Romania

Kutrubes Travel planned an exquisitely complicated tour for me through “eastern” Europe, and I started out in Romania.

Country Information:

The capital of Romania is Bucharest and the country has about 20 million citizens. The official language is Romanian. Christian denominations are the primary religions, with the dominant religion being Eastern Orthodox.  

Jim’s Perspectives:

A wonderful place to visit in Romania is Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti in Brasov. This is not a zoo; it is a bear rehabilitation center to help declining bear populations, especially brown bears which are virtually extinct in many parts of Europe. Travelers who love outdoor challenges will also enjoy Parc Aventura Brasov, an adventure park filled with fun challenges for navigating the forest area.

Also worth a visit is Peles Castle in Sinaia, a magnificent castle where the rooms are styled differently with architecture and furnishings influenced by other countries in Europe and the Middle East. On busy days there can be a long wait, but once inside the views are gorgeous.

This is a country that I definitely want to return to visit the fantastic castles!

Spain

At Las Ramblas in Barcelona I think I've been to Spain more than any other country in the world (excluding Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahamas, Costa Rica, where I used to work.) I spent two summer studying Spanish in the coastal city of Malaga, and have traveled through...

Austria

Country Information: The  Republic of Austria, founded in 1804! The capital is Vienna. About 8.5 million people live here and the primary languages are German, Slovenian, Hungarian, and Austrian German. In Austria there is religious freedom, but many Austrians are...

Monaco

Had a great dinner and time at the casino with the family in 2018 In 2018, my family and I took a Backroads bike trip pedaling from Provence in central/south France all the way to Cannes, on the coast. While in France staying in Cape Ferrat, we decided to hire a...