Paradis Cluj-Napoca

It is Sunday at everything except the churches are closed. CLuj has several large churches, one of which is broadcasting its sermon into the plaza. 20 people are standing outside, listening to the service while facing the church. Not sure why they don't go in. <br><br>I hike to the top of a hill for a great view. Two of the museums ...

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>

... and is Dracula themed. Once settled we went out to see the sights including some Roman ruins and the usual churches. Due to the lack of local restaurants or fast food outlets we decided on using the complimentary room service and ordered our meal from the hotel&#8217;s restaurant. At least this way we save on the drinks and the meal ended up being quite reasonable at about $A20 ... gotta watch the budget!

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

... maissa kokemaani vanhan hyvän ajan palveluun, jossa koko palvelutapahtuma soljuu yhtenä ketjuna eteenpäin. Miinuspuolelle menee jälleen tupakointi sisätiloissa: joka paikassa savustetaan ilmaa kuin viimeistä päivää. Ei auta itku markkinoilla, mutta tulipa sitten jälleen otettua silkki- ja pellavavaatteita mukaan, jotka imaisevat kaikki käryt itseensä. No, oma moka. Huomenna pitäisi lähteä tekniselle vierailulle äimistelemään ...

... we were cheated a bit by the pro-Hungarian bent of the professor. Obviously, the class being about Hungarian ethnography it makes sense that the focus of the trip was on Hungarian culture, and to be fair we did visit one ethnic Romanian village, but from the way things were presented and the selection of places we visited you'd think that Transylvania was entirely Hungarian, which is a shame really since it downplays the diversity that makes Transylvania such a special region.<br>

... erst um 3:31 Uhr nachts. Unsere restlichen 10 Lei opfern wir dem Kaffeeautomaten am Bahnhof... aber irgendwie scheinen selbst die 5 Kaffee pro Person nicht mehr zu wirken. Als wir endlich im Zug sitzen (ein Achterabteil fuer uns alleine... endlich koennen wir uns breit machen) schlafen wir doch recht schnell ein. -- Eintrag by Susi--

... main focus of our stops was on churches, as they have traditionally been main centers for maintaining cultural identity, traditions and language. Our first stop was in a Hungarian village with a Christian Reformed church. This same church building has been used for centuries, first as a Roman Catholic Church and then as a Reformed one. The church had many beautiful tapestries displayed on the walls which were donated by members of the ...

... in rest, pe strazi nu e aproape nimeni. M-am indragostit de sudul Frantei, parizienii mi s-au parut cam reci, de cateva ori mi-am chiar amintit de origini. Si nu intr-un mod placut. Doar ca pentru ce are de oferit Franta, e normal sa fii dispus sa treci cu vederea foarte multe. Si pana la urma urmei noi ne ducem acolo, ii luam cu asalt si le dam vietile de zi cu zi peste cap. Ce as schimba, daca ar fi sa plec acum, iar? As lua biletele de plecat cat mai incolo, alea ...

... I mean, it's dark. How do you know those headlights off in the distance are a bus? But we flagged our hearts out (fortunately, there isn't much traffic at 4:30 am), and the bus pulled over, and we were off to Cluj-Napoca. Now, Greyhounds turn the lights off at night and you sally forth into the darkness in silence. Not so with Romanian buses. Ours was lit up like a cube farm on a rainy day, with Romanian folk music blaring through the speakers ...