My father wanted to go outside of Bucharest, just to see what the countryside looks like in Romania. Of course, the landscape varies from region to region, but to get just a glimpse of it, I booked a half-day tour to Snagov. We are picked up at a nearby hotel […]
Bucharest , culture , Romania , travel
Bucharest – Village Museum
I take my dad to Muzeul Satului because several Romanian friends have encouraged me to go since I arrived here. It’s in the Herăstrău Park in the north of Bucharest, and I still didn’t see it yet. It’s a hot May day, lovely for a park outing. The lady at […]
Bucharest , culture , Romania , travel
Bucharest – Parliament Palace
My father visited me in Bucharest for a week—what a lovely surprise when he threw his concerns over board and decided to come to see me. It was even lovelier to watch him completely revise his opinion about Romania, which used to be steeped in prejudice about the Romanian people. […]
Bucharest , culture , Romania , travel
Bucharest – History Walking Tour
After getting back to Bucharest and saying goodbye to my friend, I go on another walking tour—this one is called “From Monarchy to Communism” and goes through the history of Romania’s four kings, Romania’s involvement in the two world wars, the communist regime, the Romanian revolution, and what came after. […]
culture , Romania , travel
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu is known for the Brâncuși Ensemble of sculptures. Constantin Brâncuși was a Romanian artist who made career in Paris; he is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of modernism. Brâncuși grew up in a village close to Târgu Jiu, so […]
culture , Romania , travel
Alba Iulia, Reșița
Alba Iulia’s tall three-dimensional white cross is a monument that was built as a tribute to the Great Union between the regions that now make up Romania; the union act was signed in Alba Iulia in 1918, and thus a unified Romania was founded. Cathedral of the Coronation (bell tower […]
culture , Romania
Sibiu and Sarmizegetusa
We spend a few hours in Sibiu, another medieval town in Transylvania; it’s called Hermannstadt by the Germans, and I can see the German influence. First, we go to the Liar’s Bridge—the legend goes that if you tell a lie on the bridge, you will be exposed. Well, that’s only […]
culture , Romania
Brukenthal Summer Palace in Avrig
In Avrig, we are staying at Brukenthal Palace—stylish! The room is in what used to be the orangerie, which was a kind of palatial greenhouse for citrus plants. The ceiling is high, I mean at least two conventional levels high, and the window covers the entire height. The bathroom is […]
culture , Romania
Castelul de Lut and the Upside-Down House
From Avrig, we go on a day-trip to a few places, including Castelul de Lut (the Earth Castle), Casa Întoarsă (Upside-Down House) and La Vâltori (which I’ll cover in the next blog post). Located right beside Castelul de Lut is Povestea Calendarului, the Story of the Calendar with a station […]
culture , Romania , travel
Brașov – Black Church, Poarta Schei, Strada Sforii
We took a little break in Brașov and just enjoyed some leisure time. I found a fantastic coffee shop, the Book Coffee Store, where we spent an enjoyable time. Then we went into a spiritual store with buddha’s and essential oils etc, followed by a stop in a little pastry […]