Visit Romania!

[Basileos Leandros I]

A couple of more stunning pictures taken by amateur photographers.

I encourage you all to visit this spectacular page - http://www.facebook.com/273.ro - the place where I get some of these photographs.

Rapeseed fields



Sunset



Brasov



Bistrita Monastery courtyard

[Basileos Leandros I]

Someone asked me what is the Romanian cuisine like, so here's a bit more detail.

Romanian food is a mixture of everything. Mainly influenced by Ottoman cuisine but also Hungarian, Serbian/Slavic, German and a couple of traditional dishes which have existed for hundreds of years around these places. Most of the dishes you will find in other countries, except that around here they're original takes on well known recipes. Since it's a mixture of everything, you can enjoy many different dishes that appeal to everyone's tastes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_cuisine

[Aru]

As a quick example, you might know the cabbage rolls called Sarma (Sarmale in Romanian), most of the Balkans use vine leaves, we had our own variation with sour cabbage.

It's not really "your" variation. Maybe they use vine leaves on seacoasts, but as far as I know everyone normal (continental) makes sarma with sour cabbage. From Slovenia to Macedonia. And if you ask anyone, they'll say it's the only way to make sarma.

[Basileos Leandros I]

It's not really "your" variation. Maybe they use vine leaves on seacoasts, but as far as I know everyone normal (continental) makes sarma with sour cabbage. From Slovenia to Macedonia. And if you ask anyone, they'll say it's the only way to make sarma.

As I said, in the past twenty years, everyone is using it and now it's almost exclusively with sour cabbage.

That's what I've been told by a (local) chef who's part amateur historian and researched this. Nevertheless, it might be biased so for the sake of not starting another Balkan argument I will remove the part.

[Aru]

What 20 years? As long as we know of sarma, and we know for centuries, it was made with sour cabbage. Greeks make it with vine leaves and Bulgarians with fresh cabbage, or so I've read. In Croatia there are several regional kinds and recipes of sarma, but the difference is in meat. Likewise, Romania has it's own recipe(s). And everyone else.

[Basileos Leandros I]

Everyone in the Balkans has their own variation.

I will focus this post on Sighisoara, one of the last truly medieval inhabited towns, also known as the Pearl of Transylvania -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sighi%C5%9Foara

Map of Sighisoara in 1735 - taken from the website www.celendo.ro



The Clock Tower





Vlad Tepes's place of birth
Inscription reads - "In this house Vlad Dracul, son of Mircea the Elder, lived between 1431-1435"



The Covered Stairs



Narrow (stair) street leading up to the Clock Tower - taken from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/26393573



Narrow street in Sighisoara



All credits go to their respective photographers.

[Msp]

Another beautiful image (low quality)



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The Tin Crafters' tower, with authentic battle damage.

and



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The Orthodox cathedral (built by the first romanian mayor of Sighisoara around 1930).

[NikeBG]

Greeks make it with vine leaves and Bulgarians with fresh cabbage, or so I've read.

Sour cabbage and vine leaves - we use both (vine leaves being used more rarely, sauerkraut ones are the traditional and almost obligatory for the Christmas Eve table). But no fresh cabbage, or at least I haven't heard of anyone using it (and can't imagine how you'd wrap it up either).

Otherwise, I've been in Romania (Bucuresti) about 10 years ago and it was pretty nice (had its pluses and minuses, like any other place, but in general it was nice). I especially liked one ethnographic complex there - the first time I saw such funny-looking dark-blue houses (my favourite colour).

[Msp]

I don't know in other countries, but we sometimes eat "sarma" with "pasat", "pasat" is a mix of smoked meat (did I wrote right?) and ground corn.

[ciprianrusu]

We use fresh cabbage with sarma here. You just steam it a bit so you can wrap it up , and in the pot you pour a generous ammount of tomato juice. They are verry good indeed.

[Basileos Leandros I]

We use fresh cabbage with sarma here. You just steam it a bit so you can wrap it up , and in the pot you pour a generous ammount of tomato juice. They are verry good indeed.

I ate once that variation and I didn't like it at all, didn't have the same taste as the sour cabbage.

Sour cream on top makes everything five times better.

[ciprianrusu]

Sour cream on top makes everything five times better.

Sour cream is a must. But our sour cream (here is called "smântână") is unique, not exactly like the sour cream you all know.

[vlach]

Great this has turned into "how you prefer your rolls" why don't you start a poll, and put me down for vine leaves. To be honest the only uniquely Romanian dish in the balkans I can think of is Placinta (certainly has a pure latin name) and maybe Mamaliga anything else i have met at our neighbors. Shame so few pictures of Moldova and Muntenia show them some of our own stuff (Brancovenesc, Painted Monasteries etc) not only the Saxon influence.

[Basileos Leandros I]

Great this has turned into "how you prefer your rolls" why don't you start a poll, and put me down for vine leaves. To be honest the only uniquely Romanian dish in the balkans I can think of is Placinta (certainly has a pure latin name) and maybe Mamaliga anything else i have met at our neighbors. Shame so few pictures of Moldova and Muntenia show them some of our own stuff (Brancovenesc, Painted Monasteries etc) not only the Saxon influence.

I was planning to do that, I'm posting gradually so as not to overload the thread with pictures in one single big post.

But since you asked for it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogo%C5%9Foaia_Palace

Entrance of the Mogosoaia Palace



Mogosoaia Palace

[vlach]

Hehe I went there recently, the house was closed though, wouldn't mind having a house like that if I ever have the money Ill build one. I especially enjoyed reading the inscriptions on the graves of the aviators on the nearby family crypt

[Basileos Leandros I]

Hehe I went there recently, the house was closed though, wouldn't mind having a house like that if I ever have the money Ill build one. I especially enjoyed reading the inscriptions on the graves of the aviators on the nearby family crypt

What's really surprising is that it survived 400 years in almost perfect shape, alongside a ransacking of the Ottoman Army, a couple of fires if I recall correctly and the test of time.

Definitely a great place to visit, especially in the summer when it's cool because of the forest and the nearby lake.

[vlach]

Shame Suceava wasn't so lucky - I bet it was impressive in it's prime or any of the Moldavian fortresses - well not the level of transylvanian ones. Another tragedy is Ceausescu ruining Bucharest, from what remains it was really beautiful. Nevertheless I was pleased to see restoration taking place all across Romania so in a few years it will be an even better place to visit

[Basileos Leandros I]

Shame Suceava wasn't so lucky - I bet it was impressive in it's prime or any of the Moldavian fortresses - well not the level of transylvanian ones.

Don't know how much you follow the current events going on, but a massive contract has been signed to restore the Suceava Fortress and introduce it as a top tourism target for everyone to visit.

Another tragedy is Ceausescu ruining Bucharest, from what remains it was really beautiful. Nevertheless I was pleased to see restoration taking place all across Romania so in a few years it will be an even better place to visit

Shame about Bucharest, especially the old quarters where the current Palace of the Parliament is. I wish I'd have seen the hospitals and the old churches built in the 17th and 18th century.

[Trey]

How easy would it be for an English speaker to get around in Romania?
And what are the prices there relative to surrounding countries, and also to a Western European country such as Italy?

[Basileos Leandros I]

How easy would it be for an English speaker to get around in Romania?
And what are the prices there relative to surrounding countries, and also to a Western European country such as Italy?

In Bucharest you should have no problem, in the countryside it will be a bit harder for you to get around.

Romania is more expensive than Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine but it's relatively cheaper than Hungary, and definitely cheaper than Italy. Nevertheless, if you are on a budget and you manage your money well you should have a very enjoyable vacation should you decide to visit Romania.