After a day of strenght on Friday, that night I did not sleep as well,
which I was rather expecting since I slept so long and well the night before
because I had not slept much at all the night before that!
So I was a bit of a limp dish rag for the ride to Sinaia, a lovely resort town...
we ended up in huge traffic and lost over an hour of the day this way... probably lost more than this,
as we thought we would see both Sinaia and Brașov that day... and in the end we did not
even consider going to Brașov... but it was still a wonderful day, like a fairy tale, seeing
so much beauty and history...
there we saw one of the Romanian Castles, the Peleș Castle,
and the beautiful Sinaia monastery,
dating back from the late 1600s!
The above picture are of the bigger of the 2 churches at the Sinaia
Monastery, done in more 19th century style... the candles were
burnt outside (as they all are in Romania from what I can tell)
and had water in the base so that when they melted down, it was
not difficult to clean...
***
The much smaller chapel was very old and beautiful...
it is small and intimate, my friend A told me she always feels when
she goes there that being there is like being protected,
as if still in the womb...
I made the last 2 pictures, nearly identical, to show how small this
chapel is - the pillars are at the back and the front is just a few (5-7) steps away...
it's very beautiful and quiet... my friend A is right, that it feels
like you are away from everything, protected...
The outside walls (at least the one on the right) is of the last judgement...
may God save us in His mercy!
I love all the icons...Romania is known for their painted monasteries
(esp in the North, we were not there this trip but hope to be one day)
and I love how the icons tell the story of salvation, and of the Saints,
how they show everything from the beginning to the end of time...
The building just in the pictures above had a store, we got a few
(in English!) books about the monastery, some icon cards, prayer ropes,
things like this...
the beautiful very walk-able path with tall trees...
there were various vendors selling traditional Romanian things...
And then we saw a beautiful castle!
The first Castle that I have ever seen...
Isn't it just breathtakingly beautiful and like a fairy-tale all at once?!
We had a really lovely time... and I got to enjoy lots of time with my friend A
while my Husband enjoyed talking with her husband, AR...
we get along really well as a couple and as friends individually...
it was so wonderful to be with them, as if we had just last seem them a month ago
instead of 7 years! A sign of true friends!
A Bride and Groom! :)
These walls add to the feeling of it being out of the most wonderful
storybook of fairy tales of the best kind...
I love these 2 statues!
We walked back through the wooden road to the Monastery and back to the car
where we drove into Sinaia and found a restaurant to eat at...
I can't remember the restaurant's name now but it was an Indian restaurant with
delicious Indian food!
In USD it was not a bad price but my sister explained that it was a little
on the higher side for Romanian standards... one difference was that every part
of the meal had a price (i.e. the rice was not included).
It was very good and for US prices quite reasonable for 4 including the lovely
tea service! :) It was a really nice end to a wonderful day!
I got these 2 lovely articles of clothing at vendors in the tall wooded road
between the Monastery and the Castle...
the blue one on the left is about knee length and an idea grew
as the week went on that perhaps I would wear this dress to the liturgy
the day of my friend's wedding which was still in the future on the day
that we went to Sinaia... and that is, in the end, what I did!
The white and blue shirt I am thinking of having for Pascha, not as
what I would wear at the midnight service as much as the next day,
DV, when we return for Agape vespers...
***
It was a really lovely day!
***
And the next day was to be St Dimitrios the New, Patron Saint of Bucharest's day,
with thousands of Pilgrims there for the outdoor liturgy...
It was to be the beginning of a wonderful week!
Elizabeth thank you , thank you, for this gift of pictures for your readers! The icons are absolutely heavenly!!! I can't stop looking at them again and again. And you're right, scrolling through your post tonight is like walking through the pages of a beautiful storybook. It is overwhelming beauty at every turn. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAll the pictures are lovely but OH that castle is incredible!!
ReplyDeleteSo much of your beautiful scenery reminds me of parts of Austria, particularly the Castle. Your trip must have given you so many memories, and I am really loving reading your posts about the places you have visited.
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty photos! I also loved the statues. The expressions and poses are priceless.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite picture of all is the icon of the Virgin of the Sign on the ceiling. <3
ReplyDeleteVery fairy tale-ish, as you said. Love the statues!
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful to experience all this through your blog! Eager to read the next installment. HUGS XO
ReplyDeleteWhat a wealth of beautiful things to look at. Thank you for sharing so many pictures. The architecture, the sculptures, the landscape. It's just breathtaking. Like others above, I feel compelled to comment on the statues - they look like knights (of a sort). Maybe soldiers? What beautiful works of art they are!
ReplyDelete