The Tullmann Travels The Tullmann Travels
Romania 2011

Romania

2011

Roots & Reunions

Transylvania · the heartland — Summer 2011

Transylvania from the inside — castles and salt mines, family and friends, from Codlea to Bucharest.

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The trip in brief

Roots and reunions

Summer 2011 · 15 entries

Where we went

Based in Codlea and out across Transylvania — the salt mine, Sighișoara, Brașov, the castles of Bran and Râșnov, Sibiu, and on to Bucharest “where it all began.”

Why it mattered

Returning to Alina's family and friends — history-packed days, long train rides, and a surprise birthday lunch along the way.

Favorite moment

The jam-packed day of castles at Bran and Râșnov. (Hans: confirm.)

Family & reunions

Bebe at the train station, the Codlea hub, and long days with the people who make Romania home.

A taste of Romania

From the depths of a salt mine to lamplit city squares — Transylvania at its fullest.

The photo essay

Romania 2011, in pictures

Where I've Been
Where I've Been
America to Romania
America to Romania
Salt Mine
Salt Mine
Alina's Birthday
Alina's Birthday
Sighisora
Sighisora
Brasov
Brasov
Bran, Rasnov, the Cave
Bran, Rasnov, the Cave
Sibiu
Sibiu
Bucharest
Bucharest

The journal

Every day of the trip

15 entries · oldest first

Preparing for Romania 2011
Entry 1
Preparing for Romania 2011
June 1

Alina and I are blessed to have the opportunity to visit family and friends in Romania during our summer vacation of 2011. It's been 3 years since Alina…
5 Days Until Departure
Entry 2
5 Days Until Departure
June 3

Yesterday Alina and I completed our school obligations (her 1st year of her masters program and my 7th year of teaching) and now we are making our list…
Where I've Been
Entry 3
Where I've Been
June 4

Alina and I found this cool website called, " Where I've Been ", and this is a map that shows it:
3 Days Left
Entry 4
3 Days Left
June 6

Preparing to go on a big trip can be almost as fun as the destination itself. Do you get as excited I do? Planning where to go, what…
Departure
Entry 5
Departure
June 8

We leave Bakersfield Wednesday, June 8, 2011, at 9:00am to LAX. We were able to get a from a son of a friend-- who was going our way.…
America to Romania
Entry 6
America to Romania
June 10

After leaving our house at 9:00am, we made it to LAX at 11:30am and waited in a long line. Our 2 big check in bags needed to be…
Salt Mine
Entry 7
Salt Mine
June 11

Saturday, June 11, 2011, we slept in, ate breakfast, and hit the road with Alina’s brothers, Marius and Bebe, and Augustina, Marius’ wife. We drove to a small…
Alina's Birthday
Entry 8
Alina's Birthday
June 14

Before leaving, I staged a surprise birthday lunch for Alina at Tahoe Joes with food, friends, and fun. However, it was premature, because we celebrated her actual birthday…
Adventures in Romania Part 1: Codlea – Travel Hub
Entry 9
Adventures in Romania Part 1: Codlea – Travel Hub
June 19

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Bebe took Alina and I to the train station in the city of Floresti, Prahova (county), about 30 minutes East from Alinas parents in…
Adventures in Romania Series
Entry 10
Adventures in Romania Series
June 19

Wow-- it has been non-stop traveling since we've last posted. Since we've been traveling so much with limited time, electricity, and internet access, I've tried to keep up…
Adventures in Romania Part 2: Sighisora
Entry 11
Adventures in Romania Part 2: Sighisora
June 22

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 After an almost sleepless night, I (Hans) woke up in a bad mood. At 5:30am. We left early at 6:30 and walked through the…
Adventures in Romania Part 3: Brasov
Entry 12
Adventures in Romania Part 3: Brasov
June 23

Thursday, June 16, 2011 After a long Wednesday at Sighisora, we slept in at Alina's Aunt's vacant apartment. During our stay in Codlea, our breakfast was usually a…
Adventures in Romania Part 4: Bran, Rasnov, the Cave
Entry 13
Adventures in Romania Part 4: Bran, Rasnov, the Cave
June 26

Friday, June 17, 2011 Today was a jammed, packed day of history! We started on our usual route from walking to taxi to the bus station to walking…
Adventures in Romania Part 5: Sibiu
Entry 14
Adventures in Romania Part 5: Sibiu
June 27

Saturday-Sunday, June 18-19, 2011 Codlea had been our our hub of traveling to Sighisora, Brasov, Bran, and Rasnov, but it was time to move on. We packed some…
Adventures in Romania Part 6: Bucharest – Where It All Began
Entry 15
Adventures in Romania Part 6: Bucharest – Where It All Began
July 6

Monday, June 20 - Thursday, June 30, 2011 On Monday, June 20nd, after leaving Sibiu, we took a 6 hour train trip to Bucharest, Romania, arriving at 1:30…
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