Beautiful Brasov! (July 31st-August 6th) Part One: The Historical Town

Well... there was ONE upside to the whole Airbnb nightmare I went through (see recent past blog about boycotting them): I relocated to a nearby hotel that had a MAGNIFICENT view of the neighboring church and historical "first school". The latter is exactly what it sounds like: the first school to be built in the town of Brasov, a couple hundred years ago! 

I never tired of the lovely view out of my hotel window... the best feature about my room. (It was nondescript otherwise... but, annoyingly, was lacking any means of making hot water for beverages, and the shower was equally devoid of hot water! The staff people were nice...but it was NOT a great deal at $78 per night!) 

I DID absolutely fall in love with the charming town. There was SO MUCH beautiful architecture everywhere, all kept in fabulous condition by the inhabitants. The only down side of the town's beauty (magnified by the lush greenery of the surrounding mountains) was that it attracts WAY too many tourists. The downtown area was very crowded; the establishments, pricey. I only ate out in one restaurant... the dinner was crazily overpriced for what it was, and that was the end of that! I bought--and ate--my own groceries. (Some magnficent gelato being the only exception!) 

The best moment of all was a terrifically strenuous hike up the nearby mountain, famous for its cable car ride to the top, and the "BRASOV" sign perched strategically nearby. The hike took my about an hour and a half to the summit, where I was rewarded with incredible views of the town below. Of everywhere I have been so far in Europe, this town ranks among the top four of where I would love to be able to live!! (The other 3 being Montpellier in France; Rome and Assisi in Italy.) 

As per usual, the visuals speak "louder" than my words ever could! So here you go: (all unlabeled photos were, per usual, unidentified buildings which were simply attractive to my eye!) 



Night time view of the church from my hotel window...


Looking the other direction: The "first school" and other lovely buildings.


Exquisite sky, right before the rains came! Because it is up in the mountains, I have been told it rains a lot here, even in the summertime. I have already witnessed 3 impressive thunder and lightning storms in the week I have been here! 






The beautiful underground restaurant where I ate... unfortunately not great food and way overpriced...also, very moldy!! 






The lovely surroundings of the town's central square.




Courthouse building in the town square.


Beautiful cemetary of the old church across from my hotel.




Same old church... dating back to 1800's... 


The church's interior.




If you look closely, you can see the "Brasov" sign at the very top of the mountain I climbed...!


The prominent church in this photo is called the "Black Church" because of a fire that burned most of its interior (of wood) in the 1400's. Of course it has since been restored... and is lovely--but moldy!--inside. 


The Black Church from just outside-- it was so large, it was impossible to back up far enough to take it all in! 




The next series are all from the interior--gothic, as you can see! It is an Evangelical church...













One of the portals to the main part of the town: It was built in a circle as a fortess from invaders, as so many old, European towns were. 


These next few photos are from the fabulous hike up the "Brasov" mountain, including the magnificent views from the top (after I arrived, MOST triumphant! The vast majority of folks took the cable car up, of course!!!) 
 








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bucharest, Part 2: Herastrau Park And A Walking Tour of Old Neighborhoods/Mansions

Image
I totally take back what I said in the previous blog about Bucharest being "ugly".    While it is true that many of the streets ARE nondescript at best, and truly ugly at worst, it is ALSO true that there are some quite beautiful parts as well... of which this blog is about!  I went on a second walking tour--this time, through the affluent old neighborhoods--the "old money" neighborhoods, one might say--and there were many beautiful old mansions to admire there. There were prettier, quieter streets, as one would expect, with large trees and much more greenery in general. It is also true-- per our lovely guide, Paul-- that many mansions are abandoned and have fallen into disrepair, simply because the descendents of the wealthy owners could not afford the upkeep. Tragic, indeed! Many are also now possessed by insitutions or corporations... and some, by various consulates and embassies.  It was a scenic and enjoyable evening's walk...especially because the sky was ...
Read more

A Final Fall Hike: Bullards Bar

Image
Here is a description of the location of my last long hike:  "New Bullards Bar Reservoir  is a large reservoir  in northeastern Yuba county, CA.,   at an elevation of 2,000 feet in the Tahoe National Forest.  It is a popular destination  for outdoor recreation. It is 16 miles in length and has 60+ miles of shoreline.    Bullards Bar is a mountain biking destination, with about 19 miles of hiking and biking trails, primarily on the east side of the lake."  The hike was a good--albeit chilly-- romp with a group of friends at this man-made reservoir. It is the strangest "lake", with steep, grooved sides made of golden-colored earth that has been carved away, leaving the most interesting-looking pattern (but wholly unnatural!) Again, as we all hiked along, we soaked in the lovely sights and smells, getting a good work-out in at the same time. It was a fine time and great finale before I must reluctantly head back to the urban ...
Read more

Portugal! A Final Visit to the Lovely Lisbon City...before departing Western Europe/Schengen Countries! (7/23/23)

Image
 It was a great day--and last visit--to the city, with Diego... wandering the streets, seeing the sights (like this crazy street "performer" of sorts!), and finishing with an amazing dinner in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, recommended by Andreia, the tour guide.  Who knows? I may be back one day! On the 24th, very early in the a.m., I was sad to have to leave the schengen countries... as my 90 day visa is finished... I would like to have stayed longer, but not possible! Such as it is..... The "flying man", as Diego and I dubbed this character! It was fun trying to discern the trick behind this... one metal rod deep into the ground, no doubt...the other one forming an arc around his midriff, most likely...exceedly clever, no matter what...but the poor guy must have been broiling hot in this get-up!  Some nobiel horseman or other!  Diego and I feasted on a grilled fish platter for two;  it also included salad, roasted potatoes, prawns, grilled asparagus, and a ch...
Read more