Best Western Hotel Topaz Cluj-Napoca

... closed but I find the art museum open. Some of the paintings make me feel as though I am in Transylvania with portraits of people with white faces, coming right out of horror movies. <br><br>I spend the afternoon with the locals at a café, working on photos. Nightlife looks really good but I have to get some sleep for my early train.

Located out of town, but close to the economic area of the city, BLACK TULIP, a four stars hotel, represents the perfect destination for those wishing to rest. I have appreciated the room atmosphere, the quality of the services...and the high degree of refinement of the cuisine.<br>

... is a fortified town and the citadel is on the World Heritage List. Buildings of interest included a lovely Clock Tower built in 1360, a very long, very old (1640), covered staircase and the Church on the Hill. We indulged in an ice cream and an apple strudel before heading on to Turda. We arrived in Turda and asked directions at the Information office to our hotel. It&#8217;s called the Hunter Prince ...

The train from Sighisoara to Cluj Napoca was another sauna experience. I had opened the window, but the elderly woman in our berth asked me to close it (though she herself was sweating).<br><br>The only good thing about Cluj was a brilliant candy store in which we spent a fair amount of money (for Romania).<br><br>Sighisoara to Cluj: one 2nd class ticket (3 hours) &#8211; 36.70 lei

... työmatkalla, kun lentoasemalla oli kuski vastassa. Ei tosin koppalakissa ja tummassa puvussa, mutta kulkupelinä oli sentään juuri pakasta vedetty Skoda Octavia. Reissu lähti jälleen lennokkaasti liikkeelle, sillä jäin jumiin hotellihuoneeseeni heti ensimmäisenä aamuna. Tuli siinä sitten tehtyä kaikki elokuvamanööverit, kuten ovea kohti heittäytyminen olkapää edellä. Mietin jo respaan soittamista, mutta sitten hoksasin, mik ...

... and a wood stove in lieu of heating. The people were incredibly welcoming and I'll never forget it. In addition to the small village we stayed at though we also traveled all over Transylvania, visiting the city of Cluj-Napoca and checking out other villages to meet traditional artisans and see such impressive sites as fortified Hungarian Protestant churches and traditional wooden Romanian Orthodox churches.<br><br>It was absolutely fascinating, though to be honest I ...

... knapp bei Kasse sind, so dass sich unsere Pizzaauswahl doch ziemlich einschraenkt. Dafuer sind die Pizzen aber riesig. Wir gehen mit genau NULL Lei wieder aus dem Laden :-) Danach gibts noch einige Cocktails in sehr coolen stylischen rumaenischen Szenelaeden bevor wir uns auf den Weg zurueck zum Bahnhof machen. Unser Zug kommt ...

... that night. Much of Romania suffers from poverty and so we were uncertain what our host family's home would be like, but I was really excited to interact with people from the area. The stay wasn't quite what I expected, but it was nice. I never met the whole family. We were picked up by one of the daughters and then she showed us around their beautiful home. I was pleasantly surprised when they had two bedrooms and bathrooms for me and three other ...

... so useful in trying to understand how their history has shaped their lives. This same person/family has introduced me to Goncol Institute, which oversees many NGOs involved in environmental work, including Pangea and the Natural Lifestyle Institute. They do a lot of good work in envtl education and promoting conservation. I spend an enjoyable afternoon talking to a man who just completed a nature boardwalk project with Greenpeace Hungary. It's right along the ...

... electric bull and dance to "I'm Too Sexy" with 3 scantily-clad women, after which they were judged by a panel of 5 female judges. *perplexed* After our micul dejun (for my father, who likes the local vernacular), we walked around town a bit. It's quite a bit busier on Monday mornings than on Sunday evenings! We saw the Orthodox Cathedral which has lovely mosaics inside, and the Biserica Sf. Mihail. It's in the central square and there ...