i stopped in sinaia – a mountain resort town in the carpathian mountains of romania about 2 hours north of bucharest. the town was named after mount sinai in egypt. it is famous for its romanian orthodox monastery, on the grounds of which is the oldest church in romania, with some amazing icons. romanian orthodoxy is its own unique denominational strain, and has a storied and fascinating history. very nearby is the amazing peles castle.
i also went up some nearby mountains and hiked around a bit, chancing on a another orthodox church with views over the valley. there is a series of cable cars that are popular as well to get up the mountain.
