Travels in Transylvania, Poiana Brasov

Leaving Brasov to the north, we ascended the mountains on a fresh, just rained morning, with the sun still not too fierce. I admired the different view of the town as we were leaving and hoped that I might return one day.

Now heading south west, around and over the mountains , we arrive in Poiana Brasov, a ski resort, just a few kilometres away from Brasov.

'Poiana' means a 'clearing in the woods' and there are many places in Romania which are given this name, indicating a pleasant or scenic area away from the main town or village. Campina where Richard works is an industrial oil town but Poiana Campina is a small village between Campina and Breaza which bears no relation to the bustling town, and going there is like going back in time. It even has an ancient painted monastery.

We are 1,000 metres above sea level and the mountains are still rearing up around us. It is exhilarating! This premier ski resort also attracts hikers, horse riders and mountain bikers. The temperature is a few degrees lower than in Bucharest and the air is fresh for sport and not oppressive or polluted. There is an Alpine feel about the geography and the architecture, and one of the hotels is called the  'Alpin'.

The hotel is at the side of a lake, and it feels v peaceful here.

We walked into a church,

we passed along the way

and I got down on my knees,

and I began to pray!

Well, not really, but as it was Sunday, there were several Romanian Orthodox priests in the black wooden church, and people were approaching them individually and speaking to them v quietly. One of the priests had purple robes, intricately  embroidered in gold and silver and he stood at the altar. The other priests were wearing long black robes and were attending to tasks around the church between talking to parishioners or petitioners. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, and one felt that the private conversations were positive in nature, whatever they were. I felt quite comfortable in the church although I am not a church goer, and the atmosphere was quite spiritual.

The church was beautifully decorated with chandeliers and precious metal icons icons, but it would have been too intrusive to take photographs.

I went to look at some craft stalls and among the tat was a glassware stall with hand decorated glasses. The owners, husband and wife, Vali and Andrea have  studied glassmaking and have travelled to Murano for ideas. The glasses themselves are not exceptional, but they are all decorated by hand. I was spoiled for choice, but chose a design and bought 6 glasses and a jug to match.  I thought that they would be v good for Sangria with my friends! If you look at the website,

www.andrecristal.ro    and go to page 6, the glasses are right in the middle and are opaque at the bottom and embellished with 10 carat gold apparently! Vali told me how he decorated them, but something was lost in translation. I got 'hand wash only'  though.

While Vali was wrapping the glasses securely, so that I could safely take them home on the plane, I chatted to Andrea about Venice, Venetian glass jewellry, Bucharest and Sunderland, (there is a world class glass exhibition space there on the beach, which you enter walking over glass through which you can see the  exhibition beneath). She also mentioned an anniversary called 'Stone House' in Romania. I haven't been able to find anything else about it yet , but found a Romanian video about stone houses which is interesting and typical of scenes in the countryside.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUoiJuI2M6o

I hope that people are enjoying my blog. Pleas let me know and ask any questions about Romania while I am still here.

Pa 

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Visine

Visine, pronounced, Visheena are widely eaten in Romania, in jam, (gem), extra jam, (confiture), yoghurts,(Danone), pancakes, (a pleasure yet to be experienced), and drinks like Florentino.

Have a look for yourselves.

Images for visine fructe

I wonder if Danone yoghurts in the UK have visine flavoured variety? If not , they should because  they taste delicious.

NOW it is Siesta time, pa pa.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I can hear bees humming,  flies buzzing, cocks crowing, birds singing and dogs barking. When the dogs stop barking i.e., when it gets too hot, I can hear the tapping of woodpeckers on the old trees. They are attractive birds, as are Jays, but the jays make an irritating screeching noise, once heard, never forgotten.

The scents in the garden are honeysuckle and wispy vapours of smoke from the many BBQs in the surrounding gardens.

Richard has just had a G&T, and I made myself a cocktail with Romanian demi sec wine, Florentino and lemonade over ice. I bought the Florentino yesterday as I noticed that it was made with Visine, the small 'cherries'. I have looked everywhere for cassis to make Kir without success and I am glad that I've discovered this liqueur as it is delicious, with a sour cherry taste.

Richard is now reading and relaxing in the hammock, in the shade of the mature trees which allow dappled sunlight through.

For anyone who has not had the pleasure, laying in a hammock is sooo relaxing. You feel held and safe and cocooned, and gazing up at the leaves, almost remember being a baby outside in a pram for an afternoon nap. I want one for Christmas!

It is a Public Holiday for Mary's Assumption into Heaven tomorrow, so this Sunday is more relaxing than most. A reliable source has told me that there is a St Anna Maria's day, but no-one gets a day off work!

Siesta time    AM

Zacusca & Salate de Vinete

The veg spread to die for is called Zacusca, and the aubergine spread is tasty as well. For brunch today, I had zacusca on wholemeal toast rubbed with garlic and topped with sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced giant purple spring onions. Delicious!

Here is a recipe.  Zacusca is usually served as a snack, and is good with warm focaccia bread as a starter.For any gardeners with a glut of courgettes, they can be included in the recipe, or mushrooms may be added as in the Transylvanian version. For any  vegetarians, you can serve Zacusca on rice, or with polenta (mamaliga in Romanian), in which case, a chunkier version would taste better.

foodandwineblog.com/2009/01/01/romanian-zacusca-recipe/ - Cached

See for yourself how versatile zacusa can be. It is so morish that it could well be more than one of your 5 a day!

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=zacusca&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=695&prm
d=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lLdHTtDYEoPIswap8My4Bw&sqi=2&ved=0CE8QsAQ


For anyone interested in the aubergine dip/spread, here is a Romanian recipe, but there are lots of other versions from other countries. Aubergines grow v well here and always look attractively plump at the market with their silky dark skins shining in the hot sun.........eat me, eat me.

www.food.com/.../eggplant-aubergine-appetizer-romanian-style-vin... - Cached

If anyone is adventurous enough to try the recipes, please let me know if you enjoyed dips.

Pofta Buna as they say in Romania, bon appetit!

Take me to the Bridge!

I've come all the way to Romania to discover the Craig Charles Funk n' Soul Show. It makes me wanna get up and dance!

The live show from the Big Chill is great and has a fantastic rendition of 'Mercy' on it. There's James Brown and other treats, and the most famous and expensive Northern Soul record gets an airing; Frank Wilson, singing 'Do I Love You?', yes I do!


Hurry, there's only 2 days left on i player!

PS try this from a band from Moldova  http://youtu.be/pj7XbHNKzPs

Happy listening!        AM

Brasov, Transylvania, continued.

The air in Brasov is is as fresh as a cool drink of water on a hot day. The historic quarter nestles on the lower slopes of the moutains, and you cannot help but wonder at the grandeur of nature all around.

It is sad to think that the original inhabitants were invaded frequently and forced to pay to enter the gate to their own city to sell their goods.

In recent years, the 1960's, the Communist regime forces thousands of people from Moldovia to work in  new factories in Brasov, changing the nature of Brasov and converting it into a large city. Luckily, the old town remains more or less intact, and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

In November 1987, discontent by workers from a Brasov factory manufacturing trucks, lead to demonstrations and riots against the regime and it's leader and self titled  'President',  Nicolae Ceaucescu. 

Ceaucescu's policies had led to years of rationing and shortages of goods and food, and when the Brasov workers were told that 15,000 out of 20,000 of them would be laid off, they took to the streets shouting 'down with Communism' and 'down with Ceaucescu'. This was one of the key events in Romania which led to the overthrow of Ceaucescu and Communism with him, in 1989.

The threatened deportation of an Hungarian priest in the town of Timisoara was the final catalyst for revolution. .As his parishioners surrounded him to protect him,  passers-by  and students joined in the cause. The unrest and dissatisfaction of the populace, with Ceaucescu and his policies keeping the people poor and hungry, while a few officials and cronies lived off the fat of the land, and spent public money demolishing servicable buildings, so that Boulevards in the French style could be built, accredited to Ceaucescu, had taken it's toll. The peasants couldn't eat the replica of the Arc de Triomphe, and the vast majority would never visit Bucharest to see it, when they were living hand to mouth.

In Brasov in 1989, 'revolutionaries' were gunned down mercilessly, including a young girl in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the Volksbank Building still bears the scars.

R.I.P.

Today, Brasov is a magnet for 'Bucharest Millionaires', Skiers, and tourists. The fresh air is a draw for city inhabitants and tourists alike, in Summer and Winter. The picturesque setting of ancient Brasov, nestling beneath the statuesque mountain slopes covered with evergreen trees, is a delight to the eyes in the sun, snow, and even the rain, such is it's magnificance.

A swanky bar where Rich sat happily for an hour while I went in every shop (nearly), in the street at the 'T junction at the building on the right. The mountains just soar upwards at the end of the street, and when you are near them, you cannot see where they end.

We ate in a cellar restaurant called Bella Musica which serves local, Hungarian and Mexican (!)food.

I decided to try Mexican as a change from Romanian food, then was disapointed wnen I saw someone getting Hungarian soup served in a round loaf of bread as it looked delicious.

The Bella Musica has a music menu, and diners are encouraged to choose from it. I liked the sound of Beatles love songs while Rich liked Leonard Cohen, but we compromised on 'Buena Vista Social Club'. After about 3 numbers,the music changed to Noray Jones , someone else's choice. I think having a music menu is a good idea, but should probably be changed regularly and not include 'Bat out of Hell' unless it is v busy.

An art nouveau restaurant in the French style which we did not manage to visit. There was also a restaurant opposie this one which served fondues. The food in  Brasov is from varying cuisines, and is better than in the average Romanian restaurant. We may have to visit Brasov again as it has a lot to offer.

We ended the still warm evening in one of the cafe bars where I had hot chocolate and blackcurrant, which was delicious, and gave us a breather before we tackled the lower mountain slopes up to the hotel and Bedfordshire.

For any traveller to Romania, I would definitely recommend putting Brasov on the itinerary.

I hope that people enjoy the mixture of tourism and history as I do. I am always interested in the history compared to the modern day culture in the places that I visit as well as the obvious tourist attractions.

Signing off for now,  AM

An evening in Brasov

The Kolping hotel has an Alpine look about it and our room backed onto the mountain itself with pines soaring upwards with their tops in the clouds.

After the rain.

Brasov Historic Quarter from the hotel terrace.

A traditional beer hall or Hanul.

The Black Church is top left.

The Biserica Neagra, or Black Church took a century to build and was completed in 1477. It is gothic in style, and is the largest church between Vienna and Istanbul. The church organ has 4000 pipes and is still played at regular recitals. The church gets it's name  from it's soot blackened walls after the Austrian Army started a great fire in Brasov in 1689.

The Black Church spire in the centre of the photo. The restaurant Bella Musica is on the right.

The Black Church clock tower.

A smaller church with a crucifix along the side wall.

Further down the side street we spent a pleasant half hour relaxing. Richard wanted a beer I said 'I want that one, pointing at someone else's drink which was a light pink colour. We were told it was Limonada, and made the pleasant discovery that homemade lemonade had fresh strawberries whizzed into it, then crushed ice. It was perfect for the day, and the bar playedsome interesting laid back jazz.

The bar with pink lemonade.

More later, pa pa!