Me at the secret stairway, which is quite narrow, inside Bran Castle close to Braşov, Romania. June 9, 2016

A portrait of Vlad Tepes Dracul, who spent his childhood in Transylvania, earned the name “Tepes,” which means impaler because of his cruel habit of impaling his enemies. His second surname, “Dracul,” means the Devil’s son in Slavonic language. In 1897, Irish writer Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” imagines the story of a vampire who lives in a castle in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains…something similar maybe to Bran Castle. June 9, 2016

Bran Castle close to Braşov, Romania, was a fortress situated on the border between Transylvania and Walachia. It is commonly referred to as “Dracula’s Castle,” after Bram Stoker’s fictional Count Dracula tales. The Dracula character is said to be based on Vlad III the Impaler, Prince of Walachia, who spent his childhood in Transylvania. Vlad lived in the mid 1400s and Bram Stoker wrote Dracula around 1897. June 9, 2016

Back in Brasov for our last night in this Transylvania region of Romania. June 9, 2016

A view from my hotel of the gorgeous city of Braşov, Romania. The church in the distance is the towering Gothic style Black Church. June 9, 2016

the restaurant where our group is having dinner at our home base in Brasov in a building that dates from the 1540s. I decided to try this outing of dinner, with a wine tasting and a folk show with music and dance. June 8, 2016

The city of Braşov in the Transylvania region of Romania. June 8, 2016

The Palace of the Parliament or more commonly called the People’s Palace in Bucharest, Romania, is beyond unreal in its opulence. And, to think that during the six years it took to build it, starting in 1981, the people of Romania suffered. And, never mind the families whose homes were destroyed to build the megalomaniac Palace of Nicolae Ceausescu’s, Romania’s Communist leader from 1967 to 1989, desires. June 7, 2016

Me on the balcony of the People’s Palace in Bucharest, Romania. Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania’s Communist leader from 1967 to 1989, planned to address his people on this balcony had they not executed him first. Instead, the balcony was first used by none other than Michael Jackson, who declared to the adoring crowd below, “I LOVE BUDAPEST!” June 7, 2016

Traveling on my own means oftentimes having dinner on my own. That’s exactly what I did in Romania at an restaurant in walking distance of the hotel. Although I don’t speak the language, I’ve seldom had a problem ordering a meal and/or eating on my own. This time was no exception. The meal was delicious, right now, I’m enjoying dessert, and the outdoor atmosphere was also lovely. June 7, 2016

Me in the glitzy legislative chamber or assembly hall of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. June 1, 2016

I’ve hit the jackpot with my 10,000 bill. Well, it’s a Hungarian Forint and it may only have a value of $35 U.S. or so, but it is still a 10,000 bill. I was originally rather unsure how I’d manage all the different currencies from this trip, but I have and it’s been fun. Plus, there’s an app for the conversion rates. June 1, 2016