miercuri, 16 octombrie 2013

Discovering Drobeta by night in a special way

How to discover a Romanian city at night


In the Romanian city of Drobeta Turnu Severin (only one city, believe me!) I have one of the most interesting experiences of my activity as a travel guide, and now I wanna to share with you. I hope you will enjoy, understand, finding also interesting.

Namely, I reached the wonderful city of Drobeta in the afternoon, guiding an active biking Romania tour from Launer Reisen. It was a wonderful weather, middle August. The city itself nice, clean, interesting and inviting. We arrived in Hotel Continental Portile de Fier, checked in and took our rooms, and had the dinner at 7 hours p.m. Was O.K., no objection, we also said good bye, as the German customers were supposed to go further in Serbia and I was supposed to go back to Bucharest, taking over another group. It was an excellent trip, that I enjoyed a lot, and I hope the tourists also.
A group of happy bikers, touring Romania through Launer Reisen ( see Mr Paul Launer the first on the left, in the black suit)

After the dinner, I made an unexpected proposition: let's go walking through the city and discover it at night! Just two persons showed to be interested: Dr. Renate and Norbert Lauppenheimer.

We walked through the city and discovered first a spectacular kinetic fountain. It is really one of the most interesting fountains in the all Romania, a masterpiece of a local scuptor. Besides, the market place around is nice, has a nice park and a monumental building (a museum in restoration). It was very peaceful in that marketplace, I noticed that was the locals' favorite meeting point. It was still day light, but the night came upon the city of Drobeta.
The Civic Centre of Drobeta Turnu Severin is charming and seducing

An old city indeed, very important for the Romanian history. The name itself sends immediately to the Roman Empire! Short and concrete, the Romans build here a bridge, engineered by Apolodor from Damascus, one of the most notorious architects of the old times. On that bridge came the Roman legions, invaded and conquered Dacia. Thus has been build the Romanian people and language, the Romans and Dacians are our ancestors.
The ruins of a foot from the antic bridge designed by Apolodor from Damascus. Discovering it by night was a thrilling adventure

As a proud Romanian I am, I invited my companion to show them one of the foot of that bridge. Meanwhile, the night falled and we walked and walked along a nice streets with big houses (traditionally a residential area of Drobeta Turnu Severin). Finally we found the foot, in the yard of the History Museum, which was in reparation and locked. It was a very unpleasant situation for me, and I didn't know what to do, as I ought to show that foot to my tourists.

I knocked strongly, waking up all the local vagabond dogs, but also the Museum guard. And that guard allowed us to enter the yard and watch the ruins of the bridge. My honor was saved, thank God. Further was not so easy, we discovered the foot on the Danube shore, after a little fight with a pack of barking dogs, crossing the railway and climbing a hill. Everything in dark, at night, don't forget!

I really think it was a fantastic experience, showing that in Romania everything is possible!

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