Free time

It was a long way, it was hard to get there, Vama Veche; then our neighbors, Bulgaria. And my EVS was finishing in my way to the South (actually it was nearly finished, but it sounds more poetic).

Such a beautiful landscape, another Romania!

A long road...

Noroc si ne vedem!

Could I forget Romanian? Don't know, cause I don't want it.

Nu stiu si nu vreau, pentru ca am locuit acolo, la România, si am facut viata româna cum o locale rezident. De la septembrie pâna acuma am fost în Italia, am lucrat sud a tarii, dar nu-am vrut sa uita totul despre tara unde am invatat anul trecut. Este greu sa face o diferenta între o limba si alte pestetot daca vin din limba Latina.

But, anyway, no way! I don´t want to lose romanian as a language.

Chiar am vorbit cu mult romanii la Italia si la Spania, dar in romaneste! (stii cu cine? ghici...) Atunci, nu se pot sa uita limba româna!

Gradina cu Ukraina, tara Oas, Maramures, cimitirul din Sapantal...

This is a must if you go to Romania.

Come to the north, where Romania is Romania as usual.

This city was the third capital of Wallachia, the former region of the romanian country, after Campulung and Curtea de Arges. Then came Bucarest as the capital, Constatin Brancoveanu change it during his reign (S. XVII - XVIII).

It was the place where Vlad Tepes had his capital in Romania during his reign, there we can visit the Royal Court (Curtea Domnească), with the wonderful Chindia tower. He also built his new palace in Bucarest (the famous Curtea Veche).

Targoviste was the place of the execution for Nicolae Ceaucescu and Elena, his wife.

The Danube, on a part between Romania and Serbia, makes an espectacular canyon caled the Iron Gates. The gates begin in Bazias and finish in Dobreta Turnu Severin, the capital of the Mehedinta Judet (district). The whole distance of the canyon is about 135 kms. The zone is divided onto three parts, I have only visited the final part, from Orsova to Dobreta, where the dam is, making the pass of the frontier between Serbia and Romania.

I have attached photos from the city of Dobreta, with roman history on their pilars, never batter said, cause it was the place where Traian cross the Danube from Serbia to Romania, to conquer Dacia (nowadays Romania) and he stopped the Dacian invasions on the roman province of Moesia (now it crompises parts of Bulgaria and Serbia), leaded by the famous dacian, Decebal.

I found there, in the city, the pilars of the bridge. Those are only the ruins that left from it (and as well in the serbian side)

This is the coastal region of Romania. Dogrugea (in romanian) has the districts Constanz and Tulcea, whose capitals have the same name.

Come and see the biggest turkish influence in Romania, you can see here quite mosques. But not only turkish, since the old times, it always was a good place to be, thus greeks and then the romans were here.

And in Tulcea is located the end of the Danube river, the big Danube Delta, forming a huge extension of nature and wildlife (we saw quite birds there).

Even the turistic mass often comes to Dobrudja in the summers. Take care dear turist!

One of the most charismatic rumanian districts, located in Brasov city.

It is not in the city urban center, but always close to it, because from history of the city, the saxons were in the city center, after in the sorroundings the romanians, and finally, in the outsides, the gypsyes.

We can find there the first romanian school. Be educated.

Do you know that Vlad Tepes ordered to empalate a quite amount of saxons in Brasov? He made a forest of empalates in the outsides. After, he ordered to set the city on fire.

FUEGO A TOPE!!

...or the spirit of Stefan Cel Mare.

This are photos from Iasi (tha capital of the Romanian region of Moldova) and Chisinau (the capital of the country named Moldavia or Moldova).

Historically, that was Besarabia, that joined Romania after the First World War, in 1918, forming The Greater Romania. But after, Moldavia (country) became part of URSS in 1944 (actually since 1940, but with some "problems" in the way) , being finally independent in 1991.

In Republic of Moldova the people speak Romanian, but also some of them speak Russian, because of history.

My favourite place in Romania.

Deutschland war hier, ganz wirklich!! Also, besser sagen die Sachsen!

Once upon a time was a royal order from the hungarian king Geza II, which propose was to offer the people move to different parts of Europe to repopulate the country of Transilvania after the invasions of the tartars, among others... giving them lands. In those big lands, I found nice places, cities and villages:

Sebes, Medias, Biertan, Valea Viilor, Sighisoara, Saschiz, Sibiu, Harman, Prejmer, Brasov, Slimnic, Calnic

I was just searching the fortified churches who were built by the saxons, flamish, or schleswig people who came there.

When some tribe, army or whatever attacked the city or the village, then the people ran seeking a shelter in the fortified church, the holy place which cannot be harmed. From the walls, they protected themselves fighting the attackers.

In the townhall two facilitators of Millenium and a volunteer of the asociation -me-, we made there a presentation to the youngsters about a volunteer program...

sending them to France!!

Some pics of this cinema in Arad (one of the two in the city). Expecting a decrepit place I found a perfectly renewed and charming old theater. The movies are shown in original language.

I don´t know where are you, little rat... I miss you!!

One of the most important centers of orthodox religion in Suceava, maybe together with the one of Athos (Greece) or the network of serbian monasteries.

Countries that I visited close to Romania

[In cirilic alphabet Нови Сад, Ujvidék in hungarian, Neusatz in german, Nový Sad in slovakian]

Let's discover a new part of Panonia, this time in Serbia, our slavic neighbors. Voivodina (Vojvodina in slavic language) is the region that comprises the north part of Serbia, and as well are the serbian Banat plains. The region has its own autonomy in the serbian country. In history, Vojvodina region was mostly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, being part of Hungary so many years, like Transilvania was. About 15% of the population are hungarians.

Vojvodina (about 2.000.000 inhabitants) is the richest part of Serbia, cause their lands forms part of the Panonian Plains, which are so fertile.

Mostly of the photos are from the capital of the region, Novi Sad (about 215.000 citizens), that literally means in serbian New Now, but the true meaning is "new planting" (placecement / assetlement). The river that crosses the city is, of course, the Danube, having got the water from the rivers Tisza and Mures (Mures goes to Tisza, Tisza goes to Danube). The city has a brotherhood with Timisoara. Other photos are from Petrovaradin (the village where is located the fortress, part of the city Novi Sad), and the frontier to Romania, near of the Serbian city Vrsac, also in Vojvodina.

To see more information about Panonia, read another mine´s photo galerie from The Hungarian Banat or another from Romanian Banat and Crisana Plains.

some pictures since Im in Romana!

Dogs and butterflies. Triumph and agony. East meet West.

This time, finally and for the first time I reached the Orthodox Cathedral and Museul Satului (see another mine's galery) among other places.

UN LEU PENTRU ATENEA SAU PENTRU CASA TA?

1876-1957

The most famous sculptor in Romania. He was born in Hobiţa, near Targu Jiu, the Gorj Judet capital. Here we have his most famous masterpieces, three works whose symbolize the human being life. "The Endless Column", "The Table of Silence", and "The Gate of Kiss" are a homage to the first world war.

They are in Târgu Jiu, lined up along the city in 1200 metres, from East ("Coloamna fara sfarsit") to West (the others two, placed in the city's main park).

In his life, Constantin Brancusi, after studying in Craiova he moved to Paris, where Auguste Rodin was an influence for him. During his artistic career, he was losing details in their works getting aproached to the abstract art.

with the following worthy places:

-Densus biserica, a church from the XIII Century.

-Sarmizetegusa Ulpia Traiana, where Trajano, after he conquered Dacia, he settled there the capital of the roman province of Dacia. Before it was the Dacian kingdom, which capital, Sarmizetegusa Regia was about 65 kms far from Ulpia Traiana.

Temeschburg in german, Temesvár in hungarian.

This time, my aim was to be where the 1989 rumanian revolution arised. We achieved it. To Laszlo and the city of Timisoara (a city well made), that magyar luteran minister and the Timisorean who spreaded the spark of the revolution.

REVOLUTION!!

One of the most historic place in Judetul Arad:

The Monastery of Radna

The Turkish Bazar

The Ortodox Church

...among others...

[[Lippa in hungarian, Липова in serbian, Lippa in german, Lipva in turkish]]

With the Monastir St. Gheorghe (from 1932, in Feredeu commune), Cetate and gipsy houses (well, so many gipsy houses, I left those photos for another gallery).

Şiria (Hellburg in german, Világos in hungarian) is a commune located 28 kms from Arad. Well, I live in Paulis, so I reached there by bike, that day I made 44 kms, in a sunny day, the best move for a body (among others). The village has a population around 8000 citizens.

The fortress there was ordered to construct by the Hungarian King Bela IV, during the middle age, in the XIII century, after the mongol invasion came, to protect the territory, cause the Tartars destroyed and plundered all they can at their steps. Thus were constructed in the Arad province the fortresses of Siria, Soimos (Solymos in hugarian, 30 kms East from Arad, I have a gallery there below), and Dezna (Dézna in hungarian, NE from Siria).

Siria is also famous historically because there happened one focus of the 1848 revolutions into the then named Habsburg areas -austrian- against the hungarians, in the Hungarian Revolution in 1848. There, in 1849, fought an Hungarian army versus a Russian force who were alied with the austrian, surrendering the Hungarian one, then the austrian general Haynau ordered to kill 13 hungarian general rebels. Today, we can found a square in Arad with a statue conmemorating the fact.

On January 6th and 7th, I visited five of the well-known monasteries in Romanian Moldova, Bucovina region, as follow: Moldoviţa, Suceviţa, Putna, Humor and Voroneţ. Except for Putna monastery, all are listed in Unesco's list of World Heritage sites. I'm not able to show many pictures, as most monasteries imposed a tax on this, and it was forbidden inside the churches. I don't even own any photograh of the Voroneţ monastery, the more important one. Anyway, as I had little time to enjoy them, I found that it was better just to try to get involve in its magnificence, for which I was more than enough rewarded.

Travelling in Romania, around all Romania

Bekescsaba (Bichişciaba in romanian), Debrecen (Debreţin) & Szeged (Seghedin). Those three are one of the most important cities in the Panonian Plain (as named by the Roman Empire to administrate their whole province). That vaste territory was in the Terciary Age (Cenozoic) the Panonian Sea. Now is a sedimentary basin where the main rivers are the Danube and the Tisza.

The Danube (Wien, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrad among others) divide Hungary in two parts, thus the east part is the real Panonia, to considerate as weel the north part of Serbia and, of course, the West part of Romania, Crisana and Banat plains. The Tisza river pass through Szeged, before joining the massive Danube river in Serbia.

In the west part of Romania you can see the same architecture as in Hungary, as the result of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Did you realised? Oradea (Nagyvarad), Timisoara (Temesvar) & in Arad (Arad).

To finish, let me told you Oradea is in city-brothership with Debrecen. Cause the past there are too much similarities!!

UPLOAD THIS GALLERY! PLZ!

One of the hearts of Romania... Hunedoara Judetul,

Deva (Diemrich in german, Déva in hungarian): the old capital of Transylvania and center of the gimnastic art, where Nadia Commaneci put the first stone to let now a lot of gils try to be the best in their sport! In ancient times it was a Dacian fortress called Decidava.

Hunedoara (Eisenmarkt in german; Vajdahunyad in hungarian) and their citizens Iancu de Hunedoara (Juan Hunyadi in Spanish) and his son, the greatest king of Hungary Kingdom, Matías Corvino (name in Spanish). What about their castle, in which Vlad Tepes was prisoner for long 7 years.

APA AI, INIMA NAI

An example of the days of the past present, I mean, of the days of future past.

Less than 50 kms from Arad...

In Romania Nadlac (Nadlak in slovakian)

In Hungary, Nagylak.

Are not the same name? similar? It is because before it was the same village, but after the First World War and the Trianon Teatry, Hungarian Empire was divided and decreased, thus was formed the new Romania among other countries or kingdoms that later would form Yugoslavia.

Then, previously the village had a textile mill, but after the war and its divisions, the factory stayed on the decreased Hungary and the houses belonged to Romania. Around the factory pepole began to construct their houses, becoming the zone a village, Nagylak.

Nowadays, Nadlac have around 8000 inhabitants, while Nagylak have about 600, and the factory does not exist anymore.

At least, there is a train from New-Szeged to Nagylak and another from Arad to Nadlac if you want to discover the zone and cross the frontier by walk.

SEE YA ON NEXT CHAPTER

The best soups I´ve ever tasted in my life, not soups, let´s say, consistent soups, the best to fight the cold. As "garnish" you have smântana (a delicious cream like yogourt, can be sweet or sour) and chili peppers to combine with the soup.

Ya know? Ciorba in spanish slang (Chorva) means girlfriend or girl, as Chorvo (in romanian Ciorvo, but it´s the same sound) means guy/boyfriend. Funny for spanish!

Pictures from the Intercultural Afternoon with the children and the volonteers (la fel!) of Paulis

Also called Hermannstadt, is one example of one the Siebenbürgen respected by the past (maybe one example of the opposite are Bistrita). Maybe it's the city that shows how a good location, a solid history and the respect for a minority's heritage, can do for tourism.

Târgu Mures or the hungarian presence in România

One of the most touristic places, where Vlad Tespes (say: VLAD!!!!) was born (as well his father, Vlad Dracul). For my, the nicest medieval city in Romania.

Schässburg in german, Segesvár in hungarian, Castrum Sex in latin.

Ala!

Alba Iulia (in hungarian: Gyulafehérvár, in german: Karlsburg / Weißenburg): Situated in Transilvania, the city, then named Apulum in latin, was the biggest urban center in Dacia, after Traian (during the II century) conquered the country. The "Unirii" city, where the romanian union established there, thus Transilvania joined the Romanian kingdom (Vallachia and Moldova) in 1st Dec. 1918, just in the place where is located the Orthodox Cathedral. At one side of the Orthodox Cathedral, we can find the Catolic one, it was the first cathedral built on the XI century, although the actual one is built from the XII century. Moreover, Juan Hunyadi (Iancu din Hunedoara), the father of Mathias Corvin, is buried there (both were the two great christian leaders fought the otoman empire).

Sibiu (Hermannstadt in german, Nagyszeben in hungarian, Cibinium in latin). One of the 7 Transilvanian cities that the saxon repopulated there, according to an hungarian order. As well Transylvania is named Erdély, Siebenbürgen and Tara Ungureasca, and their people are "Moti"

Oradea (Nagyvárad in hungarian, colloquially also Várad; Grosswardein in german; Varat in turkish). Part of the Pannonian Plain, exactly in the Crisana Plain.

Timisoara (Temesvár in hungarian, Temeswar/Temeschwar/Temeschburg in german, Темишвар /Temišvar in serbian, Tamışvar in turkish), two main cities nowadays in the west Romania, but as well two important focuses in the Hungarian Kingdom and in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The city is located as well in the big Pannonian Plains, as Oradea, but in the Banat Plain. The Banat Plain include the Serbska Banat (part from Serbia) and the Romanian Banat.

Brasov (Kronstadt in german, Brassó in hungariann, Corona in latin, Raszów in polish); in the 1950-60 was called the Stalin city. Is one of the 7 "Siebenburger" (seven cities in german). The city hold the title of martyr-city on account of their citizens on the 1989 romanian revolution.

&

Bran (Törzburg in german, Törcsvár in hungarian) and the pass of Bran, estrategic place (economical, military) where is avaliable to visit the castle, the named Dracula's castle, where Vlad Tepes hardly wasn't there.

YOU CAN FIND MORE PHOTOS FROM BRASOV IN ANOTHER GALERY I MADE, NAMED SAXON COUNTRY IN ROMANIA

Visiting Cluj suddenly (Kolozsvár in hungarian, Klausenburg in german, Claudiopolis/Castrum Clus in latin)

The city of Iancu de Hunedoara and his son Matias Corvin, the greatest king in Hungarian Kingdom.

Lac din Communa Ghiroc (Község Gyorok in hungarian) Totally frozen

Some pics from the capital, including the old palace where lived Vlad Tepes; he founded the city. VLAD!!!!

Bucuresti means "the joy city" (as bucur means joy). Can you feel it?

Well, actually the origin of the city's name comes because of a shepherd named Bucur, who came down from the mountains with their sheeps and founded the city.

Soimos fortress (Solymosvár in hungarian), near Lipova, about 40 kms from Arad (East direction, to Transylvania), you´ll find this hungarian fortress from XIII century, the king Bela IV ordered its construction to avoid the attacks, specially after the mongol invasion during the middle of the XIII century.Thus, the king ordered to construct such that fortresses in Soimos, Dezna and Siria in the Arad "Judet" (zone). Later would come the turkish attacks.

The rest nowadays is history. Enjoy the views from the top of the mountain!!

bucarest things

A gallery of pictures about Bucuresti, city of huge buildings of concrete, survivor churches with pale paintings, 900 000 cars for around 2 milion of citizens, the ghosts of the Ceaucescu bureaucracy singing shy tunes, beautiful small houses in the ambassys neighborhood, silent dogs that hang around in the night in groups of five and restaurants with luxus atmosphere for 25 ron for the hope.

Bine ati venit!

Some pieces of my life here in this latin country where my life is carrying on so good. The most of the photos will be from Crisana plain, our headquarters here in this beautiful country. Greeting from a spanish guy!!

Close to Semlac city,

the river Mures

My personal project is about the Romanian food. I spend 6 months eating a lot of good food, so you have some images... Enjoy!!!

A weekendtrip in this great City!

one of the biggest music festival in Romania!

month = july

Sibiu Teatru festival

Poze din Clij Napoca

Theater Festival

Bucuresti

Timisoara

Arrad

Covasant

Sheitin

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I.C.E.

Georoc

Inter Cultural Evening

SHEITN

Sheitin

Sheitin

Buchares

A

Free time

L.I.

I got invited for dinner at my mentor's grandparents' house. They are planting their fruits and vegetables in their garden, keeping chickens and a goat and producing their own alcohol - alina's grandparents are self-supporter.

Cultural shock whiel visiting mentor's grandparents