Brasov

Yesterday I arrived in Brasov around 11am.  I took a taxi to the guesthouse was promptly charged double. I didn't know how far the place was, and the taxi had no meter visible. Hmmm.  What an asshole.  How can people prey on other people?  I've been hearing about such incidents and have been really careful, but how could I know?  When I arrived the Inn Keepers wife told me what I should have paid.  Before leaving to my next 2 destinations, I'll call ahead and find out how far the Inns are from the train station!

The train from Bucharest moved about 30 mph...the slowest train I've ever been on.  The ride was long (3 hours and 15 minutes) but not uncomfortable. I rode first class and got my tickets a few days ahead of time...thank goodness!  As it turns out, there were people standing in the corridor...they overbook as a general practice.

Brasov is beautiful but I haven't really begun to explore it yet.  I only had a few hours of sleep and my stomach juices were boiling, so I looked around a little, visited the famous Black Church, and came back to the room.  Is there anything in this damn country I can eat without being in pain???  The food tastes bad...even the water tastes weird. I talked to a Romanian lady on the train who now lives in Florida...she told me her husband felt the same way about American food...until he got used to it.  So, could that be the problem? The food isn't really bad, it just tastes bad because I am not used to it? Really?  When I went to Germany years ago I gained 10 lbs. because the food was THAT good. I think the food here is awful.
What I wouldn't give for a PB & J right now!  Or a toasted bagle with a fried egg, margerine, and a bit of swiss cheese...mmmmmmm, yummy!  I found a German bakery up the street yesterday...they have English Breakfast Tea and great looking bread. That is where I will eat for the rest of my visit here.

Brasov is famous because it's a Medieval town...one of the best preserved in Europe. It's also famous because it's where Bran Castle is...the castle made famous for it's folk hero,Vlad Tepps, or Vlad the Impaler. The guy Hollywood make into a vampire...Dracula!


Central Square, Brasov



Black Church