Our first tour at the seniors conference took us to the beautiful village of Biertam. This is the historic site for one of the 7 Citadels erected by the Saxons for protection against invaders from the east. The Citadel in Biertam has a rich history dating back to the 1400's. These citadels were the primary protection for the Turkish invaders. They were built as self contained little cities. They usually had their own water and a large supply of grain and other types of food. They could sustain long periods of siege and attacks. One of the most interesting parts of the citadel was the matrimonial prison. If a couple was having issues, they were put in this small room for several months together! And, over the 400 years of use, there were only 3 or 4 divorces!! I think I will recommend this to President Schmit and the Bishops!!
Next we were off to scenic Sighisoara in the Carpathian Mountains, where rumor has that this was the home of the notable Vlad the Impaler, aka. Count Dracula. We did not run into him, but we did dine near his birthplace (there was no blood on the menu however). Vlad got his name because he would impale his enemies on poles to discourage the Turks from trying to invade his country. The Romanians actually think he was pretty cool. The scenery was very beautiful and very European. The Russian influence in Romania was not nearly as vivid as it is in Moldova.
