Try to understand Romania before visiting it

Whether you are for the first time in Romania, or the tenth, you are simply supposed to take a few time to understand thoroughly the country forehand.

Romania is not at all exclusively a Dracula land, but an interesting culture destination

And you must do that because Romania is not only the land of Dracula or the land of Ceausescu. We have an interesting history, and during the Middle Age there were three Romanian principates, namely Moldavia, Vallachia and Transilvania, which have been influenced by the neighboring empires, respectively Russian, Othoman and Austrian. It took a few centuries to understand the simple fact of our unity, and afterwards to realise this unity through successive and successfully unifications. Most of our heroes fought bravely for Unification, against the overmentioned Empires. In every Romanian city there is one street or square reffering to the Unification (Piata Unirii, or Bulevardul Unirii). During the XIXth century France was a model for all Europe, including Romania. Our language is anyway a Romanic one, and the culture is very close to the French culture.

Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife have ruled Romania in a dictatorial way for 24 years. We could barely stand and survive, due to our sense of humor

We are proud of our past and history, and not so proud anymore about our political class of today, which is not patriot enough. On the contrary, they are corrupted enough, it is a national disease, despite all the progress in fighting it of the last years. But these are our problems, you must know them and be aware of them, but never try to mix in any political discussion. It simply makes no sense, and brings no friends. You must have your own problems in your country for sure, as every country has!

Calea Victoriei, the most interesting and beautiful street of Bucharest, has undoubtly a French charm

Also very important, the country is not very expensive, unless you make special choices. One beer in a pub costs between 2 and 4 euros, with 5 euros you can have a satisfactory lunch. Romania is also not very rich yet, the average income is about 500 Euros netto monthly. And that is why you must avoid the touristic destinations, they are much more expensive than the popular ones. If you have a good travel guide, you can easily find the second ones!

Please avoid in Romania the beaten paths, and you can see these wonderful suits on the streets

We are people with a sharp developped sense of humor, and this was really useful during bad and hard times, e.g. the communist Ceausescu era! Otherwise we couldn't stand and survive it, it was terrible: no food, no fun, but only a lot of jokes, most of them refering to Ceausescu and his wife.Some of us are simply missing those times, as we can't hear so many fabulous jokes.

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Falling in love in Romania

Romania Travel Guide for Lovers

So, you are in love (first time, or again, or finally etc, there is no matter!). Or it just happened during your Romanian trip, and you are supposed now to reconsider all your trip, choosing a new configuration.

Go deep inside the Danube Delta, in the land of nowhere, where you can't find other human beings

First choice: keep it secret with your beloved one, or show and share with the others. Anyway, it is not a sin at all, but only a mean to better integer the world and the universe. Anyway, remember that love is not at all exclusively fornication (excepting maybe the one night stands), but has also a deep spiritual side. It is karma, it is Yin and Yang, it is a subtle holly union. Speak a lot to your beloved one, hold his/her hand, kiss and cores. It gives you such an unbelievable power.

The Ciuperca Sea in Tulcea is a good place for swimming at night

Best choice to start or strengthen a relationship while in Romania is not at all a big city like Bucharest, but a small town like Tulcea, the turning plate to Danube Delta. Make a trip deep inside the Delta, feel the miracle to be in love ( it is really divine and holly this union between man and women). The best thing would be hiring a paddle boat or kayak, and going somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Hear the water, feel the Earth energy and Prana, the cosmic energy. Make love there, like you were the only living creature on Earth, but come back in harbor of Tulcea.

The Restaurant Republica from Tulcea is a former war ship with big  wheels

The shore of the Danube in Tulcea at night is very nice and romantic, even sexy I would say. You can bath at night in the Ciuperca sea (no bathing suits, of course!), coming back on the shore and looking for a ship restaurant. I found, checked and recommend the Restaurant Republica, a former war ship with wheels, as seen on Mississippi River. You can even find a museum on board, opened until 18 hours. But you are not interested in museums, churches etc but only in the wonderful human being besides you!

You can eat there a good meal, but you can also take only some drinks. I suggest as a wonderful foreplay and prelude a Mojito for the lady, and a glass of Red wine for him (Cabernet Sauvignon, if possible). Check please, this lethal combination makes really wonders. Don't dare to think what comes after, in one of the leading Tulcea Hotels (e.g. the friendly Europolis *** or the exquisite Delta ****).

Varna at night is very spectacular and romantic, don't miss it

You can stay here in Tulcea for days, weeks and years with your beloved one billing and coo, but maybe you want change the landscape, go on the coast. In Romania I would recommend Mamaia, Constanta and Vama Veche, but the neighboring Bulgaria is also very attractive. Check the good friendly Erma Hotel from Golden Sands, if you can get a free room! From Golden Sands go to Varna at night, enjoying a wonderful seasight in one of the many beach restaurants. Simply unbelievable and unforgettable! If you still can, stand up early, at 5, bathing in the sea while the sun sets! It is really beyond words the huge harmony you feel doing this.

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Myths, legends and true facts from the wine history

The history of the mankind is also a history of wine, at least in the last 6000 thousands of years. Can't figure a party in the good old times without wines, good wines, and food. Can't imagine neither today a party without wines, or a sophisticated dinner without wines. Besides, if the sophisticated dinner is a romantic one, the wine makes the perfect excuse for him, but also for her.

I am sure that wines played  an important role in the history of mankind, much more important than a serious scholastic historian could imagine. E.g., Cleopatra made history not only with her nose, but also with the glass of wine for Marc Anthony. The Romanian medieval ruler Stephen the Great enjoyed a glass of wine at the right time, and there must be much more examples for the way of mixing wine and history. Think a little about Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt, and the abstinent Hitler, who could destroy the world and its good habits!

Drinking wine is much older than you think

An important fact: the oldest evidence of drinking wine date back in 5400 b.C and has been found in Zagros, Iran. Most probably, the wine has been produced in that area. For 5000 years the wine consumption was reserved to the upper class. The kings of Egypt and Mesopotamia served wines to the high ranking guests, showing their wealth. The rich people of antique Athens were labeled according the belonging vineyards! The Greeks, inventors of the civilization, started to do what we call today wine tastings. This good habit has been taken and refined by the Romans.

The Greeks found first wine tastings, but the Romans took over and developed further

Around year 500 a.C takes place the segregation of the Europeans in wine drinkers and beer drinkers, which continues up today. The wine became the favorit drink for the southern part of Europe, where the Roman occupation was tighter and the influences stronger. The Northern part of Europe, with the British Islands, are populated with Barbarians drinking beer. (Actually, the segregation is not so obvious anymore!).

Very close to the places where have been found the first traces of wine, emerged the Islamic belief, forbidding the wine!. There is a legend: two pupils of Mahomed had a strong argument after taking too much on bord. The Prophete, asking advice and guiding from the allmighty Allah, became the simpliest answer: "The wine is a Devil invention". Even the Christians took champagne (actually sparkling wine, to be more precisely) for a Devil invention! It happened when the people did not know what is Carbon Dioxide, a gas which can be found in any wine.

And this is a modern wine tasting, a contest!

Champagne has been created first around 1700, surely not by the Monk Dom Perignon. Some people say, it was simply an accident. Dom Perignon only had major contributions to the development of champagne, which became shortly the favorite drink of the women! Madame de Pompadour used to declare " Champagne is the only wine making a woman more beautiful after drinking a glass!" ( I would add: the woman becomes much more beautiful if her partner drinks the Champagne!)

And a last legend for today: a renowned French porcelain producer created the first champagne cup based on an extraordinary model: the breast of Marie Antoinette.

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Vrancea county, the paradise of the wine afficionados

I have a lot to tell you about the Vrancea County, lying on the arch of the Romanians Carpathians. There are a lot of myths and legends concerning this unique place, a lot of history and a lot of things to be discovered by you.

This is Vrancea County, with its legends and its wines! 

First of all, the district of Vrancea proudly counts 350 000 inhabitants ( also, not so many, counting also the surface of 5000 sqkm. Results an average of 70 people on sqkm). The relief of the district is a miniature copy of Romania, it is very well balanced between mountain, hills and plains (everyone contributes with 1/3). The soil is very fertile, making from Vrancea one of the most important agriculture area of Romania. With a very special mention for the hills of Vrancea, hosting the country's widest vineyard.

The vineyards are a major richness of Vrancea, and its economy relies on it

In Medium Age, the Moldavian Ruler Stephen the Great (a living legend in Romania), during one of his many battles against the Turks, fled and refugiated in Vrancea County. Here found a a helpful mother, Baba Vrancioaia, which gave all her seven sons to fight back and hit the enemies. Stephen ( 1457-1504) took the offer seriously, took the young sons and fought back. Returning triumphant, he showed his gratitude, saying : "There are seven mountains in Vrancea, and you are seven sons. Let this mountains be yours for ever, and everyone from you shall take one!".

The legendary Medium Age Ruler Stephen The Great is living even today in the popular tradition

The legend doesn't say anymore about the hills of Vrancea, which are much more attractive to me due to the huge vineyards. The economy of the district mainly relies on wine, there are many vineyards and many producers, very proud  of their wines, and very temperamental when it comes to them. There are little, medium and big producers, and everyone is happy receiving guests for tasting, harvesting and other occasions. In Focsani, Panciu, Odobesti are to find bigger companies for processing wines. My tip: go for a tasting first to a medium producer, and afterwards to a big one, in order to compare it. The medium one is friendlier, but the big one has more sorts of wine. And never forget the posibility to go wild on harvesting, which has just begun.

Wine tastings in Vrancea are not very expensive, but highly reommendable

Also in Medium Age is good to know, that there were 3 Romanian countries: Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia (The Romanian Country). The Vrancea County was on the intersection of all these provinces. The border between Moldavia and Wallachia was even in Focsani, and because if this fact we had two Focsani towns, one in Moldavia and one in Wallachia. This artificial border could not resist, it was maybe comparable with the situation of Berlin after WWII. When in 1859 Moldavia and Wallachia unified, there were some voices asking Focsani to be the Capital of the new founded Romania, but Bucharest was finally preferred. Now Bucharest hosts 2 Millions people, and Focsani is a province town with 70 000 inhabitants. This is history, but I can't help myself figuring the town Focsani where I live as the Romanian Capital!

There are many sorts of noble excellent wines in Vrancea, and is not an easy task to choice the best of them. The women would choice without any doubt The Champagne from Panciu as the best Romanian Wine. They could also prefer a desert wine, a Muscat Ottonel from Cotesti. But what would choice the males?

Well, many of them would prefer a red wine, e.g. Babeasca (The Old Maid wine), which is a rich, tasty, halfdry Red, recommended for accompanying meat and hunt. The Babeasca from Odobesti 2005 is really one of the Best Romanian Wines.

I have so many to tell you about the Vrancea County,its myths and legends, its wines, but I will spare your time for now. Maybe I will continue in a future post. Meanwhile, I wait for your comments and reservations.

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Wine tasting for honeymooners
Usually, a normal person, doesn't think to go on wine tasting during the honey moon. I don't agree this, as I made myself my honey moon on tasting, 22 years ago. It was really great, and if you think deeper you'll understand why!

A lover enjoys life, and a wine taster does the same thing! That mean, that this very important thing really match together. Not only me, but also other pairs of lovers experienced this unusual combination and found it to be fantastic indeed.

First of all, get a little room somewhere in the vineyard. Must be comfy, and not necessary isolated. I can arrange the stay in the Romanian vineyards, no problem, you are in the right hands! Further, go every day for a wine tasting during in the neighborhood. Walk or run through the vineyard, lie on the grass and simply feel the energy of the Earth. Open all your chakras, it is simply fantastic. Enjoy every minute, enjoy your lover, enjoy the life and the Universe!

I would recommend for the honeymooners that the man drinks(or tastes) mainly red wines, and the bride mainly white wine. It has much to do with the yin and yang principles!
Believe, it is nothing more romantic! My marriage still holds, as we have the good start! And the happy honeymooners from April could get a special surprise, an orthodox church ceremony!
 

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