Staying at Cetatea Sighișoara – 12th-Century Fortress Built by Saxons & Alleged Birthplace of Dracula

Staying at a boutique hotel
Tiny room—a lofted mattress beneath a skylight 

Wake up before 9 am for breakfast
What’s this? I ask the server
It’s traditional—pig fat, meat cooked in pig fat, salty cheese
At my next check-up, my doctor will ask
why my cholesterol is so high?
Then, I will have to lie—
like when I say I floss “regularly”
So, I eat the scrambled eggs, fresh vegetables,
a few slices of bacon—wisely

Today’s mission—
Explore the citadel 
and plan tomorrow’s trip to the salt mine

I descend from the citadel 
into the town below
looking for a car rental
One shop is closed
Nothing else is open

I recall what the server said this morning
Tourist season starts in May
Then things get busy
He sighed, imagining the crowds to come

For now, I am the hotel’s only guest
The breakfast made just for me—
like some minor noble on an ordinary morning
His day composed of walking, resting, and eating again

Back in my loft after a cold, dreary walk 
Yesterday was spring 
Today, it is winter again
The skylight is cracked open for fresh air

I’ve just reserved a rental car online
The plan: drive to Salina Turda
to experience the salt mine 126 km away

Tried a private tour—too expensive
Tried a train ticket—too uncertain
Tried a bus ticket—too slow

Maybe I should have stayed in Cluj-Napoca
A bigger city with better tour options
But I wanted to stay in a boutique hotel on the citadel

Birthplace of Vlad III the Impaler
encircled by high wall to defend 
against Ottoman invaders
Now hosting a medieval festival each year
that blends rock music and stage plays

I came for the romance of the past
but the past must be maintained—
or it becomes crumbling walls,
sagging roofs, and open windows 
letting in the wind and rain

My boutique hotel has creaky wooden floors
and a quaint, cramped charm 
But fire extinguishers and glowing exit signs 
tether the place to the present

History is just a guise
Around the citadel 
souvenir shops sell
trinkets and magnets
from the same Chinese catalog

Still—
I wanted to get away
stay somewhere different
and reflect

From my first trips abroad
I learned this truth—
you learn more about yourself 
than from your souvenirs 

I close the skylight window
the instructions still taped below the latch—

Rulou fereastra: apasati manerul gri si trageti in pozitia Dorita
Window blind roll: press the gray handle and pull to the desired position

Then—back to the cobblestones
to wander and ruminate

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Photo by James Graham on Unsplash