Romania

Constantin Brâncuși, the man who made the stone sing and featherless birds fly

| Christie

His heart continued to beat strongly long after nightfall. As darkness fell, an eerie silence enveloped the entire train, and only the jerky rhythm of the wheels on the tracks could be heard.

He raised his eyes to the sky and saw the gates of a new universe opening. As a child he had run away countless times, but this time his run was no longer a run from the past, but a run to the future, towards a new, rediscovered self, almost like the suffering of a new enduring and overwhelming passion, as he sometimes liked to accept.

The Gate of Kiss
The Gate of the Kiss
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Visiting Nera Gorge – Beușnița National Park, Romania

| Christie

The 90,830-acre Nera Gorge -Beușnița National Park has been declared a protected natural area since 1990 and is located in the southwestern Carpathian Mountains of Romania, called the Banat Region. The complex landscape, characterized mainly by beech forests, rocky slopes and various shrublands, forms a well-established national park since 1990. The limestone substrate, the low altitude (150-1150 m), the temperate continental climate with sub-Mediterranean influences, along with the presence of thermophilic species, create interesting travertine formations, and the rivers and the waterfalls make the park quite famous.

15 km from Sasca Montană, where we set up base for a few days, is Sasca Română. Sisters in appearance and remoteness, these two villages were probably more famous 2000 years ago, when the Romans called this area “Centum putae”, meaning The region of a Hundred Mines. And if not, it would still be one of the most beautiful national parks in Romania where you can go chasing waterfalls!

Bigăr Waterfall

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The Bey’s eye

| Christie

The legend says that, when Banat region was still under Ottoman occupation, a handsome and rich bey with blue eyes was hunting in the Flower Meadow. There, he met a local girl from the village of Potoc, who was guarding her grazing sheep. The young prince’s father did not approve of the love between the two young people, so he sent his servants to kill the girl. Fighting for his love, the young bey lost an eye in the battle. In that place, a small lake appeared, with waters as blue as the bey’s blue eyes: the lake of the Bey’s eye, and his tears turned into the Bey’s Spring.

Definition: Bey = a title given to senior officers and/or high officials of a city or province in the former Ottoman Empire

the lake of the Bey’s eye

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Romans in Drobeta

| Christie

The constant expansion of the Roman Empire did not spare Dacia (modern Romania) from being on the Roman occupation agenda even before the days of Caesar. Domitian tried in 89 AD to take over Dacia, but it seems that he ended up with a peace and alliance treaty.

The first Dacian War (101-102 AD) that Trajan led against the Dacians brought an important victory, so the Romans were ready to secure the new territories.

Trajan bridge and the castrum
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Iron Gates, the most spectacular gorge along the Danube River

| Christie

The Iron Gates gorge (Romanian: Porțile de Fier; Serbian:Đerdapska klisura) is a natural border between Serbia and Romania the moment the Danube River enters Romania, to the city of Orsova, for approximately 150 km.

Big Boilers

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Vlad the Impaler and The golden goblet story

| Christie

Sighișoara, Vlad the Impaler (Dracula)’s hometown

Sighișoara is not only famous for its old historic center, but also for being Vlad the Impaler’s place of birth. Built in the 12th century by Saxon settlers, the old city still wears the medieval savor, reason the citadel was designated in 1999 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sighișoara Clock Tower - the main entry point to the citadel, with a height of 64 m
Sighișoara Clock Tower – the main entry point to the citadel, with a height of 64 m
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RO, Tulcea: Danube Delta – Mahmudia, a little paradise for birdwatchers

| Christie

With our newest adventure from Sulina still fresh in our mind and heart, we arrived in Mahmudia at a slower pace, making plans for a relaxing time while visiting the surroundings.

Mahmudia, a village located on the southern branch of Danube River, was our base for 2 days of exploring the vicinity. The main plan was to rent a boat and visit the wetland that has been recently restored from an old agricultural land, right across the river.

Mahmudia - Swans, Eurasian coots, ducks

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RO, Tulcea : Danube Delta – Sulina, the place where the river touches the sky

| Christie

Getting stuck in the middle of Danube Delta, on one of the thousand little channels, seemed no fun once I realized there is no way of moving forward, neither backward, while dozens of mosquitoes were buzzing around, smelling fresh blood in their neighbourhood. Watching the snake rolling away on the floating moss, and the green frog smiling at me, I started to rewind in my mind how that happened. I was wondering if my desire to watch the birds was proportionally equal with the quantity of blood we are going to donate to the hungry mosquitoes from this shady channel, and the nearby swamp. Because you wouldn’t need a second glance to realize there is no passage, and the mosquitoes were not fed for ages. Continue reading →

RO, Alba – Freezing in the summer @ Scarisoara Ice Cave

| Christie

After we visited Bear’s Cave and a local museum the day before in Chiscau, I was the first one to wake up (after a sleepless night) and explore the surroundings. I could talk a lot about my morning walk, watching the people doing their daily chores, listening the happy birds chirping in that glorious morning, and admiring the rich greenery surrounding the village. But the plan of the day was to visit another cave from this area, and by the evening to visit Corvin Castle in Hunedoara.

 

A glorious sun caressing the plum tree early in the morning
An almost full moon -reason for a sleepless night, maybe?
Sorting the berries

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