On The Road Again!

Actually, in the air and then on the road.  We leave soon for a trip and I found some items on Amazon that I hope will make our travel a bit easier.

ExploreBliss Travel Pillow, Travel Pillows for Sleeping Airplane, Neck Pillow Airplane, Memory Foam Neck Pillow Set

I ordered a pink one for me and a the grey for my husband...we never had much luck with those blow up neck pillows and I like that these can be rolled up and tucked into our carry on bags.

Sooverki Compression Socks for Women and Men 

I needed some new compression socks and these were a good price and I like that one pair is navy!

EASYFUN Toiletry Bag 2pcs TSA Approved Travel Clear Toiletry Bag for Men and Women Travel Accessories Quart Size Toiletries Cosmetic Pouch Makeup Bags

It seemed my plastic, zip lock bags were always not zipping, so I am hoping these are a nice upgrade.

Miady 2-Pack 5000mAh Mini Portable Charger with Built-in Type C Connector, USB-C Output Charging Small Power Bank

These are nice and small - and a good price, too.  I like having a back up charge...just in case!

LingLingo Travel Jewelry Organizer Case,Small Jewelry Bags Jewelry Storage Book Ring Binder with Clear Zipper Velvet Pouch for Women

Too many necklaces were all tangled on our last trip, so I am trying this jewelry organizer.

Lastly, not a travel item, but I am really enjoying this 

Heated Eyelash Curler – Fast 5s Heat-Up, USB Rechargeable Electric Eyelash Curler, LED Display, Anti-Burn, 24H Long-Lasting Curl

I have been using this for about a week and really like the way it makes my lashes look.  It's not a crimped look that you get with a traditional curler, more natural...and I feel better for my lashes.

Well, back to packing and trying not to pack too much!  I am not a carry on only kind of girl, but I do try to pack things that mix and match so I don't go over the weight limit.

I will post and let you know how these travel items worked for us - until then, thanks so much for stopping by Our New Vista.  Hope you have a great week and a wonderful June!

 

Time in Transylvania

On the last leg of our trip to Eastern Europe.  We had the option of doing an extension in Transylvania or Istanbul - and chose Transylvania!  What an experience!

We left Bucharest and traveled through the Carpathian Mountains to

Bran Castle - the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Yes, we spotted Vlad the Impaler - and learned that he is NOT Dracula, but was a count, a crusader, and fought against the Turk invasion of Translvania.

A climb up to the castle, but worth the trek!

We had a great tour guide...who had the best diabolic laugh, which was perfect for this tour!

We had a great lunch with "Dracula Beer"...they make the most of the Dracula legend.  After lunch we traveled through Transylvania to the city of Brasov...with a beautiful preserved medieval old towne!

Our hotel - a Radisson Blu - was great, and right across from a lovely park and just steps to the historic district.

Our Viking Guide took us on a walking tour so we would be familiar with the area...

The next day we had the option to take an optional tour for Panoramic Transylvania - 8 hours on the bus with stops for visits and lunch.  We felt we were on the bus most of the day before so decided on a late breakfast and wanted to explore on our own.  Then I remembered an app called

FREETOUR

You can read more about this on the link above...we looked at the app and found a tour in Brasov - 2 hour walking tour and we booked it.  We were to look for the orange umbrella at the market square fountain - and we found our guide!

Radu was amazing!  He was born in Brasov, an artist who carves dragons out of wood he finds in the forests ( he had a show in Miami the week before, and was going to be at Burning Man, too) and is a ski instructor in the mountains in the winter.  He just LOVES telling people about Brasov.  There were 6 of us on the tour and we learned SO much!

The city is filled with history - this cathedral was the only gothic one between Istanbul and Bucharest and he showed us where the crusaders sharpened their swords as a blessing on the way to battle.

The little walkways, the history of the Turks/Saxons/Transylvanians over the years, more information about Vlad and the Saxon girl he fell in love with - even though it was forbidden.

And after a full two hours of history he turned around, opened his backpack, and said tip what you wish.

We gave a big tip because this was such an amazing tour. He then walked us back to the town square and gave us restaurant recommendations for lunch and dinner - 

We took his advice and had this delicious potato and sausage soup, with great bread and for me, an Aperol Spritz!

Almost everyone speaks English, which makes it easy to order - students start learning English in first grade!

We wandered around the town...saw this stuffed bear - there are bears in the mountains and yes, they have been coming into the towns!

Sat in front of the fountain and people watched...then strolled back to the hotel for a nap.

The town has a rich German heritage, too - so we tried this place for dinner - 

Wonderful Weiner schnitzel with potato salad...and beer - 

then apple strudel with a warm vanilla sauce - yummy!

The next morning we left to return to Bucharest, but stopped on the way at the summer palace of Romanian royalty.

Located in the resort town of Sinaia - where the air is so clean and fresh.  The resort town is famous for hiking and skiing - and lots of great places for lunch!

Then it was back to Bucharest - and this -

Our luggage had to be out by 4:30 AM the next day, and we were leaving for the airport at 5 AM.  That made us realize we needed to stay in the beautiful Marriot for dinner and get an early bedtime.

What a great decision -

The special dinner that night was parmesan mushroom pasta with truffles - and when I ordered it I never expected the waiter to roll out a wheel of parmesan and prepare the hot pasta in the cheese!  It was AMAZING.  Our waiter was so nice, and when he learned it was our last night he brought us some complimentary after dinner drinks.  Perfect way to end our adventures.

This was our view from our room that last night...the big Orthodox Cathedral that is still under construction.

Well, we made the early wake up, then the flight to Heathrow and on to home.  We were awake almost 24 hours with the time change

 (7 hours ) and the flights.  It took us a few days to feel normal, but we will always remember our wonderful trip to the Capitals of Eastern Europe!

Thanks for following along on our adventures...and Happy June!

Hope the coming summer is full of fun times for you.

Thanks for stopping by Our New Vista!