Romanian Festivals in 2013 (part III)

October Festivals

 Bran, tree days by the beginning
 The Ancient Celebration of Sheepherds Comeback turns nowadays in a big Festival with lots of food and drinks.

The St Parascheva Church in Iasi is the main target for October

Sibiu, by the middle of the month, but only during the even years: The Movie Festival Astra
Iasi, one week long, by the middle of the month, The Iasi Festival, consisting on a traditional folklore Festival, but also on a church pilgrimage (The Saint Parascheva is the protector of the entire Moldavia). Many visitors, the city and its hotels are overbooked and overcrowded.
Bucharest, the last week, The Bucharest Festival, due to celebration of Saint Dumitru, the protector of the city.

November Festivals

Focsani, the second week: The Vineyard and Wine Festival

The peacefull town of Focsani is in the middle of big vineyard and hosts every Autumn a Wine Festival

Brasov, the third week, The festival of the Romanian and other minorities traditions
Timisoara: The Beer Festival. Yes, you can find in Romania good , even excellent, sorts of beer and become a beer sommelier. In Timisoara the beer production started 300 years ago, and they know what they do indeed.
Odobesti (Vrancea), the last week : The Vrancea Sheepherds Festival, with grill all over the streets. Don't miss the delicious smoked pemmican, which is not soft, and pairs the best with an easy, sweet and young wine (Must).

A cave in Odobesti, don't be shy when drinking, we have some reserves

December Festival

The 1st December is the National Day, and in some places is celebrated with military parades. Best cities to take part are Bucharest or Alba Iulia
Bucharest,the Middle of the month, one week long, The International Theatre Festival
Bucharest, the week before Christmas: Carols and other songs and traditions on Christmas
Tulcea-The Winter festival
Sighetu Marmatiei (Maramures): The Winter Festival (local winter folklore)

Important mention: the December Festivals are also organized this year,  and if you hurry up, you can catch them, keep in touch for it.

Important observation: during the summer months there are more festivals than in winter, and anyone can explain it, the conditions are much more favorable.

Read more »

Must see in Romania: Sibiu

Maybe not the biggest, but one of the nicest and most important cities not only in Romania, but in the all Europe, Sibiu was elected 2007 (together with Luxemburg) the European Cultural Capital, thus becoming even more popular as a tourist destination

Panoramic view of Downtown Sibiu; far behind, the peak Moldoveanu, Romanian highest, a favorite target for the trekkers

Sibiu has a rich history. It lies on Cibin River, and the Roman fortress in the area was called Castrum Cibinensis, but the first human settlements go back to the Halstatt age. In the XIIth century Sibiu (German Hermannstadt, Hungarian Nagyszeben) appears for the first time in a written document. After a massive German colonisation promoted by the Hungarians, Sibiu became a flourishing city, with 19 guilds, everyone of it having its own tower (not all preserved up to today). The German architecture is still present in the Downtown (divided in Upper Town and the literally Downtown), you will feel transported in Middle Age, somewhere in Germania or Austria!

The City Hall of Sibiu and the Bruckental Museum

The numerous German population was a majority, observed already to the first census after Reunification with Romania, from 1918. But during the WWII the German population decreased, and nowadays only counts 3 % of the total population. In the Ceausescu time, the communist regime promoted the Emmigration, the Germans were the best ware for Ceausescu export. Today, the Romanian population deeply regrets the lacking of germans and warmly welcomes they back. Amazingly, the Mayor of Sibiu is the repesentative of this minority ( Klaus Johannis is very beloved, competent, and was reelected more times).

Group of Norwegian tourists and guide Kjell Hagbarts in Downtown Sibiu

Due to its status as European Capital of Culture, Sibiu experienced a boom in building sector. Toghether with the German investments, results in a very prosperous city. Really a place to visit, and even one to live (according Forbes!). Don't miss Sibiu while in Romania!

Crama Sibiul vechi offers traditional Romanian meals

There is no time to boring in Sibiu, there are so many things to do. Walk in the Centre, from Piata Mica through Piata Huet to Piata Mare, observe the wonderful City Hall, fresh redecorated, of course. If you are an art  and culture freak, don't miss the Bruckenthal Museum, near City Hall. Walk further, near Hotel Imparatul Romanilor, the city's most atractive place to spend the night(s). Further, on Nicolae Balcescu Street, you find a lot of cafes and fancy boutiques, it is the city's most chic and expensive one. And if you are tired, I can recommend a Romanian restaurant checked by myself, with a group of Norwegian tourists, Crama Sibiul Vechi, offering traditional menu, while the waiters wear traditional suit!

If you have more time to spend in Sibiu, visit also the Museum Astra of rural civilization. If you are lucky enough, you will meet couples wedding in the church, or other folkloric festivals.

Read more »

The Romanian Dracula  Tour

The historic truth served as a base for a well known novel of Bram Stoker . There was a Wallachian ruler called Vlad Tepes (The Impaler) who was a very cruel man, his favorite execution method being the impalement. He hated the Turks and strongly fought against them, being celebrate as an athlete of Christianity and being supported even by the Pope.

Vlad Tepes The Impaler, also called Dracula, was cruel, severe, but right and fair, according to Romanian myths and legends

He had no trust in the local influent big boyars, who betrayed his father. These categories of enemies of Vlad Tepes gave him the unhappy opportunities to execute many of them. In the Romanian myths and legends, Vlad Tepes has been portrayed as a right, but severe ruler. His opened mass executions freightened even the big Sultan Mehmet II The Conqueror, coming to Wallachia to cash his tribute or kill Vlad Tepes. So, Mehmet II lost his temper and gone back, when seeing terrible scenes of impaled Turks ( a slow difficult death).

Starting from this truth, Bram Stroker's Novel made from Dracula a world symbol of horror, which is a terrible mistification. But we shall also marketing the Dracula legacy! And I gathered in this Romanian Dracula Tour everything which can remember the life and rule of Vlad Tepes Impaler.

Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, and a well preserved medieval fortress

Day 1 Sighisoara in Transilvania is the birth place of Vlad Tepes The Impaler. The town of Sighisoara is even nowadays a very well preserved medieval fortress, and many buildings look in the same way they did a few centuries ago, during Tepes childhood. Stay a day there, walk and look the traces of Dracula. Wine tasting in Jidvei possible, and even probable.

The Bran Castle has many in common with Dracula  and makes a good marketing and publicity for it

Day 2 Travel to Cabana Fantanele, a mountain chalet, where Dracula used to refugiate, and Bran Castle, where you can find a torture room and the genuine atmosphere of the old times. You are supposed to eat a lot of garlic during all the day, in order to keep the Devil away (The Romanian Dracula originates from Dracu, or Devil). Not recommended for people with heart diseases, and only possible with a prescription from you Physician.

The Monastery of Snagov  hosts, according the legend,  the tomb  of Dracula

Day 3 Travel to Bucharest and visit the Monastery of Snagov, where according to the legend Vlad Tepes the Impaler was buried. This is again a mistification, he lies most probably in Comana monastery! Besides, you can visit other nice places in Bucharest or one of its wine tasting rooms.
.

Read more »

Romanian Wine Cocktails

You must know and be aware of the wine based cocktails, as you may know as professional or simply skilled wine fan. I am also very fond of cocktails, and other mates of me here in Romania also do! We make them mainly, but not exclusively, during hot summer days, when it is not allowed to drink the wine dried or at room temperature, as the sommelier recommend!

We use here in Romania as cocktail bases natural sweet wines or sweet liqueur wines, and you must know some great wines as Porto, Madera, Marsala, Jerez, as also some other grand vins or grand cru. It is also possible to use Champagne for the cocktails, I am sure you already know this trick.  I adapted the receipes you know to the Romanian particular conditions, getting some amazing results, which I would like to share with you.

During the summer hot days it is not advisable to drink wine dried.

1. Cocktail Busuioaca
Use the following ingredients:
-ice cubes, the half of the shaker
-60 ml fresh orange juice
-30 ml fresh lemon juice
-100 ml Busuioaca de Bohotin
-1 teaspoonful of white rhum

Mix only by hand, well agitating the shaker, until you get an homogenuos drink, and add last the rhum, for a guaranteed success. The result is a long drink, tasting sweety and fruity.

Red wine based cocktail, the wine is Feteasca (girl wine). Indicated for ladies, if drunked by the men!

2.Cocktail Cotnari
Ingredients:
-ice cubes, 1/4 of the shaker
-20 ml exquisite cognac
-20 ml Curacao orange
-60 ml Blanc Cotnari (made by VINARTE SA)
-2 traits Angostura bitter
In order to get a refreshing long drink, you only may to mix 5-6 seconds long

White wine and orange cocktail, with a lot of ice, of course

3. Cocktail Dealu Mare cooler
-ice cubes, 1/4 of the shaker
-20 ml lemon juice
-20 ml exquisite cognac
-100 ml Feteasca Neagra from Dealu Mare (dark red wine)
-complete with soda or sparkling mineral water, or even with ginger ale or lemonlike drinks ( taste matter).
Stir for 10-12 seconds long and get a long soft drink, and decorate with a lemon spiral.

Which is your poisson?

Tell me please your opinions and other receipes or secret tricks you may have.

Read more »

Best time for a Romanian vacation

Which is the best time for visiting Romania? Which is best time for a wine tasting? There are a lot of opened questions about the unknown Romania, about its wine and its people. I am going to try to give you some answers to these questions, as you must be aware and get more from your Romania trip.

Wine tasting is in my opinion a part of any  Romania trip

When it comes to wine and wine tasting, any season is advisable, as I already discussed. But, broadly speaking, what about Romania and the best time for visiting it?

First of all, depends on you and on your vacation schedules. There is no way to quit a job for a trip to Romania (don't do like me, I quitted a job for visiting Rome!). Bear in mind that Romania has huge differences between seasons, due to its continental-temperate climate (very important: the 45 degrees of northern latitude crosses through Romania. Why should this latitude be so important? It marks the half of the distance between Equator and the North Pole, the most extreme climates of the world). In spring and autumn there are strong winds; on the other hand winter ans summer are getting longer due to global heating. In summer of the last years have been registered temperature of 40 degrees Celsius; also very unusual, the Black Sea froze. But the width of Romania, the diversity of its forms of relief and the diversity of its folkloric festivals are almost a guarantee of a high quality vacation in any season.

The winter is tough in hills and mountains and a paradise for the skiers. The snowy villages are superb under a blue clear sky, while the houses and the animals smoke. The hot soups, boiling wine or brandy will warm you up. Unfortunately, the closed roads will not allow to discover the remote villages, which are by far  the most interesting. On Christmas and New Year you have the unique opportunity to see some very interesting and picturesque customs, coming from the ancestors. Also a good occasion for the families to stay together, and have traditional meals, sprinkled with wine. A wine tasting in winter is unforgettable, and sometimes even necessary to warm you up.

The winter as you like in the pictures!

The summer is the best time for discovering mountains, while the life in Bucharest is almost unbearable. It is maybe the peak season, if you allow me a cliche! The seaside is full of people, while other groups are simply invading the cities of Transilvania, Bucovina, Danube Delta and Maramures. But you must be very careful and book in advance for a hotel room.

The Summer in the romanian Carpathians

The spring means Valentines, field flowers invading gardens, and orchard in hills and mountains. The singing birds start their concert and the people clean their homes. It is maybe the best time for discovering the cities, as the blocks disappear behind the trees in blossom. Billions of birds from the all world come back in Danube Delta. Also important for Eastern, the biggest orthodox celebration.

The Spring in Romania means a total resurection 

The autumn is very cute and picturesque, mainly in the mountains, when the forest is literally on fire due to falling leaves, which take very different colors. Harvesting time, inclusive for the grapes, which will do an excellent opportunity for wine tasting.

For a skilled photograph, the autumn is by far the most beautiful season

Read more »