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Link to PHOTO ALBUM:
King Cat and King Bob
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I traveled back in time today.
As you know, I don't plan very much. That always seems to work out. Sometimes with surprising results
This morning I had a plan. Head north. That is about it. Oh, and the Steam Train Museum in Sibiu that was closed over the weekend.
The Steam Train Museum was more of a Steam Train Graveyard. When I read about it, I knew it would be a weird thing to do. And, as my last post stated, I am done with normal.
I also suspected that it would be in a, uhh, non tourist area. This is a Train Yard, where trains go for maintenance and repair. These are never in the best of areas. I was right, but it was a lower income working class neighborhood. The kind of place where you could drop your wallet and someone would pick it up and bring it to you. Someone else might be stealing your bike, but.....
Workin' at the Train Wash Yeah. 
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The guard led me to where I had to sign in as they like to be able to identify the body if you wander away from the museum and into the Yard and get hit by a train.
Just lots of mostly steam engines lying around waiting for restoration or rust, whichever comes first.
There were some more modern ones too, I walked into one, and it looked like train employees were living there. I think it is a hotel for them. There were also active trains, but they were more rusty than the steam trains.
This was the coolest stop in Sibiu. OK, maybe I have just seen one too many Historic Old Towns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibiu_Steam_Locomotives_Museum
Today was the first day of rain since Norway. The morning ride was nice with only a mist, but it was not looking good for the rest of the day. I was thinking about finding a place to stay for two nights, but was not sure where.
The only thing I really wanted to see in Sighisoura was the Citadel. There were a few other things I would look at if there was time as well. When I got there, I saw that the Citadel was up on a hill with no unauthorized vehicle traffic. It was starting to rain a decent amount. This was not looking good.
I was looking at Air BnB and Booking to get a feel for prices and availability. Safe Parking for the motorcycle is my first requirement. A really nice place with private bath and shared common areas was running around $40. A decent hotel with tolerable parking was $55. Very nice Private Apartments, outside the small city were running about $45. Lots of options.
Then a guy on a bicycle comes up to me. Starts talking in very limited English, something about he and his wife have a pension, very nice, garage, citadel, some other things I could not understand. He gets a piece of paper from some shop and shows me an address. What the hell, it is worth a look.
The GPS brings me to a gate that says no unauthorized vehicles. I am looking at the GPS when a very stern looking man comes up to me. I show him the paper, and he opens the gate and waves me on.....
Most of the streets are cobble stone. Well, not cobble stone exactly, more like river stones, big, uneven, smooth, with grass growing in the cracks and did I mention it was raining? Oh, and the Citadel is on a hill. There is not a level piece of ground to be found. I thought the GPS was sending me the wrong way since it was telling me to go up a goat path. A mountain goat path. Sure enough, after winding back and forth through these ancient streets I find the place. It does not look like much.
It turns out they have three bedrooms that they rent out. There are two shared baths, all pretty standard and pretty darned basic. There is also a porch, where one can sit outside. And a garden with chickens, grapes, and, well it looks like my Grandmothers backyard. I like it.
Really, it is like stepping back in time, there is even a Fax Machine, and NO WIFI. Now THAT is ancient history. 
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For $25/night I could probably not have done better here, although for just a little more I might have gotten a much better place a little farther from the Citadel, but the experience is priceless.
The garage is down a steep broken street, river stones and all. Did I mention it was raining? The garage is fine. There is a black kitten that insists on being petted. And climbing all over my Triumph, and me. So a black little Tiger sitting on a black Tiger. Other fancy pensions up here on the hill are showing as $100/night. I bet they don't have a black Kitten.
A Little Tiger on a Tiger 
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After I move my stuff in, the woman asks if I can join her and her husband, and some Canadians for dinner at 6 pm. There will be soup, some kind of food, dessert, WINE, BRANDY, everything. Sure, I can do that.
I am think I will like living in the past for a couple of days.
After being here for a bit, my opinion has improved. It is great. The rooms are great, the hosts are unbelievable. There actually is WiFi. I found out the second night after the window got blown open while were having dinner that the heat was not on yet. Well, there were plenty of blankets.
The Cats name is Lee Lee. Or, as I came to understand, Lilly. One of those little coincidences that make you wonder if the Matrix is real.
Fantastic roads. For a goat. 
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