Forget Dracula, Brasov is the Transylvania You Want to See

October 15, 2016

After an underwhelming and overheated week in Bucharest, we were dying to escape to Brasov where we were promised the fresh, cool air of Transylvania would improve our image of Romania.

SPOILER ALERT: It did.

We enjoyed it so much, we wish we had skipped Bucharest altogether and given ourselves more time to visit places in the north like Cluj Napoca and Sibiu. Next time, I promise.

Brasov, a city of nearly 300,000, was founded by German Saxons on orders of Hungarian King Geza II in the 12th century. These craftsmen established industry and trade routes between Europe and the Ottoman Empire while the native Romanians laid the foundations for the country's cultural development. When the Saxons were driven out after WWII, they left their well-constructed Old Town which feels a bit like a movie set-- pretty to look at, but lacking the substance of the people that once worked within these walls.

Despite that glitch, the Romanians have not wasted the potential of this naturally beautiful city. Ringed by the Carpathian Mountains, Brasov is known for its Medieval walls and bastions, the Gothic-style Black Church and Piata Sfatului (town square) surrounded by colorful Baroque buildings.

The real star of Brasov, however, is Tampa Mountain and its majestic pines, which tower 960 meters (approximately 2700 feet) over the town square. Cementing its celebrity status, the city even installed a BRASOV sign in letters ala Hollywood at the top.

Vendors sell goods in the town square at the foot of Mount Tampa

After dropping our bags at our heavenly Airbnb (thanks, Florin!), we made our way down Strada Republicii (Republic Street) to Piata Sfatului.

We found the spirit of the Old Town to be cheerful and inviting. Yes, there are tourists, but it doesn't feel overly crowded. There are several historic sites nearby, including the White Tower and Black Church. Also adjacent to the Old Town is the historic German Prund-Schei with characteristic Saxon buildings and Catherine's Gate, the only original surviving gate from Medieval times.

Excited by the sight of the mountain, we dedicated Day Two to climb it. Our lunch tucked away in our packs, we headed to the foot of the mountain where the remains of Brasov Citadel Fortress stand.

The cable car departs for the top at the same point as the walking trail and we had fun waving at the passengers when we crossed under it as the trail zigs and zags switchback style to the top.

After an hour, we reached the top and were rewarded with outstanding views of both the town and the valley where it lies.

Because we had such a fabulous apartment, we spent a lot of time relaxing and checking out the local neighborhood. For more things to do nearby, there is a retirement home for about 80 brown bears, the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zarnesti which takes in mistreated bears from circuses and private homes. Sad fact: people used to go into the woods and capture bears for pets until the government made illegal in 2005. We did not make it, but have heard it's worth checking out if you go.

Food in Romania is very good and after all the exercise that day, we ate well that evening with a traditional Romanian dinner (bean soup starter with hearty portions of meat and potatoes for the main) at Bistro Millennium, just around the corner from our apartment. In the Old Town, we had mostly good experiences from coffee at uber-modern Hof Cafe, to enormous ice cream sundaes at Coffeol and an elegant dinner al fresco at Casa Albert.

We should have left well enough alone. Our stay in Brasov was nearly perfect in every way, until we made the mistake of visiting Bran Castle, aka Dracula's Castle.

I acknowledge there are probably worse ways to wile away a day, but the experience getting there only to find a horribly crowded tourist trap requiring Herculean patience was far more trouble than it was worth. You really must be a huge Dracula* aficionado to overlook the crush of people. I mean, if you have seen one castle, you have seen them all!!

While there are tour groups you can book, they are a bit spendy for what you get. It's only 35-40 minutes away so we figured the local bus would be perfectly acceptable. Ah, there is that naivete again! The bus 'station' where you catch the bus to Bran is just a parking lot with a couple of kiosks. There are no signs for a ticket office or timetables indicating where and when to get on a bus. Is it so much to ask that the term 'station' should at least have both of those basic amenities?

We started asking around and luckily, a young Romanian couple that spoke English helped us out. I've got so many pay-it-forward moments, my debts won't be full paid until the end of time.

Being on a local bus, I certainly didn't expect luxury, but at least windows that opened in 85F heat. Of all the days we chose to make this trip, it was the hottest of our week in Transylvania. Trying to take my mind off the sauna-like conditions, I looked around and noticed the man sitting behind us was carrying an enormous scythe. No, it wasn't the Grim Reaper, just a local farmer. Nothing to see here folks! Just a guy on a bus who looks like he's late for an execution.

At least the chill down my spine helped cool me in the heat.

Drenched in sweat, but finally off the bus we got our first view of the castle. To be sure, it's super impressive.

We queued for 30 minutes at the bottom of the hill to get into the grounds, which I'm inclined to believe is pretty fast for the middle of the week. The entrance fee is only $8, so not ridiculously expensive, but once we got to the castle entrance at the top of the hill, I knew we had made a terrible mistake. It was sheer chaos. There were simply WAY too many people for the size of the rooms and castle management does a poor job of roping off sections to prevent two-way traffic in hallways that fit one person at a time. The result is gridlock of LA magnitude.

I became claustrophobic in the first two minutes so that I hurried through as fast as I could- snapping a few random photos when there was a slight break in the action.

I can look at the photos now and see it is very pretty place, but after only five minutes, I needed a drink to forget all the sweaty stranger body contact. Once outside, we sat down at a restaurant in the town and ordered a couple of Greek salads which we hoped would be revive us, but instead, contained sad, wilted vegetables that matched my demeanor.

The whole experience was incredible depressing.

It was our last night, so we put the madness behind us as we sat on the deck of our apartment with a couple of Strongbow Ciders, our new summertime fave. We breathed in the silence and pine-scented mountain air while watching the Brasov sign light up as the sun set.

It was a view Dracula himself would approve.

For more photos of Brasov, check out the complete album here.

*Sorry to break it to you, but while the castle is named in Bram Stoker's book Dracula, there is no evidence Stoker knew anything about the actual place as there are several locations linked to the legend, including Poenari Castle and Hunyad Castle. Additionally, the original inspiration for Dracula, Vlad Tepes, 'The Impaler' didn't actually live there and may have just stayed overnight while passing through.

Thanks for reading! Next time on Gobsmacked: Beautiful Bulgaria.

How big is it?  Palace of the Parliament — How big is it? Palace of the Parliament

How The Grinch Toured Bucharest

October 9, 2016

I don't know about you, but doesn't flying in a turbo prop sound edgy and a bit dangerous, as though you might be traveling somewhere remote and forbidden? If I close my eyes, I can almost conjure up images of The English Patient and Out of Africa.

Unfortunately, there is little romance in flying Air Serbia to Bucharest. Yes, it was cheap and we got there quickly, but by the time we landed my ears were buzzing, my clothes smelled like fuel and I still haven't figured out what that sticky crap was that I sat in.

Inside Bucharest International Airport, things began to perk up. I was pleasantly surprised at how relatively modern and clean it was, and my hopes for this city of 2 million inhabitants were running high.

Mental note to self. Stop setting the bar so high.

It probably had no chance of living up to expectations. I had read that Bucharest strikes some Parisian-esque comparisons (it was known as 'Little Paris' between WWI and II) but what city can live up to the City of Light? Also, we had just come from Belgrade, a place that wowed me with its surprising sophistication and NYC-style neighborhoods. A little rough around the edges, but it was a culturally exciting city. Bucharest just had a 'times are tough' resignation with no gritty spirit.

So, it's not that I can't do rough, but this is Europe, so something has to balance it out. While Bucharest will not be my favorite city anytime soon, there are things to do and enjoy and I think it would make for an interesting (and inexpensive) city break weekend. Just don't spend a week like we did. If you have that kind of time, head up to Brasov and explore Transylvania.

I realize that is not a glowing introduction but I think plenty of people get a secret thrill from the seedy underbelly of life. If you do, then you are going to LOVE Bucharest.

We stayed on Strada Eforie near Old Town, which normally is a good call as you can be near the main sights and not waste a lot of time commuting. Bucharest's Old Town, in addition to being a popular tourist attraction itself, is near many other key sights including Revolution Plaza, Palace of the Parliament and Cismigiu Gardens.

However, the neighborhoods surrounding Old Town are a bit ragged, so just prepare yourself.

The Old Town offers less magic than other historic centers we've visited, and the cover of dark smoothes out some of the harsh edges visible during the day. Admittedly, the humid 90F weather contributed to my less-than-cheerful disposition.

Nearby Cismigiu Gardens, while not stunningly pretty, is a pleasant enough diversion with row boats for rent on the small lake and a large childrens' playground. If you are seeking more park-like beauty and a place to take a long stroll, I recommend heading north to Herastrau Park.

A short stroll from Cismigiu Gardens, down Calea Victorei is Revolution Plaza with the strange Memorial of Rebirth monument, commemorating the Romanian Revolution of 1989 which overthrew Communism. It looks like an impaled basket that is bleeding. Meh.

But the star of all sights in Bucharest is Palace of the Parliament, a gobsmackingly audacious behemoth that was the brainchild of infamous dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who ruled for decades before being executed by firing squad in 1989. EEK.

With 1,100 rooms, it is the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. So enormous, the size is difficult to convey but one needs to stand nearly half a mile away to fit the whole thing into a picture.

We visited on a warm morning and were surprised how most of the rooms are not air conditioned (or heated) due to cost. Despite being built in the late 80's/early 90's, much of the place is shockingly run down as no updates appear to have been made. It's like going into a time capsule from 1989. Despite this, it's truly the one 'must see' if you visit Bucharest. Nothing will really blow you away, but this is as close it gets. Sorry.

Exterior of the Palace on the north side

View of Union Boulevard from the balcony of the Palace facing east

View from the roof of the Palace facing north

While the sights didn't wow us, we did enjoy a few nice meals in the Old Town aka Lipscani district including the urban and hip Energiea, local favorite City Grill and touristy, but must-see Caru' Cu Bere.

Even our favorite activity of city walking left us depressed. While there is an abundance of neoclassical architecture and statue-filled squares (see photos below), the visual relief is not nearly enough to compensate for the overwhelmingly down-trodden appearance of everything else. The presence of many homeless people and Roma sifting through garbage bins adds to the 'hard times' atmosphere.

Here are a few of the prettier bits.

You may think I'm being picky and overly harsh, but I'm actually being quite nice. Our visit to the train station truly solidified it in our Top Ten 'Beat Down' Cities list.

We needed to figure out train tickets to Brasov, so decided to walk the three miles and get some exercise. We thought our neighborhood was crusty, but the area surrounding the train station is downright awful with condemned buildings and piles of garbage dumped unceremoniously on sidewalks.

Inside the train station ticket office, it was a scene post nuclear fallout. The paint on the walls was peeling. Electrical cords were hanging from the ceiling. The whole area was a frantic scrum with no orderly lines and air of desperation. But what freaked me out the most were the timetables in the ticket office that were handwritten on tarps. OK, the signs in the main terminal aren't handwritten, but still.

This is a modern capital city of two million people and the 6th largest in Europe. Apparently, they tapped out all their resources at the airport.

Luckily, there was Herastrau Park, our favorite place in Bucharest. This fresh and beautiful green space in the northern part of the city, contains a large recreational lake plus many statue-lined walking trails and the enormous (in size and popularity) bar restaurant Beraria H. Also, Herastrau borders Bucharest's toniest neighborhoods Dorobanti and Primaverii, as well as the upscale shopping center Promenade.

We enjoyed this area so much that we went back several times. In retrospect, I wish we had stayed near Herastrau and visited the Old Town and other sites by the competent, if not worn, underground metro trains.

But there is one part of Bucharest that did not disappoint. They have a cat cafe. On our last day, we sought out Miau, more animal shelter than commercially-minded cafe, where we had the whole place to ourselves and twelve new feline friends.

Over vegan coffee (!), we chatted with the owner who informed us that they don't turn away any cats (people bring them off the streets) and all donations go towards supporting the cats' needs. We noticed a three-legged cat and a few deformed tails, but overall they were healthy, friendly and happy.

It was our last day in Bucharest and despite the city's inability to impress, suddenly some affection for it began to seep in. I was the Grinch watching Whoville celebrate without all the trappings of Christmas. My heart grew three sizes that day.

I guess cats just make any place better.

Pebbles and Bam Bam, our pet sitting charges

Pet Sitting & Travel: Why Do It and How It Works

October 5, 2016

If you have been reading this blog for a while, then you know we are crazy cat people who will do anything to get our feline fix. We've been stalking cat cafes and feeding street kitties for the better part of six months.

So, it's probably not going to surprise you that we just completed a pet sitting assignment, caring for two cats over two weeks in the UK. We weren't paid, but got to stay in a cute village for free in return for a few minor cat-related tasks: feeding, litter changing and, of course, cuddling.

Some might read that and be intrigued. 'Free travel accommodation AND adorable pets?!? Where do I sign up?'

Others might cringe in horror. 'OMG, stay in an actual stranger's house and scoop poop? Is that really a thing?'

Yes, this is an actual thing and a well-known hack (tip) in the long-term travel and retiree communities. We are huge fans of pet sitting while traveling and I'm going to break it all down for you here.

Why Pet-Sit?

Must Love Dogs (or Cats or Horses or Rabbits or Chickens...)

First and foremost, this is pet sitting. While there are some assignments that are house sitting only, the majority involve dogs or cats so being an animal lover is vital. Pet owners want their fur babies to receive lots of TLC and that should be a primary motivator in taking on such an assignment.

If you are that kind of person, then looking at the pet sitting opportunities online is like being a kid in a candy store. There are so many cute dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens, you might need to brush your teeth after the sweetness overload.

Not limited just to traditional pets, there are opportunities to look after rabbits, fish, guinea pigs and birds as well. Those looking for more action can select sits with farm animals like horses and chickens!

Livin' La Vida Local

For a more personal and meaningful experience when traveling, a pet sit can be ideal. Living as a local can help you immerse yourself into the culture and that is difficult to do when staying in a hotel or the main tourist district.

Pet sitting can also be a great way to experience slow travel, which we find very relaxing as it helps balance out the often hectic pace of packing up and moving every few days. We can establish a bit of a routine and go deeper into a location instead of just skimming the surface.

Another benefit is the potential to develop personal relationships with the owners and even neighbors. Many pet sitters and owners keep in touch after the assignment, which can be beneficial if you would enjoy a repeat visit at the same property with pets and people you know and trust.

Love Don't Cost a Thing

A huge advantage to pet sitting during travel is the free accommodation it affords. Pet sitting can help you experience an expensive area where hotels or even Airbnbs might be out of reach for a budget traveler. Additionally, many of the sits are in beautiful homes such as chateaus in France, luxury condos in Dubai, country cottages in England and ranches in Australia.

Choose Your Adventure

If an active vacation or getting off the beaten track is tops on your priority list, pet sitting might be the way to go. The most common house sits are available in the United Kingdom, USA and France, but there are plenty of exotic locales to tempt you such as Yellowknife, NWT Canada, the beaches of Greece or the mountains of Switzerland.

Plus, it's something completely different. There is excitement in trying new and interesting things and even if you find you don't love it, it is a great experience. You might just learn something.

Go for it!

Yellowknife, Northwest Territory, Canada

How Did We Do It?

Several sites offer the service of connecting home owners and prospective pet sitters, but Perry and I joined Trusted Housesitters for the following reasons.

Largest number of sits available
Built-in reference system
Positive reviews from owners, sitters and external sources, like Trust Pilot
Well organized website that is user friendly
Daily email with new pet sitting listings

A few others to check out include Mind My House, House Carers, and Nomador.

Step One: Check it Out

We spent a few days searching listings to get an idea of what was out there before we signed up and paid the $95 annual fee. That may sound steep if you are a budget traveler or just looking to take a two week vacation, but if you amortize that over a 14 day stay, it works out to just under $7 per night. For us, this was something we planned to do several times over the course of a year and well worth the up-front expense.

Step Two: Build a Profile

Pet sitting is competitive, and a great profile is crucial to stand out from the crowd. Many great resources have been written to help you create one that will get you noticed, and while I will hit the highlights here, for more in-depth information, take a look at this website.

HEADLINE

Stand out and quickly convey your experience, trustworthiness and love of animals. Some owners get up to 50 applications for one sit, so this is important.

PHOTOS

Select close up shots that show you are trustworthy, friendly and good with animals.

INTRODUCTION

Provide an 'elevator speech' with your unique experiences and why that would benefit prospective owners. I amended ours recently with a direct quote from our recent pet sit. Two paragraphs is just about right.

REASON FOR PET SITTING

Tell owners why you want to pet sit, but reply thoughtfully knowing that owners want someone who will care for their pets and home as though they were their own.

EXPERIENCE

Don't just stop with your house/pet sitting experiences and interactions with animals, be sure and talk about your abilities, knowledge, skills and expertise that might be relevant as well. Do you have a green thumb? Know how to fix a toilet? Good with your hands? Fluent in the local language? These are attributes that may be valuable to an owner and can help you stand out.

REFERENCES

Last, but not least, the most important step: you must have references. It is the number one thing owners look for when deciding who to choose to look after their home and pets. The more references, the better.

The best references are from completed pet sits on the internal Trusted Housesitter network, but the next best thing are pet/house sitting references from friends and family. You can also use a character reference from a landlord or employer. Just be sure to add something!

Here is our front page with headline, introduction and photos. It also shows how many internal network references we have (2) and external references (2) as well as our security verifications.

Step Three: Apply and Interview

Before we left on our trip, I completed two assignments in downtown Chicago to gain some experience and secure an internal Trusted Housesitters reference in addition to my external references (thanks Traci and Sue!).

Once overseas, we traveled for a bit before deciding to apply for a pet sitting assignment. The opportunities in continental Europe are fewer and more competitive and we didn't land any we applied for. Undeterred, we focused our attention on the UK and applied for five different opportunities since there are three times the number of sits compared to any other country.

We selected the sits to apply for based on date. We had a two week range to work with as the other three were filled with personal travel and visiting with friends. We also selected just cats for this sit since the UK has lots of them and we wanted to have that experience. Generally, you need to be more flexible than this, but in our case, it worked out.

Next, we narrowed it down to the counties surrounding Cambridgeshire so we wouldn't have too far to travel. No way to sort for that, it was a manual effort.

There were five potential candidates and we applied for all of them. Two had already been filled. One didn't reply back. We heard back from two and set up a Skype interview with one the very next day.

The interview was pretty low key, more 'tell me about you' than 'tell me about a time when you resolved conflict' variety.

We asked a few questions about the cats' needs and likes to convey that it was all about the cats and we were focused on their needs, not just ours. We liked the owners and they liked us. They emailed us 20 minutes after the interview to offer the sit.

The main lesson learned here is that applying for pet sits can be a bit of a numbers game-- don't be discouraged if you don't land the first sit(s) you apply for!

Step Four: Enjoy!

The luxury of staying in a house after many tiny apartments on the road was a thrill. Even better, we were in a small village where we could walk to the store or local pub and take long walks in the country whenever we wanted. There were regular home-cooked meals and even a bit of TV watching while the cats sat on our laps. We caught up on projects amidst this rare spell of peace and quiet. It felt so good to live 'normally' for a few weeks, and being in the UK with that comforting familiarity brought back great memories.

The verdict? We absolutely loved it and can't wait to pet sit again.

If you are interested in pet and house sitting, click on this link to receive 20% off a yearly membership on Trusted Housesitters.

Thanks for reading!

Next time on Gobsmacked: How the Grinch Toured Bucharest