for ndd: Road Scholar trips to Romania and Bulgaria

(can't seem to post in the reply box) ndd: I've done several Road Scholar trips in the US and enjoyed them very much. You are smart to choose a small-group tour as their groups can be large - up to 40 people. You will probably have a tour manager as well as a lecturer along with the group. Hotels will be clean, safe and comfortable, but not luxurious, and meals will be good. I visited Romania last year with another company and enjoyed it very much. You might like to spend an extra day or two in Bucharest to explore the Old City as well as take a tour of the Parliament Palace. If you have more time, tour the Village Museum (houses moved from all over Romania to one place, includes craftspeople, and there’s a Citibank ATM there) and the Peasant Museum might be interesting for you. In addition: 1. walking tours of Bucharest -- www.guided-bucharest.com 2. when you visit Bran Castle (all tours are guided), you exit into a "craft village" which is worth exploring. There are good prices for Russian-style fur hats here. 3. The Painted Monasteries are the highlight. At one of the monasteries - I can’t remember which, you can buy an excellent, well-illustrated book on the history and restoration of the buildings. It is not very expensive - about $10. I saw this being sold in only one place -- so buy it when you see it. 4. Brasov is a delight-- good restaurants, nice stores, friendly people. There is beautiful walking trail on the hills overlooking the city. It takes about an hour. Road Scholar's "Treasures of Bulgaria" is a nice itinerary too. It is a good pairing with Romania. Veliko Turnovo might be the highlight of that trip.