AISB New Family Retreat

August 8th to 10th, 2010

Our school here in Bucharest takes new teachers and their families up into the mountains of Romania for a retreat. The goals are mostly to allow the new teachers to bond and to share insights with us about our new school and the host country. Needless to say, we had a great time.

We left on Sunday 8th August and drove past Brasov, through Bran, then to Moieciu de Sus. Along the way, we stopped at a cool restaurant along the way. This was our first introduction to Romanian food and culture. Quite cool, and the food was pretty good. Then we continued on to the hotel. The hotel lies in a lush green valley, one of many hotels (or pensions) in the area. The setting was beautiful, with a stream right behind the hotel. We had some time in the afternoon, so David and I - along with some folks from school - went for a hike to a monastery nearby. The views were stunning.

The next day we went to Bran, home of "Dracula's Castle." Of course, there really wasn't a real "Dracula" but it makes for a good story. The castle didn't open until noon, and by the time we re-organized ourselves the wait was over two hours. So we headed back to the hotel for lunch. Devin and David went to the castle a few hours later, but I chose to go for a hike up the hill behind the hotel. The views here were even more spectacular. The other cool thing was observing some of the locals working their fields BY HAND, on the steep slopes. Quite amazing, really. The pictures tell a little better story. After the hike, I stopped by a local store I'd visited the day before with David. It's a little "mom and pop" mini-mart. In this case, the husband of the couple spoke some decent English and he was helpful in teaching me a few key phrases in Romanian. They were very welcoming and friendly. Truthfully, with the exception of the local grocery store clerks, everybody here in Romania has been pretty friendly.

The third day we stopped in Brasov along the way. Sadly, I didn't remember the memory card for the camera so we missed out on some great photo-ops. One missed opportunity: Many local eateries sported a sign on their gazebos claiming Brasov as "probably the best city in the world." I'm not sure why, but I found that saying a bit amusing. I found out later it is probably related to a marketing scheme by Carlsberg Beer, "probably the best beer in the world." Sad how beer marketing can influence a cool city such as Brasov. Speaking of marketing, I don't have a picture of it, but my memory is that Brasov has a "Hollywood-style" Brasov sign on the mountains above the city. I need to revisit this place to get that picture, having lived near the original Hollywood sign for a few years.

I have a few pictures below. If you're a regular visitor to the family website, you know by now that you can click on the images to see a larger view. If you're new to the website, well...now you know.

A view of the mountains from the bus. I was in awe.	David with the host at the restaurant on the way to the hotel.	Some pickled vegetables and carved turnips in storage at the restaurant.	The hotel in Moieciu de Sus.
The monastery that we visited above the hotel.	A view over a cemetery and up a valley right next to the monastery.	David with a donkey on the trail back from the monastery.	Dracula's Castle in Bran.
The local sheepherder using the road in Bran to move his flock. Yes, this really did stop traffic.	A local hut with some hay-drying piles. This was on my hike behind the hotel.	Another local hut.	A view up the valley from near the top.
More dwellings and hay-drying piles.	More huts and some worked fields. These are all worked by hand!	The trail is showing some wear and tear.	Another view up the valley. The valleys here are so green!
A local working the hay field. Again, this is BY HAND on steep slopes. The stamina of these people is astounding.	A view across the valley to the other side. Check out how green it is. The "fields" across the way are all worked for hay as well.