Bran Castle

Surrounded by mystery and legend and perched high atop a 200-foot-high rock, Bran Castle owes its fame to its imposing towers and turrets as well as to the myth created around Bram Stocker’s Dracula.
Built on the site of a Teutonic Knights stronghold dating from 1212, the castle was first documented in an act issued by Louis I of Hungary on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Braşov) the privilege to build the Citadel.
Although Stoker never visited Transylvania, the Irish author relied on research and his vivid imagination to create the dark and intimidating stomping ground of Count Dracula, leading to persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad Tepes, ruler of Walachia. While the association with Dracula is sketchy at best, the castle continues to hold a strong attraction for all fans of the Count.
From 1920 to 1957 Bran served as royal residence, a gift of the people of Brasov to Queen Marie of Romania. The castle is now a museum open to tourists.
Narrow winding stairways lead through some 60 timbered rooms, many connected by underground passages, and the castle overlooks the picturesque village of Bran. While we were there Sister Hinson and Telford looked for Edward of the famed Twilight series, but he was nowhere to be found! We had a great time looking!!!! We also had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant high on top of a mountain with a view of Bran Castle. The restaurant had a reindeer that loved to have his head scratched.

Peles Castle, Sinaia Romania

One our way back to Moldova we were able to tour some beautiful places. Peles Castle was probably the most beautiful castle I have every seen. Our tour guide was Elder Banu (he served in the Romania Bucharest mission) and he did a wonderful job of showing us everything and making our stay in Brasov memorable.
Nestled at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains in the picturesque town of Sinaia, Peles Castle is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture, considered by many one of the most stunning castles in Europe.
Commissioned by King Carol I in 1873 and completed in 1883, the castle served as the summer residence of the royal family until 1947. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls.
The furniture in the Music Room is carved of teak, a gift to King Carol I from the Maharajah of Kapurtala in India, while handmade silk embroideries adorn the ceiling and walls of the Turkish Salon. The ceiling paintings and decorative frescoes in the Theater Hall were designed by the renowned Austrian artists Gustav Klimt and Frantz Matsch. Over 4,000 European and Oriental pieces dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries are on display in the armories.

Biertam and Sighisoara

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.

Driving to Bucharest

Elder and Sora Hinson along with Elder and Sora Telford had a big adventure on March 13th. The Telford's had CES meetings in Bucharest and invited Fred and I to go with them. Neither of us had driven in Moldova or Romania since coming on our missions and were a little nervous about navigating the roads and traffic. We didn't want to go on the Harry Potter train again, and certainly not take a maxi taxi for 12 hours. So that left 1 option, drive! We had a GPS with us in the car and everything was great. We will probably drive again as long as we have GPS, or (Jill) with us. The highlight of the trip was to the biggest mall I have ever seen. We ate at Burger King, and the hamburger and fries were great! Nothing like greasy fast food. That night we took Fred to the Marriott Hotel for birthday dinner and dessert. It was a great get-a-way weekend.