Civilized Cross Many Countries

Very emotional day. Brad and I both feel really connected to this part of Romania. We walked the city early in the morning, just reminiscing.The mist in the distance, the towers, the sound of birds….. There is a rhythm here and we’re part of it. The old women and men, the children laughing and pushing, the street sweeper, all the morning sounds and sites.We met up with the cousins and headed to the village in the foothills of the Transylvanian Alps. Anca, Andrieu and Alexandra came with us and arranged for dear Father Dobrien to meet us.

We walked through the graves and got acquainted with our great uncles and aunts. We toured the church of our great great grandfather, and we got Danny and Maria blessed, once again, in the Romanian church.Anca had us to the house that her grandfather built on the site of our great grandfather’s home. We marveled at the family treasures, the history within the walls, but mostly we were in awe of the fact that we were standing on the ground that our grandfather played on. We walked through the barn we’re he did his chores, we sat at the table he ate on, and we were amazed at the pictures of our family that had been sent across an ocean to let the old family know that all was well in America. And there we were — cousins who share a past and now a future.

The churches are amazing, the old homestead is a time capsule, and the love between us transcends all understanding. A bond that began over 100 years ago between brothers, has now been reconnected. Stories and pieces of the puzzle all put together again.

God is good.

So I was lucky enough to meet Anca two years ago on my first trip here. Our grandfathers were brothers, so we’re second cousins. This trip we all got to meet her, AND Christina got to meet Anca’s son, Andrei. My grandfather left Romania in 1906 — could he ever have imagined that his great grandchildren would meet back in his village in Romania 111 years later?

Well here they are! LaLa’s Danny and Maria, Anca’s Andrew and Alexandra, and Lisa’s Christina.

My Grammy and Grampy are smiling in heaven.

We left beautiful Sighisoara for the fortified church in Biertan.Beautiful and very historic walled city.

Never too far away from a good meal, we stopped in Copsa Mare for a lovely lunch prepared by Simone. Chicken paprikash, spicy potatoes, the BEST zacusca, and a gorgeous dessert.Oh, did we mention wine?

A wild storm came across the mountains as we headed to Sibiu. Lightening, dark skies, wind and rain –Cecil B. DeMille weather in Transylvania.

We’re staying at a lovely new pensione, Maison Elysee. Our room has a piano in it.The highlight of the trip was seeing Anca again, and meeting her son and his fiancé.Anca brought us all a piece of our family — hand woven decorative cloths from our relatives, photos of our grandparents, and even a photo of our great grandfather, Bazilu VasuTime travel in Transylvania. What a trip — in more ways than one!

I was up early with the birdsong and church bells. This was the sun rising on the clock tower.A gorgeous walk around the town as the children were heading to school.The sights and sounds of Transylvania always touch me in such a special way. I feel the past here; I see things more vividly; I hear the ancient sounds. The taste of the fresh water, awakening from sleep under a soft duvet in a wooden bed, eating homemade jam and fresh bread on old ceramic plates, sitting in handmade chairs, walking on truly ancient stone streets. I feel so alive and so present in this timeless town.Magical.

Early up and out — coffee with the sisters on our private coach.Can you believe we found a space ship just outside of Bucharest?Family picture at Peles Castle. And the CastleFollowed by Dracula’s CastleWonderful sites and people along the way.The highlight though was dinner with Marcella!The taste of our grandmother prepared with such care.

This means Good Afternoon in Romanian. We split off mid day, some visiting the Palace of the Parliament, the largest administrative building in the world.Here’s a panoramic shot from our guide, Greg, to give you a sense of scale. Otherworldly that this was built in our lifetime by a dictator who was starving and freezing his people.

A group of us went to Therme, the largest spa in Europe. (Told you it was a BIG day). Talk about otherworldly…. rainforests, massive jacuzzis, pools like lakes — indoors and out, 5 restaurants, 12 bars (some in the water), oh, and did I mention the waterpark, Dead Sea baths, mineral dips and infared beds? AMAZING!Some extended their stay into the evening while others enjoyed Bucharest nightlife.Some did both.

Love you Bucharest! Heading to Transylvania tomorrow!

Big day in Bucharest! We saw a lot, we learned a lot, we ate a lot. Sounds like a good vacation.

We began the day with a wonderful tour of the Old Town of Bucharest led by a professor from the University. She was a gem — knowledgeable and endearing (and she walked slowly so we could all keep up).

We saw some amazing buildingsAnd some beautiful churches from the 1600’s that managed to survive communism

And we learned that the Orthodox churches were small so that people would feel close to God, and that the Catholic Churches were big so that God seemed large and you seemed small.

We saw one of the oldest Inns in Europe, a Caravansarai, where the traders on the Silk Road and spice routes would stop with their caravans and animals for the night,The most fabulous bookshop,

A couple of cool catsand a great lunch at a beer garden. All in all a pretty wonderful morning. Oh, and the newly married Coyle’s caught up with us for lunch!

The sisters are all together in Romania. LaLa and Erik got here late in the day and are still smiling from ear to ear about Danny and Maria’s wedding.

We started the day at Kretzulescu Church, a 1700’s church that managed to escape the communist regime. There was no photography allowed inside, so I’ll attempt to describe the visit. The sanctuary has only seating along the walls for the elders (Romanian Church service has everyone stand or kneel on the marble floor), but now folding chairs have now been added to accommodate a much older population.

It is a dark, close sanctuary that is decorated with frescos on every surface. The pulpit is wildly ornate. There is a female choir that sings a good bit of the mass and two male cantors as well as three priests that also sing the mass. There is much candle lighting, book kissing, crossing one’s self and kneeling that transpires. The music is all a capella and other worldly. You are transported in time to the mid 1700’s, and moved by the ancient rythmn of it.We got back to the hotel and waved Chazy on to the mall, let Lisa turn over for s few more winks and met Greg in the lobby for a walk around the city.

As usual, he proved to be a wonderful guide and an entertaining person to spend the day with.

There is so much beauty in Romania — old baroque and art nouveau buildings, large parks, and lots of churches.The Romanian people are very religious and predominantly Christian. Church service goes for a solid 2 hours, and is very well attended.

We went to a “peasant fair” and saw all manner of interesting crafts.

We walked to the largest park, Herestau Park and got ice cream before heading to visit The Ceausescu Apartments.The Apartments were interesting, but sort of a bust. They were garish and ugly, but didn’t really give you a window into who those wild dictators were. However, I did find out that their son is 69 and still living in Bucharest. Seems he’s been a very quiet citizen who has been a physicist all his life. No way to understand this — a boy grows up in a home where his father persecutes an entire generation, and he turns out to be a gentle soul.

A Metro ride home (modern and safe) a quick dip in the spa’s hot tub, a room change for LaLa because of a broken bed, and an Indy500 taxi ride to dinner at Grano.Another full day. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!

We begrudgingly left a cold, rainy Amsterdam and met at the airport for the “real” trip.Two and a half hours later (after a surprisingly good lunch and free beer and wine on Tarom Airlines), we landed in Bucharest. Christina was the first to clear customs in the land of her great grandparents.We were whisked to the hotel where we ran into a wedding (probably just as Danny and Maria were exchanging vows in Germany).We made a quick change and we were off to dinner with Chazy’s friends Ramona and Dominick at Bistrot Francais.Gorgeous restaurant, wonderful friends, terrific meal.Then Brad and I headed off to a late night concert at the Athenaeum.Turkish music in a magnificent hall, a beautiful stroll home through the capital at midnight.

The Barstow’s headed off to a Jazz Club, Chazy to bed, and now we’re luxuriating under damask duvets, awaiting LaLa and Erik’s arrival.

Grammy would be happy.

It’s become my new favorite place. England without the pomp and attitude. A sophisticated vacation, but a vacation. No need to keep up, nary a look askance, yet a vibrant, healthy, artistic, European culture all around. A hip food scene, tall, beautiful young people abound, diverse and interesting cuisine, and a very hospitable culture. What’s not to like?

Okay, rainy chilly weather, but not unlike the British Isles. Maybe less English if you travel the country side, but no one wears anything but comfortable shoes, so if your feet don’t hurt because you’re not desperately trying to fit in, you can take the time to use Google Translate.

The architecture, the reverence for art and history, and the pastries — my God the Dutch know how to make dessert — it’s a great place to visit. Can’t wait to make a visit during tulip season, or maybe during the garden tour, or how about the cheese festival? Any excuse — I’m in.

Did I mention that Schiphol airport is all in English and is easy to get around? The train station is in the airport, so you can go to Belgium, France or Germany or the City Centre easily. How about that the cost of food and drink is reasonable? And the Coffee Shops…..

Yeah, I’m totally sold on Amsterdam. I bought a museum pass that’s good for one month and I was going to give it to a tourist before I left, but I decided to keep it. Google flight alerts here I come.

Very sorry to be leaving, but very glad the Barstow’s finally got here!Very little sleep, no change of clothes in 36 hours, but they are Troopers! Immediately got Amsterdam’s best coffee and then got John into his first church, then off to the Bible Museumthen to lunch at the Foodhallen. Interesting how this is a big thing here, but it was really sort of mediocre for an American. Oh well., but we did get Brad to eat some Dim Sum.

Now, if you could have smelled this place… it was cheese heaven!We spent the afternoon in Museumplein with Rembrandt, Frans and Vincent.An evening beer in a very old distillery turned classic Dutch PubA great bartender and a variety of liqueurs and genevers as well as great beer. Heineken tastes different here — in a good way!We capped off the night with Indonesian Rijstaffel! Goat, lamb, chicken, prawn — we did it all.

Love you Amsterdam. We will be back!