We had another wonderful breakfast at Hotel Berthelot and then checked out - we were heading to Therme Bucharest - the largest wellness center in Europe. Per their website "The entire place is designed for water sport, relaxing and food. Also, Therme Bucharest has the best spa in Bucharest." It is located practically on top of the airport - which is handy for anyone flying in for a day at Therme - a taxi or Uber is only a 5 minute drive - there are hotels nearby. So, many Europeans come for a weekend or for a couple of days mid-week because the airfare is inexpensive and the price of tickets is pretty reasonable as well.
We headed straight for Therme as we still had to drive to Brasov in Transylvania this afternoon and there was a chance of rain. We noticed a lot of solar farms just like in Bulgaria - some houses had the solar panel on the roofs. Not many wind farms - solar farms are more popular. Romania gets almost 45% of its power from renewable sources.
Heroes of the Air monument - we passed this monument about 10 am. It is a memorial to Romania's early aviation history.
I was surprised to learn that a competition was held to find a sculpter to design the statue. The Romanian people voted by secret ballot to determine the winner. The winning sculptor used Joe Louis, the American professional boxer, as inspiration for the aviator's body. Louis had visited Bucharest around the time of the competition. The sculpter picked a head for the sculpture from a book of famous aviators. On the pedestal are the names of the Romanian airmen who died before 1935 when the sculpture was completed. A miniature copy traveled into space with Romanian Cosmonaut Dimitri Prunariu who was born in Brasov.
The Triumphal Arch in Bucharest was modeled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was originally a wooden triumphal arch built in 1878 so that victorious Romanian troops could march through it celebrating Romanian independence from the Ottoman Empire.
A concrete monument was built in 1921-22 to celebrate Romania's victory in WWI as well as Prince Ferdinand and Princess Marie's coronation as King and Queen of Romania in 1922. The monument was renovated in 1935.
As we got closer to Therme Spa, the clouds got darker and darker. We parked the car and walked into this 'theme" park. There are 3 categories of tickets with increasing benefits - the lowest being Galaxy - the next is The Palm - the highest is Elysium which includes everything that is available including access to all 3 restaurants but food and drink are extra charges in all price ranges. The prices vary as well from the Galaxy at 3 hours at 63-73 lei for adults - 4.5 hours for 87-97 lei for adults - and all day pass for 119-129 lei for adults. One lei is worth $.22 so for an all day pass you only pay about $28.50. Actually admission prices are not too bad - the most expensive all day Elysium pass is less than $43.
When you enter, you decide on your pass - pay for it - then they give you a bracelet that includes a magnetic device to open and close your locker - it also is used to pay for any food or drink that you buy - and it also keeps you out of areas that you did not pay for.
They make their money on the next counter where you buy the gear. Everyone must wear flip flops - we didn't have any so we bought 3 pairs. You must have a towel - we didn't have any so we bought 3 towels - bathrobes are available to keep you warm - so we bought 3 of those. JB had no bathing suit so he bought one. Tina and I brought ours so we did not buy any. The locker number is on the bracelet - we found our lockers - then there are changing rooms. Except that I only had the top of my bathing suit and my rash guard - no bottoms! I asked JB for the car key to go out to my knapsack to get my bathing suit bottom. Talk about klutzy but JB was very good about it and insisted on going with me. We told one of the supervisors that we were running out to the car to get my bathing suit - he said no more than 10 minutes. We were giving our bracelets to one of the cashiers and she said it would be 20 Lei for JB to go out. I was already pissed because I had forgotten it, but now I was really pissed because I thought that was a rip off. We ended up NOT going out to the car - I BOUGHT a one piece bathing suit that was too small so I wore my rash guard over it. I wasn't in the best mood needless to say.
We went in search of a chair - almost everything was taken but JB and Tina eventually found 2 recliners. We started outside - out through those windows below. The water was warm - very easy to get in - I just naturally started doing my water exercises - it felt good to be able to lift my right leg up to my chest! JB and Tina went to explore the place. I came out when I began to feel waterlogged. JB had found another recliner beside the first 2. I stretched out in my bathrobe and watched the sights. I then decided I was thirsty so I went to get up - the recliner was so low that it took me 3 tries to get up off that fricking recliner! I was hoping no one was watching!
I walked over toward a bar but stopped at the mineral bath first then got a glass of the best pineapple juice I've ever had. I headed back to the recliner but looked for a higher chair - there were 3 small tables with 4 regular chairs at them but they were all taken. I went back to that recliner and plopped down. I was amazed at all the different people and body types that were there - so many body parts walked by me - exposed fronts and butts - guys and gals - old and young - way more than I wanted or needed to see. It suddenly dawned on me how comfortable and confident they all seemed - no one seemed obsessed about their size - they all seemed comfortable within their own skin - and with their partners' skin. One couple was walking by me - she did look good in a string bikini with her partner grabbing onto one of her butt cheeks as they walked by. It is me that is obsessed with size - I'm too fat and flabby - my legs are too fat - my stomach sticks out after a hysterectomy. That's why I wore the bath towel to get a drink. I sat there and pondered this for a good long while - I hadn't been really looking at people before this - they just happened to walk by and I couldn't help but see them - but now I was paying more attention to how everyone seemed happy, confident, comfortable with themselves. So when I went for a bottle of water, I didn't wear my bathrobe. It felt awkward at first but then I said that I wasn't going to see any of these people again, and I let it all hang out - it did feel different. Now if only that feeling would last!
One of Therme's indoor and outdoor pools from my recliner.
JB and Tina came around - they had explored the downstairs sauna and had massages - now they were going upstairs to explore. I was getting hungry so I got up - well not actually. I had to have JB give me a hand up so I was not humiliated like the last time I got up. I walked down to the international restaurant - the vegetable stir fry looked good so I got in line at the kiosk and put in my order after standing there for 10 minutes watching how the kiosk worked as people were ordering their food.
I was sitting at a table by myself checking Threads for some news when all of a sudden an alarm started blazing - no one even looked up at first - then it started again but this time everyone was looking at their phones - it was a weather alert!
No one moved - I was a little concerned - I had been checking the weather all day because there was a chance of severe weather this afternoon and we were heading northwest to Brasov. Some of the employees were bring in signs and loose items from outside. JB and Tina came by for something to eat - they had been outside and said the temperature dropped significantly and it was very windy. We decided to leave shortly after - we had been there for about 4 hours. When we were coming out of the locker area, I noticed it looked like it was raining. But it was actually pelting pouring rain! The ground was flooded. Good man that he is, JB rain to get the car. He pulled up but could not get close enough to us - we had to make a run for it - which for me a a slightly quicker walk. I was drenched when I got to the car. But JB put on the heat and we headed for Brasov which was about 2.5 hours away.
JB has gotten used to driving the winding twisting mountain roads and this drive was no different - except for the periodic rain - the fog is an every day occurrence. We passed through a few small villages. I think I said it before that they are building bigger and supposedly better roads right through the middle of these small towns - the expanded roads are sometimes right on top of the houses - open your door and you're on a highway. Lots of villages have no sidewalks - the poor people - and tourists - take their lives in their hands trying to walk along the road with cars, trucks and buses flying by. Some towns have pedestrian bridges to cross from one side of the road to the other - and this is everywhere - but especially in Romania. The trucks especially are often over the line and in the other lane - and they don't stop for anyone - especially on mountain roads. Cars, trucks, and buses are more important than pedestrians and cyclists. JB was driving up a twisty mountain road - we came to a hairpin turn as a truck was barreling down the mountain side and almost ran right into us - the bus was partly over into our lane. I said to JB that these new roads are really ruining the appeal of the small towns. Whoever planned this out did not think ahead - maybe they should have considered bypasses so the heavy traffic would be on the outside of town and residents and tourists could safely walk inside the town.
The rain continued off and on - it was cloudy and dark.
These pictures do not show the dark threatening clouds and the fog
We ran into a lot of traffic on the mountain roads and in the villages - maybe it was Sunday evening and people were returning home after the weekend? Anyway it got too dark to take any pictures when we were near Sinaia with its gorgeous old houses - they were just what I had expected and looked forward to. I downloaded a couple from www.Almay.com to give you the idea.
I was amazed at how big some of the towns or villages were - somehow I had the idea that Transylvania was a rural area. So when we arrived at Brasov, even in the dark I was stunned at the size of it. When I was watching travel videos or reading guidebooks, they only mentioned the old town of Brasov - I didn't realize there was a big newer area! We thought the mountain roads were twisty, the road to our hotel was up narrow back alleys - some not paved - we finally found it about 8 o'clock. The receptionist was lovely - the rooms were great - especially mine with a view down at the old city. It was raining and dark so we just checked in and hunkered down for the rest of the night - I had my water and some biscuits so I was all set. We decided on breakfast at 8 before we headed out to Peles and Bran castles.
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