Category: Romania
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A murder in Romania hits close to home
Sunbeams burst through the fog that nestled among the fields and groves along a rural, two-lane road in southern Romania. On this early morning I was headed to the airport several hours away. Normally my car was loaded with three carseats and rowdy kids. On this day I felt the infrequent release of freedom that…
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Willtravelwithkids – on Travel with Rick Steves!
This week Travel with Rick Steves, my favorite travel podcast/radio show, featured a phone call with Heidi in San Diego! When we lived in Romania, I signed up for Rick’s monthly newsletter. In the letter they include information on upcoming recording sessions. In one letter, Rick was looking for callers who had stories to share…
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Forgotten Names in Romania
I have forgotten her name. I woke up this morning, fresh from a dream about Romania. It’s been over a year since we returned to the United States, so Romania is only a dream now. In the final months of our year-long stay in the rural south, we befriended new neighbors. These neighbors lived around…
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Elevating the Arts – Craiova, Romania
Nestled in a wide valley in south, central Romania, Craiova surprises. One of the pleasures of settling in one place for a year is being able to observe change. One of those changes in Oltenia is the effort to develop Craiova’s downtown pedestrian district. Last year we strolled the downtown and saw ramshackle, historic facades…
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It’s Easter this side of the Schism
Everything is cancelled this week. School, programs, events, regular meetings. Talk to friends, “Can you get together?” Sorry, we’re busy getting ready for Easter. What could you possibly be doing for an entire week to prepare for Easter? By default, I viewed their Easter preparations through my cultural lens. This celebration was far in the…
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A trip through the ages and around the world – Romania’s village museums
One of Romania’s most impressive cultural and educational sites is the Astra Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization in Sibiu, central Romania. Spread over more than 200 acres, it is Europe’s largest open-air museum, with historic structures- windmills, barns, churches, houses – from around the country transplanted on the lush terrain. Romania’s diverse geography necessitated equally…
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Transylvania’s Big Three – Brașov, Sighișoara, and Sibiu
First things first, a linguistics lesson. In Romanian, the ‘ș’ makes the English ‘sh’ sound. Thus, these notable Transylvanian cities are Bra-shov, Sigee-shwara, and See-bee-oo. (Bucharest, for that matter, is pronounced Bucharesht in Romanian). These cities are a huge draw to Romanian tourism and culture. Built by Germans who migrated to central Romania at the invitation of Hungarian kings between…
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The superlative fortress of Sucidava – Corabia, Romania
The road was average, until the part funded by the EU began. For now, that’s how you know where to turn to reach the Roman fortress of Sucidava – the turnoff road from the main road is paved with a new concrete curb and a surprising sidewalk (not common in these parts). If you drive…
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Ancient Dacia and Romania’s Stonehenge – Sarmizegetusa, Romania
“Sarmy . . . That place. You know what I’m talking about.” That’s how I usually started conversations about our weekend trip to Sarmizegetusa, the ancient capital of Dacia before the Romans invaded – hidden from modern civilizations, buried in the mountains, only recently found. One of only six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Romania,…
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A castle fit for the movies – Corvin Castle, Romania
As we approached the castle in our dusty station wagon, we were put off by the factories, smoke stacks and large quarry that enveloped this historic oasis. This was no Burg Eltz, tucked between forested hills on a remote outpost. Then, as we walked toward the gates, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. To…
will travel with kids 