2018-09-23
Link to PHOTO ALBUM:
I am done. I don’t mean I am done traveling, I just mean I am done doing what I have been doing. I have been playing tourist for too long. I have been riding around and seeing nice scenery, but I have also been stopping at some UNESCO sites, and Cities, and other tourist destination.
Every city here has an historic town square. They all have historic churches, buildings fountains. Maybe a wall or two. After a while they all look the same. Even the small towns, which might have only a few hundred residents have fortified churches, and other historic buildings. Many are worth a drive by at least, but after a while…..
So I need a change of pace. From now on I plan on only hitting a few of the really important tourist stops, the ones that I will kick myself later if I don’t stop. And weird things. There are lots of things off the tourist trail. Some are better than others. There is a place north of Bucharest where the ground has flames coming out of it all the time. That is a must do.
I also have to try to set up some kind of a routine, do some normal things. Get a hair cut, watch a movie or two on Netflix, Surf the net, you know, normal life.
So Sibiu is a wonderful city. A walled city with all kinds of historic sites that you can spend days looking at. I spent a couple of hours there. Well, yesterday I spent more than that having soup with the two Romanian guys, but that was yesterday.
The first thing I did today, before going into the city, was go to the Open Air museum. This was a short walk from the fantastic apartment I rented for $40/night. The two bedroom apartment next to a great steak place. The Open Air Museum was many acres of old traditional houses and buildings from various time periods in Romanian history. Also Wind Mills, complete, where you could walk all through them, and climb in them and see all the apparatus. These were from various times in history. Also floating river mills. And water mills. And tools, and, well, it was a great and very relaxing stop. This was a park, so it was made for just walking around. During busier tourist season I am told there are people dressed in period dress and showing crafts. There was not much of that this time of year, and many of the buildings were closed, but it was still something else. For $4 it was well worth it. There were good restaurants too, but I was saving myself for a monster steak for dinner.
Muzeul Civilizației Populare Tradiționale ASTRA
http://www.mcpt.muzeulastra.ro/
The museum had a Zoo attached, for an additional $0.75. It was not bad, as far as Zoos go. The animals were treated well enough, at least within the constraints of limited space and money. The children seemed to like it. I kinda’ felt sorry for the animals. Especially the big cats, the wolves and the brown bear. They need lots of space and they did not have that.
All kinds of wind and water mills, mostly for grain, but some for felt and other uses.
Did I mention Windmills? Lots of wind mills.
They called this one a Pelton Wheel. It is a wooden, dual Pelton Wheel mill. Very different. 
And machinery and tools from all time periods.
Sibiu, Romania is a nice city, not too big, easy in and out, but I have had enough of cities. One of the historic churches, Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, charged $2 (a lot here) to see all of it. Climbing the tower only produced a few windows to look out over the city, and the church itself was closed for renovation so even though you paid for it, you could not see much of it. I suppose they could have mentioned that. From everything I have read, it really was a great church to go into, when you could go into it.
View from the small tower windows.
View inside the tower. I would not want to be here when they rang the bells.
There was another church that was free. The Holy Trinity Cathedral, similar name but different location, was great. Even as burned out on churches as I am, this one was worth the time. It was really impressive inside.
There are a number of squares where you can walk around or eat, and a large tent where they were having Oktoberfest (yes, I know it is only September)
There is plenty more to do in this town, I just am not that into this type of touristing right now.
My favorite part of the city was watching this car get towed. They don’t have much tolerance for cars parking in certain no-go spots. Fortunately Bikes can park pretty much anywhere, although I think this spot would have resulted in a hook being attached and having my bike dragged off. 
But the aged steak that night !!!!!!
