Fascinating Romania

A story about the simplicity of life

Clocks are running slower in Romania. Sometimes they even seem to stand still. Life is moving at a different pace. A different pace than what you are used to from western countries. Despite being a country located in Europe I do see lots of similarities to African countries. And that is not meant in a negative way. Those who have been following me for longer do know that I love the African continent.

People take their time to greet the neighbor. They care about you. Ask how you are doing and help you if you’re not well. Countrysides still shine in their pristine appearances and villages are cut off from civilization.

Before being fascinated by Africa I was mesmerized by the beauty of Romania.

My parents moved in 1990 from the country of Romania to Germany. Two years before I was born. In the following years, we would travel every few years back to their home towns. I loved these trips. As a child. And as a teenager.

My last trip to Romania was in 2012. And I was the one initiating it. Despite being a grown-up I wanted to do this trip with my family. I wanted to go back to Romania. I wanted to see the countryside. I wanted to see the country with grown-up eyes. It has been six years since I saw it last. A lot has changed in Romania. And I had changed a lot.

Traffic in Romania

One difference was that I was allowed to drive. I had my driver’s license for one year so far. But my dad allowed me to drive on this trip. A lot. Later on, he said this was when I really learned to drive.

Traffic rules in Romania are a lot different than the ones in Germany. One of the main rules I learned is that the stronger one wins. Meaning if a truck is driving towards you on your lane you rather drive off the road. Because he is just going to drive over you.

It just seemed like time was standing still here. For a few decades. Maybe even a few hundred years. Not much of the modern world has arrived in those villages we drove through. Civilization is much further back.

Food stalls

People selling food and hand made goods on the streets. I loved those stalls. If it would have been about me we would have stopped at every single one of them.

Looking at these pictures now I do think they remind me a lot to food stalls in Africa or Southeast Asia. There might be different food stalls in each country. But its the same principle.

In Romania you would obviously get lots of onions and garlic on those stalls. Next to fresh vegetables like tomatoes and red pepper.

The connection

I never lived there. In Romania. Yet I had and still have a special connection to the country. I love wandering through the streets of unknown villages. Greeting women looking out of their window and watching men passing by on horse carts.

Sometimes I do feel more Romanian than German. Maybe because I want to have a closer connection to the country my parents grew up in. Maybe because in some ways I am different than a typical German. Maybe because I think differently.

Or just because of the love for this fascinating country.

While I was going through this folder of photographs I started to plan my next trip to Romania. I have to go. I am sure the country has changed a lot within the past eight years, yet I do have a strong desire to go back there.

A strong culture

Those views from castles and churches. They are unique. Each and every one of them. The buildings are impressive. Old castles are still able to be visited. Churches in spectacular architecture are to be seen in every small village.

Some of these castles are high up in the mountains. Only accessible through a long hike. But it is definitely worth the effort to go up there. Old German heritage is to be seen in those castles and churches.

A group of German Migrants moved to the area of Transylvania over a thousand years ago. They build up their own towns, created a language and their very own culture. That is where I come from. From these travelers.

Traveling through the beautiful area of Transylvania we were visiting friends of my parents and talking to those few people who stayed behind. Because most of them actually moved to Germany after the opening of the borders in 1990.

What stays behind are the architectural masterpieces of their culture.

Nature

The next time I go back to Romania I want to see more of its nature. Nature in Romania is still raw. Pristine. Untouched. There are areas that remind you of the alps. Just less visited. With rougher hiking trails, more animals, and fewer people.

There are landscapes that look like you’re on the moon. Romania has some very unique volcanoes to offer. Temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius are not uncommon.

The more you drive off the main roads the more you get to see the old Romanian traditions. Back roads leading to small villages with barely any cars driving through.

Chicken are to be seen in every single back yard. The income for the family. Food and or money.

Dogs in Romania

Street dogs are actually a real problem in the country. It’s just too many of them. They are everywhere. In the forests, in the cities, and on the roads. Some of them so desperate for food that they will attack your car.

This one is part of the city garden. Just looking good. Cooling down in the shade. Escaping the heat of the day.

And this one represents one of many I had to avoid when driving. They won’t move. If he sits on the road you have to drive around him. It’s his spot. Right there.

I loved the simplicity of life. People were never in a rush. I didn’t see them running through the cities like I do all the time in Germany. They just walk their pace. They arrive whenever they get there.

One of the last days on our trip I love to think back at is when I went together with my dad into the mountains. It was him with a friend. And me with my camera. I made the fire for lunch. We chose a quiet spot next to a river. It was a hot day and we went several times into the water to cool down.

This is what I want to do more next time when I go to Romania. Spent more time outdoors. Go hiking. Camping. And simply be in nature.