Category: Romania
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Peleș Castle, Sinaia, Romania
Western Europe does not hold a monopoly on enchanting castles. Romania holds its own when it comes to the influence of monarchs and their illustrious abodes. In May of 1866, at a time of great tension in western Europe wherein Austria and Prussia were on the brink of war, the German Karl von Hohenzollern crossed…
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Memorializing the Night – Elie Wiesel’s boyhood home in Sighetu, Romania
In a remote corner of northern Romania, a mile from the border of Ukraine, sits a modest blue home at the intersection of two city streets. A small plaque memorializes this abode, the house whence Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and his family were deported during World War II. The home, which is now a museum, supposedly…
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The Darkest Corners on Earth
Last week, as I picked up my children from the play area at a mall in southern Romania, a couple walked out of the large play place with their adult daughter. It was apparent the daughter had thoroughly enjoyed herself. I almost cried for joy as my girls noticed her awkward gait. “She is SO…
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The Whole Picture
One morning last week I was trying to find the perfect vantage point to capture a photo of Biertan’s famous fortified church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Romania’s Transylvania region. The right angle and elevation would allow me to focus on the church without distracting visual noise – street signs, electric wires, antennas, etc.…
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Not stroller-confined – hiking in Transylvania
Unless you have been reading willtravelwithkids since its inception over three years ago, you probably missed the post about confining kids to strollers on outings. This week I’m in Transylvania, interspersing language school with adventurous outings in the area around Sibiu. This afternoon, during a secluded hike meandering with the children along a groomed path…
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Snapshots of Romania
As I mentioned in the previous post, we have now been in Romania over a month. We have also had the opportunity to travel across the country, from the Black Sea to the mountains, from the southern plains to the traffic-ridden capital, Bucharest. Summer is in full swing. I look forward to capturing snapshots throughout…
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First month in Romania – What I learned in June
At some point at the end of May we arrived in Romania by car. Exact dates and days of the week escape me. In late spring we stored our personal possessions, threw our furnished house on Airbnb and packed up our clothes and expectations into five totelockers, two suitcases and one duffel bag. Romania met…
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From those that labor
Since arriving in Romania several weeks ago, I have been gifted with three jars of honey, several dozen fresh eggs, ten cucumbers and two jars of jam. Many people in this region are subsistence gardeners and tirelessly work their land during daylight hours. Yet, they are very generous with the fruit of that labor. I…
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“Frozen” on a rural Romanian road
Before we arrived in Romania, Romanians and foreigners alike warned us of the poor quality of the roads. After expecting the worst, I have been pleasantly surprised. Perhaps compared to more developed (and not post-communist) European countries, the roads leave much to be desired. Few markings, no shoulders, ditches and drop-offs are a hazard at…
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Not a walk in the park
Yesterday I took the kids on an evening walk after dinner. We are staying with friends who live in a village 40 minutes from where we hope to move next week. After the heat dies off and our bellies are full from dinner, an evening stroll is always a good idea. We walked a dirt…
will travel with kids 