On the Road to Sighisoara

Here's another beautiful breakfast buffet at the Capitolino Hotel in Cluj.


I took a taxi to the train station and of course I had to snap a few pictures out the window on the way.


Of course I got there so early that I ended up walking around (most of the way back to the Opera Theater) and I still had to sit in the waiting room for quite a while. On the way back to the train station I went in an underpass (to go under a busy street. There were no fewer than two bars in this underpass with men drinking at 9 O'clock in the morning.


As we prepared to board our train, the other passengers unloaded. Here a Rom woman wheels her suitcase across the tracks.


Hr is the only decent shot I have gotten of a bird this whole trip.


I talked with a Romanian emigre to the States Emil (from Chicago) who was back visiting while we waited for the train.


Then we were off. I had booked a 2nd class ticket. I was quite surprised that the carriage was clean and almost empty. I had seat 71 (which didn't actually seem to exist as there was a 72 74 and 75 and a 73 a 76 and a 77 (not in any particular order in the compartment (the next compartment was 80s and the prior one was 60s. I was invited into the 70s by two very kind seat mates and we began our journey.


This is Cluj as we left the station. The countryside was rolling hills with tinges of autumnal yellow. The sky was gloriously blue and the weather had finally changed for the good.


They say Romania is a poor country, but the farm lands seem rich and bountiful. It was haying time and there were all kinds of rustic haystacks with misshapen sticks sticking out the top.


The train stops are not labeled so you had best know where you are going. Here two Romanian gentleman carried on a conversation on the platform of some unsigned stop.

My seat mates spoke only Romanian and Hungarian, so we enjoyed each others' company by teaching each other the names of animals. Luckily the farms were well endowed with a variety of them.


Each village had a church usually with cupola domes.


Of course the sheep intrigued me the most, especially sine i had failed to find any wool at all that was made in Romania.

Here is a portrait of myself and my seat mates. The woman on the left is a country Hungarian woman and the woman on the right Moria is probably Rom. They were both very kind and even though we spoke no common language, we enjoyed trying to communicate.


The landscape was lush and dotted with shacks or farm buildings.


Here is a grave yard that we passed.


I am very fond of this shot. Of course it was a mistake, but I love the flurry of green passing before the town.

These are vacă.


Here is another town that we passed by.


The weather was changeable, but it held and there was ultimately no rain.


Here is a country church behind a corn field.


The hills were frequently terraced.




At one point near Medias, we passed by a ghost town that looked like it had burnt out nuclear smokestacks and buildings.


It looked like a bombed out city.


I am very curious what had happened.


There were lots of fields and hills or small mountains.



At another station a Rom woman waited for a train.



Even in the country the fences and buildings had some decoration.


Here is what our second class carriage looked like. When I went to the dining car, I discovered tht first class was packed. I guess the wealthy don't want to sit with the hoi polloi - but most of them don't have lots of money to travel, so 2nd class (at least on that day) was much less crowded than first class.

And of course there were sheep.



I had heard that they still used horses and wagons in the country and I did get to see a couple.



Pretty soon (about 3 1/2 hours to cover 200 kilometers) we arrived at Sighisoara. My next blog I hope will show some pictures from that lovely medieval town.

A Night at the (Well You Know!)

On the way to the Opera house, I stopped to take pictures of some of the buildings. The Romanian square is surrounded by graceful buildings with absolutely gorgeous architectural details. Below (In no particular order, because Blogger has updated its system and won't let me download things in order) are some of the edifices that I saw. (Don't forget you can click on images to enlarge them if you want a better view of the details).



I used to be annoyed by wires and try very hard to take them out of pictures,but I have decided that they are a part of the technological environment,and should be considered a part of the image.


It was still rainy, but every so often there was a break in the weather.




The square has a statue of a Romanian leader. Maybe this is Iancu Avram who led the revolution of 1848 - I need to find out. At the bottom you can also see the eternal flame (or at least that is where it is).


I quite like the color and texture of the image below.


This is the Theotokus Orthodox Cathedral. It has striking Murano tile mosaics inside



The church is very dark and it is hard to photograph, but wikipedia has a few interior shots of the nave and mosaics.


My own attempts to captures interior images pale in comparison, (or rather darken!)


There was this huge chandelier, that was absolutely breathtaking.

Outside there were pigeons bathing and I couldn't resist a shot even though, they look the same as any pigeons anywhere.


Outside the Cathedral there is this Romanian monument I believe it is Iancu Avram.


This is another shot of the exterior.


And the square with a row of taxis.


This is a building near the opera house.

And this is the Romanian National Theater / opera house.



The inside is ornate - a cream colored wall with organic gilt designs.

A bit of proof that I am actually here.


And one last shot of the interior.


The opera was wonderful. Il Trovatore. It was beautifully sung.