Travel
Traipsing Thru Transylvania
Sinaia and Bran Castle, Romania
22 May 2019
Any science fiction buff recognizes the Carpathian Mountains. These mountains form a 900-mile range in Central and Eastern Europe with peaks reaching upwards of 7800 feet. Over half of the Carpathians lie in Romania, where the forests are home to brown bears, lynxes and wolves. Its passes are gateways to Transylvania, the land of the Magyar, the Moc and Romanian peoples – and Count Dracula. There is a drapery of snow across distant peaks and a layer of clouds hover over the range. I can hear the “children of the night” howling my welcome.
At the entrance to Strada Lipscani in Old Town is the mandatory Roman Statue recognized throughout the world. Rome’s she wolf nurtures Romulus and Remus. The Italians gave it to Romania in 1906 but it does look sort of out of place. But, it is a good entry point to Old Town. One can stroll these streets for hours enjoying the mix of architecture, much of it influenced by classical and French influences, Greco-Roman, neoclassical, and baroque; a little Art Deco here and a little communist efficiency there. 
Varna drapes around Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast and the lovely Gulf of Varna. Originally called Odessos and an important Thracian seaside port, Varna has been a major economic and cultural center for over 3000 years. Lots of history, mild temperatures, ancient Roman ruins, turquoise seas, and the oldest gold treasure in the world – the walled city of Varna sounds like my kind of destination.
I am being fed, pampered, clothed, fed, entertained, and fed with real Bulgarian hospitality. Mila, Vladimir and daughter Pam are spoiling me to the max. Today, they guide me to several fascinating sites of very early Bulgarian history. Americans learn next to nothing about this region of the world. We are missing out on the fascinating early beginnings of Man and his evolution and survival.