Baile Herculane - Day 2

Jacaranda Mimosifolia

     Beautiful flowering tree at the dock where we sailed from...I wonder what they are?

     After a full afternoon of sightseeing and boating, it was time for lunch/dinner.  We sat down at the Pensiunea Doina for some local fare - seafood from the Danube.  I chose the fried sturgeon and polenta to try something I had never had.  It was incredible.  Wonderfully seasoned and cooked perfectly.

     Having finished an incredible meal, it was time to head to Baile Herculane and check into our hotel.  It was about a 45 minute drive from the coast to the mountain valley and the sights were unbelievable as we drove through the tall pine and birch trees, the likes of which I hadn't seen in years.  We soon arrived at the Therme D'Olimpia and made our way to our rooms.  For those of you who have not been to Europe, most hotels are not places you go to pamper yourself and lay around all day.  They are purposeful, meant to provide you a place to drop your bags and rest.  They are safe, clean, and this one was especially very rustic and homey.  The keepers were great - friendly and hospitable.

 

 

They still use skeleton keys!

 

     It was getting late, so as night fell, we decided to walk into Baile Herculane and scope out plans for tomorrow.  We passed by a small cemetery and admired the wonderful stone artwork behind the wrought iron fence.

     By the time we made it into the town center, it was getting pretty dark but the peacefulness in the city and the serene quiet was relaxing after a full day of sightseeing.  We walked along an Roman road where Apollo's thermal baths still exist today and where Hercules is purported to have bathed.  A beautiful statue of Aphrodite stands beside the building.  Along the road leading to the baths, ancient bas relief sculptures of Roman soldiers battling with Dacian countrymen are embedded in the walls.

 

     Everyone was tired so we headed back to the hotel for a good night sleep.  The cool mountain air was refreshing.  We stopped at a bar on the way and I had a bottle of Romanian lemon beer with Paul. I picked up a can of beer I've been wanting to try since before I got here.  European bars are NOT like American bars.  The bar we stopped at was the size of a probably ten feet deep and five feet wide.  You purchase a can or bottle of beer and you sit out on the sidewalk as people pass by.  It is a place to rest your feet and quench your thirst.

Ursus (bear) is the Romanian national beer - never looked so good!

     We ended the night having walked over 8 1/2 miles throughout the day.  I can't remember if the bed was really comfortable or if I was just exhausted, but either way - I fell asleep right away.  Day one was in the history books!