Romania, not Transylvania

After arriving in Suceava, in northern Romania, Lyla and I half-heartedly wandered the town. There was a lovely little open-air museum, an old citadel, and several lovely painted monasteries. Unfortunately, we were just plain tuckered out and wound up spending our Friday evening in the hostel lobby, sharing a bottle of wine and chatting with the amazing proprietess.

The next day we slept in and then caught a seven-hour train to Bucharest, at which point I finally allowed myself to read my book... and finished it!

Arriving in Bucharest we were greeted by some lovely locals that we knew through friends, who took us out to various evening-friendly locales. So we wound up happily dancing and laughing until five in the morning, meeting more incredibly friendly Romanians at every turn. At one point we even danced to songs from the Jungle Book. Europe can be weird, but I have to say that I do love it.

The next day we wandered the city, taking in what little remains of the old town, seeing the square where their revolution started, and visiting the absolutely charming Museum on the Romanian Peasant, full of folk art and even including a few buildings inside!

Having met a tour guide from the Romanian Parliamentary Palace, we had to visit. So Monday we headed there. What a huge building! It's the second biggest in the world, second only to the Pentagon, and absolutely dripping with ornamentation, cristal chandeliers, and gold. It faces a giant avenue lined with fountains. And while the whole thing was beautiful, the extent of it, and the fact that it was built in the 1980s... Ceausescu was a crazy dude.

I loved my time in Bucharest. I was a little apprehensive to go, but it was a beautiful (if perhaps starkly huge) city full of interesting museums, cafes, and shops. Most of all, everyone I met there was so kind, friendly, and open. We had several interesting conversations about history, and I learned that most Romanians will not travel to Hungary because they fear ill treatment due to the whole Transylvania thing. At the same time, most Hungarians will not travel to Romania (outside of Transylvania) for the same reason! And this was just nonsensical to me. It honestly made me very sad.

The next day it was off to Brasov, taking yet another minibus, but this time through lush green mountains. We arrived to the pretty little town, ate a lovely lunch, and took a cable car up the mountain to see the view. Then it was time to visit a few more painted churches, sit in a cafe slowly sipping lemonade, and catch our last night train back to Budapest.