Reporter in Romania

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 sending to different parts of Europe to repopulate the country of Transilvania after the invasions of the tartars, among others... In those big lands, I found nice places, cities and villages:

Sebes, Medias, Biertan, Valea Viilor, Sighisoara, Saschiz, Sibiu, Calnic, 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!!

When I arrived in Targu Mures all the city was collapsed, The reason of this, was the representation in the street of the Eastern...procesión in Spanish language. I was really surprise to find this in Romania, but I am sure was because I was in Targu Mures...

I felt in love there... with the castell and crows.

After this pictures, primavara attacks me with... a great rain. Was nice day, a little bit melancolic.

A day of market

Some time ago...

I whent to Baia Mare, Maramures, for visitting this area, and I found this interesting place about the recent past of Romania... The jail of comunism prisoners.

Sibiu is one of the most beautiful places that I have visit in Romania, but I prefer Brasov... A cuestion of connection. Whathever, is a great place and all the time houses are wactching you. Everywhere. Here I receved another year of my life. Uff!!

Was a place smaller that I had Imagined but i really like this place, where we can see that is necesary to consider that life and death are two faces of the same thing: the absolutely life

In the opposite opinion, Brasov is a really beautifull place; I went thinking that will be another place more,but I really felt in love. You can find my heart there if go for a walk there one day.

Baia Mare is not a beautifull city, but has charm; maybe people, maybe nice company... I spend really great moments

[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.

Densus biserica, 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.

One woman in Semlac, this week came to our house to teach us how to make flowers with paper...I hope we can make after for the children

A green house

The first snowing of the year made more beautiful the city of brasov. Here you can see some parts of the old city center. Baserica nigra, old town hall, the rose sinagoga..

traditional instruments and aptitudes from gipsi people. Art in pure state. They use percusion instruments like per (stick which them hit in the floor), capre (instrument with aparience of goat, to mark the rihtm). This gipsy people cross romania singing for food, drinks and money.

I'm so happy!!! Sun is starting to appear in our village, and everybody and everything looks better and everybody is more pretty... Do you know what I mean????

We'll enjoy sure!!! Yuuuuujuuuu!!!!!

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.

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!!

Every year before entering lent there is a tradition in every catholic communities to have a carnival. This is a big party where everybody wear masks, dance and do different kind of activities (show, theater...) because in the period of lent there is not parties and dance. 

This year we went as reporters to the Arad catholic community carnival. Here you can see some photos of this event:

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

It's in catalan. It means: You know everything about Sighisoara. Because I suppose everybody has gone there or hear about it. I would like to go to its dark side, to the city that is not up, around the fortress, to the vulgar buildings and rests of companies, to the not touristic part. And in fact I was there, but I didn't take pictures. Was I just a tourist? No one escapes to that feeling. Enjoy yourself!

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!

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!

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!!

One of the most popular trditions from Romanian comunas, is singing door to door for all town, their tradicional carods, or colindas the romanian name. You can see diferents kinds of singing groups. Friends groupas, family groups, solists. They can recibe something to drink, eat and money. Traditions in creaciun, christmas day. Making to porcul group. Thanks to mos criacun principal figure of christmas day in romania

you can know diferents landscapes fron paulis, since you computer.Thanks to semlak and cobasint comunities, for this treaking

10 of December

Some volunteers show at the Older Center the typical Christmas customs of their countries, and old people are singing for us a Romanian Christmas carol.

1st of December

river mures is  one of the most charismatic places in Paulis, sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always inspired you any beauty and strong feelings. if you want feel this you must come to Paulis. dreaming in comuna

One teenager of Semlac Vlad, a professionnal dancer, has invited us to assist to his competition of #Danse sportive#, in Arad.

Enjoy the dress!

Foggy day in comuna Păuliş, but the live go on in this romantic and wet day.

The steps were going on just like this:

1) Some people went to the garden of orthodox church.

2) They were distributed in groups: children and men.

3) The priest indicated when they had to start.

4) Children started singing some carols.

5) Men went on singing some carols. 

6) Men finished singing a carol about Mos Craciun. 

7) Someone dressed as Mos Craciun went out from the orthodox church building and gave presents to the children. 

Here you have the pictures of the Seara Interculturala. Jesus has uploaded an article explaining the content.

 1st Decembrie - Romania National DayThis day memorializes the unification of Transylvania into 'Greater Romania' in 1918 (formalized in 1920) as well as Bessarabia and BukovinaDecember 1st, 1918 – the National Assembly of all Romanians in Transylvania, Banat and the Hungarian Country convened in Alba Iulia and decreed, the union of Transylvania with the Romanian Kingdom    The National Assembly of all Romanians in Transylvania, Banat and the Hungarian Country, gathered by its rightful representatives at Alba-Iulia on the 18th of November/1st of December. The National Assembly proclaims above all the inalienable right of the Romanian nation to the whole Banat bordered by the Mures and Tisa rivers and the Danube.La Multi Ani, Romania!

1 Decembrie – ziua nationala a Romaniei

Aceasta zi comemoreaza unirea Transilvaniei cu Tara Romaneasca in 1918 (oficializata in 1920), odata cu unirea Basarabiei si Bucovinei. 1 decembrie, 1918 – Marea Adunare a romanilor din Transilvania, Banat si Ungaria s-au intrunit in Alba Iulia si au decretat unirea Transilvaniei cu Tara Romaneasca. Marea Adunare proclama mai presus de orice dreptul inalienabil al natiunii romane la intregul Banat marginit de raul Mures si raul Tisa si de Dunare. La multi ani, Romania!

Duminică 15.11.2009, la ora 17:00.

Program:

Asamblurile - "Podgoreni" Păuliş - Solişti Loredana Cocian - Florentina Popa - "Podgorenii" juniori Păuliş - Adrian Bic - Formatia de dansuri Păuliş - Solist Aurel Budugan - "Armonia Mureşană" Simbăteni - Solistă Maria Raşca - "Floarea Dorului" conop - Soliste Letiţia Mihuţiu - Claudia Molnar

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!!

Some pics of our street, the orthodox church and other things that caught my attention.

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

Finally we managed! A WEEK OF PHOTO AND VIDEO EXPOSITION has been a real success.

International free food, wonderful photos and a good atmosphere, both at Joy's and at KF.

But it's not finished, you still have the chance to join us at the Irish pub (behind Biserica Rosia) on Monday the 26th.

See you there!

Some pictures of us!

Pictures of the city!

Team in action...

The Happy Cemetery in Sapanta, Maramures,  is a monument of community life, unique in the world, where the dead are celebrated with humorous poems recalling their lives .

o alta viziune de Arad

Inside off the limets of the ortodoxian church off covasint we can find a entografic museum that can keep alive the memory off old habits and tradicions. All the museum is a result of the ortodoxian priest in colaboration with some local persons that are donating old family values to make possible the improvement off the museum. In the museum we can find on section dedicated to tradicional costumes wich is diveded betwen diferent comunities one exclusive for covasint. We can find another section conected with musicology local and another more connect with religious exclusively for the ortodoxian church. The museum is not finished and another part off the museum is inside off the priest's house however he sais that all the material can be see for all the city. There's the intention to built one videoteca and one audio file.

The itention off keep alive the memory off our anestrals and their way off live is known for long ago. All off us, human beings, we need to fell us identifieds firt with one grup conected with one geografic limit and than we criate culture - one way to make circule one set off material and non-material elements that make us feel together and unit.

The effort to collect those elements are not restricted to responsable and important persons we can find that iniciative in another local persons. In covasint in a spontaneous meeting we discovered one off those cases. One local family that had coming to colect old romenian tradicional instruments and old pieces than can comunicat and keep alive the memory off diferent and older times.

Day at Covasant to make reportages about Gypsy communities.

Saloua Baha, Jérôme Boulesteix and me, Henar Pérez, are volunteers in the project of the EU, European Voluntariat Service, and we are working in the project “Reporters in Romania”, so we do interviews about the legends, landscape and the life of the people here, and we try to show this moment of their life and the ancient situation here.

Is it Setin as empty, as it looks?

90 years of Administration in Arad celebrated with the army and the officials