Brasov Romania

"So we have 5 days before we have to be in Berlin. What do you wanna do?" This is how the conversations start when we have a gap between Sits. When the gap is more than a day or 2, we look for somewhere cool and cheap to visit. In Europe they have what is called the Schengen Area. There are 26 European countries that have abolished their internal borders so people can move about freely without going through customs. Sounds great doesn't it? Well for Americans, we get a whole 90 days (in a 180 day period) to stay in the Schengen Area. 90 days for 26 countries. When you are in Europe for an extended period of time like we are, it becomes tricky. We have to keep track of our days in the Schengen Area. Luckily, the UK, Ireland and several eastern European countries are not in the Schengen Area so we can break up our time by leaving the Schengen Area and going to these countries. The UK has provided us with the most Sits so its worked out well.

When we were looking at what to do before Berlin, we realized we are running low on Schengen days and wanted to save some for the end of November before we temporary leave Europe. Our first thought was to go to the UK. I started looking at flights and hotels and costs. Since we were in Amsterdam we thought why not look at some of the eastern European countries. Coincidentally I had been messaging a friend in Asheville who stated we should check out Brasov Romania. So we did. So we went.


Romania is a country known for Dracula.  I myself had no idea what Romania was all about and other than knowing they produce some pretty incredible gymnasts had never given Romania a thought. Well Romania is much more than Dracula and gymnasts. It is beautiful!  The people are friendly and a lot speak English. The mountains, the architecture, the countryside is breathtaking.

Brasov is in the Transylvania region of Romania. Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula's Castle, is right outside Brasov. We did not encounter any vampires during our stay. 😊 I did get to sit with a lovely lady who saw me watching her as she fed the pigeons. She happily gave me bread to feed them and would "converse" with me through hand signals and hugs. It was the highlight of my day.

Above Brasov is a Hollywood type sign stating that you are indeed in Brasov.

We took a tram up the mountain one day to get a view of Brasov from above. The tram goes up right by the "Brasov" sign.

Mostly what John and I did in Brasov is what we do in most cities. Find local establishments and just hang out to get a feel for the city. We found a little bar down the street from our hotel with good beer and friendly staff. A great coffee shop that also served some amazing cocktails. Good restaurants with plenty of Romanian food.
By the way, Romania is also an inexpensive country by European standards. John and I ordered a dish our last night in Brasov that consisted of 3 types of sausages, potatoes and a salad. We also had soup and 2 draft beers. The total came to $16.00 and we took half of it "home" with us!

We loved Romania and it's people. In deciding on what we wanted to do on the second half of this adventure, we decided to return to Europe. I LOVE EUROPE! The cultures, the people, the places.  It is just so exciting. We have rented an apartment in Oradea Romania for 3 months starting in mid December. We are excited about being able to "nest" in a new city and really be able to take in the local culture. After that we haven't decided but we are looking at some of the other eastern European countries as Romania has been so impressive. We'll have approximately 45 days left before we head back home so all of Europe is open to us!

To see more of my pictures of Brasov, you can just CLICK HERE.

Cheers!
Barb