It was a dry night until jut before the alarm went at 07:15 when the rain started. It had stopped by the time that we had finished breakfast but one look at the sky told us that we were going to get more. It was positively cold – the thermometer showed the outside temperature as 12°C and for the first time in more than two months I wore trousers, long-sleeved shirt and even a jumper.
There had been a Romanian caravan parked next to us for two days but our doors were on opposite sides and, although we had seen the occupants, we hadn't actual met them. As I prepared the van for departure, the man was doing the same with his caravan and we fell into conversation. His name was Lucian-Laurentiu and he was a fascinating person. I asked him what he did as a job and he explained that his first love was mechanical engineering but he had then taken a degree in economics and then a masters in foreign relations but he was actually a policeman! Quite a varied career! He hoped that later in the year he would be able to move job into government, dealing with the implementation of the Schengen Agreement that Romania plans to join in 2011. This will involve liaising with neighbouring EU countries and should include some foreign travel. He is obviously looking forward to using his skills in international relations. He is a very enthusiastic person and the conversation covered all sorts of topics including in-depth discussion of politics and economic policy of Romania, China, Russia and Britain! Needless to say, his English was very good. Half an hour later, after prompts from Jane and Lucian-Laurentiu's wife and daughter, we exchanged contact details and said goodbye.
We had a planning session yesterday, deciding to give Brasov a miss, we are going to head for to two local castles before driving to the north of Romania. We drove south and then turned west, climbing up through forest. It was raining and the low cloud meant that we had no idea how high the mountains were. There was no sign of a castle as we entered the outskirts of Rasnov but as we approached the centre it suddenly appeared from behind a low hill. It is a very dramatic sight and, after a minor diversion due to a total lack of signs, we drove up towards the castle. We parked in a large car park and then walked up the long road to the narrow entrance. The walls of the castle are complete and some of the internal buildings have been renovated but others are in ruins. A fortress existed on the site from the 14th century but it was in the 15th century that the massive walls were built. The interior of the castle was packed with buildings providing a lot of accommodation. The very important well is 146 metres deep and took two Turkish prisoners 17 years to dig. The information board told us that they were promised their freedom if they completed it but it didn't tell us whether the promise was honoured. The castle had managed to resist many sieges over the years and the well would have been a vital factor. The clouds had lifted a little and this allowed us to see some of the views over the plain from the castle. We were supposed to be able to see some mountains but those were shrouded in clouds.
We then drove on to Bran, site of the famous Dracula's Castle. Absolute rubbish, of course, but the castle looks the part and it does wonders for the local tourism. Bram Stoker wrote the fictional account of Dracula but used the historic figure of Vlad Tepes as his inspiration. Vlad Tepes (The Impaler), prince of Wallachia, is actually a hero to the Romanians as he fought fiercely and bravely for Romanian independence from the Turks in the 15th century. He dealt harshly with his enemies (impaling them, hence his title) but was fair to his subjects. He was known as Dracula as it means 'son of Dracul' and his father was a Knight of the Order of the Dragon ('dracul' in Romanian). The vampires were purely Stoker's invention although I am sure that Vlad Tepes's impaling of his victims may have stoked (sic) his imagination. Vlad Tepes is unlikely to have ever visited Bran Castle and certainly didn't live there but we don't want that to get in the way of a super story!
It will be no surprise when I tell you that Bran Castle was heaving with tourists, arriving constantly by coach and there are an incredible number of tacky souvenir stalls selling every type of Dracula paraphernalia in addition to the standard pottery and wooden objects plastered with 'Souvenir from Romania / Bran / Transylvania / Dracula's Castle'. I threatened to buy a Dracula tankard but I couldn't find one that was sufficiently tacky and of the correct size. I really fancied serving friends with a pint of beer in a tankard with Dracula's face and blood-covered fangs on the front.
We visited the castle, shuffling along the corridors with the hundreds of other visitors. It was actually quite interesting, especially the architecture and the warren of rooms and corridors, including a secret staircase – no castle should be without one.
'Vampire Camping' (no, they don't claim that Dracula stayed there) is only a couple of kilometres away from the castle on the edge of the village and that is where we headed. Run by a Dutch couple, it is a very comfortable site with very generous pitches and a really rural feel to it, having a backdrop of wooded hills and hayricks surrounding the pitches.
Photos: Rasnov castle perched on its hill; The interior of Rasnov Castle; Bran Castle looking just like Dracula's den; The courtyard and surrounding buildings at the centre of the castle – note the hoards of people.
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