Romania was an accident. A last minute decision to get out of the Schengen region for a a week. We overbooked our time in the Schengen and, so we chose Romania as a way out. We were pleasantly surprised to discover a rich culture and beautiful CTOWDED back roads that led us to castles, citadels, fortified churches and horses pulling buggys and gypsies. There is still a strong gypsy presence in the countryside of northern Romania.
We began with one night in Bucharest. We found this “Prague on a chill pill” city charming, yet, energizing. Old town was quiet with an under beat and many trendy and hip young Romanians out on the town. Historical buildings lit up and the past revealed itself in the architecture and landscape.
We picked up our BMW motor bike in the morning and we were OFF! In 6 days we travelled the length of the country from south to north and enjoyed discovering this “steeped in tradition” culture. Riding windy roads that led to self sustaining communities and countryside traditions was enjoyable. We found the countryside, Saxon villages and old towns stimulating and beautiful, but not “Swiss like ” stunning. The Bram Stoker connection and creation of Dracula in Transylvania inspired by the small town of Bran made Romania even more fascinating and unique.
Romanian Obsessions:
- Hay huts. They are everywhere and villagers are always making more; worried that somehow their animals won’t have enough food for the winter.
- Wood stacks. Again, they are always topping off the stacks sometimes taller than their homes; worried that they won’t have enough wood for the winter.
- Corn Fields. The Romanians only grow two things and corn is one of them. Seems to be a good climate for corn and there will be no shortage of corn oil, polenta and other such corn byproducts.
- Sunflower Fields. The Romanians only grow two things and Sunflowers are one of those. These grow to unbelievable heights and light up the fields with a golden brown hue. Seems to be the perfect climate and there will be no shortage of sunflower oil or other such byproducts of the sun flower.
Romanian Passions:
- Polenta. Polenta and shrimp. Polenta and sausage. Polenta and pigs feet. This yummy yellow staple is their specialty. If you order it alone, it will come swimming in butter, smothered in cheese with a healthy helping of sour cream to go on top. I ordered it once and I couldn’t do more than three bites. Will had to finish and he did so willingly.
- Ornate Gates. Every household has a BIG front gate. Every gate is unique. Some are very special, creative and probably expensive. Other are simple, traditional and insignificant. Every household has one and every gate is different. Romanians are proud of their gates.
- Churches. Preserved and fortified churches are everywhere you look. Not just the city center, but on hillsides, next to rivers, or crowded in villages between houses and shops. From afar, they all look the same, but each is unique as you get up close. From paintings, altars and archetecural style, they create a feeling of village community and tradition. They are reflective of the time when they were built and the existing culture.
- Gypsies, horses and buggys. Very traditional but it is gypsy passion that drives this tradition. Gypsy women and children still beg for money and give you that “gypsy stare”…like they are casting a bad spell on you if you say NO. They don’t like you to photograph them. The women still wear the scarves on their head and the brightly colored,patterned skirts. They seem exotic, full of energy and passionate about their life.
Often, we found ourselves entangled in very intense tourist and local traffic as we entered and exited big cities, small villages and scenic mountain passes. This drove Will crazy on the motorcycle and he would study the map for hours to find a way around the crowds and get to the outskirts. We knew that we were traveling in the high season but did not expect so many local tourists in Romania. Mistake 1. Unbeknownst to us, we chose to depart on the bike on the day of a National holiday. Ugh….duh….mistake. We recovered and moved on. Mistake 2 Yet again, t we planned too much to do and too much distance to cover in 6 days(classic Will and Bon). This resulted in very long days on the motorcycle, frantic last minute lodging plans, stress, bickering and tension. Looking back now, we don’t regret the decisions we made and are really happy that we had this experience. But there may or may not have been some arguments??☹️
Loves: Cabin in Breb Village. Cabin stay here in this traditional Mara Mures region included dinner with a local family and a charming cabin in the forest stocked with local fare. Fresh milk from the cow, goat cheese, eggs and fresh bread. This was our favorite place in Romania. We would have loved a week here instead of just one night.
Fortified city of Sighisora. This ancient citadel was fascinating and took us back in time to medieval life.
Crama Sibiul Vechi: Our favorite dining place in all of the country. Down under the city chaos of Sibiu, this dark, little eatery served incredible food and wine at very reasonable prices. No reservations and super popular. We went early and were seated within five minutes.
To see the Parliament Building in Bucharest was an unexpected treat. We did not need to go into the building to feel the Russian/Soviet influence. The sheer size and architecture spoke volumes about the history. Just outside, thousands of fans were entering the Parliament grounds for the much anticipated Rhianna concert. Sold out, much to our dismay.
Our roaming adventures were short and sweet and the people and culture will not be forgotten. The traffic jams are history(the kind you don’t want to remember).
