ROMANIA ~ EXPLORE EASTERN EUROPE

In Romania, western weddings prevail, except in some villages where traditional weddings still take place. 

Great Places on a Budget
Irwin Patterson

 travelogue slide show illustrating Romania enticed me to visit that most interesting country with its wooden churches and beautiful countryside, including many Orthodox monasteries with Biblical scenes on the outside.

I chose a tour called Village Folklore and Danube Delta from the Explore Worldwide brochure to make this trip. 

The 11-day tour lived up to expectations, highlighting the capital, Bucharest, showing old Orthodox churches, Nicolae Ceausescu’s infamous parliament building, their parks, and the outdoor Village Museum illustrating 18th and 19th century Romanian culture and tradition in their barns, houses, tools, and wooden churches.

I arrived in the capital three days before the tour to explore Bucharest. My taxi ride from the airport introduced me to tree-lined streets, two large public parks, a triumphal arch, and wonderful architecture throughout the city - a navy building that reminded me of the Paris Opera House, theatres, bank buildings, statues, and much more. 

When the tour moved to the countryside, our guide escorted us through the Transylvania region to tour the Pelisor Palace and Bran Castle, pictured above, and walk in the Alps around Sinaia. The baroque-style Pelisor Castle was the summer residence of King Ferdinand, and the rooms are very colorful and beautifully furnished, especially the gilded room with a Tiffany lamp.

The Bran Castle, left, was the home of the British-born Queen Maria of Romania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The tour guide brings history to life for tourists, surrounded by the colorful heaters and furniture of yesteryear. 

The city of Brasov has a very large square and a place to overlook the city. I enjoyed a delicious Italian supper at Ischia Four Restaurant near the square at Str. G. Baritiu.

In the village of Sapinta, we had breakfast on a farm. The hayloft was interesting. As more hay is piled into the loft, the farmer can raise the roof higher on the columns. The hostess showed us how she made rugs on her loom and how they were washed in a primitive wooden washer operated from a sluice gate/ waterfall. 

Our group stopped for lunch at the oldest house in Bogdan Voda. The host and hostess were dressed in traditional dress and served a delicious mashed potato and roast beef lunch in their traditional village house.

It was a short walk to the wooden Orthodox St. Nicolae Church, built in 1718. A train ride through the Vaser Valley and an all-day hike to Moisel, through forests and hills, across rivers, hay stacks and past farmers harvesting potatoes by hand, introduced us to the Romanian countryside. We saw many farmers bringing their potatoes and corn from their fields to the farm by horse and wagon. 

Later, we visit the Moldovita Monastery with fantastic frescoes on the outside walls. These vivid biblical images were used to educate the medieval population.

The tour ended with a two-day barge tour of the Danube Delta. A tug pulls us through the waterways to observe many species of birds such as cormorants, red-breasted geese, egrets, swans and more. We moved to smaller motorboats to see lakes, willow trees, and narrow reedy channels on our way to visit Mila Village, 23 miles from the Black Sea and far away from any roads.

IRWIN’S TIPS:

•Take a walking stick to cross the rivers and walk through the forests. You need hiking boots and a warm coat and hat for the Danube Delta barge tour. It can get chilly on the water.

•Hotel Batistei is centrally located near the Intercontinental Hotel, phone +40.1.314.90.22.

• Romanian National Tourist Office, New York City, visit www.RomaniaTourism.com.
 

Irwin Patterson is a photo-journalist, travelogue slide show presenter/speaker and a former travelogue TV host/producer. E-mail: irwin000@sympatico.ca
 

www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | December 30, 2006