We caught a train from Brasov to Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains to visit Peles Castle. The
castle was built by King Carol 1 in 1870. It has beautiful fairylike turrets and scenes painted on the outside walls.
Inside the rooms are built in a mix of Moorish, Florentine, and French styles. The walls and some ceilings are carved walnut and oak wood and are beutiful. Unfortunately we couldn't take any photos of them. All guests had to wear slippers on their shoes to protect the flooring.
The castle was only ever used as a summer house and the king's nephew still owns it and he lives in Bucharest and is in his 80s.
The setting was green and gorgeous as it sits in a meadow and is surrounded by fir trees.
On the train journey we met an elderly Romania guy and a university student. The elderly man looked like a labourer and was dressed in faded tatty clothes. He spoke excellent English and this shocked the student. He had spent his working life as an electrical engineer and wished he had more opportunities to use his English. The student studied geography and wants to preserve the Romania wilderness. We have found that it is the older folk who are prepared to talk to foreigners the most even though it is the younger ones who speak English.
