To the woods of Sababurg we go in honor of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, German authors who collected and published German folklore during the 19th century. These folklore tails include “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Hansel and Gretal” and “Rapunzel.” So much of German culture is deeply rooted in the forest (wald) as are the Brothers Grimm folklore tales. The forest, scene as a dark dangerous place to be avoided, but Little Red Riding Hood’s mother sent her daughter to deliver food to grandmother’s house anyway. May 21, 2018

The impressive exterior of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary. It’s actually too impressive to capture in totality when you’re close to it, so here is as much of it as I could get in one photo. A Neo-Gothic base topped by a soaring Neo-Renaissance dome, it’s one of the city’s top landmarks. June 1, 2016

Another view of the very impressive Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary. June 1, 2016

Guided tours are provided for the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, but the only one available without much wait was in Spanish so I took it. I did pick up a few bits of information, but the spectacular interior speaks for itself. This gold foiled and frescoed majestic area is considered the official main entrance. June 1, 2016

I was intrigued by this man on a bridge statue. He is Imre Nagy, a Hungarian politician who was secretly tried, found guilty, sentenced to death and executed. It was years later that Nagy was rediscovered as a hero. This monument in Budapest shows Nagy keeping a watchful eye on lawmakers in the Parliament across the way. June 1, 2016

Although I’ve seen some of the sites in Budapest, including this, the Fisherman’s Bastion on the Buda side of the Danube, this and other sites are still worth seeing twice. June 1, 2016

The Matthias Church in Budapest, on the Buda side of the Danube. June 1, 2016

Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary. June 1, 2016

Street in Budapest looking toward the St Stephen’s Basilica. June 1, 2016

Mihály Vörösmarty Monument Early nineteenth century Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty was an author of plays and poetry, considered by his contemporaries to be a romanticist. However, he is best known for his patriotic lyrics and it is for that reason that his statue stands in this square in the middle of Budapest.Vörösmarty Square is one of the busiest places in the downtown section of Budapest. This area is a hubbub of activity, boasting luxury stores, antique shops, a famous pastry shop and several other retailing establishments. June 1, 2016

The Charles Bridge in Budapest, Hungary. June 1, 2016

Statue of former Hungarian prime minister Istvan Tisza also by the Hungarian Parliament on Kossuth Square, Budapest, Hungary. June 1, 2016

The Lajos Kossuth Monument in Budapest by the Hungarian Parliament building. The statue is in honor of Kossuth, the leader of Hungary’s 1848-49 War of Independence against Hapsburg rule. June 1, 2016

We arrived in the city of Cluj-Napoca, in the heart of Transylvania, Romania, in the late afternoon and took a quick get acquainted walk.The Franciscan Church is a place of worship in Cluj-Napoca. It was built between 1260 and 1290, on the site of an older Catholic church destroyed during the Tatar invasions in 1241. In 1390, the Benedictine monks received the church. June 10, 2016

Avram Iancu square in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. June 10, 2016