While it resembles Belgrade or Thessaloniki in terms of its rough-around-the-edges appearance, Bucharest certainly retains some of the charm that comes with the territory; as they say, the people make the place.
Romanians are spectacular- loud and open, but still reserved and not overbearing. It’s quite a feat to balance those things in this part of the world.
While in Bucharest I met people that rank among some of the most interesting humans I’ve ever come across: a young girl from Moldova, wandering somewhat aimlessly as she searched for work- and happy to finally have someone to speak to about something other than her employment status; an older man, from Timisoara, Romania who had traveled the world. He spoke like a professor, sharing perspectives and lessons from his travels. Before leaving he gifted me his prayer book, complete with a dedication to me out of appreciation for my love of learning. I spent my 20th birthday touring Transylvania with a young couple, engaged this past January, who left their corporate jobs to start a tour company; even with strangers in a strange place I felt like I was among friends. Romanians seem to have that effect on people.
There were countless others, but I will stop there for fear of failing to do justice to these people and their stories. For now, these are the thoughts I’ve been able to articulate:
1) like Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania has branded itself as having 'too much history'
2) Romanians seem to have adopted the rhetoric that all humans are the same. It is hugely heartwarming.
3) people understand what makes them happy and are unafraid to avoid things that do not
4) the culture reminds me of Italy, though it retains distinct Eastern European influences. So it goes.
5) I have never felt more welcome in a place in my entire life
While on this trip, I spent my 20th birthday wandering Transylvania with my best friend and two of the most interesting people I’ve met in a long time: Unveil Romania’s founders. Armed with a love for travel and a desire to share the beauty of their home country with visitors, Mihai and Olivia founded the company after becoming disillusioned with their jobs in corporate marketing. My friend and I were lucky enough to have them as our private tour guides for the day, though it often felt more like we were amongst old friends.
The day began at eight in the morning in central Bucharest, where we were introduced to our guides and then prepared to embark on a roughly two hour journey to Peles Castle in Sinaia.
The castle, completed in 1914, was home to King Carol, a German man who served as Romania’s leader for over 30 years. Carol had a discerning eye for art, and thus furnished the castle with some of the finest works from central and eastern europe. Today, the palace serves as an art museum, complete with several state-themed rooms, and a monument to one of Romania’s most loved rulers.
Next, we ventured to Bran Castle, located within the Transylvania region. The castle was built as a fortress to guard the region from Ottoman invasion, and later served as a summer residence for Queen Maria, a relative of King Carol I, and her husband. Today it is open as a museum where guests can observe the Queen’s furnishings and learn about the legend of Dracula, for whom the castle is often named. Though there is no evidence that Bram Stoker, who authored the iconic novel, had any knowledge of the castle it does bear a striking resemblance to the castle used in the original 1931 film adaptation. It is believed that Dracula’s character may have been inspired by Vlad the Impaler, whose brutal methods (yes, it is what you think) protected the region from Ottoman invasion for decades.
Lastly, we made our way to Brasov, a typical Transylvanian city located between several mountain ranges (much like Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina) which made for a fantastic end to my Romanian excursion.
No comments:
Post a Comment