At Long Last

I Know you have been waiting anxiously for these pictures. A friend of mine said just yesterday, "Why don't you take them to Wally's and transfer them to disc?"

"Uhhh, yeah, good plan."

Do you know that I go there at least once a week. Not counting last night to scan my pictures for pick up this morning, I have been there 3 times since I have been home....

So, With much anticipation and without further ado, Here are my seven good pictures of Sibiu, Romania:

This is the Council Tower. Also called the Clock Tower. It sat near the city wall in medieval days and was the center of the city government- city hall, as it were. If you look up you will see narrow windows. These were for the archers in case of attack. Seriously. By the way, the tower didn't move, the wall did. It was expanded out as the city grew. The strongest portion, to the south, is still standing. Too bad I don't have a picture to show you.

This is the entrance to the tower. Rather small, yes? That's because you immediately start climbing a scary spiral staircase (Think 1500's) to the second floor. Actually, now that I look at it, it looks as though it may have served as a gate for the wall- see the two passageways?

Here the kids are standing in front of an architectural model of the city on the second floor. Sorry the picture is so dark. Ahh, low tech.

Again a dark picture of my kids inside the tower, but what they are standing in is now a window, but was originally one of the archer's posts. On the outside the openings were relatively small, but on the inside they flared out so the archers could get the best shot without exposing themselves.These last pictures were taken from the top level- above the clock face- and this is the view North. This is the Evangelical Church- We call 'em Lutherans. My honey says there is a pipe organ inside that he learned to play as a boy. Also, he told me that there was a pipe organ concert every Wednesday evening at the Lutheran Church. Too bad I didn't know that Lutheran and Evangelical were the same thing while I was there...

To the South is the Piata Mare (Say it like this: pee-aht-sa mar-ay). Also known as the Large Square. This is where the shots that started the Revolution in Romania were fired. My honey doesn't like to talk about it, but he fought in the streets for his country's freedom from Communism.

These are East and West- don't ask me which is which. See how the city sprawls? It's actually not that big- about the size of Everett. But it is kinda cool when you can see it ALL.

Thanks for your patience on my ineptness. Enjoy the view with out the queasy stomach from the heights!