Leela

Leela Retirement tales of travel, vintage buys, political rants, interiors
shih t’zus and general nonsense. Quality, contemporary, handmade

I was fed and watered again by my hosts and introduced to a baby tortoise who was being “cuddled” by their son.Had stuff...
17/09/2026

I was fed and watered again by my hosts and introduced to a baby tortoise who was being “cuddled” by their son.

Had stuffed cabbage leaves, broth and barbecue. Turns out the chap is ex-army - served in Afghanistan- military police, a boxer and a chef in Austria for half the year.

Their garden is surrounded by vvvvv old houses all falling down because you have to restore them to exactly as they were. That didn’t seem to count for their house.

More friends came over and were fed of course - this time Anna a tall beauty who had travelled the world as a Romanian folk dancer and ended up in Wolverhampton working for Amazon.

Early start and long bus trip tomorrow.

I’m here atm. Many more photos later…Main Romanian Orthodox church in Sibiu - based on Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. Gosh.
17/09/2026

I’m here atm. Many more photos later…

Main Romanian Orthodox church in Sibiu - based on Hagia Sofia in Istanbul.

Gosh.

The “golden hour” evening stroll
16/09/2026

The “golden hour” evening stroll

My apartment is “modern” but I knew it was part of a little ramshackle house/garden with shih tzu’s, chickens, ducks an...
16/09/2026

My apartment is “modern” but I knew it was part of a little ramshackle house/garden with shih tzu’s, chickens, ducks and apparently tortoises.

Granny just gave me some courgette fritters with son’s chimichurri sauce and tomorrow apparently I’ll be getting cabbage rolls and polenta - I don’t believe I have a choice in this matter and I won’t be refusing….the son speaks v good English and appears to know how to swear fluently as well. Me being me was asking lots of questions to find out about the different ethnic mixes here from over the centuries. So it’s been v interesting - there are three small county-like areas which still have Hungarian/Magyar communities who don’t speak Romanian but are actually Romanian and they won’t do business with Romanian Romanians. After Communism people who were Saxon in origin were forcibly removed.

Here is the “garden”.

I’m glad I got here early. This place - Sibiu - is COOL. Hard to define “cool” but you know it when you feel it from th...
16/09/2026

I’m glad I got here early. This place - Sibiu - is COOL. Hard to define “cool” but you know it when you feel it from the “vibe”, the energy, the youth to some extent, not too touristy helps, the shops, the cafes, the way people are dressed. A bit more sophistication. And even better when you weren’t quite expecting it!

Three HUGE squares.

A good contrast to yesterday which was worth a visit but I should have done a day trip. Should’a could’a didn’t. Doesn’t matter.

I’ve “done” one church already - the first Catholic one and it was again so different and beautiful so will have it’s own post.

In meantime welcome to the City of Eyes - more later no doubt.

I’m in the “city of eyes” for a few days. I can “see” why it’s called that….more later
16/09/2026

I’m in the “city of eyes” for a few days. I can “see” why it’s called that….more later

Blooming heck they know how to make coffee here! This is thirty seconds from my v traditional town house apartment. The ...
16/09/2026

Blooming heck they know how to make coffee here! This is thirty seconds from my v traditional town house apartment. The beans are roasted on the premises.

Early train - learning points this morning- no street lights, no taxis and the train station isn’t really signposted. Qu...
16/09/2026

Early train - learning points this morning- no street lights, no taxis and the train station isn’t really signposted. Quite a grand building but I think people are confusing it with a toilet. Anyway the train is here - it’s small and will stop everywhere along the line. I hope it goes through the mountains - that’s what the map is showing. I might well be wrong.

Sighisoara was probably the most touristy of the places I’d planned on going to. As a result you’re relying on touristy restaurants which I don’t like. Next stop is more of a mix of locals/tourists. Then I go north to the Hungarian border.

I know it’s a bit early for politics but I have decided to miss out Serbia. A few weeks ago they had a full blown state funeral attended by thousands for the “butcher of Bosnia” responsible for the slaughter of tens of thousands of people in Srebrenica and the Seige of Sarajevo - many of us will remember the horror.

For that reason I decided I don’t want to be in the company of people like that…any way, that was a pleasant way to start your day!

I really really would have liked to see one particular town but my detours will be interesting!

The train is moving, the sun is lighting up the cornfields and will be here for a few days at 24-27 degrees and there are indeed beautiful hills on each side…I think it’s like the Tarka Trail - we’ll be picking up school kids and workers along the route.

I’m two hours ahead of you don’t forget so I’m winding down for the day now thinking about an early train journey tomorr...
15/09/2026

I’m two hours ahead of you don’t forget so I’m winding down for the day now thinking about an early train journey tomorrow morning and luckily the next people I’m staying with said I can check in early. I’m looking forward to this one. They have two shih tzus and a Granny who might or might not give me some raspberries from her garden. Photos of Sybil will be proffered.

Spent the morning going round the Citadel again and up to see the huge Lutheran church at the top of the hill as I’d read that it was interesting/different and indeed it was, dating back to 1400. How/why do you build such things on top of a hill! A big hill! Turns out that a lot of Saxons moved into this part of Transylvania hence the German religion/churches.

This one has the most beautiful storage chests - I really wanted one - thankfully they now protect their historical artefacts and they should’nt leave the country. I happen to know of a v large warehouse in mid Devon which is stuffed to the brim with Romanian folk art/furniture! I’m going back a few years but I believe it’s still there.

It had the remnants of colourful murals as well - I don’t know if the church would have been covered with these originally? I’m guessing yes.

BFN

Was not expecting TWO XL schnitzels, a field of potatoes and a jug of melon lemonade for lunch.
15/09/2026

Was not expecting TWO XL schnitzels, a field of potatoes and a jug of melon lemonade for lunch.

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