Wrapped Around The Stairs - Sibiu Again!

Another new day I woke up again thinking about the last trip. I must have missed these trips so much lately, in the last 2 years, that each new trip now takes on magical dimensions. At least for me...

Sibiu again! I wake up in my head with images and memories of the just ended trip. If I were younger, maybe I would try to move to this city, like our fellow traveler, @gabrielatravels did. For me, it's not possible, I'm too old and tied to where I live, i.e. obligations, children, grandchildren and friends to try this adventure. I will remain, as long as I live, with the deferred pleasure of some travel. Maybe it's for the best. That way maybe I will only see the beauty and not encounter the uglier parts of the city that you see when you live for a longer time.

I have visited a lot and, at the same time, too little of this city, because I have often returned to the places I liked most. Like, the place where I could get a closer look at the famous eye-catching roofs...

... were the stairs connecting the Upper Town and the Lower Town. I can say I wrapped myself around these stairs, wrapped myself around them. That's why I chose this title, I'll explain later in more detail.

The difference in level between the upper and lower City is not great, I don't think more than 10-20 m, but I think the difference is given by the importance and architecture. In the upper part are the most important buildings and squares and in the lower part is the residential district, almost like a medieval village.

The trip to this city was, in fact, a great walk. The walk was on the streets of the city, the walk was through cathedrals and museums, the walk was also in the forest near the city where there is a huge open air museum, Astra, an ethnographic museum, certainly the largest in Romania. His turn will come to be presented here.

Now I'm going to go around the staircase, i.e. down from the Upper City, where, this time, I went up just to have another look at the roofs.

Before reaching the stairs to go downstairs, we passed a special place in this corner of the city. It is the headquarters of the journeymen (Casa Calfelor).

It is the place where young people from Germany live and work, who come here as volunteers to work on the restoration of houses and monuments. And to them we owe what we see and admire in the city.

There is also a custom. Those who have finished their mission in Sibiu, before they leave, stick one of their tools that they used to work here into this column. As a farewell but also, perhaps, to come back!

Immediately after this house we find the staircase we talked about. A small cavity in the wall, an entrance like an inner courtyard, so many in this city.

You can see the city at the bottom but there are things to see at the top. Immediately to the right is a winery and restaurant hidden in the greenery. I haven't been there but I liked the look of it.

Looking back towards the entrance to the staircase I notice not only the signs made in medieval style but also the sign of angry young people leaving their signatures everywhere. I understand that anger leaves no room for respect but I prefer respect for the work and achievements of others who have gone before us.

Continuing downhill, we begin to see more of this side of town. The city below, in front of us, is beginning to grow.

You can see the walls of the fortress and small shops and cafes with a few tables, loved by the younger ones.

The Upper Town is already retreating, as we descend the stairs ...

Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, we were stopped by a small souvenir shop. A perfect place for such a shop.

It was very hard to get the wife off the store window. That started such a long story that it has no place here.

If anyone is curious, you can see it all here in the post that starts from this photo: Sibiu - In Search Of Souvenirs

Now I'm going to take a little break to draw my breath. I remember when I told a friend that I wanted to rest, "to draw my breath", he always told me to be careful, not to draw it out forever. I don't know if that makes sense in English, but in Romanian the expression "to draw breath" means to rest. At the same time breath = life!

In the meantime I want to tell you why I chose this title for this post. Very often I make analogies, words and phrases remind me of movie or song titles. Now I thought of a gorgeous and classic Police song! Those closer to my age must remember, younger ones can see what their parents were enjoying.

The Police ~ Wrapped Around Your Finger ~ Synchronicity Concert [1983]

A short line from this song can also sum up our desire to travel...

"I have only come here seeking knowledge
Things they would not teach me of in college"

Break's over. I hope you enjoyed it.

The staircase has done its job. We've reached the bottom, in front of us the Lower City, a small part of the Lower City. Still very touristy, with many terraces.

Now, looking down towards the City from above, we see the largest building, the Evangelical Cathedral of Sibiu, whose construction began in 1371 and was completed in 1520. A superb building, the second largest cathedral in Transylvania, whose presentation requires another post.

From the staircase so well told here, a street like a river leads to the lower town and the new town. Up to here it was exclusively pedestrian area, from now on cars will appear in the landscape.

Very soon we reach the edge of the old town. The appearance of the first contemporary building, I think it is a hospital, awakens us from our reverie and imagination that we are living in the past. The sudden arrival in the common reality was not very pleasant.

We are on our way to the hotel. Fortunately, there are still plenty of narrow old streets with old houses and houses being renovated, even abandoned and almost demolished houses.

The hotel where we stayed is a decent, clean hotel with the great advantage of being located on the outskirts of the old town, somehow on the dividing line between the old and the new town.

The hotel is called Apollo Central, a room costs about 50 euros per night and it's close to the old centre, to the Main Square, five minutes walk there.

This is another true story from Sibiu. A place worth walking around, especially in @tattoodjay's #wednesdaywalk but also worth putting on #pinmaplle, for easier location, being also a travel post that wants to showcase a very special place in Transylvania, Romania.

I've been on a trip myself and can't get rid of the memories. But I know that oblivion will come. That's why I'm writing here because I know it will stay here. A little recap of these posts about Sibiu, one of the most touristic cities in Romania!

Probably the most visited city in Romania - Sibiu

On The Stairs, Up and Down

Sibiu - In Search Of Souvenirs

Morning Coffee...