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Another amazing and unusual two weeks have past. To catch up on the first half of my Romanian adventure, go back to the Miklosvar entree.
Roving Romania wasn't as bad as I'd feared. Cramming six people into the Land Rover was more comfortable than I'd imagined, and the trip itself was way more fun. But Dad had planned two many monasteries in too few days and we never had any down time. We drove for many hours each day through incredible scenery, and often arrived at our destination just in time for dinner and bed. (This was especially sad when we were being hosted by a local family that would have provided great conversation if we had the time.) Then we woke up, ate breakfast and were on the road again. I loved the rolling hills, and the variety of farmhouses, but after a while the pace took its toll.
My father's purpose in hiring Colin Shaw to drive us around Romania, covering incredible distances each day, was to fulfill his dream of seeing the "painted monasteries" of Bucovina. These five masterpieces are actually churches inside of monasteries, and they're all covered in amazing frescoes. We saw all five in three days: Moldovita, Sucevita, Arbore, Humor, and Voronet. Most of them have their own unique versions of seraphim, saints a plenty, the Tree of Jesse, and a detailed Last Judgement. My favorite was Sucevita for its Ladder of Judgement flanked with angels, its two dragons, and a hidden seraphim underneath an archway. We braved blazing hot sun, freezing cold rain, and many and many hours in the jeep to see these monasteries, and I was not disappointed.
Colin also managed to squeeze in a couple magical hikes and some craft shops, which broke the monotony of the monasteries and kept my interest for longer. But during the last few days we all got pretty grumpy due to rushed travels and lack of personal space. On our last night in Bucovina, late at night when we were all exhausted a small birthday party was thrown, which raised all our spirits. On our last day, the departure hugs were sad, but I was also very excited to go on to Istanbul.
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