castle, but that is just a myth.

    From the Bran Castle website "Bram Stoker’s character, Dracula, is a Transylvanian Count with a castle located high above a valley perched on a rock with a flowing river below in the Principality of Transylvania. This character is often confused with Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), sometimes known as Vlad Dracul, who was a Walachian Prince with a castle, now in ruins, located in the Principality of Wallachia. Because Bran Castle is the only castle in all of Transylvania that actually fits Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle, it is known throughout the world as Dracula’s Castle."

    After touring the castle we enjoyed lunch in the town and then drove to our current location of Curtea de Argeș. It was one of the most picturesque drives you could ever imagine. Sadly the photos do not pick up the depth well of the close up and the more distant mountains. It was so pretty.

    Bran Castle photos shown first.    Les mer

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    The Transfăgărășan.

    2. juli 2024, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    It rained overnight and when we started out this morning the weather was overcast but beautiful. As we ascended the mountains it got cooler. Down to only 18C and windy. It was so nice to almost feel cold after all the hot weather we've had.

    When we and the Richards started planning a Romanian roadtrip they added the wooden churches as a must do. Driving the Transfăgărășan was ours. Today was the day!

    The Transfăgărășan is the road between the mountains of Fagaras and connects the two historical provinces of Muntenia and Transylvania. We started our trip about 30km north of Bascov at Curtea de Argeș and drove south to north. Originally we had planned to drive in the opposite direction but this suited our overall roadtrip better so changed things around.

    The road was built in the early 1970s as a strategic military route by the regime of Nicolae Ceausescu, the former communist leader of Romania. It was designed to provide quick access over the mountains in the event of a Soviet invasion. Today, it is known for its stunning scenery and challenging driving conditions, attracting tourists and driving enthusiasts from around the world. (Plans had been around from before 1960 but it didn't go ahead because of the lack of funds.) I think it was the show Top Gear that really helped many in the world to learn of the road. It is known as one of the great road trips of the world.

    After yesterday's incredibly beautiful scenery we wondered if today's trip would be a let down. It was far from it. It was really an amazing drive. SO glad we did it! We can touch that off our bucket list ✅. We even got to see a brown bear on the side of the road. 🐻

    As we descended again we went from open ground to dense forests to flatter land. The temperature rise as we descended. At the top of our descent we were 2024 metres above sea level.    Les mer

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    Around Avrig.

    2. juli 2024, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After our fabulous drive we had some time to fill in before we could go to our next hotel. That wasn't hard to do.

    First we went to an adventure park for children, but aren't we all kids at heart? The name translates to The Story of the Calendar. (Povestea Calendarului. The website says: "The story of the Calendar is an invitation to a world where magic and nature intertwine in a corner of heaven protected by the Făgăraș Mountains. A theme park located in Sibiu County, where every moment becomes an adventure, rediscovering the pure joy of life.")

    Then we went to what we had heard called the Clay Castle. (Castelul de Lut Valea Zânelor translates as "Fairy Valley Clay Castle". From the website: On the banks of the Porumbacu river, at the foot of the great Făgăraș mountains, there is an enchanting place, torn from Romanian folk tales and carefully guarded by magical entities. ... Legend has it that the land on which the castle stands was inhabited by magical creatures - fairies - they still protect the place that was once their home.")

    Finally we went to our very lovely hotel. The Palatul Brukenthal in the village of Avrig. It's our home for 2 nights.    Les mer

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    Sibiu.

    3. juli 2024, Romania ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We spent a few hours in the lovely city of Sibiu. Russell and I have been here twice before but never had the chance to spend time in the city centre. Today we fixed that.

    We loved Sibiu when we visited 4 years ago and we were reminded why today.
    It’s known for Germanic architecture in its old town, the legacy of 12th-century Saxon settlers. Around the city are the remains of medieval walls and towers, including the 13th-century Council Tower. We visited the famous Bridge of Lies. There are many legends around why it is called that. (Check Wikipedia). We went inside 2 very differently decorated churches. The less decorated one was more to my taste but you couldn't help but marvel at the paintings in the very ornate church. (Video attached) We saw the remaining parts of the fortified walls and generally enjoyed walking around the city. The cool wet weather was not a problem, in fact the 16C temperature was refreshing. We thoroughly enjoyed Sibiu.    Les mer

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