I was in Romania in July/August of 2008 with my oldest son and the Water Polo team he is part of. The kids played Water Polo against Romanian teams and a team from Qatar. We spent most of our time touring Bucharest, Walachia, and Transylvania. Bucharest is the capital and Walachia and Transylvania are the two largest provinces. I have to admit I did not expect that much, but Oh Boy, was I surprised. There are far more interesting things to see and do in Romania than I expected. The Waterpolo coach is a Romanian native and that helped since not everyone speaks English well in Romania (sorry I am comparing with Scandinavia). However, more importantly, he made Romania’s history and culture come alive and he gave us all an amazing experience. Romania’s past is very tumultuous and he was part of it. He was one of the demonstrators against Ceausescu at the Palace Square/Revolution Square and he was shot at by snipers, 2,000 died. He also sat in labor camps as a kid.

Bucharest is also called the Paris of East, and it did remind me a lot of Paris, and to a certain degree of Rome. In Bucharest there are many interesting sights to see. Among my favorites were the Village Museum, the Art Museum, the Revolution Square, the old City, and above all the Palace of the Parliament. The Palace of Parliament is a beautiful and enormous Palace that dwarfs Versaille. It is the largest administrative building in the World. It is as large as a few football stadiums but filled with marble, art, pure gold, and expensive decorations. I did not even know that such a building existed until I saw it, and I was in awe. Since the Romanian people paid heavily for the building of the Palace it is also called the People’s Palace (Casa Poporului). Other sights I enjoyed in Bucharest were the Romanian Athenaeum, Unirii Avenue, Stavropoleos Church, Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral, and the University of Bucharest. Bucharest probably also has one of Europes most interesting night life (but we did not really try that).

We also did a lot of things Dracula (Vlad III Tepes). We visited his grave at the Snagov Monestary on the Island in the Snagov Lake, and Sighisoara where he was born, as well as the Bran Castle and the Poenari Castle. In Sighisoara we stayed at the world famous Hotel where Dracula was born (Prince Charles also stayed there) and we befriended the owner of the Hotel (a woman). She took us on sightseeing tours, washed our clothes for free, had dinner with us and gave us free Palinca. Now, how many hotel owners do that? Romanians are friendly and also seem to like Americans (and Swedes too).

The Bran Castle was fun to see but it is not Draculas real Castle and it is sort of a tourist ploy. It was fun, and we enjoyed it, but it was a little bit “Disney World” with a Dracula Theme. What I found more interesting was the Poenari Castle. It is more remote, is partially in ruins, and hard to get to (you have to climb 1,500 steps). However, it is Dracula’s real castle and historically quite interesting. The Poenari Castle was also one of the places that the Discovery Channel examined when filming “The Worlds most Haunted Places”. It was the only place that the crew fled from in terror during the night (I saw that episode).

We also visited and stayed on the country side and the extremely beautiful cities of Brasov and Sibiu. Sibiu was named the cultural capital of Europe in 2007. I think Brasov and Sibiu are the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. The kids seemed to like Sibiu the most. The Transylvanian Alps are astounding; tall, beautiful, and rising like a dark and imposing wall over the landscape. We visited the beautiful Balea Lac (resort for extreme skiing) and climbed a few Mountains. Other things I enjoyed were the huge salt mine (unirea), the Caraiman Mountain with the Giant Cross, Curtea de Arges, and the Peles Castle.

I tasted some unique and delicious dishes that I don’t remember the name of. However, I do remember Mamaliga (deliciously prepared corn mush) and Mititei (like big oval meatballs). Mititei and a cold beer and Palinca, and you are in heaven. In Sighisoara I also tasted fried brain which tasted good, but I could not take my mind off what I was eating. In Sighisoara we also purchased some really good Palinca. Palinca is strong spirits with a fruity and slightly sweet taste that hides the alcohol well.

One thing to keep in mind is that Romanian commerce is largely cash based. Credit Cards are often not accepted; however, ATM machines work with American cards and are plentiful. Another thing to keep in mind is that Leu (Lei plural) is the most used currency (Euro used somewhat) and you cannot change Lei back to dollars when you come back to the United States.

That was a long story, but as you can see I really enjoyed my self. I have travelled a lot, but I think Romania was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. What a lovely surprise, what a blast!