“A joy shared is a double joy.” (Swedish proverb). Such was the case for us when Scott’s daughter Kristi visited Romania earlier this month. She concluded a nearly two-week journey by coming to the best place on earth. Previously, she had spent over a week in England and a very full day in Paris. We felt the love when she saw us in the airport as we were the first familiar faces she had seen in a while! She was truly a hero in our eyes as we learned of the challenges she had worked through alone and the amazing adventures she had enjoyed during her trip.
Not anxious to waste any time, we left the next day for our castle visits. The first stop was Peles, perhaps the best preserved and elaborate castle in Europe. We had been before last October and enjoyed this visit every bit as much. It is filled with treasures in every direction. We have shared some photos previously and have included a few more here of the outside, but we know that the photos don’t really do it justice. We left again with the magical feeling of having been guests among royalty.
We drove to Bran and found that the castle had closed for the day. The good news is that we were able to get a few pictures with green landscapes. As we drove to Brasov where we would spend the night, it began to snow and we awoke the next morning with an 8-inch white blanket covering the world. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast with the Bairs, the senior couple living in Brasov and drove to Castelul Bran, which had taken on a completely new look with the snow. As you may know, this is the home of the famed Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), no doubt the best known Romanian ruler. This castle has a completely different look and feel. First, it is at least 400 years older than Peles and has been added on to many times. Bran was built as a fortress, while Peles was always a palatial home for the ruling class.