Krista's Thoughts and Ramblings: Beautiful Brasov

Today was quite lovely. I didn't have to ride a train or take a bus, the weather was just about perfect, and I had the whole day just to explore. Turns out I took over 100 pictures, so I'll have to be quite selective in what I share here :)

I started my day in a coffee shop. In reading reviews ahead of time, one of the "minuses" listed for this shop was that you had to order at the bar. But this was a plus for me as it felt so much more natural, and I had a sweet time praying and reading from Hebrews 13 and reflecting while I drank a delicious beverage.

pretty little canal and old city wall

Next, I just went wandering to find interesting things. Since I'd be going on a tour in the afternoon, I tried to find things that wouldn't be featured on the tour. My apartment is so well-situated (and only up one flight of stairs instead of many!) that I could easily come and go from it throughout the day to use the restroom, grab a snack, etc. I spent a long time exploring some of the old walls of the city, which were fascinating and bordered by beautiful landscapes, and I checked out some other sights too. After lunch (which was a delicious meat-and-cheese-filled pretzel thing), I went to Biserica Neagra (Black Church). I knew it would be featured in my afternoon tour but noticed that it would be closed to the public by that time, so I paid a few lei to go inside. I am so glad I did! It was gorgeous, and I learned so much. It was originally a Catholic church but became a Lutheran church after the reformation. A man named Johannes Honterus met Martin Luther, and came back and convinced the Brasov city council to adopt reformation theology. He was also hugely influential in developing the city in other ways. Anyway, I loved every second I spent in that beautiful space, and because pictures inside were forbidden, you should probably look it up online. :-)

old wall and tower in the foreground, Black
Church in the background

there was a very appealing staircase leading up
to this sign that said access is strictly forbidden...

...so I took a picture there and didn't go TOO much further.

the beautiful hillside outside the walls

This street led directly from all those amazing sights...
to the street where I'm staying!

a memorial to those gunned down in December '89,
with their gravestones behind

my ticket into the church, with one picture that gives you a glimpse
of it's beauty...and the website to see more :)

After Biserica Neagra, I tried out the local history museum. This was...a bit odd. I paid my fee and was taken back outside to a little door that led down to a basement where the archaeology exhibit was located. The museum worker quietly waited while I, apparently the only guest at the moment, explored this exhibit. There were tons of things to see, but some weren't labeled at all, others only in Romanian, and others in English. Very sporadic. When I was finished down there, the museum lady led me back to the main level, where I followed some little signs to navigate the rest of the museum, which apparently had several levels. There was actually too much to take in, and the directional signs were a little confusing, and the labeling of the exhibits was still sporadic, and the museum kind of kept going and didn't make a lot of sense. I started to wonder how I would ever get out, and suddenly the same lady from the beginning appeared out of nowhere and directed me to the exit. I'm glad I went, but it was kind of a strange place.

I think my favorite part of the history museum was the view from
its surprise 2nd-floor exit

Then, my guided tour! This was so cool, through a company called Walkabout Tours. The tours are free, tips and donations only, and led by locals. Online we were told to look for the orange umbrella in the main square, and it was funny to watch as the orange umbrella appeared and all of us foreign tourists in the square suddenly gravitated to one spot. Our guide was Simona, and there were about 10 of us on the tour. There was one other American girl traveling alone (I'm not the only one!!), some guys from Chile, a man from Scotland, a couple from Ireland, and some others that I think were from the UK. Simona was wonderful, and the tour was so much fun. We ended at a great overview of the city, and it was such a satisfying end to a satisfying day. I wandered over to a pizza place after that, ordered a pizza with chicken, French fries, and garlic on it (which I thought was appropriate because French fries are cooked into lots of things here and our tour guide had reminded us of the importance of garlic in Dracula's land :-)), and a cocktail with rose syrup in it, which also felt somewhat regional to me.