It’s not as popular as Vama Veche, but it used to be, and it’s still packed with young people planning a Black Sea resort holiday on a budget. Costineşti was once “the paradise of youth and of students” – but since 2 Mai and Vama Veche became popular, this little rural Black Sea resort is no longer worth the accolades.

Yes, it still holds one of the largest open air discos in the country – Disco Ring – where the most popular Romanian artists of the moment throw memorable concerts almost every evening during the Summer season. There’s also Mega Discoteca Tineretului for even more dance and live concerts, but other than these, there’s not much to do here.

Well, you do have the usual water sports, beach fun and even an old shipwreck (Evangelia, a Greek ship beached there in the late 1960s) to challenge your imagination, but from a cultural perspective, Costineşti doesn’t have much to offer.

Mind you, this used to be a student camp during the communist era, when also Costineşti’s biggest hotel was erected, yet such activities are no longer “trendy.”

What you get is the occasional young artist, ready to pen your portrait in five minutes for a symbolic fee. You get the musician who plays a guitar tune, surrounded by a gang of lively friends. You get the typical beach parties at night, and sometimes, you can even spot a dolphin or two if your eyes are not wandering to spot Romanian topless beauties.

The resort has an official capacity of 5300 beds, but many private families in the village Schitu, which is included in the commune, offer lodging and other hospitality services. Speaking of which, you might want to try to find such an accommodation, at least for the authentic Romanian cuisine.

Summer Travel Destinations: Romanian Black Sea Resort Costineşti is a post from: Rounite

It’s true, the place is a tourist trap, too much hype made it popular in the past five years. But it hasn’t always been this way. There was a time when La Mama meant authentic Romanian cuisine, the kind a Romanian mom would cook. No more. Today the place serves authentic wannabes, the quality lacks and the staff are often rude. Never mind the bad review, however. Maybe you are in luck when you visit. The prices are low and the portions are big – so what lacks in quality, makes up in quantity.

Contact details:

Address: Str.Episcopiei n.9
Phone: +40 721 526 262
Website: http://www.lamama.ro/

La Mama is a post from: Rounite

Back in the day, when Romania was one of the most advanced (technologically and economically) countries in Europe, Peleş Castle was the first European castle entirely lit by electrical current, having its own power plant. In fact, Peleş was the world’s first palace fully operated by electric power. It doesn’t only portray a time of plenitude: its Neo-Renaissance architecture reminds a lot of the castles we used to see in fairytale books in our childhood.

The castle was built at the order of King Carol I, who visited the region in 1866 and decided to buy some land. Later, he built here a castle that blended with the beauty of the surrounding scenery. Peleş was built between 1873 and 1914, following plans by Johannes Schultz and Karel Liman. The name of the castle is drawn from the Peleş Creek, that passes through the courtyard. The courtyard itself measures 1,300 acres (5.3 km2).

The castle is open to the public and it receives about half million visitors every year. From the 168 rooms of the building, only 35 are accessible to the public, but they are enough to give the visitors a feel of what the Romanian kings used to live like. Rooms have different themes, ornamented by style (Florentine, Turkish, Moorish, French, Imperial) and lavishly furnished.

Visitors can also admire items of what is considered one of the finest collections of art in East and Central Europe. Everything on display (statues, paintings, furniture, arms and armors, gold, silver, stained glass, ivory, fine china, tapestries and rugs) is an original item.

Oriental rugs come from the finest sources: Bukhara, Mosul, Isparta, Saruk and Smirna, porcelain from Sèvres and Meissen, leather from Córdoba but perhaps the most acclaimed are the hand painted stained glass vitralios, mostly Swiss.

Every castle’s history is interesting, and has a mystery aura added to it. Peleş however doesn’t hide its past. There are no ghosts haunting it, no demons hiding within its walls. It’s pure beauty, a breathtaking building surrounded by a breathtaking scenery.

The Royal Castle amongst other monuments, surrounded by extremely pretty landscape with gardens built on terraces, all at the edge of dense forests. The castle itself is very impressive through the riches it has accumulated: old and new canvases, old furniture, weapons, all sort of curios, everything placed with good taste. – wrote Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Austro-Hungary in a letter, in 1896 when he visited Peleş. Years later the castle’s visitors share the same sentiment and even more.

For more information about Peleş, visit its official website. The visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Wednesday through Sunday. On Mondays the castle is closed and on Tuesdays the hours are till 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission fee is 15 RON. Additionally you must check in your camera or pay 30 RON to take photos or 50 RON for video.

Location: Northwest of the town of Sinaia, 60 km from Braşov and 135 km away from Bucharest, Romania’s capital.

Peleş Castle, a Romanian Fairytale is a post from: Rounite

Every year, on March 8, Romanian cerebrate the International Women’s Day (IWD), and Mother’s Day.

The celebration started as a Socialist political event in Russia, in 1965 when Lenin declared it official holiday, and spread across the entire Soviet block soon after. But keep in mind, that unofficially, a women’s day was already celebrated around the world, on different dates, since 1909.

Later, the popularity of the holiday inspired other countries, and today, March 8 is an official holiday in the following countries: Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Croatia, Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia.

In Romania, March 8 is not an official holiday, but it’s held nevertheless. Note that here, this day is also the equivalent of Mother’s Day, and there is no other official or unofficial day to celebrate motherhood other than this. The custom, similar to all customs in the countries that celebrate the day, is for men to give ALL the women in their lives flowers or gifts. Female teachers receive small gifts from their students too, whether boys or girls. The idea that the female teacher is the equivalent of a mother figure prevails.

Official or not, for Romanians March 8 is a national celebration. After work, women colleagues or friends often dine together, but the greatest joy is for mothers who receive that little special attention from their children. So while the world celebrates IWD, think of March 8 as Mother’s Day in Romania, and you will understand its significance.

International Women’s Day in Romania, and Mother’s Day – 8th March is a post from: Rounite

Taverna Sarbului is one of those rare gems in a modern city. Bucharest likes its local cuisine, and, like in any Latin country, you’ll also find here a number of Italian restaurants. Although not rare in Romania (Serbians are still a minority in Transylvania), Serbian cuisine is not a usual occurrence. Taverna Sarbului does it flawlessly. The atmosphere is old-time Serbian, the food prepared with the freshest ingredients, respecting traditional recipes. The restaurant also serves slibovitz, a plum brandy specific to Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia among others.

Contact details:

Address: 31 Tipografilor Str
Phone: +40 21 490 60 50
Website: www.tavernasarbului.ro

Click on the pictures for more information about the restaurant, its menu and other important details.

Taverna Sarbului also has locations outside Bucharest, in Sinaia and Brasov.

Taverna Sarbului [Photos] is a post from: Rounite

Caru’ cu Bere is one of the oldest restaurants in Bucharest, in fact it is the city’s oldest brewery. It was opened in 1879 in the old Zlatari inn and moved to Stavropoleos Street (its current location) twenty years later. The food lacks the quality it once had, but the house beer is still good and the atmosphere is well worthy of a visit. Expect to find the place crowded at all times, travelers come here to experience the old Bucharest vibe, evident in the beer house’s architecture, and reflected by some elements of interior design like mural paintings, stained glass and carved cross-beams. The wine cellar is a must.

Contact details:

Address: Strada Stavropoleos 5
Phone: +40 21 315 7663
Website: http://www.carucubere.ro/
Email: (on site) http://www.carucubere.ro/en/contact

Caru’ cu Bere [Photos] is a post from: Rounite

As fresh, as young, as unforgettable… Mihai Eminescu is the Romanian soul, our very essence, a poet who influenced and changed the Romanian culture.

His image is everywhere, his works are studied in all Romanian schools, and yet we know so little about his legacy. He was a Romantic, yes, a poet, yes, and probably, no, certainly, so much more.

Born January 15, 1850, Mihail Eminovici changed his name to Mihai Eminescu at the suggestion of Iosif Vulcan, who disliked the Slavic source suffix “-ici”. Today he is considered the national poet of Romania, Moldova, and of the Romanians who live in the Ukrainian part of Bucovina.

So Fresh Thou Art…

So like the sweet, white cherry blossom,
So tender and so fresh thou art,
And on my life’s way like an angel
Appearing thou dost light impart.

Thou scarcely touchest the soft carpet,
The silk on thee doth rustling stream,
From top to toe so light and lofty,
Thou floatest like an airy dream.

From draping folds like purest marble
Thine image unto me appears,
My whole soul on thine eyes is hanging,
Those eyes so full of joy and tears.

O happy dream of love, so happy,
Thou bride of fairy tales, so mild,
No, do not smile! Thy smille doth show me
How sweet thou art, thou gentle child.

My poor eyes thou canst close for ever
With deepest night’s eternal charms,
With thy sweet lips’ sweet fondling, whispers,
Embracing me with thy cool arms.

A veiling thought at once now passes
Thy glowing eyes thus covering:
It is the dark renunciation,
The sweetest yearning’s shadowing.

Thou go’st away and, well I know it,
To follow thee must I no more,
Thou art for me now lost for ever,
My soul’s dear bride, whom I adore.

My only guilt was that I saw thee,
Which I to pardon have no might,
Mine arm I’ll stretch for ever vainly
To expiate my dream of light.

Like holy Virgin’s purest image
In my fond eyes thou will rise now,
The brightest crown on forehead bearing,
Where dost thou go? When comest thou?

A Dacian’s Prayer

When death did not exist, nor yet eternity,
Before the seed of life had first set living free,
When yesterday was nothing, and time had not begun,
And one included all things, and all was less than one,
When sun and moon and sky, the stars, the spinning earth
Were still part of the things that had not come to birth,
And You quite lonely stood… I ask myself with awe,
Who is this mighty God we bow ourselves before.

Ere yet the Gods existed already He was God
And out of endless water with fire the lightning shed;
He gave the Gods their reson, and joy to earth did bring,
He brought to man forgiveness, and set salvation’s spring
Lift up your hearts in worship, a song of praise enfreeing,
He is the death of dying, the primal birth of being.

To him I owe my eyes that I can see the dawn,
To him I owe my heart wherein is pity born;
Whene’er I hear the tempest, I hear him pass along
Midst multitude of voices raised in a holy song;
And yet of his great mercy I beg still one behest:
That I at last be taken to his eternal rest.

Be curses on the fellow who would my praise acclaim,
But blessings upon him who does my soul defame;
Believe no matter whom who slanders my renown,
Give power to the arm that lifts to strike me down;
Let him upon the earth above all others loom
Who steals away the stone that lies upon my tomb.

Hunted by humanity, let me my whole life fly
Until I feel from weeping my very eyes are dry;
Let everyone detest me no matter where I go,
Until from persecution myself I do not know;
Let misery and horror my heart transform to stone,
That I may hate my mother, in whose love I have grown;
Till hating and deceiving for me with love will vie,
And I forget my suffering, and learn at last to die.

Dishonoured let me perish, an outcast among men;
My body less than worthy to block the gutter then,
And may, o God of mercy, a crown of diamonds wear
The one who gives my heart the hungry dogs to tear,
While for the one who in my face does callous fling a clod
In your eternal kingdom reserve a place, o God.

Thus only, gracious Father, can I requitance give
That you from your great bounty vouched me the joy to live;
To gain eternal blessings my head I do not bow,
But rather ask that you in hating compassion show.
Till comes at last the evening, your breath will mine efface,
And into endless nothing I go, and leave no trace.

One Wish Alone Have I

One wish alone have I:
In some calm land
Beside the sea to die;
Upon its strand
That I forever sleep,
The forest near,
A heaven near,
Stretched over the peaceful deep.
No candles shine,
Nor tomb I need, instead
Let them for me a bed
Of twigs entwine.

That no one weeps my end,
Nor for me grieves,
But let the autumn lend
Tongues to the leaves,
When brooklet ripples fall
With murmuring sound,
And moon is found
Among the pine-trees tall,
While softly rings
The wind its trembling chime
And over me the lime
Its blossom flings.

As I will then no more
A wanderer be,
Let them with fondness store
My memory.
And Lucifer the while,
Above the pine.
Good comrade mine,
Will on me gently smile;
In mournful mood,
The sea sings sad refrain …
And I be earth again
In solitude.

Mihai Eminescu, 160 Years Later is a post from: Rounite

Aside “sarmale” and “mititei”, the dish known as “Ciorbă de burtă” (tripe sour soup or “gut soup” as others may call it) is the closest thing to a “national dish” you can get in Romania.

The “ciorba” can be ordered in almost all restaurants with national specific, but the best you can get is “home made” with a recipe that varies from household to household (the variations are small though, for example I prefer adding 1 celeriac and some garlic for taste, while in other households these ingredients are completely ignored).

Fortunately in Germany I can buy tripe that is already washed and ready to cook, so my recipe is based on such an ingredient. For regions where such an ingredient is missing, just ask the local butcher to give you fresh tripe, cleaned and bleached if possible. He’ll probably give you a funny look and if he doesn’t clean it and bleach it, you will have to go through a lot of trouble to clean the fresh tripe, but the end result is well worth it.

Fresh tripe needs to be boiled with salt for 4-5 hours, then strain and cut julienne (keep the broth).

Below the ingredients for a tripe sour soup as I cook it:

• 1 kg tripe (prepared as described above),
• 1 leg Veal or other pieces of Veal,
• 2-3 carrots,
• 1 parsnip,
• 1 celeriac,
• 2 whole onions (peeled),
• pepper for taste,
• garlic for taste
• 2 egg yolks,
• 1 pickled pepper (for taste)
• vinegar for taste
• 200g sour cream

With the carrots, onions, parsnip and celeriac (add black pepper for taste) make a vegetable broth. Mix with the tripe broth, add julienne-cut tripe, and boil till the broth is evaporated by half. Remove from stove.

Mince garlic, and mix well with sour cream and two egg yolks. Add the mixture the the soup, stirring continuously. Add some vinegar (add and taste), and 1-2 pickled red-peppers (Capsicum) cut julienne for taste. Serve hot, with more garlic, a spicy chilly pepper and sour cream if you wish.

A Romanian Favorite: Tripe Sour Soup (Ciorbă de burtă) is a post from: Rounite

Exotic, beautiful, untamed and still carrying an ancient bliss. This is the Danube Delta: a warm, welcoming place in the wilderness, not far from the Romanian shore of the Black Sea. An enchanted paradise. Romania is an exotic location not for some luxuriant beauty. It doesn’t even have luxurious resorts for you to spend a fortune and even tell your kids “I’ve been there.” What Romania does have is Transylvania, the Mud Volcanoes, a great deal of natural beauties, some UNESCO World Heritage Centers (Sighisoara, to name one of the many), Dracula (yes, you read that right) and the Danube Delta.

As Dracula was merely a fisherman of souls and his fly rod is beyond reach, we invite you to explore a less known location: the Danube Delta.

Of course you will need the typical fishing gear for carp, perch, pike and zander – and even cat fish, which is the biggest fish in the Danube Delta with captures that reached 400 kg – but you’ll also need a few “extras.” And this has nothing to do with your typical fishing equipment.

You’ll need a few bottles of fine vodka – to open the hearts… as many as you can carry. This is the best coin there, because… there are almost no possibilities for the locals to produce their own schnapps. The Delta leaves little to no room for domestic crops. There is water everywhere and people live from the fruits of the little lots they can actually cultivate, and of course from the gifts of the canal. And no one, literally no one, would waste the crop on schnapps. So, because it is rare, it is valuable. And this is an “insider tip” you will not find on other websites.

You’ll need an OFF spray

42nd Street movie full

to keep pesky insects away. In the Danube Delta mosquitoes found a second home. They come in packs, early in the morning and at dusk, but they are not the only intruders OFF can keep away. Various species of flies and many other biting insects will stay away. Do not visit the Delta without OFF!

Stay away if you are afraid of snakes. As a rule, where there is water, snakes have a natural habitat. There are no records of poisonous snakes, but water snakes (4 species) swim and crawl free, wherever you expect them less. If you dare to catch them, they are the main dish for exquisite cuisine.

Take your binoculars. Fishing is fin, but till that fish bites, watch the birds. Unique species, some endangered, still live here, among which the great white pelican. Endangered fish? Two species of sturgeons. So take care what you catch. Some other endangered species include the European pond turtle, the European kingfisher (a bird) and the beaver.

The Danube Delta is a “lost paradise” and words often fail to describe it. But, if you can afford the flight, there is nothing else you need to worry about. You’ll find in Romania people with warm, open hearts, who will welcome you and treat you as royalty.

Exotic Locations: The Danube Delta [Photos] is a post from: Rounite

Few towns in Romania have succeeded in preserving their medieval charm and flavor; among the Transylvanian ones, Sibiu stands alone.

It played an important part in the economic, political, religious and cultural history of the Romanian provinces. Founded upon a Neolithic settlement, near the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Cedonia, whose traces are still preserved, Sibiu was first mentioned in documents as far in the XIIth century. Beginning with the year 1150, a massive Germanic colonization took place; the first colonists (Flanders, Francons, Saxons) came from the western regions of the Rhine, found the pastures of Heaven and settled here.

The 19 guilds, whose members practiced 25 crafts, already mentioned in the year 1376, carried on active trade relationship with the Romanian provinces and withe Europe.

In the Middle Ages, every major guild had built his own tower of defense, integrated in the fortifications of the city. The guilds have disappeared by the decree of 1872, when they were converted into handicraft cooperatives.

The tradition of traveling apprentices has been revived in Sibiu since 2007, the year the town was the Cultural Capital of Europe. In Sibiu, the apprentices have their house and even an association called “Casa Calfelor” (House of Apprentices, Gesellenherberge, Maison des Compagnons – Sibiu / Hermannstadt). To revive the traditional arts and crafts, the Evangelical parish made available for apprentices a building at no. 3, Huet Place, which was restored by them.

The tradition of traveling apprentices has been preserved in countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Norway, Sweden.

Approximately 700 young people trained in trades of carpenters, masons, stone, potters, blacksmiths and sculptors have chosen to start on the road for three years and one day, wearing the apprentices’ uniform and hat, observe the rules imposed by their brotherhood. Thus, to be allowed to wear the apprentice uniform, the young are not allowed to be married, have children, debts or other obligations, must face with honesty and honor the commitments that they must take and follow the rules and traditions of their brotherhood. Both their presence in Sibiu since the Middle Ages and their tours have contributed in time to strengthen ties with European handicraft centers; from all points of view, they were a bridge unconventional but more vivid between Sibiu and Europe.

Before leaving, will be tailored for the apprentices special clothes in an old workshop, where the tradition of those clothes is kept. Apprentices’ costumes consist of splay trousers, jacket and coat of different colors – black, cream or blue -, white shirts, a special hat and black boots.

Being an apprentice not require a substantial material gain. Usually the apprentices goes out with moderate amounts and are forced to cope in the world, where they works to receive money, food and hosting, making it an opportunity to meet different mentalities and habits.

Tourists who visit the city of Sibiu during July 10 to August 6 have the opportunity to see working 17 journeyman from various European countries, gathered here for the third time, on Fortress Street, between the Potters Tower an the Carpenters Tower. During the workshops, the apprentices present their job; carpenters, potters, jewelers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, builders of musical instruments, masons, sculptors, can be followed in exercising their profession. Visitors can admire also a photo exhibition, which reminds of different moments in years in which they began to arrive in Sibiu. The exhibition covers the history of craftsmen travel, the various journeyman associations, and the differences existing between the traditional traveling apprentices and the companionway of French craftsmen.

The Traveling Apprentices from Sibiu is a post from: Rounite