Dracula's castle

June 12,2014

Today we traveled in a van. It was really nice to have our own vehicle. First we went to Bran Castle (Dracula's home). It was fun. It's a big castle with lots of narrow, winding staircases. They have the original furniture in many of the rooms. There were also lots of kids. It seemed like every school in Romania had taken a field trip there today.  When we came out of the castle, Naviana had bought a big pretzel for everyone. She said we wouldn't have time for lunch till late and she wanted to make sure we weren't hungry. After the castle, our driver took us to see the royal family's summer castle.  It was incredibly ornate. By the time we finished the tour, it was about 2:00. We found a little cafe nearby and had lunch. I had the Queen Salad (arugula, raspberries and mozzarella).  I was glad to find a salad on the menu. It's hard to get enough fruits and vegetables. Meals tend to be meat and a starch.

We then headed to Bucharest. We got here at around 5 and checked into the hotel - the first one with an elevator!  However, we still haven't gotten to a hotel where the AC works. Fortunately, it gets cooler in the evenings. We are here for tonight and tomorrow night. Then we go to Bulgaria.