General: Romania

ROMANIA


First I have to confess, maybe I repeat my self, but Romania is my birth country, despite the fact that now I'm living in Cyprus because here my hubby wants to live. All I want to do here today is to write some tips of what is Romania, where is this country, what kind of people they are making this country and not last what really deserves to be visited during a holiday. Yes, maybe you'll tell me you've already learned ...
...on anything You Don't Know (I don't want to be rude, but this is the truth, it's a very big country with hidden treasures, that nobody bothered to show them more in details or the persons they were in a visit in Romania they didn't knew where to go)

And because is a review of a country, but in the same time my experiences in this country, you can imagine will not be short, but neither super long, I hope. But because I will describe ... more

ROMANIA

First I have to confess, maybe I repeat my self, but Romania is my birth country, despite the fact that now I'm living in Cyprus because here my hubby wants to live. All I want to do here today is to write some tips of what is Romania, where is this country, what kind of people they are making this country and not last what really deserves to be visited during a holiday. Yes, maybe you'll tell me you've already learned which places worth a visit, but I can bet you on anything You Don't Know (I don't want to be rude, but this is the truth, it's a very big country with hidden treasures, that nobody bothered to show them more in details or the persons they were in a visit in Romania they didn't knew where to go)

And because is a review of a country, but in the same time my experiences in this country, you can imagine will not be short, but neither super long, I hope. But because I will describe some places I went and I will give some holiday tips, I think will take more than 20 minutes to read. I'm saying this just as an warning, maybe you don't like long stories so I thought it will be nice if I put you in guard with what you have to read :- )

So I'll start with the beginning, as is known in history, this country is a Latin country, with a very rich vocabulary, can not be learn so easy as English for example, because it take a lot of practice in how to accord the words and how to round your mouth when you pronounce them.

Romania is situated in the south-east Europe, has as neighbors: in north Ukraine and north-east Republic of Moldavia; west Hungary; south-west Serbia; south Bulgaria and in the south-east has the exit at the Black Sea.
Romania as a united state was formed in 1859, under Alexandru Ioan Cuza leadership.
The territories united in that time were: Moldavia and Romanian country.
It is devised in 41 cities, and some of them I'll present you in this review. Mostly the ones I visited when I had the chance… This country has all 4 seasons, maybe with these changes of the weather now are only 3; but normally they are four that's why I think it's great for each type of holiday: you have beach in the summer, you can ski on the winter, in the springtime and autumn time you can visit the marvelous places which are located around the country…

Thru the centuries this country passed thru many wars, because of the "good neighbors" who claimed some parts of Romania in fact were not Romanians, so they thought is better to start a war to take those pieces of land by force. Now I'll make a small break to explain what was really happening because I'm sure some of you don't know the history of this country: you should know that we have all the time problems with Moldavia that once was a part of Romania country, with Hungary that claims Transylvania is not Romanian land its Hungarian land. As far as I'm concerned, all I know is that Moldavia was taken by force, during the second war, because of Romania's mistake of fighting with Germany; The leaders of Romania, from that time thought is better to ask the help of Russia to come to rescue us from German occupation, which ended with the result of paying a tax, more like a tribute; Moldavia should be Russian from that point and not Romanian, if we wanted to keep Transylvania and not to lose that too in the favor of Hungary.

Fair enough, I'll not stay now to discuss politics, but I want to show why Romanians they had to fight all the time with people that wanted something from them; as Stalin said: I'll let you to have Transylvania but in exchange I'll take Moldavia, many others they wanted to do the same, but lucky for us we knew to protect our self, or at least we tried. To put it in a political light, Romania is not good situated where she is now, but as long as we live now in a democratic world, I think nothing can happen ever again, or at least I'm hopping.

What is Romania, how are Romanians? Well this is an easy question with a long answer, because I can not say: Romanians are those who live in Romania, they deserve more. On this short answer, or at least I'll try to make it short, I'll write about the true Romanians, and when I say this I'll refer my self to that simple person that is working on the fields, because after all those kind of people unified Romania and they had given them life to protect them lands from the ones they were coming to steel it from them, I'll refer to those people that they wake up in the morning to go to work because they don't like charity, and I'll write about those people that they know what means to love your country and they like to share it with foreigners.

Romanian people they are like they used to be since they formed a country, this means from the time they were called Dacians and them country Dacia as the national car of Romania is called in our days, all this hundreds years before the Romans came and occupied this territory. "Dacia, Romanian's tear", like this is written in history about this small territory that survived so many centuries and in our days exist under the name of ROMANIA.

So back to our days; those that they went to Romania, they know how they were received in the country sites, where everything is traditional way, where all the people even if they don't know to speak English or French or God knows what other language they will know to open the door of them house and invite you in to supper and for a glass of wine, home made, or "tuica" which is a traditional home made alcohol drink that is made from fruits. This kind of people they are the innocent ones as they are called from others that they like to be fancy and they like money and things like that, and is true, they are innocent, they believe somewhere "UP" is that great power called God and that He is looking after them each second of them life guiding them and showing them the good way of being. The thing is that if all the people around the Globe will be like them maybe today we wouldn't know what means atomic bombs, or we wouldn't had that accident that happened on 11 September 2001 or etc. because they are so many other bad events I don't want to remember of.

These people know what means to live, they really do, and I say this? Because they don't know what means hate, what means Porsche, what means to have LCD or Plasma TV, or how many other things this technology discovered…They know what means love, friendship, sharing, faith, family, and most of all these what means to cherish the value of the day. You'll never hear them complain about what the neighbor has and they can not afford, you'll see them coming to help you even if you are them enemy, because after all they know how to forgive too… That's why sometime in hate these people without soul that are laughing of the simple one and they say that they don't know what's life. The truth is that the one that are laughing they got lost somewhere on the road, and now they don't know what means to be happy just because you live…

But enough about Romanian people because I started to miss my country very much, and the tears are running out on my cheeks now that I realize how many things I left behind, yet not explored and yet not discovered…

This country is split in regions, and these are: Banat - Dobrogea - Moldova - Muntenia - Oltenia - Transylvania-Maramures-Crisana-Bucovina. Each region has its own traditions, its own accent and its own way of dressing, but at the end of the day all of these people they are Romanians.

A) <<<Banat>>> is the "nose" of the country, is situated in the south-west, and has as principal cities: Timisoara (the biggest city), Arad, Resita, and Lugoj.

Timisoara is the city where the revolution from 1989 started. 22 December Romania was free; the communism was putted down because the people had the power of doing so. They died a lot of people in that time, innocent ones just because they wanted to be free. There so, in Timisoara is a monument for the heroes of the 1989 revolution exactly in the center of the city.

<<<Timisoara>>> is the symbol of freedom for Romania. But this city has more many other meanings and many places that worth to be visited. Two big rivers are crossing this territory: Timis and Bega; as you can see the name of the city is coming from the name of the first river. Because of these two rivers, in the past but sometimes in the present too, the city was under water many times, but still, as the people from there likes to say, "No water and no war didn't put the city down".

For each tourist that is visiting for the first time Timisoara, the old citadel, is more than fascinating because it looks alike Vienna, lets say that it is the small Vienna of Romania.
Build most of it by the Austrians, the city has even today secrets that are waiting to be discovered. As I said earlier, about the monument that is in the center of the city well is exactly in the place called Victory Square, which has some beautiful stories hidden inside of each piece of rock and each wall that you'll find them all around this place.
As a small guide book I'll put some important and beautiful places that you can visit, if by any chance one day you'll go there:

1) The Metropolitan Cathedral (the symbol of the city)
2) The statue of The Mother Wolf with Romulus and Remus (the gift from Rome)
3) Romanian Opera (the balcony of this opera is known now, as the revolution balcony, where it was read for the first time the Proclamation from Timisoara)
4) Huniazy Castle (where you can visit the Museum of Banat)

They are so many other places to tell, but if I'll stay and put all of them I'll get to be a boring person, the last thing I want :- ) But once you get there you'll have the opportunity to explore all the places you like, because this place is full of history, its gifted with very magic places and the people are more then kind.

About the other 3 cities I can say that they are a very big source of income for Romania, the only one poor in this is Arad, but at least is rich in old buildings, castles, and people that know how to welcome you.

B) <<<Transylvania>>>

The place where Dracula was born! Hahahahahaha!!! Let's be fair now and admit that this is a creepy fairytale, and that this character never existed, or if he did, he was not born in Romania! This started because of the leader of Romania Vlad Tepes, who did not like thieves, Turks that were coming to occupy Romania, and also he did not like rich people who were maltreating them "employees", and he was condemning them be thrown from the walls of the fortress on spikes and them bodies to stay on the spike at least for 2 days as an example for those who will think breaking the rules in the future.
Because of this leader, and his castle (Bran Castle), that was build on the top of the hill, people started to invent this kind of stories, ok the guy liked red wine, but he was not drinking blood!!! It's a big difference, blood is running in veins and the wine is in bottles!! As you can see me I don't believe in this story, it may be the biggest attraction for tourists, but I think is a stupid think because they are many other things to see and to learn about Transylvania, than a lie. (My opinion)

Now to get back to reality and to start a small presentation of the place which for me is more than beautiful, but as I said for me… this part of the country is very mix, because here you'll find: Romanians, Hungarians, and Germans. They are living all together, but each one is speaking on his language, that's why almost all the people from this area, will know at least some word from the "neighbor's" language, at least "good morning" and "good night".

Transylvania in Latin means: "through the forests", because of the Carpathian Mountains that are "dressed" in "green mantle". Exactly here on this region Carpathians are forming a natural "shield" that over the centuries protected the place without to much help from the people that were living here.

The territory of Transylvania is situated in the center of the country, it's surrounded by: Oriental Carpathians, Meridional Carpathians, and Occidental Carpathians and it's one of the richest areas in tourism. The cities here that really worth a visit are: Brasov of course, Cluj which is the biggest city in Transylvania but because was not as lucky as Brasov, I mean geographically gifted, it's known only for the big universities there and the fact that is the symbol capital of the hole territory; Harghita, is another city which is known because of the thermal waters you can find there, and is situated in the "brains" of the mountains, this is what makes it such a special and very appreciated spa; Hunedoara of course, and I say it like this because here you can find a fortress that was made when Dacia was getting formed as a nation, they are many things to see, antiquities and the huge fortress all around the city; Mures is the perfect place for carnival, because of Sighisoara, which is a small district of this city, each ear has the Medieval Carnival, that can make you live for a few ours on the time of vaporous dresses, periwigs and courtesies; and the last one but not less beautiful is Sibiu, that even in our days looks like a fortress, another city from this country that liked to keep the old face.

I will give you some tips, more like places where I went, and I would like to share it with you:

1) <<<Brasov>>>

If you go there to visit Bran Castle, don't go for a hotel in the city or any other hotel. They are so many other options, and one that I prefer is to stay in villages near by as Moeciu is, in fact they are 2 Moeciu, one up on the hill and the other one down near of the streets and exactly situated in the back of Bran Castle. You can rent as many rooms you like on the houses that you'll find there, they are special made for holidays, and believe me is more natural, more perfect than a hotel. I think when you are in a beautiful place worth to make it magic even to keep the pleasant memories fresh in your mind for ever. And the prices are something as 25% cheaper than the hotels, and you have harden, grill outside, river passing thru your yard, in the back of the houses are the mountains surrounding the place, inside the comfort can be between 3 and 5 stars, nothing is missing, you have everything you want and you don't want. The people in charge with the place from which you rent the house, they are cooking for you, can even be your guide for the place. So I think this is the best way to spend your holiday to Brasov...

I can assure you that your holiday will be longer because, for more than one week, you get a discount of 50%. About restaurants I can not tell you much because me as many time I went there I've had eaten "at home", but restaurant around the city they are plenty, as I know even in Moeciu, the one on the hill, I went just to see it, not to eat, because they were cleaning, there is a restaurant built on a river, the river is passing thru the restaurant…

2) <<<Sighisoara>>> (Mures)

The city of carnival, that is situated exactly in the middle of Romania, it's the heart that beats in the middle of Transylvania too; about this I can say that is more than magic and mostly because the city still keeps "the Perfume" of antiquity, the people down there they like to keep it like this, because they love to be simple, and to keep the tradition as they are.

Each year: before, during, and after the carnival the place is full. People allover the world is coming to see this spectacle of costumes and masks. And maybe they are coming because of Dracula too, because as i said earlier this mith attracts many tourist in these places. A thing is true about Sighisoara, is the city where Vlad Tepes was born...

The beer and the food in these 3 days of carnival is for free, but if you want to be there for this event you have to make reservations at least with 3 months before, otherwise you'll not have a room available in the city and neither in the cities near by.

This are the only places I visited in this part of Romania, but next year I have planed to go to Hunedoara to see the biggest fortress ever built on Romanian land, Sarmisegetusa, which Dacians construct it.

C) <<<Dobrogea>>>

The region near of the Black Sea, and is a pretty much a tourist attraction. The biggest cities that are in Dobrogea they are: Constanta, where you can find all the pleasure resorts, and Tulcea, which has ports on Danube Delta, that is passing thru this city. For this region, only this two cities are important and they worth a visit. This region is the tail of the country, that ends into the sea...

1) <<<Constanta>>>

The city is formed from pleasure resorts; in the summer this city is continuously celebrating. A celebration that starts 1 May and ends 15 September, the end of the summer of course. The nicest resorts I ever been in Constanta, and they really are very nice, are: Mamaia or The Black Pearl Resort and Venus. They are as it should be a resort with full facilities and comfort. For example the hotels are next to each other, the restaurants I think they are hundreds of them, so you can not complain you didn't had diversity, the beach is clean, the sea is perfect (only if you go in months like July or August). You have even an amusement park, with small rollercoaster, with hammers (which personally I hate, I had a bad experience) and other machines that will satisfy your adrenaline. Constanta is a place for summer holidays, but even for winter if you like the sea so much.

2) <<<Tulcea>>>

Because of Danube Delta, Tulcea is a very nice city. What makes this city so special, are the natural reservations on the Danube, which you can go to visit, where you can admire wild animals, but mostly rare species of birds…Some species of birds have been acknowledged as "monuments of nature", and they fall into two groups: "white monuments" - those having shining white feathers (the roseate pelican, the Dalmatian pelican, the spoonbill, the great white egret, the small egret, the mute swan), and "polychrome monuments" whose feathering combines white and black with green, yellow, rust colored, brown, blue (the black winged marsh bird similar to a stork, the avocet, the Sheldrake, the ruby Sheldrake and the sea-eagle).

D) <<<Muntenia>>>

Is located in the south of Romania, and the biggest cities are: Arges and Pitesti. It's a region near of the mountains as well, but with industrial characteristic because of Pitesti city, where you can find Dacia-Renault Company, which makes the new model of Dacia cars. The same here you can find one of the biggest petrol refineries in Romania. It's a very big city but not so interesting for tourist, but I thought I should say something about it because to get to Arges, you pass thru this city.

<<<Arges>>> is a small city, but has so many to offer.

Here is a monastery with a great legend; when the leader of that time wanted to make a monastery to keep his name in history he called all the best builders to come to built it. But as much the builders were building on the day time, in the night was falling apart, and this was going on for 2 weeks and they could not understand it why. When the leader came and saw that they didn't achieve to do anything got very angry and gave them 2 weeks time to finish it or otherwise they'll die. The name of one builder was Manole, a great one in his job, he had a dream about the monastery…he dreamed that the place was coursed and for the monastery to be finished and not to fall apart in the night time, they had to built in the walls of the church the first woman that will bring them food. Next day Manole got to his colleagues and told them about the dream without realizing that was not such a good idea. As you can imagine, a day after the dreamed was confessed, all the builders they warned them wives not to come to bring them food, the only one who didn't was Manole. So the legend says, that Manole, because he was afraid of his leader not to kill al the people they were working for that monastery, took his wife and put it to be build on one of the walls.

Ok the legend is more in details, but me I wanted to reveal the legend of the place in a few words…the thing is that the wall where the wife of Manole was sacrificed has a big red spot, and is humid all the time…

Besides this monastery, Arges has more many other places to go to visit…and they are resorts to go for ski in the winter time…

E) <<<Oltenia>>>

The fifth region of Romania is a place full of thermal water resorts, where you can go for treatments or just to have a relaxing holiday. You can go to spas, pools with natural hot water just that its smells like hatching eggs.
They are a few cities with this kind of resorts: Ramnicu Valcea, Horezu, and Ocnele Mari. The biggest one is Ramnicu Valcea, where you can find as well 2 houses of Ceausescu that are kept in the same way he wanted them.

These places they are only for a holiday o spa resorts or to go hunting. When the season of hunting comes the place is full of hunters, and is a nice thing though, if you are by any chance in that area in that season, you can eat deer meat, bear, rabbit, or ducks. And guess what, they are for free!!! The hunters are doing this for pleasure, ok they don't shoot everything, is just a piece from everything, and as about the bears, those ones are hunted by a specialist one and with a special permit.
So if you want to go in Oltenia, Ramnicu Valcea, I'll advice you to do it, on September-November…and you'll have a fantastic time. You can make reservation to stay to one of Ceausescu Houses.

For example if you go to Olanesti, which was the favorite resort of Ceausescu, you can stay to his favorite house. There you'll be treated like kings and queens, the staff is a very friendly and very helpful, they will do anything in them power for you to feel extraordinary. This house is in the forest, even in the summer the nights are a bit cold but the inside garden is fantastic. As you sit and eat your dinner you can hear birds, the falls (they are two falls in the forest, small ones) and you have the occasion to see glow-worms spectacle, which I can assure you is more than fantastic.

But if you go in the city, I mean if your reservation is made to a hotel, you can go to this place during the day or the night just to eat, because they are organizing picnics and camp fire parties. Doesn't matter where you stay because at the end of the day you'll feel the spirit of the people from the area and you can not get bored. But you can have a great time!

F) <<< Moldavia >>> (Romanian Moldavia)

This is the place where I was born, and I think is one of the most beautiful places of Romania, and not because I was born there, just because there are 44 monasteries made 500 years ago by Stefan the Great of Moldavia. You'll tell me, ok, so what? Well these monasteries are having the walls painted, not inside but outside, and this is not all, each monastery, has its own base colors. As for example Voronet Monastery is painted mostly in blue tones, Moldovita in red tones, Sucevita in green tones and etc….Each monastery was made with a purpose, and in a special location. Stefan made a promise in front of God that each time he will win a battle he will built a monastery, and like this he got to make 44. He is even buried to his favorite Monastery, Putna, which the legend says it was made after his last battle that he was involved in. He came home full of victory, he took his arch, he went on a hill, and he said where the arrow will get there it will be build a monastery.

But Moldavia is not famous only for these 44 monasteries, is also famous for the fortresses you can find there too. Again these fortresses are from the time of Stefan the Great, and they are not a few, but me as a child and after as traveler thru the cities of my country, I had the occasion to visit 2 of them. But before telling you about them I'll tell you about the cities, about the great ones, to be easier for you to understand where they are situated.

Moldavia is located in the north-east of Romania, the biggest cities you can find in here are: Suceava, where it was the residence of Stefan the Great, Iasi the capital city of Moldavia, Vrancea which is in the mountains, the earthquake from 1977 had the epicenter in those mountains, Bacau, Piatra Neamt another city in the mountains, but here are a very important fortress and a monastery, and Braila another city that has ports on Danube.

As you could understand till now this region is full of history but has a rich fauna too. The most dangerous place it's represented by Vrancea, because there are active volcanoes, and is threatening all the time to erupt. But as long as this incident is not happening is a very nice place to visit.

Me I'll write just about: Suceava, Piatra Neamt and Braila.

<<<Suceava>>> is the ex-capital of Moldavia during the leadership of Stefan the Great; here are Voronet Monastery, Sucevita Monastery, and Suceava Fortress where Stefan liked to retire all the time after a battle. The city is not so great because it is a industrial city, the places near of the city are amazing, is like you are on those time, 1480 and you see people acting the same way they are doing in these days.

<<<Piatra Neamt>>>, if you are going to visit it, I think you'll never want to return to your country. Here there is a natural barrage lake that was formed in 1837 when, because of the rain started to flood, big parts of land from the Ghilcos Mountain crushed into the valley, closing it. And because all the valley was crossed by rivers, after was closed by the rocks and the mud, this lake was formed. The name of the lake is Red Lake. Neither now in our days is not known for sure from were is coming the name; the Hungarians that are living in the area are saying that is coming from the name of the mountain which means "the killer" or from the name of the Verescheu river, which means "red" both names are Hungarian names… Even today you can see above the lake snags, from what before being a lake, there it was a forest, the view is magnificent.
Even here they are so many things to see, even the great barrage is amazing, and you can see the entire panorama from the top of the mountain. I will attach some pictures of all this places, to see them…

<<<Braila>>>, is the city where you can eat the best prepared fish in Romania, me I don't eat this kind of delicacy because I'm allergic, but all the time I was in the area with people that adore fish, I could here the sounds they were making during the meal. So from this I realized that is the best prepared fish. Maybe, because of the Danube; they are fishing every day, so it is fresh one. But they have another story, because is a port city is running in them blood to keep the tradition of preparing the best fish dishes ever, and I think they are right, because I didn't enjoy my beef so much as other people from the table enjoyed them meal… Other thing I can say about Braila is that, this city makes the connection with Tulcea on the water, meaning if you want to get to Tulcea from Braila you have to take the ferryboat, you pay a tax, but at least you cross. If you don't want to pay money you can go with the car on the road, not on the water with the ferryboat, but this means you have to drive a route of 164 km, what is more advantageous?

G) <<<Maramures>>>

Is exactly on the top of Transylvania territory, meaning north of Romania. Maybe because is so special, this place you could say is a piece of heaven because doesn't have to do anything with Romania, neither a bit. In this side of the country people are very traditional, and I say this because this people are still dressing as them, grand-grand-grandparents did. They are manufacturing them own clothes, sewing ornaments on the shirts, attaching beads, etc. This place is still "virgin", everything is made by hand: cooking, milking the cows, making home cheese, they even like to go on the fields and cut the corn with a sickle and after to gather it all together on the top of the hill to dry for a few days, when they will come with them carriages to take it home, where they will continue to do the next step again by hand.

This people are very friendly, and even though they are so traditional they are very open minded. They are very pleasant with people that are not from Maramures area and they like to show all the beauties they have, and to share some of them secrets with you.

In this part of Romania, I like the most one place:

<<<Sighetul Marmatiei>>>. I think this place is the right place for me when I'll want to retire, or when I'll want to have a moment of peace. Imagine like this: mountains, forests, lakes, small islands floating on the lakes, rivers all around the place, birds, deer, foxes, rabbits, flowers all kind of colors, with very nice and fresh perfume that is tickling your nose in the morning when you still sleeping. A place dressed in white, sparkling under the light of the sun during the winter, when the air you breathe leaves a slight taste of pine wood in your mouth…This place is like paradise to me, and I think that can be your paradise too after you see it…

<<<Sighet>>> is a place for recreation, for people who had a hard year, that they were stressed all the time with them job… maybe you'll not agree with me, but this peaceful place makes me forget all the bad staff and the problems that I have…and I really miss to go there. Even is cheaper than other places in Romania, and I think is not fair, because the beauties of this place beats all the other beauties you can find in this country...
If by any chance you'll travel to Sighetul Marmatiei, I recommend you Perla Hotel, it's exactly at the exit of the city, but the views are amazing…like in your best dreams :-P , and I'm not referring my self to Las Vegas or Hawaii, just a quiet place, where you listen the birds singing and not Madonna :- )

H) <<<Crisana>>>

This region is almost as big Banat is, the only difference between these regions is that the people are more slow motion. If in Banat you'll see people running up and down, here you'll see people something like "tomorrow is another day too". They are very optimistic people, this them biggest quality, if I can say so, they will never complain, and if something bad happens to them, they will blame them self, nobody else; or they'll try to fix the problem without anyone notice it.

Crisana has the following cities you can go to visit and to have a great time as I had: Oradea where is the border which you can cross to get in Hungary and Beius city which is located somewhere in the Occidental Carpathians that's why the place is full of caves and valleys.

In Oradea I was just because we had to cross the border, we were with the car wanting to get to Italy for the holidays. But after we saw the city we to one day off just to visit the city. (I'm talking about me and my hubby, being in our honeymoon lol)
This city is another place full of history, but is marked by 2 civilizations: Romanians and Hungarians. Being on the border with Hungary, the city is mix, and here they are living too: Austrians, Germans, and some Serbians….
If you want to have a pleasant time, and to be spoiled you can go near of the city to Felix Baths as they are called, and enjoy a hole spa treatment, and not only…
Or if not, and you like to discover, you have here one of the most beautiful caves in Romania, The Bears Cave, which is fantastic, but you really have to follow the signs they are inside otherwise you can get lost, and trust me it will take time until you'll be found, as it happened with me…I got lost, I slipped and felt in a ditch, and I stayed there 3 hours waiting for someone to find me…they could find me earlier if it was not the closing hour…but let's forget about how curious and clumsy I'm, but I'll hope nobody will do as I did…

I) <<<Bucovina>>>

Here in this region you'll find pure traditional Romanian Moldavians; they separate them self from Moldavia (the Romanian on) just because they wanted to continue with the traditions like on Stefan the Great time. Nobody can blame them for this, because they are doing an amazing job, I think the Christmas traditions here are the best…the costumes they are making for the children and they way the grownups are celebrating is amazing. But I have to confess the winters in Bucovina are very cold!!! Your ass is freezing and you really have to dress up your self, not to feel the wind and the frost. Ok maybe your eye browns and the lashes will freeze, but let it to be the only things will do so.

This region has a few villages outside of Suceava, and it ends somewhere on Prut River, the border water that separates Romanian Moldavia from The ex Russian Moldavia…long time ago they had the idea of making a bridge on this river to unite this two sister counties together, but the idea got lost somewhere between the files of the ones in the Government. It could be a nice idea though, because you can see the other Moldavians, from the other side of the river, if you are screaming, meaning really screaming, they can hear you…most of the time you wave and they wave you back…

I remember when I was with my grandmother on Prut River to wash some traditional quilts, they were other people too washing them stuff, but on the other side, and I could hear the sing one song my grandparent was singing all the time, he told me it's an war song: "Make a step in front, for the big union, you'll not regretted, we are brothers…". What I just did now is translating some words of this patriotic song. This is what I remember the most about this nice place…

<<<Bucharest>>>

About the Romanian Capital I'll not say much, because for me wasn't such an interesting city, even though I was living there for almost 5 years. "Le Petit Paris" meaning "Small Paris", like this people used to say about Bucharest...

In the capital you can see The Romanian Peasants Museum, Natural History Museum "Grigore Antipa", and Cotroceni Palace where you can visit inside Cotroceni National Museum, Village Museum which is located inside of the Herastrau Park (the biggest park in Bucharest where you can have a great time because has many restaurants, pubs, bars, pleasure boats and etc) and many other historic places and for pleasure too.
The most important attraction in the capital is the House of the People built on Ceausescu time on his command.

The reason I'm not giving so many details about Bucharest is simple, this capital is known by everybody, and if you come in a holiday in Romania, this city will be a transit city, only if you want to see the house of the people, or maybe to go shopping on the 2 huge malls that you can find here (I say huge for Romania, not for London or Paris)

If you really have to sleep in Bucharest for a night or 2, or who knows you are going in a business trip then I strongly recommend you to stay to hotel more near of the center, as they are: Inter Continental, Lido Hotel, Capitol Hotel, and if you really want to stay in a Ceausescu Hotel I can tell you to go to Triumph Hotel (but if you respect your person enough, you'll forget about the last hotel, trust me…just have in mind that is a 3 stars hotel, but the parquet is creaking, better forget about communism:-P) I gave the above exemple just because I know where are the most safest streets in Bucharest, why not to admit that inside of this city they are all kind of people and some of them not with good intentions. Aaaa, not to forget, don't take any taxi you can find at the airport, if you are not renting a car, than, look after this kind of taxies: CoBalcescu, Meridian, and Fly. If there are not this kind of cars near of the airport, than get back inside to Arrivals and ask the lady/guy that are working on the airport to call a taxi for you…is the best way like this, trust me!

Too many good words about Bucharest, don't you think? I know I'm not to optimistic about this city, but I lived for 5 years in it and I think I learned what really means Bucharest, that's why all the time when I had the chance to go outside the capital I was going for it. The places from the other cities are like from another side of Romania, or let's say of the world, you can really see the difference and enjoy the time "out".

I can say I finished my journey thru memories, and I almost finished this review of a country that has so many to offer but doesn't have such a good way of showing it. I say this because; everybody is going to Brasov until they get bored, or everybody is going to Constanta and they get disappointed home because they had bad weather…and many other things… What I wrote here, are places that will not let you to get bored, and they make you all the time to want more… As for example Danube delta, has such a rich fauna, you want a cheap holidays? Look on the internet, search for Danube Delta Romania, and you'll see how many great places they are to visit. You want mountain?

Something new, not Brasov? Do the same thing… to be more helpful I will put some websites that they are in English too, where you can explore new places and areas for your next holiday…I lived for 20 years in Romania, ok is my country but still I have so many to see, to explore and to learn about it. That's why I think what I wrote here today is only 0,001% from how many other things they are to say about this country and its beauties and it's simple people that are smiling all the time, as if they don't have any problems...
This is my true experince with Romania, written in a few words, I just accentuated the places i went i really loved...maybe someday i'll make a detailed review of each region, but till then, maybe you'll do it so :-)

I hope I was not so boring, and I open a small window for those that they wanted a nice holiday in a special place…

Here are the sites:
http://www.agrotour.ro/lacul_rosu.htm (Red Lake, Piatra Neamt)
http://www.traveleurope.com/ing/romania/constanta/ (Constanta, Black Sea)
http://www.ultramarine.ro/engleza/mount.htm
http://www.travelguide-romania.ro/county.php?lang=en&id=41 (Brasov, Moeciu)
http://www.romaniatourism.com/suceava.html (Suceava)
http://www.pangaeaturism.ro/ (Maramures)

This is all I trust for the moment, but if you find something better good for you and have a nice holiday :- )

PS: Next year after my holiday in Romania, I'll make another review with the new places I will discover.

Thank you for reading.

Sicerely,
cam3lot 

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