Wednesday, August 7, 2013

On Dracula's castle and other delights.

Every day beauty
 In the time I've been in Transylvania, I've been fortunate to see a great deal of worthwhile sights.  While my weekdays have been filled with teaching, my weekends have been all about road trips.  My host parents have taken JJ a number of gorgeous destinations, including Castle Bran which is known to tourists as Dracula's castle.  I had expected Bran to resemble something out of a Poe story, but the reality is that Bran is beautiful, well-lit, and not at all gloomy.  (Roderick Usher would hardly feel at home).  The castle capitalizes on tourist visits because Vlad Tepes reputedly visited there.  Apart from the legends, Bran has a striking history with a mystique of its own, namely as the favorite residence of Queen Maria of Romania.
View of Bran from the inside
Queen Maria and her youngest daughter, the Princess Ileana, in the courtyard at Bran
Transylvania is also home to some of the most beautiful forests in the world.  The trees are untouched and I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale when I am immersed in the nature here.
Carpathian backdrop
Top of the mountain
My artistic shout-out to Ansel Adams
Little photographer
Hungarian Pottery
Pots in Korund
Castle Rasnov

2 comments:

  1. Love the photos! My favorite is from inside the castle. Carter thought he saw you drive by yesterday, he was sad to learn it wasn't you. When do you return, he wants to know.

    Looks like you are having a good time.

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    Replies
    1. Tracy, I just booked my flight home for September 3. On a related note, Buttercup and I wrote a letter to Carter today, so I'll see about sending it tomorrow. =)

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