ALUSOARE - Romania

Culture Moment: 1st day of Spring - Martisor

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 23:00:00 GMT

Today Romania and some other Eastern European countries (such as Serbia, Bulgaria, parts of Ukraine) celebrate the beginning of Spring. The traditions says that people should wear a white and red thread so that spring sees that people and their houses are ready for her. The name Martisor is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian)

Not long ago, in the countryside, people used to celebrate the Martisor by hanging a red and white string at their the gate, window, cattle's horn and shed to protect against evil spirits and to invoke nature's regenerative power.

In the old times, Martisor were made of small river pebbles, colored in white and red, stringed on a thread and worn around the neck.

They were worn, to bring good luck and good weather, from March 1 until the first trees would bloom. When the first trees were flowering the Martisor were hanged on tree branches.

Nowadays, on March 1, Romanians buy silky red-white threads (snur) tied into a bow to which a small trinket is attached and offer themto their (female) family members, friends and colleagues to show friendship, respect or admiration. I need to say that I find the Bulgarian tradition nicer as also guys will receive Martisoare (Martenitsas), so I will adopt this as of this year ;)

It is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year.
(Source)

The joy of Handmade gifts

Once I moved to Belgium, I wanted to share this beautiful tradition with as many people I could, so I decided to share it with my colleagues at work and friends I made. In the first year I just sent an e-mail explaining what it means, then I got each of them a flower adding the red-white thread to it and later on I decided is time to take action. Now I handmade them and everyone loves to receive a little gift.

Martisoare 2015 edition

The 2016 Project

it needs to make people smile was my first thought when I started the thinking process what to do this year :) so I decided to get myself some modeling paste and some watercolors.

Then the design process started, making 100 tiny shirts. Followed by step two, painting them in Romanian traditional looking "ie" , you can read more about La Blouse Romaine HERE

At the end I added some transparent nail polish for a shinier look ;) and of course made a small bow with the Martisor thread.....and TADAA :)

Martisoare 2016 edition

The 2017 Project

Martisoare 2017 edition

and here we go again, year after year, the joy that the first day of spring brings is hard to measure in Romania. All around the country people offer little gifts and spring flowers with one common thing the white and red thread. It's about the gesture not the present. Simple handmade gifts are even more appreciated as they were done with joy and happy thoughts. Hope you enjoy your little #ladybugs. #clovers, #fish or anything else you might receive today. #Happymartisor2017

The 2018 Project

2018 was the year when I decided to add traditional Romanian motifs to the collection of martisoare and so a very cute set of martisoare came to life. I must admit, it was not easy and time consuming, but I am so proud of the end result.

Martisoare 2018 edition

The 2019 Project

This year was time to do something with all the corks I have collected from the wonderful wine I had with special friends. So we here the 100 cute cork martisoare.

The 2020 Project

Went back to fimo for some cute letâ€™s call them tulips.

and here the end result of some 60 martisoare. :-)

I really hope this tradition sticks and gets spread around the world. If you have Romanian/Bulgarian/Sebian friends and you receive a martisor add them on Instagram #martisor & #92springdays

HAPPY SPRING! :)

5 coffee place ideas in Bucharest

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 22:00:00 GMT

To travel is to live...but coffee first :D
To have enough energy for all the km you need to cover in exploring your new destination you'll need a lot of energy and what better away than knowing some of the best coffee places in town. Here an overview!

Orygyns

Address: â€‹Strada Jules Michelet 12, Bucuresti 010463, Romania.
It's a tiny coffee place in the center of Bucharest which you can find on one of the small streets out of Magheru Bulevard. Taste wise, this was my favorite coffee from what I tried.

Origo

Address: Strada Lipscani 9, Bucuresti 050971, Romania.
I did not really google this, but i would expect to find this coffee place in a lot of recommended cafes in Bucharest as it was quite packed with including a lot of tourists. The coffee is good and it's nice that they have space outside. If you need some quite time, this might be too crowded.

Camera din fata

Address: Strada D. I. Mendeleev 22, Bucuresti 030167, Romania.
This coffee place serves coffee in gorgeous cups which brings the experience a level up. The inside decoration is also super nice and offers a very cozy feeling. You can find here the biggest cappuccino in town ;)

Artichoke

Address: Calea Victoriei 45, BucureÈ™ti 010062, Romania.
I am not a fan but a lot of people like it a lot. It has a more minimalist style so does not create the feeling of a warm place, but the coffee is very good ;)

French Revolution

Address: Bulevardul Aviatorilor 8A, BucureÈ™ti 011852, Romania
Famous of the eclairs that come in several flavors, the coffee here is also excellent. Make sure to give it a try.

Bucharest: The Architectural Angle

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Oh, Bucharest

It's always hard to write about your home city or country as you'll always be a bit subjective, but I will give it again my best shot. Bucharest is a city of contrasts. You can find both super fancy neighborhoods to very poor ones. But you surely have some beautiful old buildings that have an incredible architecture that are often overlooked. I want you to get to know these buildings and nothing else. If you have the time, try to see beyond the top 10 touristic attraction in a city. Go off the beaten path to better understand the culture of the people.

I was home a while back as I had to renew my ID, yes, we have to go back and there is no emergency option to get your ID in like 2 days or so, the fastest way is 1 week if you can prove you need to be somewhere else, or at least that's what I've been told at the police station I am registered. This gave me some extra time to spend than I normally have over the super quick and short weekends I go home for. I tried to use my time wisely so I went through an exploring marathon of different place I have not really paid attention to when I was still at home. Sometimes you need to be away to realize what makes your home town so special beyond family, friends & all the memories you gained from when you were growing up.
So, I won't make this any longer and let's look together what I discovered through the approx 20 km I explored while at home on a sunny day.

1. Piata Victoriei towards the museum of maps & old books

My first photo is of Vila Oromolu building that I don't remember as a child as it went through a lot of lets call them administrative problems. The building is listed as a historic monument and is the only building that survived the urbanization plans of the Victory square. You can find it at the address: Bulevardul Aviatorilor numÄƒrul 8 and today it is an Event Center called Qreator by IQOS.

Entering Paris street, on the right hand side you find this gorgeous house, I wish I had more details about it

Further down on the left hand side you can find a new flower shop, it looks so cute their #tag means #wecollectsmiles

On Paris with Louis Blanc street you get another beautiful house.

Going back on Paris, you can see on the left side, this hobbit looking house :)

Reaching Quito Square you find in the center the Air Monument built by Emil Ludovic Gove in 1934 and dedicated to the second pilot of Romania Mircea Zorileanu.

2. The museum of maps and old books till Piata Romana

Set in a 1930 built villa, the museum of maps and old books is the biggest you can find in Europe

Heading further towards Piata Romana you will cross Calea Dorobanti and then turn right. This is a bit of walk.

Piata Romana is one of the main squares in Bucharest where some of the main avenues of the city meet. But before giving you a "tour"of Piata Romana, lets walk a bit towards Piata Victoriei as a few meters into Lascar Catargiu Boulevard you will find the former house of Dinu Lipatti a Romanian pianist and composer who died 33 due to Hodgkin's disease. To get an idea of his work, you can listen to one of his first compositions "Les Tziganes"

Dinu Lipatti's house can be found at Bld Lascar Catargiu #12 and was built in 1902 being the work of the architect Petre Antoescu. It is a typical house of Bucharest of the XIX century having baroque accents with beautifully decorated windows and doors.

Going back to Piata Romana you can find the Economics University: Academy of Economic Studies (ASE). This is one of the most important universities in Bucharest. The building is considered an architectural and historical monument of the 19th century heritage. A funny legend (which changed with time) says that " the moment that the ball from the cupola of the building will fall, it represents the first student (feminine) that was a virgin at the end at her studies"

Right next to the ASE building you have the Gheorghe Petrascu House. It was built 1913 to the design of the architect Spiridon Ceganeanu in a Neo-Romanian style. The facade features remarkable ornaments of enameled ceramics while the interior paintings belong to the painter himself.

3. Piata Romana till Calea Victorie

The next Stop on the architectural route of Bucharest is Macca House that can be found on Strada Henri Coanda 11. It is currently the headquarters of the Vasile Parvan Architectural Institute. It is considered one of the most beautiful houses in Bucharest. It was built 1891 by the swizz architect John-Elisee Berthet for Petru Macca and his wife Elena.

This type of architecture is based on baroque elements having classic influence, romantic paintings and Neo-Gothic furniture. It's a mix of styles.

Unfortunately, although requested, the building was never refurbished. When you enter you have the feeling that find yourself in a complete different era. Although the architectural elements are gorgeous you instantly get a sort of abandonment feeling. It's a pity that this is happening and hopefully the house will get the money it needs for a proper restoration.

The garden in front of the building has a collection of statues without heads. It is unclear what they represent, but add to the abandonment feeling of the place

On the way to my next stop i found some other worth sharing architectural elements of the streets of Bucharest. On General H. M. Berthelot at number 24 you can see a very typical architecture from the Maramures area. It is a wooden gate. Unfortunately i have no records why this rural architecture has been used by the owners of the yard. It looks so lost in between all the concrete around.

Another house that I found interesting, mainly because of all the plants that are covering it can be found on on Putul cu Poli #11 Street right across of my next point of interest.

My next stop was the house of Constantin Tanase on Putul cu Plopi #10. Constantin Tanase was a Romanian actor and writer for stage, a key figure in the revue style of theater in Romania. There is extremely limited information about the house available online and as the house looks to be abandoned it is also hard to ask inside. What I could find online is that it is a house built somewhere before 1900 and was used as a house of the great actor between 1922 - 1945. The house was put for sale by the current owners back in 2014 but there is no update whether it was sold or not in the meantime.

The house seems to pass mainly unnoticeable by people passing by or working in the area maybe also because the only reference that is made is on a small marble stone next to one of the 2 columns of the door of the house.

Online, but only in Romanian you can find a small video about the house put together by the national television some years ago. you can follow this link to watch it.

At the end of the same street at the cross with Stirbei Voda you can also spot 2 houses that offer very nice architectural lines.

4. Calea Victoriei

Calea Victoriei in itself is a street filled with wonderful buildings and I love to just take a walk every now and then. In this part of my itinerary (as the whole street is 2.7 km) I will highlight some of the buildings starting at the intersection with Ion Campineanu street. First being the Novotel Hotel. I am sure that some people will completely not agree with me, but I think that the current building which hosts the Novotel Hotel, does not look that bad. It is an interesting blend between the old and the modern. Actually the glass building was built on a similar looking entrance as the one of what it used to be the National Theater. The old building of the theater has been partially destroyed during the German bombing of 1944 and the government at that time decided to demolish it completely.

The original building was built by Joseph Heft an Austrian architect between 1846-1852. You can find some picture of what it used to be here. The current building was finalized at the end of 2006.

For my next mention it is not a positive note, as there is nothing that makes this place attractive. Still hoping that by being added to different blogs and mentions across the internet, one day it will be refurbished and properly used. i am talking about the English Passage. It connects Calea Victorie to Academiei street. It was built at the bottom of the former Resch House built by the Austrian jeweler Josef Resch. It was first a hotel, but due to the very small rooms it was transformed in a brothel, which was quite popular in its day and later on during the communist times was transformed in apartments.

Nowadays it looks completely abandoned although it is not. I am happy i was with a friend when taking pictures as it looked a bit creepy, not to wonder it was used as a film location for one of the Dracula movies.

Right next to it you find Victoria Passage. It of course also connects Calea Victoriei with Academiei street and was built by "Imobiliara" company at the beginning at the XX century. Nowadays it's a popular Instagram location due to the colorful umbrellas that have been added a few years back

Odeon Theater one of the best-known performing arts venues in Bucharest and it can be also found on Calea Victoriei. In 1993, it won the Romanian Theater of the Year Award.
The theater was built in 1911, and previously housed the Comedy Theater of the Romanian National Theater. It is part of a complex that includes a building with apartments and stores (to its north) and the Majestic Hotel (to its south) (Source)

Casa Capsa is a historic restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, first established in 1852 now also a hotel. The French-inspired confectionery of Casa Capsa soon established a continent-wide reputation. The business expanded in 1881 to a full-service restaurant, at a time when quality restaurants along Western European lines were still quite a rarity in Romania. Casa Capsa invented the all-chocolate Joffre cake in honor of a visit to Romania by Joseph Joffre after the war

Hotel Capitol has a long history starting in 1600, but I won't give you here all the details. After it burned down in 1911, architect Arghir Culina redesigned it and shortly after it becomes together with Cafe Royal one of the most frequented placed for writers and artists. It was in 1976 after several renovations, the building turns into "Capitol Hotel", a modernized hotel building that still holds the seal of history and the initial architectural details.
You can find more details under link from which a summary is presented above. And old pictures can be found under the hotel's website, text in Romanian.

Palace of the National Military Circle was built in 1911 by architect Dimitrie Maimarolu using French neoclassical style. The beneficiary was the Officers' Circle of the Bucharest military garrison, which was founded in 1876. (Source) The edifice, although not finished, was seriously damaged during the First World War; after the restoration and end of construction works, it was inaugurated, on 4th of February 1923 in presence of King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria of Romania among other important personalities of the time. (Source)

Macca Villacrosse Passage connects Calea Victoriei and a smaller street opening onto the the old center of Bucharest. Campineanu Inn (Romanian: Hanul Campineanu) once stood in the place nowadays occupied by the passage. The old Inn was bought by Petros Seraphim, who gifted it to two of his daughters as dowries. Daughter Polixena married in 1843 Xavier Vilacrosse, Chief Architect of Bucharest, 1840-1848, the Inn renamed after him. Daughter Anastasia married Mihalache Macca, who built luxury shops on their part. In the late 1880s, the city decided to buy the sites to build a Western style passage to relieve congestion. It was designed by architect Felix Xenopol, and opened in 1891. [...] Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse hosted the first Stock Exchange House of Bucharest. (Source)

The CEC Palace, is one of my favorite buildings in Bucharest. It looks so beautiful. It currently houses the headquarters of the national savings bank. Work started on June 8, 1897 and was completed in 1900. The project was designed by the architect Paul Gottereau, a graduate of the Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris; construction was supervised by the Romanian architect Ion Socolescu. (Source)

Across the CEC palace you can find the National Museum of Romanian History which is inside the former Postal Services Palace. The building was authorized, in 1892, and the architect, Alexandru Savulescu was sent with the postal inspector, Ernest Sturza, to tour various postal facilities of Europe for the design. The final sketches were influenced primarily by the postal facility in Geneva. Built in an eclectic style, it is rectangular with a large porch on a high basement and three upper floors. The stone facade features a portico supported by 10 Doric columns and a platform consisting of 12 steps spanning the length of the building. There are many allegorical sculptural decorative details . (Source)

Around the Dambovita River

This not an easy one but I will try to collect as many details I can find. Currently known by the name of United Nations Square it was the former Operetei Square. Some of the elements around it or close by are listed and detailed below.

Lahovari Fountain commemorates George Em. Lahovari who was killed in a duel by Nicolae Filipescu as he published some articles where he was attacking the political view of Filipescu. The fountain was ordered by the princess Zoe Sutu in 1903, and built by the sculptor Carol Storck.

Agricola - Fonciera Palace Bucharest and the Romanian House are 2 of the buildings that makes you picture the Bucharest from before. They are also know as the gloriete due to the architectural details at the top of the buildings. Both were built around the year 1926 by architect Paul Samarandescu (Agricola- Fonciara) and Petre Antonescu (The Romanian House). The architecture of both buildings reflects the change in the French architecture style from art nouveau to art deco.

Dominita Balasa Church on Sfintii Apostoli 60 Street, is a neo-romantic and neo-Byzantine style building, large, showing a cross-shaped plan, plus a polygonal apse of the altar. Built in 1885, the church is named after Constantin Brancoveanu's sixth daughter, who built an earlier church on the site in 1744, but which burnt down soon after. In 1751 a second church was built; but that was also later damaged, during an earthquake in 1838 but only 40 years later it was replaced by the current, orange-coloured, Neo-Romanesque building. (Source)

Although founded on tears and suffering, Balasa Church is a celebration church, with no funerals ever being held here. The church was listed as a monument of architecture, on the official list of historical monuments. (Source)

Carol Park Area

It was a complete new area for me to explore, as i leave far away from this Park, but as I wanted to get to know Bucharest a bit better I thought it's an important area to explore. I will let you enjoy some of the architecture of the area.

Although not unknown, as less know thing about the park is that it hosts Vlad the Impaler castles, it was built in 1906 at request of King Carol I for the 40 years celebration of his reign. It is the copy of the Poienari Castle from Arges County.

The Old Town

Hanul Lui Manuc - is considered the oldest operating hotel in Bucharest and a must try restaurant if you want to explore the authentic Romanian cuisine.
The Inn's story starts in 1806 when it was built on Bucurs land, on the riverside of Dambovita. Its architecture, unlike the other inns of that time, stood out through its unicity. The founder was Emanuel Marzayan, better known as Manuc Bey. He was a far-famed merchant, diplomat and innkeeper which was considered as one of the richest landlords in the Balkans.

From here a long history of different owners start, you can read more on the Inn's website

After significant investments and reconstruction efforts made by the Cantacuzino family, Manuc's Inn, one of the most renowned attractions of Bucharest in the 19th century, came back to life, carrying a history of over two hundred years. The yard pavement and the wooden beams were replaced in order to restore the original Brancovenesc style.

Old Princely Court - like a lot of other places to my shame this was the first time that I realized we have a old fortress in the center of Bucharest

Built in 1459 it is one of the former residences of Vlad the Impaler, the Romanian ruler who sparked the Dracula legends. During his reign, Mircea Ciobanul repaired the palace, and defined the limits of the city. His palace became the economic nucleus of Bucharest, surrounded by the houses of traders and craftsmen known as the Lipscani. Matei Basarab repaired the palace during his reign, so that it was "completely rebuilt...amazingly elegant" with a "charming aspect, much finer and gayer".Constantin Brancoveanu rebuilt and extended the palace using stone, including a great marble staircase at the entrance. The court is currently a museum and can be visited. (Source: I apologize as I am missing the link)

And next to the Princely Court you can also see Saint Anton church which is the oldest church of the city having kept it's original form. "Built on the place of a former wooden church which burnt up, restored after another fire in 1847, and over again in 1934, by the Commission of Historical Monuments, the church was conceived in the Wallachian architectural style of the 16th century it singles out by its harmony and balance of proportions. The decoration of its facades is made of face brick stripes alternating with plaster stripes. At cornices, a series of small decorated niches and buttresses which support the outer walls remind one of the Moldavian style of architecture, a fact which may be associated with the influence exerted by Lady Chiajna, Mircea Ciobanul's wife and daughter to Petru Rares" (Source) After the 1847 fire it was restored by renewed Austrian architect Johann Schlatter and received a neoclassical facade. The church got its original appearance back after it was restored by the Romanian architect Horia Teodoru between 1928 and 1935 (Source)

Stavropoleos church Bucharest, opened 1724 is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for nuns in central Bucharest, Romania. Its church is built in Brancovenesc style.

The name Stavropoleos is a Romanian rendition of a Greek word, Stauropolis, meaning "The city of the Cross". One of the monastery's constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania. (Source)

It is characterized by its beautiful stone and wood carvings, of which the finest are on the main doors. The courtyard outside (beautiful on a sunny afternoon) has a curious collection of tombstones dating from the 18th century, and you might often see skilled craftsmen working on restoring them. (Source)

Between Piata Universitatii and Izvor Park

There are several old houses around this area, but I don't have any details about their history. It's a pity as they are part of the old Bucharest the one that was referred to like the Little Paris. i will add them below, maybe one day i will gather more details and will be able to provide an update.

Casa Melik is considered to be the oldest house in Bucharest and it hosts today the Theodor Pallady Museum. Built in 1750 by the Armenian merchant Hagi Kevork Nazaretoglu is the only merchant house opened to the wide public.

The house presents the traditional Romanian architecture with the upper floor porch with closed windows, the interior wooden staircase and the roof with wide eaves. For the interior you can read my post about some of the Bucharest Museums.

And some more houses on the way back

Calea Victoriei from Casino Vernescu till Piata Victoriei

The architecture of the Revolution Square can be found in my post: A glimpse of Bucharest

Ghica - Gradisteanu Palace was built by architect Jean Berthet in 1884.

George Enescu National Museum in Cantacuzino Palace. Was built by architect Ion D. Berindey in French Baroque/Art Nouveau style.

Built in 1901-1903 for Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, mayor of Bucharest and former prime-minister. After his death, the building was inherited by his son Mihail G. Cantacuzino, who died prematurely in 1929. Mihail's wife Maria remarried in December 1939 with music composer George Enescu. The building- known as Cantacuzino Palace at the time - hosted the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the eve of World War II. After the death of George Enescu in 1955, his wife stated in her will that the palace would host a museum dedicated to the artist. In 1956, 'The National Museum George Enescu' was established. (Source)

In the back of the Cantacuzino Palace you can find the Memorial house of George Enescu.

Who was Geroge Enerscu? George Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, and teacher, seen by many as Romania's greatest musician. (Source)

Cesianu House (1892) is an example of the reconditioning of an older residence, from the period of 1846-1850 and is one of the few aristocratic residences of the Belle Epoque Bucharest which remains faithful to its original design. (Source)

Romanian Government Palace can be found in the Victory Square. Built in 1937, it serves as the headquarters of the Prime Minister of Romania and his cabinet. The palace was built under the supervision of Duiliu Marcu (1885-1966), student of the Bucharest Superior School of Architecture (1906) and of Paris Ecole de Beaux-Arts (diplomat in 1912). The monolithic structure materializes an austere expression of the neoclassical style. (Source)

But things are getting more and more New York style and the high glass buildings are slowly taking over the city. Hopefully the mix will stay as much as possible in line with the old architecture.

Bucharest is not made just out of old grey communistic apartment buildings but it has a lot of impressive architecture with influence from around Europe but probably mainly France. This is another reason why back in the days Bucharest was also called Little Paris. I hope this post helps you get a different view about the city, and I will just add that this is just a little part of it, the rest is up to you to discover.

Bucharest: enjoy the outdoors

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Vitamin D is important to spending time outside is super healthy. Take some time to walk through some of the parks and outdoor places of Bucharest. I selected 3, but depends on time and how far you are from them...you can only do 2 or fit even more things.

Village Museum

Address: Soseaua Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff, sector 1 28-30, Bucuresti 011347, Romania
Opening Hours: check the website

"Village Museum official opening took place on 10 May 1936 in the presence of King Carol II, and to the public a week later, May 17, 1936." (Source)

Official Name: Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum.
"Creating Village Museum is the result of intense and sustained research, theoretical and field of museological experiments for over a decade, coordinated by Professor Dimitrie Gusti, founder of Sociological School of Bucharest. As head of the Department of Sociology, University of Bucharest, Gusti organizes between 1925-1935, with specialists from various fields (sociologists, ethnographers, folklorists, geographers, statisticians, doctors) and his students monographic research campaigns, interdisciplinary, a relatively large number of villages" (Source)

Villages like "Fundu Moldova – jud. Suceava, Nereju – jud. Vrancea, Dragus – jud. Brasov, Dragomiresti - jud. Maramures, Clopotiva - jud. Hunedoara Runcu - jud. Gorj, Rusetu – County. Buzau etc" (Source) have been used as initial research

"Beyond the vicissitudes own communist regime, which Romania has passed and that the museum has felt the full, because the professional capacity of director Gheorghe Focsa (former student of D. Gusti) and his refusal to make concessions constraints and pressures of the old regime, the museum has not only to survive, but also to record achievements. (Source) Seems Mr. Gheroghe Focsa did a great job. Check one of the links in the Sources I added, you get so much more on the story of this wonderful museum

Below it's a traditional house from the Arges county, I highlight it as this is the region from where my grandparents come.

Part of the family :) me in the window on the left & my parents walking in the park on the right

And as you might already know, I am very proud of our national blouse (ie) and so here some models you could by within the museum.

Carol Park

Believe it or not, it was my first time in this Park. To be fair it is a bit far from my house but still. The park is clean and nicely maintained and you have a few things you can check out around.

"The mausoleum was built in honor of revolutionary socialist militants. Designed by architects Horia Maicu and Nicolae Cucu, it was inaugurated on 30 December 1963, the 16th anniversary of the Romanian People's Republic." (source)

"Monument of the Heroes for the Freedom of the People and of the Motherland, for Socialism"

Below you have on the left one of the Giants' Statues and on the right Dimitrie Leonida Technical Museum. In the middle and old tree and one of the favorite activities of old people in Romania, Backgammon table

"Located in front of the park’s main entrance, the fountain dates from 1935 when it was built for the first edition of a popular celebration called “The Bucharest Month”. “The Bucharest Month” had only six editions being held every year between May 9 and June 9 until the starting of the war in 1940. The fountain, looking like a huge footed serving bowl was designed by architect Octav Doicescu and erected by the architects August Schmiedigen and Dorin Pavel. Its name comes from the twelve mosaic representations of the zodiac signs made by scultptor Mac Constantinescu." (Source)

Zodic fountain

Herastrau Park

This is the park where i was going very often during my childhood with my parents. I enjoyed it a lot as it's big and you can run around all you want. you can link visiting the park with passing by the "arc de triomphe" (below), the media house (casa presei) or the village museum.

You can take the opportunity of cycling, running or even skateboarding in the Park.

or enjoy the views over the lake, btw in case you like eating "up in the sky", the round building you is is called NOR Sky Bucharest, offering a nice view over the city.

And so I hope you end up with a very active and nice day in Bucharest

Bucharest: GO inside, check out some museums

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:00:00 GMT

It usually happens that people don't get to visit any museums, maybe because of lack of enough time and hard to pick which one. Here an idea of some place you don't need too much time inside but it for sure super interesting to explore.

National Museum of Maps and Old Books

Address: Varsovia Strada, Strada Londra 39, Bucuresti, Romania
Opening Hours*: Wednesday - Sunday 10:
Price: 8 RON

"The National Museum of Maps and Old Books, hosted in a beautiful villa from the 1930s, is allegedly the largest cartography museum in Europe. It was founded in 2003 by a private collector who donated over 800 historical maps (the oldest is from 1525), books, paintings, globes, and its collection was later enriched by other donors. " (Source)

Ground Floor

Upper Floors

I loved the upper floor not only because of the maps but also because of the furniture and fireplaces which are gorgeous

The organisation of the space is excellent and it easily keeps you focused throughout your visit. The only thing I missed were the old books. Although when I passed by there was an exhibition of most beautiful book covers of some recent books which I found as a very nice idea.

Theodor Pallady Museum

Address: Strada Spatarului 22, Bucuresti 030167, Romania
Opening hours*: Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 - 19:00
Prince: 10 RON

Theodor Pallady (1871 - 1953) was an early Cubist artist widely regarded as Romania's most influential 20th century painter. Schooled in Dresden and Paris, Pallady was influenced by the Symbolist environment of the late 19th century, and his paintings before 1916 contain Symbolist motifs, sometimes with echoes of Moreau and Puvis de Chavannes. Alas the small museum that today bears his name has only six of his paintings, a couple of his sketches and assorted other art. The museum's saving grace is the house in which it is hosted: the oldest in Bucharest. Originally called the Casa Melik, it was built around 1750 by the rich Armenian Hagi Kevork Nazaretoglu. Walk over the enchantingly creaky wooden floors and admire the decorated ceiling. (Source)

Below some of the paintings you can see in the museum

The Romanian Atheneum

Address: Str.Franklin nr.1-3, sector 1, Bucuresti
Opening Hours: I would give it a try
Price: 10 RON

"Possibly the finest building in the city, the Romanian Atheneum, with its sublime baroque cupola, stands proudly at the flux of the city's busiest public square, competing with the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel, the Royal Palace and the old national library for attention. The work of French architect Albert Galleron, who also designed the National Bank of Romania, the building was inaugurated on February 26, 1888, and was built almost entirely with money donated by ordinary citizens of the capital, when a campaign called 'Give a penny for the Atheneum' (Dati un leu pentru Ateneu) rescued the project from folly after the original patrons ran out of funds. Today the seat of the Romanian Philarmonic George Enescu, the auditorium can seat 800 spectators comfortably, and is renowned worldwide for its outstanding acoustics." (Source)

"The Great Fresco, which covers the entire dome, was painted by Costin Petrescu, and given its size (amounting to 75 square meters), it was completed in no less than 5 years (1933 to 1938). The fresco consists of 25 sequences, each of them describing a certain significant episode of the history of the Romanian people." (Source)

And to end with, normally the inside of the Atheneum can be seen only if you go to a concert, but it happens often that they do allow visitors and you can even have the chance to catch a rehearsal. So make sure to give it a try.

You need about 30-45 min in each, of course depending on your interest you can spend more time in each. Enjoy Bucharest!

* opening hours & prices can vary, please check the website

A glimpse of Bucharest

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 23:00:00 GMT

They call it, little Paris and back in the days it was easier to spot the similarities. The city evolved and it is now a interesting mix of french architecture, communistic influence and hipster ambiance. Bucharest, maybe it's not the most beautiful capital around Europe, but it is certainly an amazing place to explore and you will for sure love your stay as everyone does.

Constitution Square

It was the last part of our trip and we were all tired, I wanted to reach my grandparents some 3h drive away so it left us with one day to go around the city.....here how One Day in Bucharest would look like.

1. Start with a snack

Street food in Romania is huge as it is absolutely delicious. You have "covrigi" = bretzel, "merdenele" = sort of a salty cheese in pastry, "strudel cu mere" = apple strudel

2. Visit the Parliament.

The tour takes about 1h and it is given also in English. You can take pictures against a fee.

View from the Park, Metro Stop Izvor

3. Pass by Cismigiu Gardens

On your way from the Parliament to the Cismigiu Park you will cross the Dambovita River, which btw it was also one of the reasons why Bucharest was called little Paris as it was comparable with the Seine.

The Park was built in 1847 and it is based on the city center of Bucharest adding a lot of green into the grey surroundings. "The word cismigiu comes from Turkish: a Cesme is a public fountain and a cismigiu (or cismegiu) used to be the person responsible for building and maintaining public fountains" (Source)

I have so many memories from when I was a kid from coming over with my parents for a trip with the boat on the lake.

4. It's time for coffee

.......but before a small hint

the best pastries in Bucharest you can find in Piata Amzei

Nea Mihai

Apple Strudel

In Romania we have this magical drink called Cafe Frappe, and you might say that you saw it in coffee places around Europe but seriously there is no other place where they make the Frappe as good as in Romania (maybe, and just maybe Greece gets close), You can try it out on the terrace of Green Hours on Calea Victorie.

Revolution Square

This is a sort of a hot spot when it comes to important landmarks, I'll share some over here.

Romanian Athenaeum

Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city's main concert hall and home of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic and of the George Enescu annual international music festival. (Source)

Library of the University of Bucharest and King Carol I Statue

National Museum of Art of Romania

The building built 1837 used to be the royal palace, not it hosts the National Art museum.

Memorial of Rebirth

ok, we call this the potato in the stick...quite clear why

"The monument commemorates the struggles and victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989, which overthrew Communism. " (Source)

Architects Center

The building is a strange mix of old (memorial style) and new (glass) structure.

Kretzulescu Church

Built in Brancovenesc style, the church used to be painted (see painted monasteries) but with the restoration the outside of the church is now made out of bricks

The Palace of the National Military Circle

A little bit down on Calea Victoriei (which btw is the longest Boulevard in Bucharest) you can find the Palace of the National Military Circle, which was built in 1911 in a French neoclassical style. It is now hosting weddings and graduation parties.

Unirii Square

or also know and KM 0, this is the place where Romanians gather to celebrate football victories or on different other occasions (sad or happy).

Ion Luca Caragiale Theater or Bucharest National Theater

Ion Luca Caragiale is considered one of the greatest playwrights in Romanian language and literature, as well as one of its most important writers and a leading representative of local humor. (Source) Any Romanian will know to tell you some jokes from his plays. In front of the TNB (National Bucharest Theater) you can see the Statue statuary "Wagons of Clowns" (Caruta cu paiate) and represents 16 sculptures of characters of Caragiale's work. The ensemble was done by Ioan Bolborea

While IL Caragiale's statue is looking over the ensemble

Old Town

Recently refurbished the old center is lovely to walk around or stay for a coffee.

Carturesti Carusel

We stopped at Carturesti Carusel, a recently opened library which allows you to relax and enjoy a book in the same time.

â€‹Stavropoleos Monastery

"is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for nuns in central Bucharest, Romania. Its church is built in BrÃ¢ncovenesc style. The patrons of the church (the saints to whom the church is dedicated) are St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The name Stavropoleos is a Romanian rendition of a Greek word, Stauropolis, meaning "The city of the Cross". One of the monastery's constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania." (Source)

I find this church extremely cute and the inside yard very cozy and relaxing

CEC Palace

Main office of the CEC bank, it was built in eclectic style in 1900 and is topped by a glass and metal dome. The entrance features an arch supported by two pairs of columns in composite style. The four corners are decorated with gables and coats of arms and ending in Renaissance domes. (Source)

Guess what, this is it for the day, you did a great job and covered quite some kilometers, Bucharest has far more to offer if you stay for longer, you can also check you my post with 12 reasons why Bucharest should be on your travel list (more in depth posts will come) and of course if questions write me.
Now time for dinner.....do you know already know where you'll eat? if the first time in Bucharest, you need to try Carul cu bere, really traditional and still maintains a good quality price ratio.

Discovering a part of Heaven...Danube Delta

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 23:00:00 GMT

The Danube Delta is a UNESCO Heritage and it is one of the "best preserved of Europe's deltas. It is the newest land of Romania, it is an untouched land of beauty, nature and wilderness."(Source)

Coming all the way from Germany (Schwarz Wald) the Danube makes its way through several countries in Europe over 1788 km before spilling into the the Black Sea.

There are 3 arms of the Delta

Chilia (Ukraine)
Sulina (Romania)
Sf. Gheorghe (Romania)

spill of the Danube into the Black Sea @Sf Gheorghe

We decided to go to Sf Gheorghe as it was recommended by my parents who have been to Lady Jenica Guesthouse 2 years before.

Getting there

Best would be to get there by car till the boat transfer. You can get one of the regular boats and then go by car till Mahmudia. You can check times under link, or you can maybe arrange transfer with your host and they might have a boat available for the transfer from Murghiol. As the website is in Romanian, below what is relevant based on transfer from Mahmudia. Please note that this was the information listed on 5th of January 2017. For tourists, the tariffs are in yellow below.

Accommodation

You can check for accommodation on turistinfo where you can generally find local accomodation, sort of an Airbnb, or you can try on booking for accomodation at GreenVillage. We stayed at Pensiunea Jenica Sfantu Gheorghe Delta. You can contact Jenica also under 0040744793299. We had a great time over there so we totally recommend the place.

Local food

Jenica was preparing Breakfast & Dinner for us, but she can also cook lunch of course, we preferred to try some of the restaurants available. The food is 99% based on fish, if you don't eat fish let them know they can prepare something chicken based most probably, but seriously you should try the fish....

We tried also Delta Marina, everything is fish .... ok, except the vegetable, but you get my point.

What can you do in Sf Gheorghe

"First recorded in the mid-14th century by Visconti, a traveller from Genoa, the remote seaside village of Sfantu Gheorghe, on the eastern end of the Sfantu Gheorghe channel (109km from Tulcea), retains an ever-so-slight alternative vibe, fed by the town's lovely, lonely beach and its sleepy, noncommercial core. It's also one of the best places in the delta to sample traditional cooking (including some fabulous fish soup). Each August the village hosts what just might be the world's most remote film festival, the Anonimul fest." (Source)

Watch the Sunrise

We woke up around 5AM, but this is an amazing experience so do not miss it. You can check out a timelaps below

and the 1000 words of the below pictures

I guess you see my point

Watch the Sunset

At least as spectacular as the sunrise, the sunsets in Sf. Gheroghe are magical.

Day Trips

These are the tour options that you have out of Sf. Gheorghe, best to check with your host, they will be able to recommend you who to contact.

Tour 1 & 2 in pictures

The Island Sacalin is a new territory formed in the Black Sea right next to Sf Gheorghe, the Island was first mentioned in 1771 and as of 1938 the Romanian Government declared the Island as a biosphere reserve and it is not allowed to built any settlement on the island, tourists are not allowed on the island. Some of the flora and founa found in the area.

and as every story should involve some pirate stories :P .... here a shipwreck...now you can start getting your Pirates of the Caribbean story, Romanian edition ;)

I guess that the pictures have already convinced you that the Danube Delta is a must and I will highlight it again. You feel like in a magical world, it's an amazing experience that you will enjoy a lot.

A couple of hours in Iasi by night

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 23:00:00 GMT

Exuberant, cultured Iasi (pronounced â€˜yashâ€™) clearly enjoys being the biggest city in Moldavia. Once dubbed the â€˜city of the hundred churchesâ€™, Iasi is indeed bursting with centuries of architectural creations. Yet besides the monasteries, theatres and other historic buildings, this eclectic place has botanical parks, big squares and (for better or for worse) both communist-era concrete structures and gleaming modern shopping malls. As with its shopping scene, Iasiâ€™s innumerable eateries, drinking holes and lively clubs depend on the robust university population. You'll find students from all over the world here â€“ making this little corner of Romania unexpectedly cosmopolitan. (Source)

Culture Palace

Of course you have to have dinner especially so gourmand people like us ,so we asked the owner of the apartment where we were staying what restaurant he could recommended and he suggested to try out Oscar Restaurant as it would also give us the chance to also walk through the city.

â€‹Saint Nicholas Church

"Iasi boasts an impressive number of Orthodox churches, almost 100, most of them located in the so-called Golden Plateau (Platoul de Aur). The oldest, the Princely Saint Nicholas Church, dates from the reign of Stephen the Great (Stefan cel Mare, 1457-1504)." (Source)

The Palace of Culture

"This remarkable construction (1906-1925), built in flamboyant neo-gothic style, stands partly on the ruins of a medieval royal court mentioned in documents dating from 1434. Today, the 365-room palace houses the Gheorghe Asachi Library and four of the city's museums: the Moldavian History Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Museum of Art and the Museum of Science and Technology. The interior decor, with the lavish furnishings and magnificent staircase of the entrance lobby, can be admired free of charge, but tickets are required for entry to the museums." (Source)

Three Hierarchcs Church

Unfortunately we did not plan to actually visit Iasi as we did not have the time, our next stop was the Danube Delta and we had to get there early in the morning. But, Iasi is a must see and I am so happy that we have now direct flights out of Brussels.â€‹

Bicaz Gorge

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 23:00:00 GMT

Connecting Moldova with Transylvania the Bicaz Gorge offers a stunning landscape and is considered to be one of the most spectacular drives in the country.

The road along the 8 kilometers of ravines, often in serpentine with rock on one side and a sheer drop on the other side reaches up to the spectacular Rosu Lake at about 980 m altitude.

The gorge is situated between 2 counties, Neamt and Harghita. This is very interesting, as Harghita is one of the counties that is home to mainly Hungarian population and the majority people around the area speak only Hungarian. Here you will be able to buy both local Romanian and Hungarian products.

local homemade Romanian products

Lacu Rosu

after a first stop where a lot of merchants sell their products you continue the road till Lacul Rosu (The red Lake). "is the largest barrier lake (natural lake), in the Eastern Carpathians chain in Harghita County, Romania. The name of "Lacul Rosu" comes from the reddish alluvium deposited in the lake by the Red Creek. (Source

take the time to walk around make get into a boat and try some of the local snacks.

Langos are typical Hungarian specialty which is usually eaten with white cheese on top

Going from salty to sweet, you need to try the Kurtos Kolaks you will see that everywhere I go, I chase them. It's a sort of a sweet bread rolled on a wooden stick and baked on charcoal.

If you still have time, walk a bit more to loose the calories you just gained ;)

Bicaz Dam

"is the largest artificial lake on the interior waters of Romania; it was created after the completion of a dam built on the river Bistrita. The dam is located a few kilometers north of the town of Bicaz. [...] The lake is a popular tourist destination in the region, especially in summertime, when visitors can take the ferryboat from the Bicaz port for a short trip on the lake, enjoying the magnificent view of Mount Ceahlau on the west shore."

Lunch @â€‹Bibanu

It for sure offers a great view ;) below also some pictures of the food. We mainly snacked

Polenta with Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese (RO: Mamaliguta cu branza si smantana)

anchovies (RO: hamsii)

It's time to head towards Iasi, where we will only spend the night. But lets see what we still manage to see around ;)

Piatra Neamt

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 23:00:00 GMT

Piatra Neamt is considered to be one of the most picturesque cities in Romania and is said to be the pearl of Moldova region.

Batca Doamnei lake

The city is surrounded by mountains that add to the beauty of the place. We arrived very tired after our last trips so we decided to start with a break. You might know by now that Romanians really like starting everything with a break....;)

Snack something @Nenea Iancu

Medieval views: Royal Court

"The freestanding entrance tower located to the northwest of the church and nicknamed Stephen's Tower. Its main purpose was and is a bell tower, but it also played a secondary role as observation tower, allowing guards to watch over the BistriÈ›a River and the roads leading to the Neamt Citadel and Roman, picking out enemies and seeking refuge from them."(Source)

The bell tower of the church

"The Nativity of St. John the Baptist Church located at Piata Libertatii, Piatra Neamt City, Romania, is a Romanian Orthodox church. Established by Prince Stephen the Great of Moldavia, it was built in 1497-1498 as part of his royal court in the town [...] The church is entered through a Gothic-style stone portal that combines common elements with new concepts. (Source)

Catholic Church

Saint Joseph Catholic church strikes with an very hard to realize architecture design. The church is done out of wooden arcades which do not have any supporting piles under them, the architect Razvan Fodor is considered one of the best ones in the area.

Str. Mihai Eminescu, 27

Breakfast @Crepes d'Art

Before getting on the cable car, what about breakfast @Crepes d'Art? Seriously, excellent pancakes, great service and perfect way to start your day.

Take the cable car

You can take it from next to the station and it will bring you up on Cozia mountains at 650m offering a great view over Piatra Neamt

and here the view from the cable car :)

Once up, you can get a nice view over the Batca Doamnei lake (see picture at top), and you can buy souvenirs or just enjoy some local food.

We only had a few hours in Piatra Neamt so hopefully we can go there back again. Make sure you plan more time to enjoy this lovely city.