Climb Every Mountain

Saturday, August 25

Our plan was to return to a bunch of places we weren’t able to see the first time we visited them.  These things happen.

The first place we went back to was the Basilica of Saint Peter and Saint Paul but they were having a wedding so we just stood in the back and watched.  In the background we heard a solo soprano singing Panis Angelicus by Franck accompanied by an organ.  It was beautifully performed and added so much to the occasion.  We’ve seen so many weddings since we’ve been here.  The Summer is always a popular time to get hitched.  We’ll try again in a few days.

In keeping with the theme of  the day we returned to the Black Tower.  This time it was open and we were able to climb to the top and take pictures.  There was an art exhibition of works by Romanian artists on every floor that was fun to see.

Then we returned to the White Tower.  You can, of course, climb the stairs like we did the first time we were there but we found that there is a path connecting the Black and White Towers that is a much easier walk.  It’s a pleasant walk through the woods on a gradually sloping path.  This alternate path was never mentioned on any website that we’d seen.

The White Tower was also sponsoring an art exhibit of Romania artists.  These works all had QR codes that would link a smartphone to short films showing how the pieces were made.  It was all  part of the One Night Gallery organization that fuses art and technology.

On the way back to our apartment we stopped at the farmers’ market and picked up some more tomatoes.  We also got blueberries and nectarines.  Everything we’ve purchased from this market has been incredibly fresh and delicious.  It’s been such a treat.  We’ve had to train our bodies to eat fruits and vegetables again but it’s been worth it.

Later that evening we continued our tradition of Saturday Night Drink Your Dinner; it’s now one week old.  Our goal was to find a place that served a Brasov brewed lager called Ciuc.  We finally found a nice quiet restaurant near the front of the Black Church and settled in for the evening.  I ordered the beer and Deborah ordered a Cuba Libre (she wanted an Aperol Spritz but they were out of Aperol).  We also ordered a ham and cheese crepe.  The beer was light in color and in taste.  It wasn’t the best beer I ever had but it was quite drinkable.  After we finished the crepe (it was rather small) we split a plate of Spaghetti Carbonara. We haven’t had good Carbonara since we left Italy.

(Brasov’s Local Ciuc Beer)

Distance walked: 7.3 miles

Sunday, August 26

Today we climbed Tampa Mountain; it’s the large mountain that extends over the entire eastern part of the city.  At the top there is a lighted sign that the locals call The Hollywood Sign (it says, “Brasov”).

(Tampa Mountain)

At the summit there are a number of trails and nature walks but first you have to get there.  There is a steep trail with almost 200 stairs that goes along the spine of the mountain, there’s also a long switchback path up the face of the mountain and, for the faint of heart, there’s a 2.5 minute cable car ride.  We opted for the switchback route.

(Another Way To Go)

Mountain climbing doesn’t seem to be Deborah’s favorite sport.  She kept asking, “When is the fun going to start?” and was constantly on the lookout for snakes and bears.

(Five Minutes into the Hike)

The path up was rather narrow and rocky and at times somewhat slippery but we wound our way up in just under an hour.  It reminded me of a story from when we visited Masada in Israel some years ago.    Our driver, a man named Schlemi, was narrating the drive up the mountain and said…

It’s a long winding road that goes back and forth and back and forth.  Schlemi is going to screw you all the way to the top.

Once at the top we wandered over towards the famous sign.  There was an observation platform where everyone was admiring the view and taking selfies.  Back over near the cable car there was a small restaurant and we made use of their facilities before heading back down.  Deborah wanted to take the cable car but acceded to my desire to walk back down.

(We Made It!)

Back on Earth we headed over to a nearby restaurant that we’d previously scoped out called Restaurant Transylvania.  The menu featured local dishes and the prices seemed very reasonable.  I ordered Pork Transylvania which was pieces of pan fried meat with polenta covered by a fried egg and shredded cheese.  Deborah had a chicken schnitzel with a side of Romania potatoes (seasoned pan-fried slices of potato).  It tasted even better that it sounds.  We washed it all down with two bottles of sparkling water.  Service in most restaurants is glacial compared to what we’re used to in the U.S. but in this place our food came almost immediately.  It had obviously been prepared to order because it was steaming hot.  We’d like to know how they managed that.  The restaurant only takes cash but we didn’t care because the total bill was just 48 Lei (about $12).  It’s amazing that this restaurant is not more popular.  The service was great, the food was terrific and it’s just a block away from the main square.  We’re going to leave a great review on Google.  Get the word out!

Distance walked: 7.6 miles