C & C globetrotting around the world…

Cluj-Napoca is where Cecilia’s dad is born and where we have fond memories. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time to spend there, but we saw Cecilia’s godmother with her family as well as some friends. We also went to the grandparents’ graves, an important part of every visit to Cluj.

The Roman Empire conquered Dacia in AD 101 and 106, during the rule of Trajan, and the Roman settlement Napoca, established thereafter, is recorded on a milestone discovered near the city. Like the rest of Transylvania, Cluj changed hands over the years between the Hungarians, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Romanians. The city is considered the unofficial capital to the historical province of Transylvania. Actually, in 1790–1848 and 1861–1867, it was the official capital of the Grand Principality of Transylvania.

The city spreads out from St. Michael’s Church in Unirii Square, built in the 14th century in the Gothic style of that period and named after the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Cluj-Napoca. It was only in the 19th century that the neogothic tower of the church was erected; it remains the tallest church tower in Romania to this day. It is also the oldest and most representative gothic-style building in the country. In front of the church is the equestrian statue of Matthias Corvinus, erected in honour of the locally-born king of Hungary.

Today, the city is one of the most important academic, cultural, industrial and business centres in Romania. Among other institutions, it hosts the country’s largest university, Babeş-Bolyai University, where Cecilia’s dad studied. Approximately 50,000 Hungarians live in Cluj-Napoca. The city is home to the second-largest urban Hungarian community in Romania (after Targu Mures).

Cluj has lots of history and culture, as well as very beautiful Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo buildings everywhere.

The name Transylvania comes from Medieval Latin when it was called “ultra silvam”, meaning “beyond the forest”. The German name Siebenbürgen means “seven fortresses”, after the seven (ethnic German) Transylvanian Saxons’ cities in the region.

Transylvania has been dominated by several different peoples and countries throughout its history. It was once the nucleus of the Kingdom of Dacia (82 BC–106 AD). In 106 AD the Roman Empire conquered the territory, systematically exploiting its resources. After the Roman legions withdrew in 271 AD, it was overrun by a succession of various tribes. The Hungarians conquered much of Central Europe at the end of the 9th century. The Habsburgs acquired the territory shortly after the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The Principality of Transylvania was abolished in 1687 and its territory was absorbed into the Hungarian part of the newly established Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following defeat in World War I, Austria-Hungary disintegrated. The ethnic Romanian majority in Transylvania elected representatives, who then proclaimed Union with Romania on December 1, 1918. Two years later the Treaty of Trianon established a new border between Romania and Hungary, leaving the whole of Transylvania within the Romanian state. Hungary protested against the new border, as over 1,600,000 Hungarian people were living on the Romanian side of the border. In August 1940, in the midst of World War II, Hungary gained about 40% of Transylvania with the aid of Germany and Italy. That territory was assigned back to Romania in 1945 and this was confirmed in the 1947 Paris Peace Treaties. This is why to this day Transylvania has a mixed population of Hungarians and Romanians.

The train ride from Brasov to Cluj was nice. Transylvania’s landscape is beautiful and we saw many pretty towns and villages. We passed Rupea, Sighisoara and Mediasch, all old medieval towns.

We drove from Buzau to Brasov through the Prahova valley. We stopped in Sinaia, but unfortunately we weren’t able to visit the interiors of Peles this time either. The Peles Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, between Bucharest (and Buzau) and Brasov. It was built in the 19th century on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia. King Carol I of Romania (1839–1914), under whose reign the country gained its independence, first visited the site of the future castle in 1866 and fell in love with the magnificent mountain scenery. He had the castle built here and Peleș became the world’s first castle fully powered by locally produced electricity. Inside, all the rooms are extremely lavishly furnished and decorated to the slightest detail. The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in Eastern and Central Europe, so we hope to be able to visit it soon. For now, we have to stick to the outdoors, which are also very nice.

On the other side of Brasov, we went on a tour of fortresses in the Burzenland with Katinka and Istvan. The area around Brasov is called “Tara Barsei” (The Burzenland) and is a historic area in southeastern Transylvania with a mixed population of Germans, Romanians and Hungarians. In 1211 the region was given to the Teutonic Knights by King Andrew II of Hungary in return for guarding the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Hungary against the Turks. The Teutonic Order (Today “German Order”), was a German medieval military order. It was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals. They built forts for protection and farmed the land in the area. Since the exodus of most of the German-speaking Transylvanian Saxons in the 20th century, this region has been predominantly inhabited by Romanians, but many Hungarians remain.

We first had a delicious pick-nick with a beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains and then visited the fortress of Rasnov, situated on a cliff above the town of the same name. The town is situated on an important trade route, so invasions were common. This is why the inhabitants built the citadel around the year 1215 as a shelter against attacks from the Turks. Due to long and frequent sieges, the inhabitants had little houses and grain supplies inside the fortress. The fortress was only taken once because Gabriel Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, blocked the access to the nearby spring where the inhabitants were getting their water. Luckily the fortress was bought back a year later. From then on, the inhabitants dug a 143m-deep well into pure rock to have access to drinking water at all times. The citadel was used until the beginning of the 19^th century and is now nice to visit.

We then visited the fortress of “Harman” (“Honigberg” in German, literally “honey mountain”). Harman is known for its impressive fortress built in the 15^th century. There were 3 circular walls, two of which are still standing, as well as a moat between the first and the second wall. The interior wall is 12m high and 5m thick and has 7 towers connected through a passageway. Inside the fortress walls is a beautiful church dating back to the 13^th century. It combines a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and German masses are still held here every Sunday. There are dozens of fortified churches in the area, but Harman is one of the biggest. Its specificity is also that on the outside wall of the church there are storage rooms.

To finish off the tour, we drove to Sf. Gheorghe (“Sepsiszentgyörgy”), a city with a large majority (77%) of Székely-Hungarians. The city takes it name from Saint George, the patron of the local church. While part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the city was the economic and administrative center of the Hungarian county of Háromszék. Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the centres for the Székely people in the region known to them as Székelyföld in Hungarian – which means “Székely Land”. The city was full of people taking advantage of the beautiful spring day. We walked around the city a bit before driving back to Brasov.

We drove through the Prahova valley and arrived in Brasov in the late afternoon. Brasov is Cecilia’s hometown and she always loves to come back. She feels a certain affection to her city, although she left when she was 9 years old. The city is very beautiful and she has many fond memories and good friends here. Brasov is situated in the middle of the country, in Transylvania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains and like most cities, towns and villages in Transylvania it has a Romanian (Brasov), a Hungarian (Brasso) and a German (Kronstadt) name.

The first attested mention of Brașov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu (“Saxon Land of Baras”) in a 1252 document. The German name Kronstadt means “Crown City” and is reflected in the city’s coat of arms as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The two names of the city, Kronstadt and Corona, were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages.

The oldest traces of human activity and settlements in Brașov date back to the Neolithic age (about 9500 BCE). Traces of Dacian citadels, as well as Roman-style constructions have been found nearby. German colonists known as the Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Brașov’s development. These Germans were invited by King Géza II of Hungary to develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land of Transylvania in the 12th century. The settlers came primarily from the Rhineland, Flanders, and the Moselle region (the region around Trier). Germans living in Brașov were mainly involved in trade and crafts. The location of the city at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe, together with certain tax exemptions, allowed Saxon merchants to obtain considerable wealth and exert a strong political influence. They contributed a great deal to the architectural flavor of the city. Fortifications around the city were erected and continually expanded, with several towers maintained by different craftsmen’s guilds, according to medieval custom. All towers and 2 city gates are still in existence today.

We were very happy to see Katinka (Cecilia’s kindergarden friend) and Istvan again after almost 2 years. This week-end happens to be “Zilele Brasovului” (Brasov Days), so we watched the fireworks from our guesthouse in the old town. Later we went for dinner at “Bucatarul Vesel” (“The Happy Cook”), a restaurant with good homey food.

On the following day, we watched the “Junii Brasovului”, a 300-horse procession held on the first Sunday after the Orthodox Easter through Schei and the Old City. “Junii Brasovului” are composed of 7 groups of horse riders (each with their special costumes) to celebrate the Dacian ritual of the triumph of life over death and the beginning of spring. Katinka and Istvan joined us too and we watched the end of it together and then went for a walk through town. We first went under Tampa, the 900-m tall mountain separating the old from the new Brasov. From the promenade just outside the city wall we had a good view of the city. We then walked through “Poarta Schei” (Schei Gate) and passed the “Biserica Neagra” (Black Church). The Black Church is the symbol of Brasov and was built in 1477, when it replaced an older church. It acquired its name after being blackened by smoke from the 1689 great fire. It is the largest Gothic style church in Southeastern Europe. Originally, the Black Church was a Catholic one (named Church of Saint Mary), but the Catholic services were replaced with Lutheran ones during the Protestant Reformation in Transylvania. This Reformation was conducted by Johannes Honterus, whose statue stands next to the church. The German school and college right next to the Black Church are also named after him (Cecilia attended school here). The Black Church has a six ton bell, the biggest in Romania, an impressive 4,000 pipe organ built in 1839 which is played during weekly concerts, as well as a rich collection of Persian carpets donated in the Middle Ages by Transylvanian Saxon merchants. We then passed through “Piata Sfatului”, the main square of the city and went up to “Cetatuia Brasov” (Brasov Citadel Fortress). After lunch we had a drink in the afternoon sun on “Republicii”, the pedestrian street lined with shops and terraces in the middle. Later we visited some friends and had a yummy dinner with Cecilia’s parents.

The next day we spent visiting fortresses around Brasov and met up with friends in the evening. On our last day in Brasov, we still visited a few things in the Schei part of town. Once Brașov became a German colony in the Middle Ages, Romanians were denied several privileges by the new German settlers. They were no longer recognized as citizens of the city, and as such they were no longer able to continue to practice their crafts and operate their businesses. Therefore, they built their town, “Schei” just outside the city wall. They were allowed to come to trade on market days by paying a toll when passing through the city gates. We visited Biserica Sf. Nicolae (St. Nicholas Church) a Romanian Orthodox church dating back to the 14th century. Next to it is the First Romanian School which also contains the first Romanian printing press along with the first book printed in the Romanian language. Brasov is also notable for being the birthplace of the national anthem of Romania written and sung during the 1848 Revolution.

The old town is nice and medieval, but Brasov also has a more modern side. Industrialization was accelerated in the Communist era, with special emphasis being placed on heavy industry, attracting many workers from other parts of the country. Brașov is still a site for manufacturing trucks, agricultural tractors and machinery, hydraulic transmissions, auto parts, helicopters, building materials, tools, furniture, textiles, shoes, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. There is also a chocolate factory and a large brewery (Ciucas).

Brasov holds a special place in Cecilia’s heart, so she was very happy to be back there even if only for 3 days.

From Bucharest we took the train to Buzau, the city where Cecilia’s grandparents live. The city is not touristic at all, but there is lots of family living there and around. Orthodox Easter is a week after the Catholic Easter, so we went there to celebrate it with the grandparents. Cecilia’s parents also came to Romania to see us, so we had a nice family reunion.

Cecilia’s grandparents follow all the religious holidays and customs, so during Lent before Easter we were temporarily vegetarians. The food was still very good and Cecilia helped grandma (Buni) in the kitchen. Buni was happy about the help and to share some old recipes, so we had a good time. We went to the market with them and since Buzau has a very good market, it was fun. We also coloured eggs, an important part of Easter for us.

On Good Friday in the evening we went to church for the “Prohod” mass, the so-to-speak funeral of Christ. It is also the day for “trecerea sub masa”, the passing under the table. This is a ritual where people make a wish and pass 3 times under a table put up in the middle of the church. The cross from the altar is also taken to the middle of the church, as a symbol for the crucifixion of Christ. The “Prohod” is a 80-verse-long prayer where the congregation is split in 4 and alternates singing the prayer. After seeing and experiencing so many different cultures and rituals, we were happy to learn more about our own, hehe. Buni was happy to show us off in church to the other old ladies.

For the Romanian Easter, we always go to midnight mass because that’s when it is believed that Jesus resurrected and when the “light” is given. It was interesting for us to watch the rituals through tourist eyes. Christoph thought it was very interesting how there are many things going on at the same time in the church: people singing, while others come and go. There are also 2 priests who exit and enter the closed altar at various times, but also take donations from parishioners. Later during the day we went to the Easter mass at the Bishop’s church, where lots of priests from all over town come for this special mass. We then walked back and had lunch, the famous lamb roast. In the evening we met with some friends and went for a walk and it felt good after so much food.

During our stay in Buzau, we also went to visit some family living in the countryside. Most of them Christoph had never met and some Cecilia hadn’t seen them in a long time either. Cecilia’s cousin Dany has such a cute little son with adorable cheeks. Since then, whenever we see a cute kid, we call him Matei. People’s hospitality is really amazing and it was nice to see everyone again. We hope we can go back some day soon and stay longer. We also visited friends and it’s always a pleasure to see them.

On our last day in Buzau it was grandpa’s (Tataia’s) birthday. He was very happy to have us there for this special occasion and many relatives came to visit during the “open house” day. We also ordered cake for him and we celebrated. It was a nice closure to the 9 days spent together.

We were driven to Saarbruecken by Christoph’s parents and then took the train from there to Stuttgart. Unlike all the airports in Asia, the airport in Stuttgart didn’t have free wifi, which we were a bit disappointed about. While in Asia, many travellers asked us how it is to travel in Germany and Romania. So now we are trying to see how it is: we look for wifi, we speak English when asking for directions or buying train tickets. We flew with Blue Air, the Romanian low-cost carrier, to Bucharest, where Cecilia’s cousin was waiting for us. In the evening we went to “Centru Vechi”, the old part of town. It has been recently renovated and it’s full of bars and restaurants.

“Bucharest Citadel” was first mentioned in documents as early as 1459. Since then, it has changed hands many times. It was the seat of the Wallachian court, then came under control of the Ottoman empire before being ruled by the Habsburg Monarchy. Later, it was the Russians and then the Austrian who took control of the city. In 1862, after Wallachia and Moldavia were united to form the Principality of Romania, Bucharest became the new nation’s capital and in 1881, it became the political centre of the newly-proclaimed Kingdom of Romania under Carol I. A period of prosperity and urban development followed and it steadily consolidated its position as the centre of the Romanian politics, culture and arts. Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical (neo-classical), interbellum (Bauhaus and Art Deco), Communist-era and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city’s elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of “Little Paris” (Micul Paris). Although many buildings and districts in the historic centre were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and Nicolae Ceaușescu’s program of systematization, many survived.

The next day, we walked together with Cecilia’s cousin Dragos around in Sectorul I with its many squares and parks. Many parks have been nicely done, it was warm and the trees were blossoming, so it was really really enjoyable. From there we drove to Carol I Park, a big park with a monument for the “unknown soldier”. For dinner we went to “Caru’ cu Bere”, an institution in Bucharest. They brew their own beer since 1879 and make the best “mici” in town so much that Christoph had been dreaming about it. While we were waiting for our table, we watched a nice dance performance in the restaurant. After dinner we went to a bar Dragos likes: “ The Bankers”. They had an awesome live band with great music and we had a good time there. The bartender was really cool too and made some funky drinks and constructions.