Dracula's Castle, Transylvania, Sinaia, And Peles Castle

For our final day of touring this trip on Thursday we ventured high into the mountainous areas north of Bucharest. Located several hours away by bus on crowded inadequate roads are two major attractions: Peles Castle, and Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle. From Wiki: "Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. Its inauguration was held in 1883. It was constructed for King Carol I. Bran Castle, situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Brașov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the Transylvanian side of the historical border with Wallachia." Bran Castle is associated with the myth of Count Dracula, the fictional creature created by author Bram Stoker, even though Stoker himself never visited Romania. More informtion on the Dracula myth is here. The scenery in the area of both castles is stunning. They are very different experiences; 19th century Peles Castle is very ornate, lavishly furnished but too dark to photograph inside. Bran Castle, built in Medieval times, is more simply furnished but situated beautifully with fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. We enjoyed seeing both but it was an exhausting 13 hour day and hitting the pillow felt great after a late dinner at Vatra, one of Bucharest's nicer authentic Romanian restaurants. Friday We begin our long voyage home with flights to Philadelphia connecting through Montreal. This has been a remarkable trip indeed! - Jim