Trasee turistice (repere personale pentru 2014) in Romania - partea I

Hunedoara

Castelul Corvinestilor Site-ul iti poate oferi informatii despre program, tarife, etc, insa nu e finalizat... Impresii poti gasi si aici sau dand o cautare scurta pe internet...
Sarmisegetuza - ruinele capitalei Dacia Romana

Alte obiective (Cetatea Devei, Lacul Cincis, Rezervatia de zimbri Hateg, Manastirea Prislop unde se odihneste Arsenie Boca, Pestera Bolii, Orastie - cu cetatile din jur Sarmisegetuza Regia - Costesti - Blidaru, Muzeul de Aur de la Brad, Biserica din Densus, Tebea cu gorunul lui Horea, pesteri, biserici monument, etc) din zona poti gasi aici si aici sau organizate in trasee turistice pe site-ul Directiei Judetene pentru Cultura (...)
Nu mai zic nimic de Muntii Retezat cu ale sale multe lacuri (Zanoaga, Bucura, etc) si Muntii Orastie (cu Sarmisegetuza Regia, locul de refugiu final al lui Decebal- cararea catre sit incepe la Costesti, Nat Geo recomandandu-ti un 4x4, dar eu nu-i cred... :)

Daca nu ai fi in Retezat (unde eu am fost, dar n-am apucat sa vad si Lacul Galesu sau sa trec prin Portile Inchise...), ci in Parang, ai putea regasi in a doua jumatate a lunii iunie bujorul de munte inflorit, in zona Curmatura Oltetului...dar simt ca vom reveni la Parang...



Caras Severin & Mehedinti

Dunarea la Cazane -  Cazanele Mici, Manastirea Mraconia, Golful Dubova, Cazanele Mari, Manastirea Ponicova, Grota Veterani, ascensiune pe platoul Ciucarul Mare, Chipul lui Decebal sapat in stanca (aproximativ 40 m inaltime)... daca iti mai place si pestele...

Cheile Nerei - Parcul Naţional Cheile Nerei - Beuşniţa (ca sa-i spunem pe tot numele) se bucură de o extraordinară bogăţie floristică, un peisaj de o diversitate şi unicitate aparte, precum şi de starea de sălbăticie păstrată datorită accesului dificil în zonă. Daca tot ajungi in zona in 10-13 iulie, da o fuga in Poiana Lupului la Garana Jazz Festival, Merita daca-ti place jazz-ul, dar ai grija la cazare...cort sa ai la tine ca locuri de cazare nu gasesti!
Cascada Bigar - Cei de la The World Geography au plasat-o in fruntea topului cascadelor unice din lume, iar un prieten calator prin lume mi-ar fi recomandat-o calduros daca ar fi fost hipster! :)
Podul lui Dumnezeu/Lapiezurile/Lacul Zaton/Pestera Bulba - Podul lui Dumnezeu, o uriaşă arcadă de piatră peste care trece şoseaua Baia de Aramă – Drobeta Turnu Severin, traversând Valea Pragului se afla in localitatea Ponoarele. Celelalte obiective turistice sunt in zona, insa daca mergeti in luna mai nu ratati Padurea de Liliac.

Sfat: Banatul Montan este zona cea mai mare influenta mediteraneeana, astfel incat se mai pot intalni vipere cu corn sau scorpioni. Si nu zice "ei, vipere cu corni si scorpioni", ci fii atent! ;)

„Lui Dumnezeu i s-a făcut milă de oamenii din Ponoarele care nu puteau trece Valea Pragului şi l-a alungat pe diavol care se adăpostea în peştera de la Pod. Dracul a fugit şi atunci tavanul peşterii s-a prăbuşit, iar Dumnezeu a făcut podul pentru oameni. Dracul a ieşit la Zătonul Mare zgârâind cu ghiarele stâncile din Dealul Peşterii. Acolo s-a aşezat pe o piatră care-i poartă şi acum numele (Stânca Dracului)”.

Orice comentariu, adugire, sfat, etc este oricand binevenit!

Harta centru vechi Bucuresti

Am descoperit o harta a barurilor, cluburilor, restaurantelor... din centrul vechi al Bucurestiului si am zis s-o dau mai departe ca poate va e utila. Nu stiu cat e de "la zi" (de exemplu n-am vazut restaurantul lui Dinescu "Lacrimi si sfinti" de pe strada Sepcari), dar poate fi un reper.

Transalpina - cea mai...

Transalpina este cel mai inalt drum rutier din intregul lant al Muntilor Carpati, atat din Romania, cat si din afara ei, atingand altitudinea maxima in Pasul Urdele 2145 m. Soseaua traverseaza Muntii Parang de la N la S fiind paralela cu Valea Oltului si Valea Jiului intre care se afla si leaga Localitatea Saliste din Judetul Sibiu de Localitatea Novaci din judetul Gorj. Desi este mai inalta, mai veche si mai frumoasa decat Transfagarasanul (inclus de www.carsroute.com pe primul loc in top 15 cele mai frumoase drumuri din lume...), este mai putin cunoscuta pentru ca Transalpina, cu toate ca este catalogat  drum national, DN 67c (partial), nu a fost pana in 2009 niciodata asfaltata. 

Transalpina a fost construita de armatele romane in drumul lor spre Sarmisegetusa (pe hărțile de istorie este trecut sub denumirea de „coridorul IV strategic roman”), pavata cu piatra de Regele Carol al II-lea dupa 1930 si reabilitata (sau chiar construita - din alte surse) de nemti in al II-lea razboi mondial dupa care... a fost uitata. 

Exista si o legenda locala care spune ca la sfarsitul sec XVIII - inceputul sec XIX fiecare familie din partea locului a participat la construirea unei portiuni din acest drum.

 Faptul ca a fost uitata si a devenit  un drum greu de parcurs a ajutat Transalpina sa-si pastreze neatinsa salbaticia si farmecul aparte pe care putine locuri din tara il mai au. Este printre putinele drumuri din tara pe care se poata ajunge cu masina pana la nori si chiar deasupra lor... Testat! ;)

 Sursa (si loc de detaliu): http://www.transalpina.biz

Trasee turistice - Curtea de Arges - Campulung Muscel

Curtea de Arges

Asezare. Orașul Curtea de Argeș este localizat în partea de nord a județului Argeș, în depresiunea intracolinară a bazinului superior al râului Argeș, la o altitudine de 450 m deasupra nivelului mării, și este înconjurat de dealurile și muscelele sudice ale Munților Făgăraș. Suprafața orașului este de aproximativ 75 km², cadrul natural fiind condiționat de prezența zonei montane din apropiere, care se află la circa 28 km distanță și care introduce variație și diversitate. Este situat la o distanță de 38 km de municipiul Pitești, la 36 km de orașul Râmnicu Vâlcea și la 45 km de Câmpulung. 

Istoric. Descoperirile arheologice atestă că, încă din prima epocă a fierului, pe aceste meleaguri trăia o populație dacă, condusă de Dromichaites (secolele IV - III î.Hr.). De asemenea, conform unor săpături arheologice efectuate de Nicolae Constantinescu, pe la 1200 aici exista o mică reședință voievodală și o bisericuță.

Unii specialiști afirmă că tot aici și-ar fi avut curtea Seneslau, conducătorul unei formațiuni statale după cum apare pe diploma cavalerilor ioaniți. Legenda spune că Negru Vodă, coborând din Făgăraș, ar fi întemeiat orașul pe la 1290; alții îl considerau pe Litovoi drept Negru Vodă. Aici s-a aflat curtea lui Basarab I care, până la atacul maghiar din 1330, care a dus la probabila distrugere a orașului, s-a mutat temporar la Câmpulung-Muscel.

Numele inițal al orașului era Argeș. Numele actual al orașului începe să fie folosit din secolul al XVI-lea, prima mențiune cu denumirea actuala datand din 1510 de la domnitorul Vlad cel Tânăr. Până dupa moartea lui Neagoe Basarab, cel ce ridică aici cunoscuta mănăstire, în Argeș și-a aflat reședința Mitropolia Ungro-Vlahiei, întemeiată aici de Nicolae Alexandru, în 1359, primul mitropolit fiind Iachint de Vicina, iar ultimul Macarie al II-lea (1512-1521). Tot în timpul domniei lui Nicolae Alexandru a fost terminată construcția Bisericii Sf. Nicolae domnesc, prima necropolă a domnilor români dintre Carpați si Dunăre, dar și Biserica Sân Nicoară, numită de localnici Sf. Nicolae cel Mic, despre care se spune că a fost ctitorită de Doamna Clara, mama voievodului. La Curtea de Argeș este înfiintată și prima monetărie a țării de către Vladislav I (Vlaicu) (1364 - 1367), domnitor care a sprijinit intensificarea legăturilor comerciale dintre Muntenia și orasele din Transilvania și a „lăsat“ cel mai vechi document intern, scris la Argeș pe data de 25 noiembrie 1369. Tot în această perioadă este înfiintată și prima școală locală, unde învățau fii orășenilor. 

Obiective turistice. Biserica mănăstirii, Sala Manole, Mănăstirea Argeş, Fântâna lui Manole, Casa Norocea, Curtea Domnească, Biserica Domnească, Muzeul municipal, Casa Goangă, Biserica Olari, Ruinele Sânnicoara 
Legenda Mesterului Manole spune că tot ceea ce meşterii ar fi zidit se darama de la o zi la alta. Meşterul Manole ar fi visat într-o noapte că dacă îşi va zidi soţia, pe Ana, în pereţii Mănăstirii, aceasta nu se va mai darama si asa a facut... Mesterul ramas izolat pe acoperişul Mănăstirii, din porunca domnitorul Neagoe Basarab, Manole şi-a făcut aripi din şindrilă ca să zboare, dar s-a prăbuşit.  Din locul unde a atins pământul a ieşit un izvor care curge şi acum în apropierea Mănăstirii…

Imprejurimile (vezi harta): Bradet (28 km de Curtea de Arges) - localitate cu privelisti superbe unde gasesti un schit din lemn din sec XV copie a Manastirii Cozia; Corbi (numele complet este Corbii de piatra) - gasesti Biserica Manastirii Sf. Petru si Pavel, sec XIV, sapata in stanca, cu cateva fresce in stil bizantin tot din acel secol, alaturi de care gasesti "Tribunalul" o alta "cavitate" folosita de Neagoe Basarab in calitatea sa de judecator;  Nucsoara - este localitatea unde a locuit Elisabeta Rizea (1912-2003), simbol ar rezistentei taranului roman impotriva comunismului, povestea ei facandu-se auzita prin documentarul "Memorialul durerii"; Jidava - Situat in sudul orasului Campulung Muscel pe fostul teritoriu al satului Apa Sarata ce azi e parte a Campulungului, Castru roman Jidava (Jidova ori Sidova in istoria veche) este parte componenta a sistemului de aparare Limes Transalutanus. Acesta a fost ridicat de imparatii romani Commodus si Septimius Severus in perioada 190-211 (incepea la Turnu Magurele si se sfarsea la Pasul Bran pe o lungime de 235 de kilometri) cuprinzand 13 castre romane inclusiv Castru Jidava. Acesta era cel mai mare dintre ele avand dimensiunile de cca 130 m/100 m fiind singurul construit cu piatra si caramida arsa; Campulung Muscel - Manastirea Negru Voda din secolul XVII, Muzeul de Etnografie,  Casa Golescu;  Namaesti  - gasesti o fascinanta bisericuta taiata in stanca (legenda spune ca doi ciobani au cioplit-o intr-o pestera in care au gasit o icoana reprezentand-o pe Fecioara cu Pruncul).

Surse: Ghidul National Geographic - Romania, Wikipedia ,   www.director-turism.com,  www.elisabetarizea.ro,  http://www.welcometoromania.ro

Bucharest and beyond...

"Like a giant exotic insect, a large glass clings to the side of an apartment building in the Piata Romana, multicoloured straws emerging from it like tentacles.

From above, an oversized Coke bottle, lying along the building's roof, pours a murky stream of fake beverage.

This, we take it, is the face of the new Bucharest. As we trundle around its streets in our rented Ford Fiesta -- amid garish billboards for Vodafone, L'Oreal and the like plastered on Parisian and neo-Romanesque facades -- this face seems increasingly like that of an adolescent trying on make-up for the first time.

Seeking refuge we head to the Romanian Athaeneum, which sits like a wedding cake in the centre of Bucharest, its white columns defiantly billboard-free. In one of the concert halls, a small crowd has gathered to hear a Polish pianist play Chopin. Despite his stirring arpeggio-filled mazurkas and his lyrical rendering of nocturnes, each piece is followed by an awkward silence. It's as if the audience is still making up its mind whether or not to applaud.

Most Romanians we speak to seem to exhibit a similar ambivalence about the direction in which their country is headed. Aboard the flight from Paris to Bucharest, we meet Nikolae, a former ship's master with piercing bluish-grey eyes, who laments the fact Romanian youth of today don't know or care as much about history as his generation did. On the backs of our boarding passes he scribbles the word tuica, the name of Romania's traditional plum brandy, key conversational phrases and details of his villa by the Black Sea to which he warmly invites us.

Another afternoon, at a food stall, we strike up a conversation with Ileana after she helps us navigate the intricacies of a Romanian menu.

She joins us for lunch at a picnic table across the road from the ironically titled People's Palace. I say ironic because 30,000 of the people's homes were bulldozed by the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in his rush to erect this austere behemoth, the world's second-largest building.

When asked if things were better now than under his rule, Ileana shrugs: "Well, you know, you can't have it all."

We gnaw contemplatively on our roasted pork and green capsicum kebabs, an impatient breeze tugging at the paper napkins pinned down with slices of bread.

Ileana explains she is glad that Romania's EU membership gives her the freedom to travel throughout the continent but she's not so thrilled about the increasing rates of unemployment and crime.

"In the old days, everyone was guaranteed a job and a decent apartment." As if to poignantly drive home her point, I catch sight of a beggar sitting in front of the People's Palace surrounded by four bulging garbage bags presumably containing his worldly possessions.

While the older generation speaks with some fondness of the past, younger Romanians seem to have embraced the present with open arms and wallets.

Wandering through early evening crowds in the leafy Cismigiu Gardens, every twentysomething person and teenager we see sports an iPod casually dangling from their neck.

Two of the most striking sculptures are in the Piata Revolutei (Revolutionary Square). Right in front of the Central Committee building from which Ceausescu gave his last speech to jeering crowds in 1989 before being whisked away by helicopter to face a firing squad, sits the statue of Iuliu Maniu, a former Romanian prime minister, imprisoned in 1947 for his opposition to communism.

Maniu looks emaciated but defiant. Near him stands the Memorial of Rebirth, a 25m-tall triangular marble blade skewering a black metal boulder, which commemorates the Romanian Revolution that led to Ceausescu's downfall.

Inside the health club on the 21st floor of the InterContinental, the tallest hotel in Bucharest, middle-aged East European businessmen spread their white-towelled torsos out onto the heated marble slab that faces the view.

As we wander out to the adjoining terrace, I can imagine the electric anticipation rippling through the hotel in 1989 when it was the vantage point of choice for the international media reporting on the Romanian Revolution.

Below us the architectural potpourri of the Bucharest skyline reflects Romania's rich and diverse cultural and historic heritage.

Eighteenth-century Orthodox churches nudge up against sombre communist-era apartment blocks. Straddling Rue Kiseleff is Bucharest's own Arcul de Triumf crested by the Romanian tricolour, very similar to its Parisian cousin.

On the Calea Victoriei, the Novotel exemplifies the blending of the traditional and the modern with the reconstructed 19th-century facade of the old Opera House fronting the hotel's modern black glass exterior.

Heading into the countryside towards Transylvania we pass more medieval churches as well as peasant families riding on donkey-drawn carts.

We roll into Brasov, the capital of Transylvania. Schoolchildren play football in the sun-dappled shadows of the gothic Black Church, which borders the town square. Our hotel, the Bella Muzica, prides itself on being located in a 400-year-old building.

While the interiors have been refurbished, the cavernous restaurant in the basement with its stone arches and lanterns makes it seem as though we are eating in a modified but cosy dungeon.

Stepping outside the town's walls, we climb up to the White Tower, one of two watchtowers constructed in the 15th century to alert the townsfolk to imminent raids by Turks and Tartars. Perched on its steps, we watch tendrils of smoke rise from the roofs below, with barely a sound but for the gentle rustle of the river.

We make the obligatory detour to Bran to visit Dracula's castle.

A sign announcing Vampire Camping indicates we must be getting close.

Outside the castle, stalls sell blood wine and a few men wander about in masks and fangs, draped in red and black capes trying to act appropriately ghoulish.

Despite the build-up, the eeriness factor of the castle where Vlad the Impaler, the source of the Dracula myth, visited a few times, is disappointingly low.

Sunlight bathes the central courtyard and the arched windows offer bucolic views of a brook, green fields and the brick cottages of rural Transylvania.

A more imposing presence is Pelees Castle in nearby Sinaia, which rises out of its backdrop of rolling green hills and dense pine forest like a scene from a fairytale. Originally the home of King Carol I, it was later taken over by the Communist Party and used by Ceausescu to host dignitaries such as Richard Nixon, Muammar Gadaffi and Yasser Arafat.

From its terraces a range of regal sculptures of queens in flowing robes and knights in full armour gaze out onto the breathtaking landscape bordered by the snowcapped Carpathians.

Back in Bucharest, we spend our last afternoon searching for the graves of Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, who was also executed in 1989. Our queries for directions from passersby elicit a variety of responses.

One sarcastic woman questions why we are looking for them. Others shrug and say they don't know and don't care. It is dark by the time we finally pull up in front of the large iron gates of Ghencea Cemetery.

"Sorry, closed," shrugs the caretaker through the railings, his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. We plead with him and finally he relents after securing a promise to buy him a beer.

We crunch along gravel to the dictator's grave; the Orthodox cross that marks the spot glints ghostly white in the light of my camera's flash. Several fresh bouquets of red and white lilies carpet the ground.

Elena's grave is relatively unadorned, with a black iron cross eerily resembling a stake rising out of its centre.

The two were buried in different parts of the cemetery, the caretaker explains, as punishment for their sins.

As we walk to dinner at Balthazar, a trendy French-Asian restaurant, later that night, the dimly lit backstreets are roamed by packs of stray dogs, progeny of the ones abandoned by the Romanians who lost their spacious dwellings to Ceausescu's People's Palace project.

Their howls send chills up our spines and we walk gratefully into Balthazar's oasis of warmth and light. As the howling recedes into the darkness, it feels almost as if the ghosts of Romania's past have finished their work for the night." (www.theaustralian.com.au)

Romania - seen by Nele Demeulemeester. First stage.

For many people, Romania is a country, like so many others, that they know very little or almost anything about. Or probably, they assume they know the country because of all the immigrants that arrive in their cities; they blame them of taking their jobs (but most of the time, immigrants just do the work that locals don't like to do anymore). Or lastly they know a little bit of Romanian's history and the communist era. And this is also how I ended up in this wonderful country with beautiful nature and amazingly hospitable people. About 10 years ago when I was 17, my history teacher asked to write a paper about a historical event or a remarkable person. Not wanting to write aboutNelson Mandela, nor Mother Theresa, as I wanted to discover something else, I asked my mom for some inspiration. She came up with a dictator in the 80ies and his wife had a lot of shoes - but she didn't remember the name. I thought: "Mom, how can I write a paper about this??" But I googled a bit and soon I bumped into Ceausescu. After an interesting research and succesful paper, I wrote in my conclusions that "I didn't know when or how, but once I wanted to go and visit the country to find out if history was still visible and how it had influenced the actual situation in the country". Not knowing that one year later, I would already be in Romania with AIESEC (www.aiesec.com)

In the summer of 2002, I took off to Bucharest and headed towards Craiova where I took part in the AIESEC round trip "Romania beyond Dracula" (rather than Romania beyond Ceausescu). My first impressions of the country, apart from the shock upon arrival when I met the guards at the immigration office with heavy weapons and the rude customs officer. I didn't feel welcomed at all, luckily my AIESEC friend waited for me outside. After waiting for 6 hours in the airport ofBucharest (because I was so "clever" to book a flight that arrived at midnight, so we had to wait for the first bus to the city centre and the bus to Craiova).

We killed the time with chats about Romania, I translated my tourist guide which was considered by my friend as bad. It seemed that it was written by a person that only knew Transsylvania and had generalised all his experienced for the entire country.

So, not knowing what to expect for the rest, we left the airport at dawn. The busride to the centre was an eye-opener for me as a badly prepared Western tourist. The cars in the street seemed from the time when my grandparents just got married. The Dacia was overruling the streets of Bucharest for the last 5 years. When I got back in 2007, I was shocked again by the rapid evolution of the country, seeing more Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes and BMW than inBrussels.

In the centre, we passed the Presidential Palace built by Ceausescu. While the sun already burnt on our skins and after some bodybuilding exercises with my suitcases filled with chocolate and beers, we took a rest near one of the fountains on the main avenue. At this point, I thought back at the stories that I read to write the paper. All cruelties that happened to build the palace passed as a movie in my head. I burst into tears because of unbelief, I tried to imagine all the houses that were destroyed for the palace. My friend woke me up from my historical thoughts, saying that at Ceausescu's time people were at least sure of the things that they got from the government. The freedom that they gained after 1989 went hand in hand with poverty and uncertainty. So many people preferred to receive very few things instead of being free and left with nothing. This moment was actually one of the sadest I passed in Romania.

As from now on, the discovery of all unknown hidden paradises and charming people could start. I was surprised by the welcoming people whereever I passed. Romanians are very hospitable people. My friend carried my heavy suitcases all over the city, opened the door for me all the time, I - as a guest had to enter the house as the first one, I was even given his room to sleep in for the time I stayed (in total one month). I can't imagine this in Belgium: guys let you struggle with your luggage, the host enters the house first and the guest follows, and the guest is given a spare mattress or an inflateble mattress on the floor most of the times.

Another nice surprise was the delicious food. Oh my god, I rediscovered the real taste of tomatoes compared the perfectly looking vegetables that we find in the supermarkets here. But everything here tastes like water. Every morning, I woke up - went to the garden - picked a tomato and prepared my breakfast. I needed some days to adapt to the salty breakfast with cheese and vegetables, because I only eat bread with chocolate cream in Belgium. There was always one little plate with jam. So the first days I took that on my bread, until I discovered that this was only for your last slice - as a sort of a desert ... Shame on me, but nobody told me anything nor blamed me for my ignorance of the local habits.

And when I got back to  Belgium, I asked my mom: do you have tomatoes and cheese. She gave me what she had in the house: a disgusting perfectly looking tomato without taste and some gouda cheese. Also tasteless compared to the good traditional Romanian cheese. It's a bit like feta, but a little different and a pity I can't find it easily in Belgium. Another cheese I really miss is the smoked one. I can go on with my list of delicious foods: raisins, watermelons, meat balls prepared on the barbecue, mamaliga (a side dish made with maize), ... Recently, I was really sad to learn that the tasty vegetables and fruits are threatened by the European Union rules which request perfectly looking stuff of a standard measure and a standard color. I do hope that these people who impose these rules have the chance to taste real food and become more flexible in order to save healthy and tasty food. It's not because an apple has a little brown dot that it's rotten. No, it's because of a little worm - a really intelligent animal that also knows which food is the best! And you will not die of it.

Another tradition in Romania is that you never throw away what is left in a glass. If I left a glass of water or  juice half empty, I found it back the day after. On the other hand, if your glass is empty, it's filled immediately. So if you need a break during the palinca or tuica tasting, a local fruit brandy, you are advised to leave a bottom of a glass.

During the trip of "Romania beyond Dracula" some international delegates complained that it was almost everyday pork meat. I didn't mind because I'm quite flexible in food, but it is true that Romanians eat a lot of pork in all shapes, cuts and ways of preparing the meat.

I was also very lucky to participate in the holiday of Saint Mary (August 15th) at the country side. Romanians, being mainly Orthodox, also have a period of fasting before this day and abstain from all kinds of meat. This results in an enourmous party with at least 5 courses, all containing meat. I never as much meat in my life as then. Chicken, meat balls, barbecue on the

ground with some wood and an improvised grill, ... This was real tradition! And of course I had to share the alcoholical beverages too: home-made wine of the countryside, palinca in a special glass so that you don't smell it, because the smell makes you drunk. I was asked to drink it bottom up. Not being used of drinking these types of strong beverages, I was afraid to get drunk immediately, but indeed, I didn't feel anything at all - just my voice dissapeared for a minute because of the high percentage of alcohol (between 40 and 60, but nobody knows exactly, because it's all home-made).

After this day filled with traditions, I experienced once more the Romanian hospitality. The parents of my friend gave me some souvenirs to take home: a beautiful handmade plate and 2 wooden spoons, all heritage of the family. My friend even told me that those were the spoons that he fought for with his cousins and sister when he was at the country-side with his grandparents. I was honoured that they gave me this presents, but on the other hand, these were family pieces that I didn't want to take away from where it belonged to. I thanked the family gently for this present, but said that these things should stay at the countryside. Trying all my best to convince them, they didn't accept this and I had to take the things home. I really cherish this souvenirs and consider them as very special because they are the symbol for me that I was accepted as a family member and they also symbolise the Romanian hospitality.

7 years later, I was invited to the wedding of this friend. But that is another story full of traditions, which I will share with you next time. I can just add that the culinary aspects of a wedding are also particular.

Take care for now, and feel free to share your opinion and experiences or ask me for further explanations at demeulemeesternele@yahoo.com.

Flori...

Varful Ciucas

Am trezit soarele dimineata cu urcatul nostru pe munte, iar la sfarsitul zilei l-am trimis la culcare...

Acum trebuie sa recunosc ca nu am plecat chiar asa dimineata, doar era week-end... insa la ora 10 urcam deja. Mixul de verde etern al brazilor amestecat cu galbenul si ruginiul foioaselor creeaza tablouri pe care le vezi fara a merge la vreo expozitie. Ici-colo, la baza, cateva stancute, spre varf mai multe... urcam din greu portiuni abrupte sau mergem ca niste "pitici misto" acolo unde suflul ne lasa...

Ma opream din cand in cand sa pun in aparatul foto cateva din bucuriile retinei... ace de brad cu ace de gheata... stanci in forme ciudate... efortul nostru... "piti" la munte (Reporterul:" De ce ai ales sa mergi pe munte astazi?" Piti: "Mi s-a spus ca este un Mall in varf si sunt reduceri!) ... peisaje ca-n basm...

Asa am mers si noi; peste sapte deluri/munti si sapte vai... am cucerit varful visat sau nu in noapte dinainte... ne-am bucurat de privelistea de-acolo in bataia vantului si de reusita... si am inceput coborarea pe un alt traseu...

Am ales sa curatam un drum forestier, astfel incat am adunat cinci saci mari de pet-uti, doze de bere, hartii si alte prostii... am scapat un copac pe care cativa liceeni voiau sa-si lase singura amprenta posibila " Ion+Maria=Love"... am privit mahniti cum nimeni din cei cam o suta de oameni cu care ne-am intalnit nu a pus mana sa ia macar o hartie... ne-am bucurat cand, exact la final, a oprit o masina (noua, curata, stil american...) langa noi si niste baieti (din Bucuresti) sau oferit sa ne ia sacii! Respect!

Am ajuns acasa rupti... insa nici asta, nici infrangerea Craiovei (!) nu ne-au rapit zambetul cu care am adormit...

Romania - explore the Carpathian garden... noul brand turistic?!

Mda. Uitati-va la aceasta poza. Eu m-am uitat mult si bine: nu-mi spune nimic! Am zis ca nu am citit eu bine, astfel ca am intrat in detaliu si am aflat si parerea altora. Concluzia mea? Bani investiti un pic degeaba... Ca sa nu mai povestesc de domeniile web inregistrate de catre altii!!! Macar sa fi invatat din greselile trecutului cand cu landofchoice.ro s-a intamplat acelasi lucru... sau vechiul slogan iregistrat la OSIM de un paricular. :( Asta a costat 900 000 euro... din 75 mil. pana la sfarsitul lui 2013.

Mi-e nu-mi place... :( Este doar o parere personala.

Daca vreti sa citi mai multe...

http://www.zf.ro/eveniment/cum-arata-brandul-turistic-al-romaniei-ce-reactii-a-starnit-noul-slogan-al-turismului-romanesc-explore-the-carpathian-garden-6742510

http://www.gandul.info/news/ministrii-udrea-si-baconschi-au-prezentat-brandul-turistic-al-romaniei-basescu-nu-a-participat-din-motiv-de-austeritate-economica-vezi-aici-logo-ul-turistic-al-tarii-noastre-6743506

http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-esential-7640194-particular-inregistrat-domeniul-carpathian-garden-saptamana-inainte-fie-lansat-cine-este-proprietarul-cum-uitat-realizatorii-brandului-tara-internet.htm

Descoperim Delta Dunarii!

Photos by Mihnea & MI

Ai nopti albe? Ai filme romanesti!...

Incepand cu 30 iunie a inceput proiectul "NOPTI ALBE CU FILME ROMANESTI" la Cinema Patria, Bulevardul Magheru nr.12-14. Primele zile le-am ratat, programul urmatoarelor il gasiti mai jos, iar continuarea trebuie sa o cautati singuri...

Sambata/Duminica 4 iulie
ora 00,00 Liceenii – Rock & Roll - regia Nicolae Corjos
ora 02,00 B.D. la munte si la mare - regia Mircea Dragan

Duminica/Luni 5 iulie
ora 00,00 Asta seara dansam in familie - regia Geo Saizescu
ora 02,00 Crucea de piatra - regia Andrei Blaier

Luni/Marti 6 iulie
ora 00,00 Drumul oaselor - regia Doru Nastase
ora 02,00 Trandafirul galben - regia Doru Nastase

Marti/Miercuri 7 iulie
ora 00,00 Misterele Bucurestilor - regia Doru Nastase
ora 02,00 Colierul de Turcoaze - regia Gheorghe Vitanidis

Miercuri/Joi 8 iulie
ora 00,00 Masca de argint - regia Gheorghe Vitanidis
ora 02,00 Totul se plateste - regia Mircea Moldovan

Joi/Vineri 9 iulie
ora 24,00 Razbunarea haiducilor - regia Dinu Cocea
ora 02,00 Haiducii lui Saptecai - regia Dinu Cocea

Vineri/Sambata 10 iulie
ora 00,00 Saptamana nebunilor - regia Dinu Cocea
ora 02,00 Zestrea domnitei Ralu - regia Dinu Cocea

Sambata/Duminica 11 iulie
ora 00,00 Buletin de Bucuresti - regia Virgil Calotescu
ora 02,00 Casatorie cu repetitie - regia Virgil Calotescu.... si tot asa...

Noaptea institutelor culturale - 25 iunie 2010 - putem descoperi lumea si asa!

Vineri, 25 iunie 2010, va avea loc în Bucureşti cea de-a patra ediţie a Nopţii Institutelor Culturale. Organizată de EUNIC – Bucureşti, Noaptea Institutelor Culturale cuprinde evenimente propuse de British Council, Centrul Ceh, Centrul Cultural al Republicii Ungare, Forumul Cultural Austriac, Fundaţia Culturală Greacă, Institutul Goethe, Institutul Cervantes, Institutul Cultural Român, Institutul Francez, Institutul Italian de Cultură "Vito Grasso", Institutul Polonez, Delegaţia Wallonie-Bruxelles şi Centrul Cultural si de Informare al Ambasadei Ucrainei. Coordonatorul ediţiei din acest an este Institutul Polonez. Sunt programate 70 de evenimente (programul aici), care se vor derula timp de peste 16 ore în 11 puncte din Bucureşti.

Pentru deplasarea între cele 11 centre în care au loc evenimente, organizatorii vor pune la dispoziţia participanţilor o cursă specială RATB şi 100 de biciclete.

Cursa specială RATB va circula pe traseul reprezentat pe hartă, în intervalul 23.00 – 04.00. Călătoria este gratuită.

Asociaţia Green Revolution va oferi 100 de biciclete, care vor putea fi închiriate gratuit din Parcul Tineretului (Bd. Şincai). Doritorii sunt rugaţi să trimită solicitarea în avans, la adresele pr@culturapoloneza.ro sau mirela@culturapoloneza.ro.

Sursa: http://www.icr.ro/noaptea_institutelor_2010

Descoperim Romania europeana - Sibiu...

Nici nu m-am intors bine din Peru ca incepea Festivalul international de teatru de la Sibiu, o ocazie buna de a vedea orasul acesta pe care in ultimii ani nu-l mai vazusem decat in trecere de 2 ori...

De data asta am avut la dispozitie un week-end intreg. Si chiar ma bucur. Pentru ca am avut o continuare la ... a nu ma simti in Romania! Pare din alta tara, cum probabil mai sunt si alte locuri neatinse de...gata, ma opresc(u).

Transexpres - au incalzit aerul cu tobele si goarnele lor, cantand agatati de doua macarale... Muzica pe strazi... concerte... plimbari... bere rece... jazz ( mama, ce jazz! - Tavi stie!)... A fost fain, am aplicat acelasi principiu din Madrid: "mai mergem, mai ne oprim!"

(nota: articolul este inceput in primul week-end dupa Peru si publicat la 3 saptamani dupa...)

Descoperim Romania salbatica... Vadu...