Tuesday, 08 May

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="044d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="id141.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Monday, 07 May"><U><IMG SRC="0450b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wednesday, 09 May"><U><IMG SRC="0460b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">   <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May"><U><IMG SRC="0480b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1eeaf820.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="130" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Brasov, Romania - Town Square and the Old City Hall, built in 1420</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Gastropod's Trail</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Gastropods Trail"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> Tuesday, 08 May</div> <div> Cota 1000 (near Sinaia, Romania) to Bran, Romania</div> <bR> <div> The name of the Hotel was 'Cota 1000' because it is located at exactly 1000 m above sea level. We had a tastefully decorated suite, hot water to spare, a sumptuous evening meal with a bottle of white Transilvanian wine, delicious crêpes and coffee for dessert as well as a hearty breakfast for about $Cad 50.00! </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1fc902f0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="303" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">Sinaia is a real gem, a vacation spot in the best 'old world' tradition - a mix of turn of the century Grand Hotels and modern 'Holiday Inn' style accommodations as well as dozens of smaller Inns and Hostels in between. The main attraction (apart from gorgeous mountains for hiking and skiing) are the Pelisor and Peles Castles, home to the kings of Romania until the abdication of King Michael in 1947.</div> <bR> <div> Once more luck was not with us - the castles are closed for visits on Monday's and Tuesdays - and we had to content ourselves with viewing them from the fence! Most of the buildings on the royal estate, apart from the castles themselves, have been carefully preserved and converted to hotels or pensions. So, if you have not made travel plans for this summer and would like to spend a couple of weeks in the tranquil beauty of mountains, forests, castles and within walking distance of lively entertainment, this might be the spot for you!</div> <bR> <div> The descent from Sinaia to Brasov was just as spectacular as the ascent on the other side. Brasov, a medieval Saxon town surrounded by verdant Transylvanian hills, is one of Romania's most visited places. It was in Brasov that the first public opposition to the Ceausescu regime occurred - in 1987 thousands of disgruntled workers, angered by wage cuts, long hours, and rationing, took to the streets demanding basic foodstuffs. Ceausescu's response was to call in the troops and cut rations even further.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1feafe20.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="226" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">The Black Church, just off the town square, is Transylvania's most majestic church, which is also the largest and finest gothic church in easternmost Europe. Caraffa, the sadistic military leader in Habsburg pay, cracked down on Brasov in 1689 and set the entire city on fire. The burning inferno turned the walls of the church black, giving it the name the Black Church. It has 5 porches which still have the original oak-tree doors, counting 500 years! - We arrived an hour after its doors were closed to visitors and were not able to admire the bronze baptismal tub from 1472, and 119 Oriental carpets which are the donations of wealthy Saxon dealers or it's organ with 4000 pipes and 76 registers, made in 1839, which makes this mighty cathedral a complete and wonderful masterpiece of human art.</div> <bR> <div> A sudden downpour had us rushing back to the Gastropod and the last leg or today's journey, to Bran.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>