.jpeg)
I don't resonate with most small cities. I know for some people, they're quaint and peaceful and so on, but for me, they mostly lose their charm after a day or two. Probably the case with Sibiu, if I'd stayed long enough. Thankfully, the trip was short and sweet, enough to enjoy the place, the excellent coffee, and the pretty streets.
Pretty Streets
.jpeg)
Sibiu is one of the older cities in Romania, founded sometime in the 12th century. One thing that stands out about it, compared to my own Bucharest, is that there, much of the old town is still left intact. While there are traditional apartment blocks toward the edges of the old town, you still get plenty of old houses as well, which
I love.
The colorful buildings reminded me of Czechia. I'm a big lover of color, and that's another thing you don't see so much in Bucharest. Apartment blocks are painted a horrid mishmash of kindergarten colors, and the houses that still stand in Buc tend to be a little bland. Not in Sibiu, though.
.jpeg)
Another thing that to me appeals a great deal is the winding, sprawling nature of Sibiu's streets. Up and down, stairs upon stairs (great for hefting around luggage!).
.jpeg)
There's a psychological aspect to going down a long-ass staircase in the middle of the city. It kinda makes you feel like you're in a different place for a little while, and it's exciting, and secretive. A thrill. You can wander down the staircase and disappear.
.jpeg)
You wanna?
The Prettiest Street
.jpeg)
That's actually the name of this long street cutting through the heart of Sibiu -- the beautiful street, in translation.
.jpeg)
You can see why. If you like, you can even go up to the defence tower, and scour the horizon for incoming danger. :) I didn't. Maybe I felt safe at the time.
Flowers, flowers everywhere
.jpeg)
Another way in which the city pleasantly surprised me was the abundance of flowers.
.jpeg)
It's not only beautiful, but clever marketing -- this bridge above is filled all day long with tourists taking selfies. Then their friends see it and think well, that's a really gorgeous view, we should go. Other cities, you just heart 'em cause it's your friends on holiday, but you wouldn't actually go.
.jpeg)
Faces
.jpeg)
You know I have a thing for statues, and these ladies, I found particularly striking.
.jpeg)
It's a strange practice, all these buildings being propped up on the backs of women. Wonder if it's symbolic.
To lighten the mood with happier, faces, here's love. And here's me.
Craft fairs
.jpeg)
I'm a huge lover of anything handmade, cutesy craft. I like the idea of supporting indie artists. While I despise wandering the mall, I could spend hours passing from craft table to craft table in an open air fair, like this one.
.jpeg)
I like buying accessories in venues like this one, since you're getting something pretty damn unique. Not like mall shopping, at all. Years ago, I got a pair of guitar-shaped earrings, made of wood, with a matching pendant, all painted with the Pink Floyd prism. People kept asking where I'd got them. I went back to the same fair down the years, but I never found that stand again. I think that's cool.
.jpeg)
Anything catch your eye?
.jpeg)
Anyway, that's how I spent last weekend. I don't yet know how I'll spend the one that's starting. Looking at interior design, probably. But that's a different post. ;)
What are you up to?
Hello you!
I just can't imagine you as Romanian. And then I see this.
I mean... I know you're over there and all that but your English and writing is so perfectly English!
What's the story, there?! Now so instrigued...
How did you learn to speak, read and write so well? *waiting to read that one
Beautiful city, huh? Or you captured it beautifully. And I love the self potrait :D Really nice shot!
Aww shucks. Blame it on a lot of movies, I guess. Plus a lot of reading in English, that certainly helped. I'd just file certain lines and phrases inside my mind, and built from there. And a skill for foreign languages runs in the family, I suppose.
It's actually interesting, I'll take an old English book that belonged to my mom or aunt, and there'll often be little scraps of papers inside where they'd write down a certain expression and its meaning. It's weird because I take such expressions (and their meanings) for granted, so I guess that really speaks to how much access to language younger generations here have got, eh?
Ah
Well that also explains it. If mom and gran were learning it would've faciliated your learning as well. Just by it being familiar.
I think most of learning a new language is really about familiarity and not being embarressed to make mistakes.
Access to everything! Yes!
What a charming village. It almost looks like a theme park, but far less tacky, and without the onerous cover charge.
I love those Caryatids, the way they're stocky and resigned, and actually holding that shit up with one hand like, somebody's gotta do it. Real female strength, unlike the frillier ones that from the renaissance that just balance everything on their head as if with magic.
I had no idea that's what they were called. Thank you for that! Ha, you're right, there's something very down-to-earth about these two, isn't there? My friend told me a fascinating story about a pair of caryatids here in Bucharest, during Communism. Barebreasted, because of course, except Ceausescu's wife wasn't too keen on such debauchery, so she ordered it dealt with. So that now, there's a doorway somewhere near the city center with two female body stumps, severed at the waist, so as not to expose the vulnerable public to their offending breasts. I always thought it such a bizarre way to proceed.
Growing up, being a nerd playing Dungeons & Dragons, the old Monster Manuals were full of creatures from mythology. It's funny how much of that stuff sticks with you.
Good grief, they couldn't have just had a bathing suit painted on? It seems like some of the most misogynistic gestures come from women.
I'm impressed that we still have some bare-breasted statues in the center of Boston Common. We might be all about debauchery today, but this was ground zero for Puritanism, after all.
I love pretty charming cities like these, but I get what you mean about outgrowing it fast, especially if you live there. It's quirky though and I love all the artsy stuff and I could get carried away at the craft and individual stalls too.
Every corner is pretty and it's great that you got to visit another region:)
Exactly! You stay in any of these places too long, you start wondering what people do all damn day. Thanks! It was great fun! :)
Hiya, @choogirl here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honourable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1971.
Your post has been manually curated by the @pinmapple team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!
Become part of our travel community:
Thanks a bunch @choogirl! I appreciate it!
I'm up to wasting a lot of time blogging!
How nice to live vicariously thtough your upbeat and loving eyes.
Thank you, lovely. <3 And there's a special rule in the universe - blogging, particularly with people you like, doesn't count as wasted time ;)
The connections are very real, for sure. xo
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
thanks!
Up to, probably cycling a part in Romania, very soon:)
...which part are you in at the moment?
Oh and I agree, if you stay short enough those Places keep the magic better, I guess you want to leave them always still regretting your departure, wishing you could have stayed a little bit longer and you keep the good memories:)
Ooh interesting. I highly recommend Sibiu ;) I'm in Bucharest, and probably staying put for the most part, as I'm in the process of moving xD Who knows, maybe Bucharest surfaces on your road map ;)
Yeah, you definitely want to leave them on a high. There's some lovely places in Romania, like Sighisoara, for instance, but after a couple of days or so it gets dull, and you're begging to get out xD Why leave with that impression of the place?
Plans have changed again:D so looks like Romania has to wait a little bit longer...
...but I would definitely love to see (I guess that is a lot, looking at the size of the country!)
Hmm maybe like good food, stop eating before you feel sick? So your keep the good memories...
That's great
The street may be older but it looks very good
I love the pictures!