Day 5 - Brașov to Sibiu

Before leaving Brașov, we climbed hills to two towers that once served as part of the city’s defenses. The views were stunning. Unfortunately, the morning light worked against us from that position. I lamented not having explored this position for a night shot of the city.

We packed our things and headed to the next destination, Sibiu. Along the way, we stopped by the town or Făgăraș and went for a leisurely walk around a well-kept citadel. A moat surrounds the citadel, and the whole area has been turned into a lovely park. 

It was a fascinating experience in part because Făgăraș has a lot of gypsies. The tens to congregate on benches in the park. They watched us carefully. There were men and women of all ages and groups of teenagers - a few of the women wept walkways with brooms, but the rest of them seemed to be just there relaxing. They were almost studying us as we strolled through the grounds taking pictures of the citadel, a neighboring church, and the black swans in the moat. I don’t know why they watched us so intently; perhaps they were just curious. 

An interesting cultural divide was on display when a group of non-gypsy teens walked by in tidy school uniforms. The gypsy teens dressed like teenagers everywhere, but the older folks, the women in particular, wore distinctive outfits with striking, brightly-colored patterns.

After walking around the citadel and its park, we drove to Sibiu, a clean, well-maintained city with beautiful churches and an expansive public square. We found parking near the square. A friendly waitress at one of the restaurants directed us toward our hotel.

After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we strolled through the square and the neighboring streets. We stopped by beautiful Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox churches along the way. We stopped by a third church which was quite large and had a massive bell tower. The church was closed for renovations, but we were permitted to climb the tower. Unfortunately, it was badly soiled with pigeon droppings. 

We went back to the hotel to wash up before heading back to the square in search of a place to have dinner. We settled on a restaurant that served traditional Romanian dishes. I tried a heavy but tasty plate of pork, sauerkraut, cabbage stuffed with more pork, potatoes, and polenta. I associate polenta with Mexican dishes, so I was surprised to see it here in Romania. But I have to say that it was the most delicious polenta I have ever enjoyed.