Happy Hump Day, my pretties! Hope you’re well!
My birthday was in March, but I’m just getting around to posting about it because…life. So this year my birthday month also included 2 book releases so we rolled it all into one celebratory day trip. We visited two really old fortified churches and found a new Indian restaurant in one of my favorite mountain towns for a fun day to remember.
We started with the sightseeing and history in two small Romanian towns, Prejmer & Hărman. Each has a fortified church and they’re only a few kilometers apart.
Biserica Evanghelică Fortificată Hărman
Construction started in 1240 and though I can’t say for sure, I think this is one of the oldest places I’ve seen so far, though there were a few sites in Rome a bit older. There’s a bell tower, a giant wall around the church and the original chapel is still standing and much of the wall art is still visible, though fading significantly.
Biserica fortificată din Prejmer
Where the Hărman fortification was an evangelical church, Prejmer was Lutheran and construction began in 1218, so it’s even older by a couple decades. It was founded by the Teutonic Knights and eventually taken over by the Saxons, and it is now a UNESCO site.
It has everything you’d expect to find from wall rooms to an incredible organ and battlements. Inside you can see many of the tools used throughout the centuries, school rooms and even living quarters.
It was definitely two interesting experiences into places I might have otherwise skipped. I love a good citadel and I didn’t realize that churches back in the day were fortified but…they were.
And then…it was time to EAT!
Masala Baba
I love Indian food and when I fired up the old Google machine to see what was new and vegan in Brasov, this little gem popped up and I was super excited!
It’s always a fun find when there’s Indian food because there are so many vegetarian options, some of which can be veganized if the kitchen staff is willing.
At Masala Baba we didn’t have to because there was a vegan Thali on the menu! Only one, which was disappointing, but one is better than none. Right?
This place was a whole vibe! It was colorful and comfortable, relaxed with fun Indian style pop-jazz music that was relaxing and low enough that it didn’t overpower my senses. The owner or manager was friendly and helpful.
The food? Delicious.
The thali had a salad with beets, which I ate and actually liked. Beets still taste like dirt, but it was pretty good. There was a kidney bean curry, a mixed veggie curry, papadam, naan, basmati rice, spiced potatoes and this semolina dessert that was actually really good.
Was it carb heavy? Abso-friggin’-lutely. Was it also delicious? Also yes. It was pricy, but you expect that in a mountain town like Brasov, but it was worth it.
Birthday? Good.
Release days? Really good!
If you’re into romance books (small towns or billionaires), check out my new releases: Confessions of a Former Fat Girl and Taming the Billionaire.
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The Spicy Spatula 
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