Europe 2019 - Day 35 (Part 3)

10 June 2019, Monday

Somewhere around here there were 2 very interesting buildings, almost mirroring each other. Later I found out that these buildings were architectonic housing ensembles, decorated with cupolas bearing a cross, and is in fact built symmetrically giving the impression of a mirror building. The buildings were completed in 1899. It is in the new-Baroque style following the architectural trend of that period. 

Then to the City Walls which was built to fortify the city of Cluj after the Tatar invasion in 1241. My guess is this would have joined at some point to the Tailors’ Tower. Then to the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, established in 1922. Previously the building hosted the Diet of Transylvania (1848-1868) and the Memorandum Trial took place here in 1894 (remember the Memorandists Monument earlier). 

Then to the Babes-Bolyai University, the most prestigious educational institution in Transylvania which makes Cluj-Napoca the main university centre of Transylvania and one of the most important university centres of Romania. The university was established in 1872 initially with faculties of medicine, science and law. The present building was built between 1893-1903, and nowadays it has 21 faculties. 

Next, the Pharmacy Museum which is now permanently closed. It is the oldest building attested as a pharmacy in Cluj (1573). It used to have a collection of old medical instruments and equipment, and medical sciences. I’m not sure what has happened to the collection now as it was an important and unique collection for Romania. 

Lastly, to Museum Square, which is the oldest square of the city. It has some Roman archaeological sites (all covered up), the Carolina Obelisk and the National History Museum of Transylvania. There were not many souvenir shops around but I managed to buy a few fridge magnets at least. I got the impression that there are not many tourists in Cluj-Napoca so their tourist attractions are not that developed or advanced, which is good because we get to live and experience life like locals, and the price of things are not hiked up for tourists like us.

Then we were done. We bought some food for tomorrow (another LONG journey!) and back to the hostel at 4 p.m. It looked like we did a lot but really it was just one big round around the city, although we actually walked about 12 km today. I think I’m kinda getting used to it because my legs didn’t feel tired at all. It was a bit of a lazy afternoon, with hot weather outside, the fan blowing in my hair that I was just about to drift off into a cozy nap when my friend dropped a another bombshell again.

Remember this roundabout journey we had to do in order to avoid Serbia? Well upon properly checking, my friend found out that our bus tomorrow will go to Sofia via Budapest, and that route means they will pass through Serbia! I thought we had already avoided this problem but Serbia keeps coming back to bite us in the bum. So change of plans. Now we take a train to Bucharest, and from there a bus to Sofia. What a mess. 

So no nap. Instead, shower and to a laundromat to do our laundry. Then some packing for our long journey tomorrow and then, mercifully, to bed.