Like Sighisoara and the little villages we visited while road-tripping, Sibiu was built by the German settlers. The historic old-city area is still surrounded by parts of the medieval walls.
Sibiu is a city with two levels: the Upper Town, which has most of Sibiu’s historic sights, and the Lower Town, lined with colorful leaning houses on cobblestone streets. The houses have raggedy roofs, and Sibiu in general seems a little worn out, but there are some cool details in it all
One of the most famous things in Sibiu is The Bridge of Lies.
If you are a liar, the bridge will collapse under our feet.
I walked confidently across it every time.
Other people... not so much.
We are just around the corner from all the liars, staying "Down Town" at the Rosen Villa. It is a beautiful room, a steal at $45 a night. It is on a very very quiet street, almost silent at night.
No lie.
There are no laundry facilities here, except for the expensive "by the piece" system. So I had two shirts done so I can make it until Friday, when we are in Brasov.
Sibiu is bigger than the other places we have been in Romania, and it was a longer drive in. I know, looking at the map, that we are surrounded by high mountains, but you cannot see them It is hot here, and seems like we are in the flats.
Not what I expected.
Where are those high, snow capped mountains?
Back home you can see 100 miles, no problem. Weird.
The Romanian Revolution was in 1989. That is almost 30 years ago now. There is a lot of progress, but in a way, things still seem sort of tired. But again I am surprised by the good food, wine, cheap prices for everything, and little things like the really high speed internet.
Sibiu has two main squares, the "Big Square" and the "Little Square" right next to each other. They are sort of plain, really, paved with patterned stone, no trees. There are cafes and a couple grand buildings. Right now the squares are cluttered with light stands, stage parts, and fabrication shops as they gear up for the Theater Festival. Looking at last year's brochure, it looks pretty cool. That is next week.
Our host recommended dinner at Max’s, just around the corner. It was a good recommendation.
I had cheese stuffed ravioli with truffle sauce and followed it up with a meat gnocchi. Gail had a big salad. We drank a bottle of Montepulciano wine.
There is a huge orthodox Church, filled with splendors. One long shopping street, but Gail says the food may be great in Romania, but the shopping sucks.
There is some funny graffiti around, including a pooping dog that seems to be confined to our immediate neighborhhood. Like a beacon, leading us home.
Follow the pooping dog!
The second night we had a superb dinner at Syndicat Gourmet. Hidden in a side alley a block from us, we passed right by it the first time without seeing it, though we had been told where it was.
It is a real hole in the wall, sort of an Indian-Romanian fusion.
But you have to find it.
I will not be eating at all today because I am still full from eating two meals there last night. That is how good the food was!
We started with a fruit schnapps each.
The appetizer was dried tomato hummus with Chapati bread. It paired great with the schnapps, ironically enough.
For dinner Gail had fried rice with vegetables, chicken, and egg. I had a taste and it was really good, and pretty spicy.
I had a hard choice between duck and pork, so I picked the glazed lamb leg, slowly cooked with lamb sauce and wild garlic crumble.
Amazing.
The presentation was outstanding and the taste was just to die for.
I had been thinking of dessert, but the dinner was not that large, and so I thought, "Why not?"
I ordered a second plate, the pork with apples and tarragon gnocchi.
Wow.
We shared a bottle of Corcova cabernet/merlot which we had before, our first night in Romania.
Gail ended with a beetroot brownie for dessert, and we had coffees.
And the total bill was still under $50 !
Food photos below.