"We're In Transylvania!"

The whole day, Ava kept asking "Are we in Transylvania yet?" We left Bucharest Saturday morning, heading for the village of Bran and it's castle, touted as Dracula's castle, but not really. The 16th century prince Vlad the Impaler later became associated with the Dracula legend because of his bloodlust, but his castle is actually elsewhere. Regardless, Ava was excited to visit "Dracula's" castle in her own real life Scooby-Do adventure.

Nuns exiting the monastery at Curtea de Argis, a stop along the way to Bran. The place was all a buzz because the President of Romania was coming to visit. Normally, it is not a functioning church, but the priests were performing ceremonies that day.

According to legend, the mason who built this church was required by tradition to bury someone alive within the stone walls to ensure the success of the construction. So he told his crew one day that on the morrow, the first of their wives to come bring lunch would be the lucky sacrifice. Ended up being his own wife who was the early bird. These walls became her new home.

The amazing interior of the orthodox monastery.

One of the reasons it takes 6 hours to travel 250 km (about 150 miles) is that you have to share the road. We were absolutely delighted when this flock of sheep surrounded us. I suppose the novelty wears off, because the local traffic seemed trying to plow over the little ewes.

The beautiful Bucegi mountains and valleys.

At last, "We're . . . in . . . TRANSYLVANIA!"

Rockstar can wave and says "hi" and "bye" when she wants to show off. Here, she practices on the townsfolk of Bran, who were very receptive.

The balcony of the castle's inner courtyard.

To get this view, we had to climb this (that's Ava at the top, high-tailing it out of there, fueled by Daddy's spooky noises):

Ravasitul Oilor is the festival drawing the crowds beneath the castle. Here we celebrate the homecoming of the sheep from the mountains.

Booth after booth, it was meat, cheese, meat, cheese (all of the sheep variety, of course).

For the superstitious, necklaces of garlic for immediate purchase.

Spellbound.

"We are in Transylvania; and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things." Dracula

We stayed overnight at this pensione in nearby Zarnesti. Charlotte overindulged in the sheep cheese and was up four times during the night. Yawn.

Audrey digs in to the traditional breakfast: tomatoes shaped like strawberries, boiled eggs, fresh cheese, onion, cured bacon, bread and warm milk.