Easter
Category Archives: Romania
…and a different Dali@ARCUB
“Universul lui Salvador Dali” @ ARCUB, Bucharest
Victor Brauner@MNAR…
“Victor Brauner Intre Oniric si Ocult” la Muzeul de Arta al Romaniei, Bucuresti
Brancusi
One hundred twenty years ago a young Romanian walked most of his way from Bucharest to Paris and ended up changing the world of art. For this anniversary, Paris’ Museum of Modern Art dedicated an all encompassing exhibit to Constantin Brancusi with more than 400 works of art, 120 sculptures and lots of archival content and films.
Brancusi seemed to be a rat pack and kept all papers, detailed correspondence, postcards from places where he or his friends traveled, personal documents, films made by him or some others about him, photos, music on vinyl and, of course, all the tools he used in his studio.
This is a treasure trove to understand Brancusi’s complex personality and to put together various aspects of his life. I may have seen before lots of his works in the American and European museums but I’ve never seen this impressive collection of documents that augments this spectacular exhibition.
One after another come also photos and letters from his forays in foreign lands, from America to Egypt and Asia. But one thing that is not mentioned is his visit to Romania when he was in his 70s with the intention to donate all his archive, copyright for his works, and the studio to the Romanian state.
However, after examining the offer, the Romanian Academy run by imbecilic communists and their Soviet darlings who were lurking in the shadows (like today), considered the work as ‘decadent’ and so incompatible with the proletarian art they wanted to promote.
The exhibit mentioned that Brancusi applied and received the French citizenship because he was afraid for the future of his work that may not be able to enter French museums if he were not a citizen but he did it also as a snub to the Romanian commies who refused his offer.
In the end Brancusi left his studio and all his archive to the French state that now is located at Center Pompidou in the heart of Paris, the city where he lived most of his life.
Roxana Pavnotescu: “Cu Flying Monk, printre zeii goi”
Cititi cronica direct pe Liternet
Vahana prodigioasă a domnului Radu Polizu – site-ul internet-ist “Flying Monk” – ce survolează neobosită paralele și meridiane, sondând misterele planetei, anunță, din zborul său cathartic, cea mai recentă carte a sa, publicată la editura Polirom. Printre zeii goi pornește cu o dare de seamă ce este o declarație manifestă de iubire pentru țara Indiei, ce continuă să rămână o fascinație inepuizabilă pentru autorul-călător. În căutarea unei spiritualități pe care lumea occidentală a pierdut-o, iubirea sa e necondiționată, în pofida neajunsurilor unei realități mizerabile și copleșitoare ce te izbește la tot pasul. Cartea se încheie cu o altă dare de seamă dedicată alter-ego-ului Flying Monk, cu care autorul se identifică sau este identificat de “prietenii ocazionali” întâlniți în fabuloasele lui călătorii. Periplul curajos al călătorului înveterat poartă de multe ori masca “disperării” și a “oboselii”. Drumul se vrea inițiatic, o incursiune în necunoscut, poate în căutarea acelei evazive “Nirvana” – motiv pentru care primul capitol are subtitlul “Pentru că toate au un început”. Aș adăuga aici, că totul pornește de la drum (după cum glosează Tenghiz Abuladze în magnificul său road movie, cu iz de basm, Colier pentru iubita mea) Prima incursiune a lui R.P. în țara Indiei pornește într-un timp și spațiu “revolut”, înaintea existenței unui internet comercial. Reperele călătoriei punctează centrele semnificative ale lumii pentru autor: New York (orașul de adopție), Bucureștiul maternal și Delhi – omphalos-ul de destinație. O conexiune (un stop) în Tel Aviv (fostul port mitic, Jaffa) întregește sfera acestui voiaj fabulos, traversând unul dintre cele mai vechi orașe ale lumii. Călătorul descinde la orele trei ale dimineții în forfota inimaginabilă din Connaught Place (un fel de Piața Universității) într-o beznă absolută, întâmpinat de o vacă “sfântă”, aureolată de lumina farurilor, în căutarea unui hotel. Pentru că R.P. lasă totul la latitudinea sorții, potențând misterul drumului cu toate revelațiile și vicisitudinile lui. Ideea de rezervare – din timp – nu face parte din ideologia călătorului ce preferă surpriza și hazardul confortului burghez sau stereotip. Câteva motive-repere definesc univoc și irevocabil spațiul indian, menționate – cu fiecare ocazie într-o nouă sau augmentată perspectivă – plastic, senzorial, anecdotic, poetic sau oniric. Charisma dantelează narația, împletind informația – captată nu din ghidurile oficiale, ci prin contact direct cu indigenii – cu imaginația și afectul auctorial. Motivele recurente plutesc într-un parfum exotic, într-o fascinantă poetică narativă ce instrumentează materialul lingvistic sanscrit, intertextualizat prin denumirile geografice, mitice, istorice și vechile scripturi și epici hindu (vede și purane). Mirosurile stătute, penetrante și indescriptibile ale Indiei te însoțesc pretutindeni, deopotrivă în spațiile închise și în natură, în hoteluri, temple, piațete publice și pe drumuri, și fac pereche inevitabilă cu praful, muștele, căldura insuportabilă și aglomerația. Mirosurile categoriale ale Indiei se îmbină sinestezic cu o cromatică specifică fiecărui oraș vopsit uniform într-o altă culoare; Jodhpur este orașul albastru, Jaisalmer este atât de galben, încât pare că nu existau și alte culori pe lume, când a fost creat, Vanarasi – cu zidurile sale roz. Răsăriturile și apusurile se scaldă în tonuri fascinante de galben sau roz. Tradițiile ancestrale se reflectă în efervescentele festivaluri religioase la care călătorul participă în aceleași condiții precare cu localnicii. Se scaldă în Gangele sacru, pentru curățirea Karmei (Festivalul din Haridwan), în locul în care Vishnu și-a scuturat semințele “nemuririi”. Titlul cărții poartă numele unui capitol ce se constituie esența acestei incursiuni în viața actuală a Indiei. “Actualul” – așa cum ne sugerează titlul și fotografia de pe copertă – înseamnă deopotrivă mitic. În postura acestor “zei goi” (naga baba), descoperim o Indie în care homo religiosus încă mai există. Naga Baba trăiesc în peșterile Himalaiei – potolindu-și poftele lumești ritualic, prin biciuirea penisului cu mantre – de unde coboară cu ocazia festivalului de spiritualitate Kumbh Mela, pentru a câștiga adepți sau discipoli. India surprinsă de R.P. este un continuu pelerinaj. Tradiția naga baba este atestată în cronici legate de Alexandru Macedon și reprezintă o marcă a unei civilizații ce continuă să trăiască în dimensiunea sacrului. Extazul credinței e surprins de autor prin cavalcada zeilor goi ce aleargă spre temple, urmăriți de mulțimea ce se prosternează în fața lor, sărutând pământul atins de tălpile lor sfinte. Și, în pas cu mulțimea în delir, aleargă și călătorul nostru, încărcat ca “un pom de Crăciun” cu trepiede și alte aparate optoelectronice, în speranța de-a surprinde măcar un moment din inefabilul clipei. Dar iată cum sacrul și profanul se întrepătrund într-o dihotomie asumată; tehnologia pare că a pătruns și în peșterile troglodite ale Himalaiei. Un baba tânăr, dar la fel de gol, alerga cu spatele în fața mulțimii, pentru a imortaliza procesiunea cu o cameră video. Tablouri hieratice descriu abluțiunile rituale și ceremonia vedică arti – un spectacolul magic în care lumina torțelor și a lumânărilor e oferită zeilor. Un alt motiv este vaca, căreia i se consacră un întreg capitol. Animal emblematic, vaca apare pretutindeni, de la ceremonii religioase, înmormântări, nunți și festivaluri, în mijlocul drumurilor și a piețelor publice. Vaca este o prezență ubicuă, pare că același exemplar – cu fundă roșie la cornul stâng – îi iese în cale autorului și-l însoțește “cot la copită” pe drumurile prăfuite ale Indiei. Vaca, cu urina ei dezinfectantă și vindecătoare, contribuie la sacralizarea acestui univers. Un fel de Gaia din mitologia greacă, vaca e zeița mamă ce a crescut cu laptele ei întregul univers. R.P. dezvoltă conceptul de ahimsa ce traversează toate doctrinele indiene – un animism al materiei vii ce poartă un suflet și e încărcată cu spiritualitate. Vaca descinde direct din Vede, reprezentarea ei divină se numește Kamdhenu și ea nu poate fi ucisă sau vătămată. Piețele compozite și sufocante ale Indiei se constituie ca un motiv ce revine de fiecare dată cu noi ingrediente semnificative în descrieri plastice și efervescente. Piața din Jodhpur e prezentată ca un azil de noapte în aer liber cu paturi de sfoară și butoaie în care ardeau focuri. O lume a contrastelor se zbate în lentoarea căldurilor sufocante, în care viața și moartea coexistă extatic. În efervescența colorată a piațetelor, cadavre de oameni și animale zac pe jos, iar printre excremente, plutesc petale de flori parfumate. R.P. ne dezvăluie o Indie senzorială și viscerală, în care tradiția respectată și venerată readuce o lume cândva strălucitoare și bogată deopotrivă în spirit și suportul ei material. Energia debordantă a bazarelor cu mirosurile lor pestilențiale (Nehru) – ce lasă impresia unui uriaș abator sau hale sângeroase de disecție – contrapunctează universul static al palatelor abandonate și al mormintelor maharajahilor din Jhunjhunu (palatul Khetri Mahal locuit de lilieci, cu mirosurile acide de guana) sau cu splendidele haveli – vechile vile pictate, din Shekhawati. Un tablou – coborât din picturile lui Hieronymus Bosch, ne spune autorul – construit din munți de gunoaie și de balegă printre cadavre de animale semi-incinerate de focurile care ard neîncetat aduce un terifiant purgatoriu terestru. Un alt motiv recurent este apocalipsa drumurilor aflate într-o condiție inimaginabilă, sfidând timpul ce le-a imortalizat, așa cum le-au construit englezii, în inițiativa lor de colonizare. Drumul deschide un univers bucolic cu un trafic prolix și brownian. Șoselele înguste te obligă să circuli pe centru, indiferent de direcție, strecurându-te printre cirezile de vaci, capre, cămile, elefanți și alte viețuitoare. În India, mașinile de închiriat vin cu șofer, și acela trebuie să fie un veritabil Ruderkünstler, ca să evite camioanele – stăpânele drumurilor – acele desuete “lorry” din engleza britanică, ce se năpustesc din contrasens, călătoresc în herghelii la drum de seară, mânate de șoferi drogați, și staționează răsturnate și accidentate pe marginea drumurilor. Drumul este deopotrivă o rectilinie vespasiană universală, în văzul tuturor – actul eliberării de reziduurile lumești predispune drumeții la o stare “aproape contemplativă”. Infernul drumurilor concretizat în secțiunea “Trafic” devine o ironică obiectivare a speranței în reîncarnare. Toate aceste neajunsuri ale Indiei – murdăria, mizeria umană, sărăcia – sunt surprinse de autor cu condescendență și imaginație. Un umor debordant transcende inconfortabilul în veritabile momente de elevație spirituală, de culoare locală sau în reprezentări onirice precum cea cauzată de dușul copios cu apă rece și muștele de vin din baia prezumtivului hotel de lux. Călătorul extenuat și excedat se abandonează unui somn înălțător cu imnuri oficiate de zeii diafani ai muștelor cu aripile lor uriașe și protectoare. Vizita la templul de aur al lui Shiva din Vārānasī (Benares) se încheie cu dispariția sandalelor urmată de traseul desculț și infernal pe potecile încinse către hotel. Indienii au și ei “indienii” lor – referință la amerindienii vestului sălbatic din continentul de adopție – sintagmă ce evocă un moment de mare autenticitate zugrăvind comunitatea satului Kuri ce trăiește primitiv în locuințe circulare din chirpici, cântând la instrumente tradiționale poveștile lor mitice, în jurul unui “foc sacru”. Aspectul pecuniar al unor temple e obiectivat de legende relatate de autor cu haz și imaginație. La templul din Tirumala, pelerinii fac donații generoase ca să-l ajute pe Vishnu – zeul cel datornic. Cerul i-a creditat împrumutul necesar pentru a o recupera pe soția sa, Lakshmi, într-o nouă reîncarnare, dar nu și întoarcerea sa în ceruri, până când își va plăti datoria. Ca în orice călătorie inițiatică, eroii fabuloși se înscriu inevitabil la drum. Printre ei se numără fermecătorul șofer, Subhash, cu “zâmbetul bonom” și engleza “eliptică” – o adevărată călăuză ce avertizează sau salvează eroul din multe situații critice. Starea de afișată beatitudine a lui Subash pornește neconvingător de la premisele unei “mașini binecuvântate” de amulete sincretice reprezentând câți mai mulți zei și ideologii: “- No problem, sir! mașina asta este binecuvântată. Aici îl avem pe Shiva, aici pe Krishna, avem și o Biblie și un Coran. Toți zeii sunt în mașină, ne spunea Subhash”. Fiecare capitol introduce noi mistere. Geografiile Indiei sunt reliefate cinematografic de o aură poetică cu elemente senzoriale, mitice și simboliste. La Rishikesh se meditează de 60.000 de ani, în timp ce Vārānasī este orașul muribunzilor – cel mai aproape de cer – pentru că în cel mai vechi oraș din Lume au locuit cândva Shiva și consoarta sa Parvati. Palatele “plăcerii”, cetățile, ashram -urile, peșterile artificiale (din Ajanta și Ellora) și nenumărabilele temple sunt introduse de legende cosmogonice și etiologice, alături de însemnări concise și revelatoare. Brahma ocupă un spațiu generos în economia scrisului, amintind de imperfecțiunile zeilor din Olimpul elin. În ipostaza sa de Joitirlinga (templul de aur din Vārānasī), Shiva angajează în competiție pe cei doi zei creatori: Brahma – zeul suprem – și Vishnu. Pentru că trișează, în urma blestemului lui Shiva, Brahma devine un deus otiosus reprezentat doar de două temple pe întregul teritoriu al Indiei. R.P. urmărește o analiză comparată a doctrinelor religioase (hinduism, jainism, budism) în diferențele lor specifice, manifestate într-un gen proxim arhitectural în care spectaculosul e dominat de sculpturile dense, întortocheate și încâlcite- tricotate în piatră. O notă aparte, cu specificitate religioasă, o constituie coloșii jain, tăiați în muntele de piatră, gardieni ai templelor săpate în stâncă de la baza lor. Altarele de devoțiune se reliefează în tablouri hipnotice, virtualizate în oglinzile fixate pe pereții templelor ce proiectează ritualul extatic în acel illo tempore anistoric, în care a fost inițiat. Delirul și aglomerația templelor este un alt motiv ce își atinge apogeul cu vizita la templul Hanuman din Balaji, dedicat magiei negre – o experiență unică în care călătorul neavizat se pierde în periplul ezoteric ce-l dirijează către inima templului unde zeul maimuță degajă energii exorcizatoare pentru cei posedați ce se auto-flagelează în extaz. Tablouri plastice și apăsătoare reprezintă culoarul infernal, îngust și sufocant, către eliberare – un conglomerat compact de fervenți se deplasează strâns și lent ca un singur organism pluricelular. Cutumele restrictive exercitate în perimetrul templului se întâlnesc cu mitologia greacă în tărâmul lui Hades: mâncatul este interzis (altfel vei rămâne arestat în acest infern, precum Persefone ce nu rezistă semințelor de rodii), iar interdicția de întoarcere a capului la ieșirea din templu ne trimite la mitul lui Orfeu. Excursia bolovănoasă pe bicicletă, în cel mai mare imperiu al Indiei Vijayanagara (sec. al XIVlea) în jurul a peste o mie de temple “nepăzite” din Hampi, e prilej de evocare a epopeii Rāmāyana. Aflăm că eroii eposului sunt originari din Hampi și despre isprăvile generalului maimuță Hanuman de recuperare a Sitei, soția lui Rama, răpită de monstrul Ravana. India este țara experiențelor inedite și unice. În India, e Totul de vânzare (așa cum ne încredința regizorul Andrzej Wajda în filmul său cu titlu sintagmatic). La muzeul Kerala (de pe coasta Malabar) se poate cumpăra orice exponat din vitrinele muzeului. Un neprețuit scut ritualic al zeului Shiva – identificat în secțiunea hinduistă a Muzeului Metropolitan din New York – e achiziționat de autor cu un card Visa. India colonială este o altă dimensiune a acestui demers: atmosfera cosmopolită, sincretismul religios și arhitectural al fostelor colonii portugheze(coasta Malabar – vechiul epicentru al mirodeniilor – cu fermecătorul oraș Panaji) și franceze (Pondicherry). Un colonialism “rece”, economic persistă și în zilele noastre pe nesfârșitele plaje de lângă Velha Goa – orașul bisericilor albe – populate prin excelență de omul rus, unde până și indienii vorbesc limba rusă prezentă în magazine, pe afișe, reclame și pliante. Cartea de față te aduce mai aproape de o Indie exotică, mistică, mitică și anacronică. O țară, în care omul trăiește în sacru, între mituri și tradiții “longevive” – așa cum am deprins sacralitatea lumilor ancestrale de la Mircea Eliade. Ea ne mai spune că zeii sunt goi – pe dinafară și plini de charismă și înțelepciune pe dinăuntru – fără să aibă nevoie de hainele noi și iluzorii ale împăratului, ca să ne convingă.
(Roxana Pavnotescu, pe marginea unui volum de Radu Polizu, “Cu Flying Monk, printre zeii goi”)
Despre măști si miracolul călătoriei
Naked Gods
Picasso in Bucharest
“Efectul Picasso” (Picasso’s Effect) was an exhibition held in Bucharest, showcased at the sophisticated Museum of Recent Art.
This exhibition shed light on the profound impact of Picasso’s artistic style on the creations of Romanian artists, particularly during the challenging era of communism when freedom of expression was severely constrained.
The art displayed in this exhibition beautifully illustrates how Picasso’s influence transcended borders and ideologies, inspiring artists in unexpected corners of the world to express themselves creatively.
Pandemie si post-pandemie la New York – Interviu
Interviu cu Ion Bogdan Lefter la “mini-Cafeneaua critica on-line” despre cum a fost pandemia la New York. Click aici sau pe imagine
De la lansare
Interviu la Radio Cluj despre “Zeii Goi”
Interviu luat de Doina Borgovan la radio Cluj despre volumul “Printre zeii goi” si alte calatorii. Click aici sau pe imagine
“Zeii goi” la Libraria Humanitas din Cluj
Salt
Salina Turda in Romania is an extraordinary salt mine, a subterranean wonderland that traces its origins back to antiquity. Salt extraction activities were first mentioned in 1075 and continued uninterrupted till 1932. The mine itself is a collection of separate chambers, each one used to mine salt for a while in its long history; Iosif, Rudolf, Crivac, Teresia and Gizela.
Teresia Mine is a “bell mine,” with a conical chamber of monumental dimensions – 90 meters high and 87 meters wide. The descent from the mine’s entrance shafts to its base takes you down to a depth of 112 meters using two elevators
In the remarkable subterranean landscape, cascades of salt and magnificent stalactites hang over an underground lake that encompasses around 80 percent of the room’s central area. People flock to this otherworldly environment spending weeks in a row for respiratory disease treatments or to increase their immunity while playing all sorts of games to help pass time.
Despre “Zeii Goi” la Profi24TV
Despre “Zeii Goi”, politica americana si Romania la emisiunea din 5 Octombrie a ziaristului Grigore Cartianu la Profi24 TV. Click pe imagine sau aici sa urmariti interviul.
“Printre zeii goi” la Cluj
Vă invit într-o călătorie prin minunata lume a Indiei, un tărâm în care sublimul și lugubrul dansează într-o strânsă îmbrățișare, ca fețele aceleiași monede. India păstrează un farmec atemporal, plină de festivaluri vibrante și practici religioase profund înrădăcinate, toate sfidând neclintite trecerea implacabilă a timpului. In templele vechi de secole credința este vie și pulsantă, iar tradițiile sunt păstrate cu sfințenie. India este o explozie de culoare, de mirosuri, si de sunete care odată simțite rămân cu tine pentru totdeauna.
Pentru străini, șocul cultural poate fi însă atât de intens încât îi aruncă într-o stare de stupefacție profundă. Pe fețele lor poți citi ca într-o carte toate emoțiile: teama, fascinația, panica, bucuria, mirarea, curiozitatea, și speranța. Este o aventură a simțurilor și a minții într-o lume plină de extaz si miracole.
Așadar, vă aștept luni 9 Octombrie la orele 18:00 la librăria Humanitas de pe strada Universității nr. 4 să descoperiți aceasta lume si să vă lăsați purtați de acest vârtej fascinant al culturii indiene, să explorați tainele sale și să simțiți adâncimea și frumusețea care se ascund în fiecare aspect al vieții de aici.
Apăsați aici ca să comandați “Printre zeii goi” (in USA)
Apăsați aici ca să comandați “Printre zeii goi” (in Romania)
De la lansarea “Zeilor Goi”
Printre zeii goi
Editura Polirom și FlyingMonk Media
anunță apariția volumului
“Printre zeii goi”
“India are o dimensiune mitică capabilă să pună sublimul și lugubrul atât de aproape unul de celălalt ca fețele aceleiași monede. Țara rămâne un spectacol atemporal, plin de festivaluri vibrante, istorie de neșters, manifestări religioase adânc înrădăcinate și o societate formidabilă, toate acestea rezistând în fața trecerii impasibile a timpului. Cu toate acestea, călătoriile în India pot copleși pe oricine care este mai puțin familiarizat cu realitatea sa. După câteva zile petrecute în această țară, călătorii de oriunde se trezesc confruntați cu un șoc cultural, spiritual și existențial atât de puternic care-l aruncă pe muritorul de rând într-o consternare profundă.”
“Am vrut să scriu despre India pe care o iubesc, concentrându-mă mai puțin pe arhitectura remarcabilă, pe bucătăria sa savuroasă sau pe destinațiile turistice seducătoare, ci mai degrabă pe interacțiunea mea cu o țară total diferită de oricare alta. Intenția mea a fost să încapsulez experiența călătorului nedumerit care nu și-a putut controla teama, panica, bucuria, curiozitatea și speranța în timp ce explora o țară care îi lasă fără cuvinte pe toți cei care o vizitează.”
Radu Polizu
Reading
Bears
In Baile Tusnad, a mountain resort in Harghita the main street had several posters about the bears. What to do when you meet the bear, how to behave, how to skid out without creating a commotion and of course not to feed the bear and take pictures with him for Instagram. He may not agree with his picture being taken and as a result you may get mauled.
Walking on Tusnad main street among fancy hotels, all these posters may give you the feeling that there are more bears than humans. We just read that 60% of the bears of Europe are in Romania and the rest mainly in Norway. But we did not see any and we were wondering how come. Not that we wanted, but still…
Just when we were having dinner an Amber Alert blasted on all phones. My first reaction was that it was a a severe weather alert or a shooting or a person missing. Well, that’s the normal alert in New York… But the alert in Tusnad was for bears hanging out in town. What was funny was that the alert asked everybody to stay indoors while the bears, in a reverse zoo experience walked the streets waving to the humans in cages. We asked the waitress, who btw did not even flinch at the alert, and she told us that the bears were just two streets up from us to the excitement of the guys visiting from Bucharest and the complete boredom of the locals who continued unfazed their conversations.
We could hear several gun blasts and again others blasts later in the night meant to scare the bears and chase them back into the woods. The bears are protected and if is no an incident that involved people nobody would shoot them. So if there were bears in town or not, we did not see any, so in our next day drive to Brasov we settled for sheep blocking the road.
Leaving the forested area of Tusnad and Brasov we forgot completely about the bears concentrating mainly on the other drivers that were acting sometimes like bears. But while driving to Bucharest a bear just showed up right near the highway on the other side of the river. He could not care about everybody who was looking at him like …to a bear, as it goes a saying in Romania and continued his climbing up the mountain. In the evening we arrived in Bucharest where we found other species than bears in deep hibernation in the Old Town.
Walking
Four kilometers upstream of the Bicaz Gorge, the river course was blocked by a landslide during a powerful earthquake that happened about 150 years ago. The lake that formed got its name from its reddish color alluvia of iron oxides, the Red Lake (Lacul Rosu). At its formation the lake covered a forest whose trees got petrified in time bestowing an eerie atmosphere. The lake’s surface is pierced even today by tree stumps.
Beside Bicaz River, the Red Lake is fed by three other large streams and other small temporary brooks. It is surrounded by several peaks among which Hasmasul Mare and Suhardul Mic are reflected in the calm surface of the lake.
After we returned from the hike on Turnul Negru, we drove to Red Lake with a plan to do a hiking that looped around Suhardul Mic. But the beauty of the place made us change our mind and settle for a 3-kilometer walk around the lake lake. It’s a meditative stroll, a quaint experience in an environment covered by white waterburbs.
Climbing
Bicaz Gorge is shaped by the Bicaz River that crosses the eastern side of the Hasmas Mountains in the eastern Carpathian Mountain chain. It is one of the most spectacular hiking area in the country. Most people only stop in the canyon for a photo-op dwarfed by the cliffs that seem to plunge onto them. It’s a spectacle of wonder only to stand in the middle of the canyon watching the sky through the peaks.
We did a bit of research for the local hikes and we were overwhelmed by the options. So many hikes and all very interesting and compared with the ones in Ceahlau, they were not very long. We originally intended to do a loop towards the Killer Peak (Varful Ucigasul) till somebody convinced us for the second best hike we had in mind, Cheile Bicajorului towards the Black Tower (Turnul Negru).
The hike is labeled as easy-moderate except … its first part that brought us to the top of the gorge. It takes about 90 minutes of intense climbing in the woods on a very unstable soil to reach the top at its first panoramic point. The route is closed in the winter for good reasons but I doubt that it can be climbed even after a light rain. The soil is slippery even when dry and sometimes you are happy to secure your climb, mainly on descent, using the many ropes mounted on the side of the trail. However the view from the top is spectacular and worth every bit of the effort to reach there.
The trail starts at Podul Ungurului where we parked our car, the tiny silver dot on the bottom left of the picture, and it climbs gently till the Suspended Bridge. After that it’s all the way straight up. The entire route is actually a 5 hour-loop but we did not have time to continue further than Turnul Negru. We had in mind for the rest of the day another hike on Suhardul Mic at Lacul Rosu followed by a two hour drive to Baile Tusnad, so we returned the same way we climbed leaving again something to do the next time.
Hiking
One of the things we came to do in Moldova was to hike in its beautiful mountains. I hiked many years ago in Rodna and Calimani Mountains but I never have been in Ceahlau. After the Romanian Revolution democracy became so entrenched in the society that it extended even to the animal kingdom, the bears taking advantage of it. Stories abound about bears roaming freely the mountains of Romania and coming into towns that made me reluctant to go for a hike in the woods.
We stopped in Piatra Neamt for a quick “Luca” breakfast, a great Romanian pastry chain way too unhealthy but so good, and roamed a bit the underground of the old royal courtyard, the royal church and St Stephen Tower. The main square was covered by cars for a car show in stark contrast with the medieval ruins surrounding them.
The city hosts also the Cucuteni ceramic museum. The culture known also as the Cucuteni-Trypillia predates the earliest known cities in Mesopotamia. It was an enigmatic civilization that lasted for about 800 years and simply vanished with no other trace. Its famous circle of goddesses was recently displayed in New York University’s Museum for the Ancient World where I have been to see it.
From Piatra Neamt we drove to Bicaz to see the dam over Bistrita River and further towards Izvorul Muntelui. The road named “The Axial” was built in the 1960s but it was left in complete disrepair till about two years ago. Recently repaved it makes for a magnificent drive that has about 247 hairpins on its 20 km. There are several places from where the views over the Bicaz Lake are spectacular.
In Duran, the resort at the base of Ceahlau we were confronted with a plethora of hiking choices, all marked by a picture of a …bear. All interesting and all challenging. In the end the time of the day limited us and we left around 3pm towards Duruitoarea Falls, a four hour round trip hike. Still afraid of bears we clapped and made noise but no bears bothered to show up on the trail and left us only with the solitude of the forest where we met not more than 6-7 people on the way. The waterfall was impressive and worth the effort to see it. We wished that we had more time to continue to Dochia Chalet and to the peak but we reluctantly had to leave it for the next time.
Orthodoxy
The profound religious spirit of the Romanians is no better perceived anywhere else than in Moldova. Its numerous orthodox monasteries founded by old kings dotting the mountains and valleys pass the profound religious spirit and devotion through generations.
War was also part of people’s life and their defense of the land was always intertwined with the survival of their creed. When invaders attacked the population found refuge behind the walls of fortified places like Neamt Citadel from where they put a fierce fight to protect their country and their belief.
The rulers used this profound religious belief, relying on the church in bringing the peasants to do their liking, drumming support for their wars like the today’s efforts of Russia’s Kiril who blessed the soldiers going to kill their Ukrainian brethren for Putin’s whim, a stigma on his conscience and belief that morphed the brotherly love into brotherly murder.
From Targu Neamt a circular road passes through dense forest hiding monastic gems. The road starts and ends in Humulesti, a village where one of the most beloved Romanian storyteller, Ion Creanga was born.The first monastery on this road is Neamt, one of the oldest in Moldova founded in the 14th century. Secu Monastery is next founded much later at the beginning of the 17th century.
Sihastrie Monastery has its name and history attached to a beloved monk, Ilie Cleopa whose writings influenced the thinking and belief of many. Around the Sihastrie Monastery the paved road ends making way to a forestry road that meanders at altitude through the tall trees. Few cars, if any, could be found on this road their passing startling huge deer, large almost as a midsize moose, who were curiously raising their heads and departing after a while slowly into the forest.
In the middle of the forest at about 1000 meters altitude is the Sihla “Schit”, the word “schit” referring in general to a tiny wooden church. The place is deep into the woods where we found the monks inside uttering their evening prayers that were resonating through the trees. Sihla is in the proximity of a cave where a nun, St Teodora lived in the 18th century.
At the end of the 19 km forestry road that started at Sihastrie is Agapia Monastery, one of the largest nun monastery in Romania founded at the middle of the 17th century. After its construction ended it took several more years till its consecration and during this time it was built the rectangle of monastic cells that surround the main church whose arcades are decorated today by red geraniums.
The main church’s interior of the monastery does not have any murals but is covered by canvas painting made by the most famous Romanian painter, Nicolae Grigorescu. In the 17th century the monastery was sacked numerous times by turks, tatars or Poles forcing its population to found refuge across the mountains in Transylvania.
Varatec, just a bit further from Agapia seems to live in its own world, surrounded by a beautiful flower garden. It is the largest nun monastery in the country and it gave shelter for many famous Romanian women intellectuals who looked in later life for a spiritual refuge. The main church interior’s painting is stunning and the painting on outer western wall may suggest that the church might be fully painted outside in the future.
Wandering through this realm of spirituality you may expect to encounter a profound understanding of life and an extensive love sprouting from this seclusion. Times changed but the people’s minds stayed cemented in ignorance that fences the christian brotherly love only to the brethren and not to any other human beings. All others, for most of the orthodox believers are touched by devil like in the Manichaeism that Christianity wanted to eradicate. And sometimes that brotherly love could not be extended even to their own like in the current senseless war in Ukraine. Nobody bothers to mention the inconvenient Christ’s love for all human beings that was right from the get go tribally and conveniently converted by the Orthodox church into a love of the church, of its buildings and its priests bestowed upon bigots believing in miracles that they cannot achieve through an encompassing love they were never able to offer.
After we finished this monastic tour we received in the evening this image from the Wall Street area of downtown New York with the orange glow caused by the fires in Canada. For most of the churchgoers who believe that Romania is “Mary’s Garden” because of the number of churches this image may have been a confirmation of a faraway hell, being shielded from it only by their belief and their priests. But the beauty and the tranquility of this amazing spiritual Moldovan realm hides a bleak reality of a country where the number of churches exceed by far the number of health clinics and hospitals and priests act as doctors while some of the doctors borrow from the behavior of the priests.
The Manor
The quieter part of Iasi is in Copou, a hill full of parks and having on top a beautiful botanical garden.
Iasi has five public universities and its main one, and the oldest is located in Copou swarming with student life. It was founded 150 years ago and is one of the oldest universities in Romania.
Also, in Copou are several other churches adding to the city collection that counts to one hundred of them.
About one hour out of town is Cotnari, a place full of vineyards, that make one of the best wines in Romania.
Centuries ago a boyar named Maxut who came from Stanbul, the capital of the Otoman Empire, bought a domain in northern Moldova close to Cotnari. Times passed and with it the domain changed hands reaching one family who built here a manor and whose daughter married at the beginning of the 20th century a prominent lawyer of the Polizu family.
Their son, Nicolae Polizu-Micsunesti became a famous air force pilot who destroyed more than 10 Soviet planes during the war that would have labeled him by the communists an “enemy of the people” if he outlived the conflagration. Fast forward through the communist years the manor and the domain were confiscated, recuperated later by a granddaughter of the Polizu family and eventually renovated into a splendid conac.
We spent a beautiful day at Conac Polizu, a place that by sheer luck had nobody but us for the night serving our dinner and breakfast on a central balcony overlooking a beautiful garden where you could see coyotes and listening to cuckoos singing in the trees. The place recreates the bygone era of Moldova’s boyars offering a glimpse into their customs and their life style, a place of relaxation and reflection. Of course, if it is not hosting a loud wedding or any other sort of events…
Spiritual Heart
As the capital of Moldova, Iasi represents the spiritual heart of Romania. A large majority of the Romanian poets, writers and artists either lived or were educated in Iasi and left a mark of the cultural growth of the city. As the political capital of Moldova, Iasi was the place that incubated the idea of unification of the Romanian principalities in 1859. We planned for a trip to Iasi but because of the dire conditions of the roads we preferred to take the 6 hour train ride from Bucharest and rent a car in Iasi. In comparison with the hectic Bucharest we found life in Iasi slower with lots of friendly people speaking their sweet Moldovan accent.
Built in flamboyant Gothic Revival style, the Palace of Culture has about 365 rooms housing no less than four museums. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was left for generations to be suffocated by the city’s traffic. Nowadays, after its recent renovation the palace stands apart surrounded by a beautiful park. Nearby is St Nicolas Church built at the end of the 15th century by Stefan the Great, the beloved ruler of Moldova. Because his prowess in wars against the turks and its frenzy in church building his mundane sins were forgiven, so his name was extended to “Stefan the Great and Holy”.
But even if you are not into the local history what impresses the most while visiting Iasi are its churches. Three Hierarchs Church (Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nazianzus), built in the seventeenth century in the traditional clover leaf layout has a detailed sculpted lacery on its entire exterior.
With a richly oriental decorations of Byzantine inspiration inside it is probably one of the most fascinating church. The legend says that the Three Hierarchs was originally covered in gold and when the turks invaded Iasi they started a fire to melt the gold. moment when the intricate decoration on the church’s exterior was revealed.
Around the Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest Orthodox Church in Romania, located on the site of two churches from the 15th and 17th centuries we found a very long line of believers. The cathedral’s neo-classical design is not too attractive but the church is a major place of pilgrimage to the remains of St Parascheva, the saint-protector of Moldova. People come daily to queue and kneel at the remains with a peak on October 14, on St Parascheva’s feast day. Then hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from all over Romania and surrounding countries queueing for kilometers to pray and asking for miracles.
In 1583, some Greek monks, from the “Saint Sava” Monastery in Jerusalem founded a monastery in Iasi. Destroyed and rebuilt later, “Saint Sava” Church represented a significant cultural, social and political Orthodox centre in Iasi.
It housed in 1714 a Princely Academy, a library and a Slavonic-Romanian printing press and later a National College. It is just one out of more than 100 churches built in Iasi attended by a very religious population.
The fame of Iasi as a cultural centre is augmented by its National Theater promoted by the famous poet Vasile Alecsandri. It was the first national theater established in Romania built by Viennese architects and furnished with Baroque and Rococo decorations. Its large auditorium can host 750 people.
Intalnire pe raft la Carturesti
Încă din timpul studenției întâlnirile cu Andrei păreau mereu că au loc pe neașteptate. Vorbeam și aranjam să ne vedem dar planurile erau mereu în continuu flux și întâlnirile aveau loc ca din întâmplare după câteva zile în cu totul altă parte decât vorbisem la început. Chiar dacă ajungeam să stam în aceeași cameră la mare în Schitu dormind sub o strepezitoare “Răpire din Serai” ne vedeam pe fugă și ne lăsam bilete ca să ne vedem azi, mâine, cândva, undeva, prin Costinești. Lucrurile au rămas la fel și peste ocean unde am păstrat un contact continuu prin noile moduri de comunicare anulând practic distanța fizică dintre Chicago și New York.
Aşa că într-un fel nu am fost surprins când Andrei mi-a trimis o poză cu o întâlnire tot atât de neașteptată de data asta …pe un raft la “Carturesti”. Dar de data asta întâlnirea a fost intre cărțile publicate de noi. Cartea mea “De la Ceaușescu la Fidel” care este de fapt o explorare socio-culturală a Cubei cu surprinzătoare ecouri din perioada dictaturii lui Ceaușescu aterizase pe raftul despre comunism și dictatură. Acolo era și volumul recent publicat la IRRD de Andrei Ursu și Roland Thomasson, “Căderea unui dictator”, carte care a dus la recentul conflict de la Institutul Revoluției Romane unde o parte din conducere aservită în continuare vechilor securiști se străduie din răsputeri să spele imaginea crimelor de la Revoluție. Ori cartea nou publicată demonstrează clar un lucru bănuit de fapt de cei care au trăit evenimentele că un grup din Securitate, „rețeaua de rezistență”, ar fi fost responsabilă de peste 1000 de crime în acele zile de Decembrie 1989. Apariția cărții a dus la destituirea abuzivă din funcția de director științific a lui Andrei Ursu, un scandal care la mai mult de 30 de ani de la Revoluție este o altă pată peste promisiunile creării unui stat de drept în România.
https://adevarul.ro/politica/scandal-monstru-la-institutul-revolutiei-cum-a-2224098.html
Palace
They call it a palace but is more a sumptuous villa. I never knew where Nicolae Ceausescu, the Romanian dictator, lived in Bucharest. I knew that his residence was somewhere on some streets in the northern part of town, streets that were closed for the regular mortals. Policemen and barriers were blocking the access so we could not see where “the most equal among equals” lived.
But not that we had any interest to come near his lair. In Romania the strata of the society lived parallel lives that did not care one of the others. “They” only wanted from “us” to build their world and “we” stubbornly refused to do it. I found this dichotomy years later in Cuba, a world where the two classes live so far apart that you feel that they are not even in the same country.
I never cared about Ceausescu’s life. I was more interested in his death. So I never watched on TV documentaries about his residential villa in Bucharest invaded by revolutionaries in December 1989. And I never had any desire to visit the place from where he dictated the oppression acts upon his people. I heard stories about the gilded bathrooms that without knowing anything at the time I suspected that they were fake.
I walk a lot in Bucharest finding that places are so close apart that is better walking that taking a cab in the craziness of Bucharest traffic. By pure coincidence in one of my walks I found myself at the entrance of his palace/villa that was full of foreign tourists ready for a tour. On a whim I joined an English tour that carried us through all rooms, winter garden, sauna, the pool and the garden. All decorated in all sort of classical styles with remarkable works of art and mosaics made by famous Romanian artists.
At one point, an European tourist asked Jo, the English speaking Romanian guide – probably Ioana – how was life under Ceausescu. “Not bad”, she said “people were able to manage. Actually today about 50% of Romanian are nostalgic about those times.” I was shocked. I knew that there are people nostalgic of a time when the world made sense to them but how can you be nostalgic about the rest? About Securitate, about the prisons, about the torture, about the long lines for food, about the blackouts, the lack of heat in the house, about the lack of freedom, about the feeling that you were living in a jail. How can you be nostalgic about a life lived in servitude? I did not want to talk over her no matter that probably she deserved a retort but I wrote my views in their impression book.
There were people in Romania who asked me if after so many years I can reconsider Ceausescu as a patriot. Of course people compare him with the current politicians, an ocean of mediocrity and upstartism, uneducated but with high degrees and doctorate diplomas. Like Elena… Yes, Ceausescu was a patriot who tried a lot to implement his dream. The fact that he failed many times I find to be normal. But let’s not forget that he was a dictator who abused his people. A tyrant who was ready as it proved numerous times again and again, last time in December 1989 to repress and kill any opposition just for his regime survival. A nation is a collection memories and feelings of its people not a assembly of lands. Ceausescu invaded and sullied the people’s souls destroying their hopes, lives and feelings for an illusory dream. So, if I were to meet Ceausescu today, I would acknowledge what he tried to do for the land but next I would put a bullet through his head – again – for what he did to his people. No remorse.
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Arch
Village
Each time I return to Bucharest I enjoy the most a walk in the Village Museum. Even a furtive stroll on the way to Herastrau Lake gives a taste of the Romanian village life, rich in traditions and architecture.
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Ion G
I discovered Ion Grigorescu’s art in New York where some of his works were displayed occasionally at MOMA and in other art galleries in Chelsea. At one point MOMA organized an exhibition with some of his works that only increased my curiosity to a volume of work that seemed to be breathtaking.
Ion Grigorescu is a central figure of Romania’s neo-avantgarde movement. He is a conceptual artist living in Bucharest whose work started during a time when this notion was banned in that part of the world clocked by a totalitarian regime. In spite of his gargantuan volume of work he did not exhibit anything during the communist dictatorship.
The few images and videos, works on canvas and sculptures I saw in New York increased my desire to see more but I did not know where to go. And to my utmost surprise while visiting MNAC, that is the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, here it was: an entire retrospective of all his work – paintings, sculptures, videos, photography, collages, etc – displayed in the largest floor of the museum that usually hosts the permanent collection.
And maybe just to remind me of the dictatorship, when entering the gates of the Palace of the Parliament where the museum is located, the policeman guarding the gate asked me where I want to go, no matter that the museum is the only place you can enter. I said that I go to the museum; so he asked me: “Why? Do you want to visit?” Wondering if he ever entered the museum that he was guarding…
On a different floor the museum the entire museum collection was on display like in a basement vault. The permanent exhibition named “Leviathan” wants to put on display all works that otherwise would be hidden in the entrails of the palace.
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Lights
For two days Bucharest was lit during the festival of lights. This year part of the Spotlight Festival was a spectacular AI exhibition organized in three remarkable palaces and landmark buildings in midtown.
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Pandemia intre New York si Bucuresti
O poveste cu solzi (Atelier Liternet)
O zi însorită de sfârșit de săptămână. Mă plimbam pe aleile din Central Park unde cei care locuiau prin apartamentele minuscule ale marelui oraș ieșiseră să se dezmorțească. Unii alergau, mergeau cu bicicleta, plimbau câinii care ca de obicei semănau foarte bine cu stăpânii. Alții stăteau de vorbă fără măști, fericiți să fie în sfârșit în aer curat și să nu le fie frică că se îmbolnăvesc. Parcul fiind aglomerat, fără să vreau auzeam crâmpeie de conversații. Se întâmplă adesea mai ales când toți vorbesc la telefon în căști dând din mâini și explicându-mi parcă mie punctul lor de vedere. Una, două, zece și mai multe vorbe din conversații îmi zburau pe la ureche. Virus, vaccin, Covid, booster, Fauci, China, Cuomo, lilieci, pandemie, mască. Așteptam să aud măcar pe cineva combătând politica zilei, pe guvernator, primar, președinte sau să aducă vorba despre Trump în bine sau rău. Nimic. Evident că nu speram să aud nimic despre un concert la Carnegie Hall, ultima expoziție de la Met sau măcar ceva despre o carte sau vreun film. Nimeni nu pomenea că era vorba să se deschidă Opera. Absolut nimic pe tema asta. Din orice direcție prindeai un crâmpei de conversație totul era numai despre noua realitate.
Puteam afla, dacă mi-ar fi schimba viața cu ceva, câte doze de vaccin și-a făcut fiecare, din ce fel și care este mai bun, cum s-a simțit fiica ce urma să nască după ce a făcut a doua doză de Moderna și poate ar fi fost mai bine să se fi vaccinat cu Pfizer, cât de tare a durut-o mâna pe Trish și de ce nu a durut-o nicăieri pe Karen, cum unchiul Carlo s-a repezit să-și facă booster speriat că are Covid când de fapt s-a dovedit că era doar constipat, ce-au zis toate prietenele cu care s-au văzut la lunch despre virus, sau de ce o vară nu a vrut să se vaccineze la început dar i s-a îmbolnăvit sora și s-a decis în sfârșit, etc. Dacă discuțiile se purtau pe banca de lângă mine simțeam că fac practic parte din familie de ajungeam să mi se pară că sunt îndreptățit să-mi ofer și sfaturile.
Mă întrebam mirat cum se putea ca o întreagă metropolă să discute despre același lucru de parcă nu mai exista nimic în lume decât acest virus păcătos.
Am ieșit agale din parc luând-o la pas pe Fifth Avenue sub umbra copacilor. La chioșcul de ziare din colțul parcului titlurile afișate dădeau ultimele statistici despre numărul de infectări și morți din oraș și de aiurea pentru că acum totul trebuia privit global de parcă unchiului Carlo îi păsa mai mult de ce se întâmplă în Bangladesh decât de propria constipație. Dacă săpai mai adânc mai jos în paginile ziarelor puteai să mai dai și de alte știri complet neinteresante dacă te luai după apetitul de discuții al majorității. Ajuns acasă am deschis televizorul ca să-i vad pe cei de la CNN vorbind în statistici de cum se moare armonios peste tot în lume și cum o să murim și noi la fel urmați de Fauci care încerca să o întoarcă spunându-ne că sunt șanse să nu murim dacă purtăm mască și ne vaccinăm.
Chiar dacă voiam să ignor sau să uit de obsesia mondială a momentului, realitatea unui oraș exploziv care în câteva zile din mijlocul lui martie 2020 a devenit la fel de gol ca într-o decor de film distopic nu putea să nu-mi dea de gândit și să mă aducă fără voia mea la tema zilei. Când o să scăpăm de toate astea?
Ca să schimb peisajul mental și să uit de ce era în jurul meu îmi scoteam un New Yorker, revista culturală a orașului și mă afundam în articolele detaliate despre lumi și curente care nu aveau de-a face cu blestematul de virus. Îmi place mult revista și o citesc cu religiozitate de când am venit în America acum mai bine de 30 de ani.
Așa că chiar înainte de plecare la aeroport în zborul către București mi-am îndesat în valiză câteva New Yorker care erau stivuite cuminți pe noptieră așteptându-și rândul ca să fie citite. Timpul din avion le era dedicat dar mă îndoiam că o să apuc să citesc ceva la București unde între treburile din România și invitațiile la terase de abia mai ajungi să dormi.
Dar lucrurile păreau să fie diferite de data asta. Nu știam cu cine mă voi putea întâlni și mai ales unde, pentru că mai toate rudele și prietenii din București cu care vorbisem nu se vaccinaseră.
Și începuseră deja să-mi trimită o avalanșă de linkuri despre riscurile uriașe la care te expuneai dacă te vaccinai. Nu prea aveam timp așa că mi-am zis că atunci când o să ajung acolo o să le rezolv eu pe toate. Eram de fapt convins că oamenii au cu siguranță alte preocupări, în primul rând că erau gata să dea jos un prim ministru. Iar mulți mergeau la teatru sau filme așa că puteam discuta și despre altceva.
Dar la prima plimbare în Cișmigiu nu a trebuit să-mi ciulesc urechile pentru că un individ cu un torace dezvoltat explica în gura mare conspirația despre care numai eu nu știam care voia să-i facă pe oameni să fie conectați la antene ca să poate fi urmăriți direct de pe telefoane mobile. Dictatura care părea că-și scoate tentaculele din toate ungherele era pe toate buzele, inclusiv a celor care zilnic erau în Piața Victoriei conduși de un tip erijat în dac modern. Toți erau înverșunați, îndârjiți împotriva Bruxelles-ului, a conspirației universale bine ascunsă, uniți în cuget și simțiri cu Polonia, Ungaria, Cehia și Slovenia, sperând într-o alianță care va izola Europa de vest devenită vetustă și înveșmântând într-un nor diafan și binecuvântat pe adevărații români care în felul ăsta nu vor mai fi întinați de idei păcătoase.
Altminteri noua “dictatură sanitară” ar impune dictatul vaccinului gata să-i transforme pe toți cei atinși de serul dracului în sclavi dacă nu ar fi voit de fapt mai degrabă să îi extermine.
“Noi românii suntem cei pe care vor să-i termine ăștia” mi-a spus cineva care a plecat repede fără să mă lămurească cine sunt ăștia. Mă uitam să văd dacă era vreun camion pe undeva cu cătușe sau lanțuri dar ceea ce vedeam erau doar cărările cam prăfuite ale parcului unde un bărbat înalt vindea copiilor baloane roz. Roz? Cam dubios individul…
La prima întâlnire la o terasă un prieten însă m-a lămurit când l-am întrebat de ce nu se vaccinează:
“Adică tu vrei să spui că știi ce ne pun ăștia în vaccin?”
“Bine”, am încercat foarte timid, conștient de faptul că eram singurul neinformat de la masă, “dar întreg Israelul s-a vaccinat. Crezi că ei vor să-și omoare cetățenii? Știi câtă grijă au…”
“Dar cine îți spune ție că ceea ce le pune lor în vaccin este același lucru cu ce ne pune nouă? Pe noi vor să ne extermine.”
Cu siguranță nu aveam de unde ști și ca să nu-mi afișez în continuare ignoranța am plecat spre un taxi care aștepta lângă terasă.
“Dumneavoastră nu purtați mască?” l-am întrebat pe șoferul de taxi în care voiam să mă sui.
S-a uitat la mine ca la un intrus, un individ care cu siguranță nu înțelege nimic, un sclav care era sclav fără să știe.
“Nu. De ce să port mască? Ăsta este taxiul meu și fac ce vreau în el” mi-a răspuns foarte îndârjit. Și a continuat: “Și nu-mi plac deloc ăștia cu mască”. De fapt este și mai sănătos să merg pe jos așa că am luat-o la pas.
Acum era masca cea care crea tensiuni. Cu doi ani înainte era centura.
“De ce îți pui centura? Ce, nu ai încredere în mine cum conduc? Dacă nu-ți place dă-te jos!” mi-a zis un șofer de taxi imediat după ce m-am suit în mașina lui.
Un prieten care m-a luat cu mașina a fost mult mai amabil:
“De ce îți pui centura? Îți dau eu adaptorul…” M-am uitat la el de parcă venisem de pe altă lume. Și cam așa era de fapt. Adaptorul era o cataramă care se înfigea în mufa centurii ca să nu mai piuie alarma. Fără piuit eram ca și protejat la orice accident.
Cazurile creșteau pe zi ce trece și conspirațiile erau din ce în ce mai ezoterice transformându-ne în neființe cu solzi, coadă și coarne. Te puteai gândi că imediat o să vină un designer să facă pălării pentru cei cu noile coarne dar că mai mult ca sigur era deja în conspirație cu cei care vor să ne vaccineze. Știam un doctor în New York care este convins că regina Angliei a anunțat la BBC că este reptiliană. În ziua de azi nu mai știi care este doctorul și care este pacientul. Exact ca în bancurile din vremea nu de mult apusă…
Certificatul verde era inamicul tuturor și trebuia arătat la intrarea la terasă și restaurant spre deznădejdea celor care prin asta existau.
Un doctor român respectat a apărut la televizor și a infirmat că va accepta ca trecutul prin boală sa fie un pașaport pentru mersul la restaurant pentru că într-o țară unde vaccinul la “chiuvetă” sau cel la “dop” sunt tehnici preferate în locul unui vaccin real nimeni nu poate garanta validitatea unui certificat de boală.
Aveam de gând să stau mai mult la București dar dintr-o dată cazurile au umplut spitalele și s-a anunțat seara la televizor că se închid teatrele și sălile de spectacol și în restaurante sunt lăsați numai cei vaccinați. Cum o să mai aflu adevărul despre vaccinuri pe care oculta mondială reușise cu grijă să mi-l ascundă? Simțeam cum paranoia mă cuprinde și nu mai aveam răbdare până la următoarea dezvăluire halucinantă.
Așa că mi-am luat bilet de întoarcere la New York și după ce avionul s-a ridicat m-am afundat în lectura revistelor New Yorker pe care le aveam cu mine în rucsac. Și după o vreme am simțit că un aer de normalitate se așază peste avion, peste toți pasagerii care mă înconjurau și peste întreaga mea ființă. Virusul nu mai exista, de vaccinuri nici pomeneală, conspirațiile le uitasem, dușmanii omenirii jucau golf undeva pe Marte și articolul pe care-l citeam mă captiva în totalitate. Eram ca în vremurile dinainte de viruși și “trumpi”, liniștit și împăcat. Doar când am vrut să dau pagina revistei am văzut pe mână niște solzi.
Pandemic Bucharest
Even in the middle of a pandemic, Bucharest is charming in early fall. People are relaxed, the restaurants’ terraces are full, the ice cream stores on Calea Victoriei do a booming business and almost nobody wears masks. Unfortunately, the country has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, only 30% so the COVID infections rate skyrocketed in less than a month while I was there from less than 1.0 up to a whopping 16.0, putting a damp on the joyful atmosphere.
Fore more about Romania click here
King’s Road
The highest road in Romania, Transalpina, crosses Parang Mountain reaching 2145 meters in Urdele Pass. It was built between the wars and inaugurated by King Carol II in 1938 as a forest road remaining inaccessible for decades for most vehicles. Since those times the road was known as “The King’s Road”
It was rebuilt by the Germans during the war in their effort to move equipment over the mountains but remained till 2009 an unknown forestry road with no touristic value.
Finally, the road was fully paved in 2012 and since then it offers a spectacular trip across the Carpathians mountains connecting the towns of Sebes in Transylvania to Novaci in Muntenia. The road was renamed Transalpina and it became very popular despite its relative difficulty. It is closed overnight and during the winter months starting in November because of massive snowfalls. We drove on this road twice, back and forth stopping overnight in Ranca, a ski resort with some good hotels that we found plunged in darkness with its life marked only by barking dogs.
The next morning we drove back through Urdele Pass in a thick fog that enveloped the sides of the mountains leaving only its peak clear. On the side of the road, shepherds moved their herd out of the sheepfold leaving the animals to graze freely on the sides of the mountains.
The poetry or the boredom, the way you want to interpret, the sheepherders encountered in their daily life was enlivened by the coming of the mobile phones. The sheepherder, the dogs, the stick, and the iPhone, all lost in thick fog are the new norm of the pastures.
We did not drive on our return all the way to Sebes. We turned at Obarsia Lotrului where women were selling tasty jars of jam or balls of cheese and we took the road that goes to Voineasa which brought us to Olt River Valley.
Transylvania invited us to stay way longer and explore its spectacular sights but we had also things to do in Bucharest so we stopped for a bit at Cozia Monastery, an architectural gem with spectacular frescos reaching in the evening Fagaras with its impressive citadel in an advanced process of restoration.
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Castles
A cool castle is always an attraction and the seat of the Hungarian kings in Transylvania, the Corvin Castle, is a great attraction in Transylvania. It is one of the largest castles of Europe.
It was also named Hunyadi Castle after the king who ordered its construction, John Hunyadi, known in Romania as Iancu de Hunedoara, and his son, Matthias Corvinus, who was king of Hungary in the second half of the 15th century. John Hunyadi became famous for stopping the Ottoman Empire from conquering Belgrade and advancing its armies toward western Europe. The Corvin family was related to the family of Vlad the Impaler, the famous/infamous king of Wallachia that at one point was kept hostage in the Corvin castle.
The complex is formed by several castles built in different historical periods. The oldest wing used to house the Dieta Hall, a sort of Transylvanian parliament at the time.
But the castle was left in disrepair for so many years and now a large process of restoration is in place that forces the visitors to walk around the scaffolding and blocking the access to several wings.
Corvin Castle has an unexpected company in Hunedoara. On the city’s outskirts, there are a number of lavish constructions built by affluent gypsies in …castle style. It is not by far a copy of a medieval style but resembles the extravagant decorations of the Indian palaces. I always heard about these constructions that fill the streets of some small towns and villages in Romania but I never happened to have a chance to see them. Their intent is to show status, with a Mercedes parked in the courtyard. But just across the street, you may encounter a horse-drawn carriage, a reminder of the roots of the villas’ owners. I always wondered how the gypsies got inspired by this style of construction because most of them spent their time in Paris or Munchen and not in Orcha in India.
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Second Capital
A poster advertising a local marathon in Alba Iulia invited everybody to come to watch the event in Romania’s second capital. And for good reason, because the city is symbolic as the place where it happened the unification of Transylvania with Romania in 1918, a remarkable political feat to which Romanian Queen Mary had a significant behind-the-scene contribution. Four years later King Ferdinand of Hohenzollern was crowned as king of large Romania in the courtyard of the Orthodox Cathedral that carry also the name of the Coronation Cathedral.
Even during the communist times, Alba Iulia looked different than any other town in Romania. It was surrounded by a fortified wall with seven decorated gates and towers. Inside there were palaces that more recently were converted into luxury hotels with spectacular interiors with several rooms used by the Knights of Malta for their annual meetings.
Around the castle that once housed the seat of the governor, there are the ramparts decorated with cannons and old Roman gates as well as the dungeon where once the peasant representative Horia was tortured. Horia makes for a great figure in the fight for the emancipation of the Romanians in Transylvania that at the time was ruled by Austro-Hungarians pushing the majoritarian Romanian population’s status to second-class citizens. The cell where Horia was incarcerated before his terrifying tortures was right on top of the Third Gate of the fortress.
St. Michael, the Romano-catholic cathedral was founded around 1000 AD and is the burial place for many kings that ruled Transylvania. It stands side-by-side with the Orthodox Cathedral between them each day around 11:00 AM happening a change of the guard, a touristic affair that adds color to the medieval town. Also close by is the statue of Michael the Brave who entered Alba Iulia in 1601 trying to unify for the first time the three Romanian kingdoms, Wallachia Moldavia and Transylvania.
We got a room in Hotel Medieval, the old palace of the governor and after a highly recommended dinner at “La Conac”, a place that reminded me of San Cristobal Restaurant in Havana the place where Obama had his memorable lunch, we strolled the quaint streets of the old town devoid of any other visitor at that hour.
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Densus
St Nicolas Church in Densus, a tiny village located between Sarmizegetusa and Hunedoara is the oldest stone church in Romania. Built on a Roman temple in the 4th century the church switched denominations several times in the multicultural Transylvania.
The church is most probably a christianized roman temple, probably the first on the territory of Dacia, several centuries after the Roman conquest. For some, the church must have been originally a Dacian temple converted by the Romans to their religion.
But no matter its history the church is an astonishing monument with its arresting silhouette rising towards the blue sky of Hateg. The interior is narrower than in any other church I visited, its nave squeezed between tall rock columns and painted during the 15th century on all sides in lime-whited icons.
Not far from Densus is another monastery founded by the same Nicodim the Pious, the founder of Tismana Monastery at the end of the 13th century in a charming location.
Prislop Monastery became more recently a place of pilgrimage to the tomb of a local priest, Arsenie Boca. in 1948 Arsenie Boca returned the monastery to the orthodox church and a result is considered the third founder of the monastery. In spite that Father Arsenie Boca was not yet canonized there is an entire cult around him, thousands of people flocking to the monastery to pray in front of his tomb.
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Dacia
Afraid of the bad road we drove a day before along Cerna Valley we switched to a much better but crowded road that brought us to Caransebes. We discovered a charming city with a well maintained city center where in front of the cathedral is the statue of the patriarch Miron Cristea, instrumental in the unification of Transylvania with Romania in 1918. Each city intersection that has more than three streets has a round about in whose middle is placed a modern sculpture conferring the town an artsy look.
High up in the Orastie Mountains at an altitude of over 1200 meters was located the capital of the once powerful Dacian kingdom. The location is hard to reach even now despite a well-paved road that goes to the citadel. Sarmizegetusa Regia was the main citadel and the most important ceremonial place. The main deity invoked by the Dacians was Zamolxis and the sanctuaries in the capital were dedicated to his cult. The religious processions entered the citadel through a paved road going towards the main sanctuary. In front of the sanctuary, it was another temple that had a platform where most probably human and animal sacrifices were performed.
Dacia’s capital was relocated to Orastie Mountains in the last years of the rule of Burebista who united the tribes of the lower Danube. After his death, the kingdom and its culture reached new heights peaking 150 years later during the rule of Decebal. Sarmizegetusa was surrounded by five other citadels that together formed a tight neat defensive system. During those times Dacia and Sarmizegetusa were threatened by the Romans. They crossed the Danube and attacked Dacia twice fighting two wars in 101-102 AD and 105-106 AD. During the second war, Dacian king Decebal was defeated and the Romans led by emperor Traian put an end to the mysterious capital of Dacia, dismantling its fortifications.
The Romans did not plan to reuse the Dacian capital that was left to be covered by the dense forest. Instead, they built a new capital about 40 km away named Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa developed in the spirit of Roman culture. The colony had an amphitheater that could accommodate 5000 people and a large sacred area.
In the sacred area beside the temples were also the administrative buildings, the courts, jails, and many other civil spaces. At one point the colony had about 30000 inhabitants having the status of the metropolis.
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The Emperors’ Spa
The hot springs of Baile Herculane are mentioned in history since 153 AD when the Romans, whose legions were stationed here, extolled their curative properties. The place became trendy for the Roman aristocracy who dedicated an entire cult under the sign of Hercules to these blessed springs.
At the beginning of the 18th century the Austrian emperors Josef II, and Francisc I with empress Charlotte and later Franz Josef and empress Elisabeth made a habit of spending time in Herculane considering it “the most beautiful resort on the entire continent”. Later on, the resort became the hang-out place for Romanian royalty. With so many crowned heads visiting the resort built a casino, numerous luxury hotels, and of course several imperial bath complexes.
The communists were able to preserve the resort. They also built several hotels along the hills around the Cerna river but everything changed when they lost power in 1989. The old communist apparatchiks that ruled the county and their followers began a spoliation process selling left and right what could be sold and leaving the baths, the casino, and the old hotels to degrade to the point that they reached a ruined state.
The advanced process of the resort’s degradation shows like a textbook of corruption and plundering of national treasures by a mafia clique. Even the national road following Cerna Valley going to Baile Herculane is the worst road that we drove in Romania in a 2000 km tour. Recently a new administration seems to be geared toward reinvigorating the town and its baths. Apollo baths, the bath that was used by all European and Romanian royalty were renovated and can be visited. But most of the valuable exhibits that once decorated the bath’s walls are gone replaced by nationalist portraits and culminating with a tongue-in-cheek old TV set with a picture of Ceausescu and the red telephone used once by him to bark orders to the county’s higher-ups.
Herculane is close to the Danube and the border with Serbia. A boat tour on the Danube is advertised everywhere you go in a town wanting to divert your attention from the dismal state of the resort. We decided to hop on one of the boats in Orsova, a town that was completely submersed and rebuilt on higher grounds while building a large hydro project on the Danube.
Here the Danube made its way cutting through the mountains. It is the place where the Danube is at its narrowest. The Romans invading Dacia took advantage of this and built roads on the Danube’s side, an achievement memorialized in plaques like Tabula Traiana, and built a bridge not far away from here to ease the crossing of the Roman legions. During communist times this was the place where youth trying to leave the country dived into the Danube and swam across to Yugoslavia.
Maybe as a response to this Roman memorabilia, Romanian nationalists sculpted a large rock on the shore to represent Decebal, the Dacian king who fought the Roman legions led by Traian in two invasion wars at the beginning of the 2nd century. Decebal was in the end defeated but an entire cult is currently weaved around his heroic figure in a strong resurgence of nationalism.
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Cerna
Tismana Monastery is considered to be the heart of Oltenia. One of the first established monasteries in the region it was sanctified in 1377. It was founded by Nicodim the Pious a Macedonian monk who founded many other monasteries including Prislop in Hateg.
In Tismana, Nicodim established the first monastic handwriting school for transcribing religious texts. A version of the four gospels transcribed here is considered the oldest book in Wallachia. As well, the first byzantine icon in Wallachia was painted here in 1564.
During the Second World War, the hoard of the Romanian National Bank was hidden in the monastery to be preserved from the invading Russian army. Currently, the monastery hosts a museum with treasures of the Romanian National Bank.
Hay stacks are a tradition in Romania. Built by peasants using pitch forks they pepper the landscape of Romania’s countryside. Unfortunately, the new equipment that make hay ballots penetrated the life of the Romanian village, and more and more you could see fields peppered with ballots instead of hay stacks. Easier to make but less beautiful.
Ponoarele is a tiny village with lots of interesting things to see around: lakes, natural bridges, canyons, caves, etc. We spent the night here in a charming location, Conacul Boierului, a remarkable place that we highly recommend.
Cerna Valley is full of hiking trails. You can spend here days in a row hiking the mountains that rise from the river valley. The landscapes are spectacular and the hikes may be a bit challenging like the one to isolated villages like Inelet where the access is done at one point over a number of hanging ladders.
A tamer but charming hike is to St. Mary’s Waterfall which ends in a place blessed by beauty.
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Brancusi
Constantin Brancusi does not need an introduction. I remember visiting with my parents when I was probably 10 the monuments that this man created in Targu Jiu, a large city in western Oltenia.
At that age my priorities were different and Brancusi’s famous aura did not shine a light on my interests. I was running around in the city parks that host the sculptures oblivious to the remarkable monuments. But I still remember those moments.
Since then I encountered Brancusi’s amazing creations in all of the world’s museums, his creation is a beacon of light, hope, and simplicity, a trailblazer in the sculpture universe. And each time I saw an exhibit in MOMA, Guggenheim, Philadelphia, or his atelier in Beaubourg in Paris I wanted longingly to return to Targu Jiu to see with other eyes his remarkable edifices.
The “high priest of modernism” was born in Hobita a tiny village several kilometers away from Targu Jiu, in a modest house built by his father. The memorial house museum that we visited is organized in a different house, built in a similar style also by his father, decorated with portraits of the sculptor at various ages.
Brancusi died in Paris in 1957 and his famous studio now occupying a side of the Centre Pompidou was bequeathed to the Romanian state. However, the uncultivated and dogmatic communists that ruled Romania in those times refused the gift of not being able to understand Brancusi’s genius. Luckily they preserved the remarkable edifices from Targu Jiu.
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Polovragi
In the western part of Oltenia, close to a village named Baia de Fier, stand in an idyllic landscape Polovragi Monastery. The name “polovragi” is speculated to mean the old (paleo) place where the shamans (vragi) met. The local legends mention that the Dacian god Zamolxis hung around the caves in this area with a large following of shamans who were treating the people with medicinal plants.
When these shamans were not so much “in” because of the advent of Christianity the local priests took upon themselves the healing tradition. True or not, the place is magic and the monastery that was built in this area dating since the end of the 15th century is an exquisite place to visit.
The painting dates from the beginning of the 18th century with remarkable details including a representation of Mount Athos.
No matter all these stories and its rich history, the monastery is a charming place, a place of meditation and contemplation, or simply a place to visit and photograph like this nun was doing while I was inside the church.
Close by is located Polovragi Cave where the above-mentioned god Zamolxis had his lair and where it is said that the energies spread by his presence are very strong, making it a hangout for new age groups. Again the local legends mention that at Easter a portal opens up in the cave that lets you travel to other dimensions. Also, the Dacian gold is supposed to be hidden somewhere in the cave but nobody was able to locate it, not even the Romanian government which is always cash-strapped.
A short drive away is located another interesting cave, The Women’s Cave. I did not hear specific legends about it except that was used by the locals to protect their women and children during the numerous invasions of the region.
For more about Romania click here
Monasteries
Even if when you think about Romania and monasteries what comes to mind are the ones from Northern Moldavia, the monasteries of Oltenia are a treasure trove of architecture and traditional art. They are absolutely remarkable and a must-stop if you happen to visit or drive around Oltenia. Horezu or Hurezi Monastery was founded in 1690 by the Walachian king Constantin Brancoveanu, a devout king who chose death when was asked by the Ottoman Sultan to change his religion to Islam. The monastery’s remarkable style of architecture placed it on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The complex is considered the largest of its kind in Romania. Its elegant “brancovenesc” style is characterized by narrow arches with detailed stone decorations. Its quietude is bothered only by the night owls, their name in Romanian coining the name of the place.
Like all orthodox monasteries, the main church is intensely painted on its entire interior with detailed scenes from the New Testament. The painting executed at the beginning of the 18th century is perfectly preserved and besides its spiritual role, it is a visual enchantment.
A drive up the mountain on a very winding road brought us to Arnota Monastery with spectacular Byzantine paintings. We find this monastery and its location to be probably the most interesting out of all. From its off-the-road location all the way to the top of a mountain you could admire the entire valley and other peaks surrounding the monastery.
Driving down from Arnota we stopped at Bistrita Monastery, way more austere than the previous two we saw before.
For more about Romania click here
Oltenia
Where to go? Romania is so rich in beautiful places. Almost by a toss of a coin, we went west from Bucharest towards Oltenia. In Maldaresti, a tiny village in Romania was renovated several buildings that were built as “Cule”. “Cula” is an alliteration of the Turkish word Kule which means tower.
The boyars of Oltenia, a region in Romania, built this type of towering architecture to offer protection for their women and children during invasions. The buildings were raised on three floors with an attic where people were hiding.
Duca was a Romanian prime minister in the 20th century and his “cula” was built in the traditional style but only at the beginning of the last century with no defensive purpose. But the Negrescu/Maldaresti Cula is one of the oldest and still preserves traditional architecture. The movie “Aferim” was shot in this location.
Maldaresti St Nicolas Church is a true monument of Romanian architecture dating from the 18th century, built by the Maldar Boyar who owned the lands in this area.
Besides the “cule” the Romanian boyars lived in lavish properties named “conac”. One of them, “Maldar Conac”, also in Maldaresti, was restored and converted into a hotel and restaurant that offer an absolutely astounding experience. The attention to detail is mind-boggling, with everything in this place being at the superlative. But you have to dig to find it because it is not listed on any booking sites…
For more about Romania click here
„De la Ceaușescu la Fidel” – o călătorie senzuală prin Cuba uitată de timp
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| Dragi prieteni Editura Eikon și FlyingMonk anunță lansarea volumului de eseuri De la Ceaușescu la Fidel O călătorie fascinantă prin Cuba de astăzi privită din perspectiva autorului care și-a trăit parte din tinerețe în România comunistă. „Când mi-am făcut planurile să merg în Cuba, nu m-am gândit nici măcar pentru un moment că voi ateriza într-un loc care ar seamăna cumva cu lumea în care mi-am trăit tinerețea. În mintea mea, acea lume dispăruse pentru totdeauna înlocuită de alte variante autoritare și inumane ale aceleiași hidre represive, etichetate creativ pentru a fi vândute noilor generații. Probabil asta a fost cauza pentru care primele contacte pe care le-am avut în Cuba au fost șocante. Amuzată, Cuba îmi dezvăluia tacticos tinerețea mea uitată în România cu întregul repertoriu de propagandă fără sens conceput pe același scenariu care fusese scris la Moscova cu un secol în urmă. O poveste cu personaje similare încercând să controleze mințile oamenilor, care îi priveau cu dezgust și îi apostrofau folosind zicalele străzilor din România comunistă pe care nu le mai auzisem de decenii. Dar, pe lângă toate acestea, am descoperit Cuba ca un muzeu viu, fabulos, un loc în care istoria a fost nevoită să se oprească o clipă ca să-și tragă răsuflarea. Mașinile, arhitectura, spiritul oamenilor, lipsa internetului și chiar liderii lor arhaici păreau că s-au strecurat dintr-un timp care a refuzat să înainteze, timp pe care îl mai poți găsi doar în paginile îngălbenite ale vechilor ziare. Am fost martorul așteptării febrile a vizitei președintelui Obama, o vizită neașteptată pentru cubanezii de rând, care reprezenta însă pentru ei singura speranță după acești ultimi 60 de ani de austeritate și dictatură. Toate acestea compun farmecul efervescent al Cubei, o țară care trăiește cu fervoare și pasiune într-o atmosferă incredibil de vie care transcende timpul și spațiul. Rezistența fenomenală a cubanezilor și dorința lor de a se bucura de viață, cu muzică, dans și rom, în ciuda greutăților zilnice, arătând aproape ca o rebeliune împotriva guvernanților opresivi și inepți, reprezintă chintesența poveștilor pe care le-am scris în această carte.” Radu Polizu aka FlyingMonk Lansarea cărții va avea loc Miercuri 19 Mai ora 19:00 ora României (12:00 PM EST). Și așa cum se poartă în zilele de azi ale pandemiei, lansarea se va face online pe Facebook Live la https://www.facebook.com/FlyingMonk/ Cumpărați cartea în România aici Cumpărați cartea în USA aici  |
LIC
Manhattan seen from Long Island City
The garages, factories, storehouses, and old two stories buildings, of Long Island City (LIC), the area right off the Queensboro Bridge in Queens, was morphed by the new wave of development in a hip area of glass towers and boutique hotels that are weirdly placed still among numerous taxi garages. The occupants of these new glitzy towers are the same professionals that once used to populate Manhattan but the new apartment prices pushed them out of the rock island.
I ended up here one evening for a poetry event that had its main guest the remarkable Constantin Chiriac, the director of the Sibiu International Theater Festival in Romania, labeled as the largest theatrical event in the world. The festival has participants from more than 70 countries staging over 500 theatrical representations attended daily by more than 65000 people.
Constantin Chirac
BKBF
Brooklyn Book Festival, one of America’s premier book festivals and the largest free literary event in New York City, happens this year around the Borough Hall Plaza and in its vicinity, September 16 – 23.
I am delighted to post that New Meridian Arts, the independent publishing house ran by the tireless Nava Renek, was present at the event and on display, the stand has also the book I published a year ago “Between Ceausescu and Fidel” that was appreciated by the visitors and sold a number of copies. It’s humbling to know that with so many famous authors, some of them giants of American literature, all showing their work, my love story with and about Cuba was noticed by book lovers.
Nava Renek and New Meridian Arts at BKBF, Brooklyn, NY
Megalomania
Union Boulevard, Bucharest, Romania
It took me more than 30 years to visit the monstrous building that was raised in the heart of Bucharest named by the Communists “Casa Poporului – The People’s House”. The chagrin I felt caused by the Romanian dictator who started this project was unbounded. In order to make space for this huge project, Ceausescu ordered the complete obliteration of a charming part of the city caring in its walls a long history, covering the ground in blood and tears. I hated him for what he did to my city and I decided to avoid walking his grandiose boulevard named pompously “The Victory of Socialism…” to which we added “…Over the Capital”. And I kept my promise for all these years.
Monumental staircase in the Parliament Palace, Bucharest
However, I decided the time has come and I should go and see the place of the city’s oblivion and visit the building that is hailed as the second largest after the Pentagon and the third in terms of cubic feet after the Pentagon and the Quetzalcoatl Pyramid. I never thought about this building too much before but when I came closer it stroke me as obvious the unsustainability of such a megalomaniac project. To maintain such a large building is almost impossible in these days and age.
Conference room, Parliament Palace, Bucharest
Thousands of bulbs candelabras weighing 5 tons maintained by people who have to move in sync from all directions to change them, a cement construction that crumbles already having a life span of only 30 more years, large marble columns that crumble inside eaten by some kind of parasite are just few of the issues that are flagged by the tour guides. The lighting and cleaning budget for the entire building is EQUAL with the budget for lighting and cleaning the streets of the entire Bucharest, a city of 1.5 million people. If you think that you did not understand correctly as I did and I had to ask again, please read it again carefully; it’s the word by word statement of the building managers.
Hall, Parliament Palace, Bucharest
Ceausescu dreamt to have a refuge here in case of nuclear war in the last two underground floors. Also, he planned to open the glass ceiling of the Union Hall and land his helicopter right inside, something that I personally think that it could not be true even in spite of his megalomania. He was crazy but not stupid.
Union Hall, Parliament Palace, Bucharest
Ceausescu’s palace was finished only about half, devoid of any decoration when he was shot in 1989 and the new owners had no clue what to do with the building. At one point, one year after the Romanian revolution, they developed a plan to demolish it but it proved that the cost would have been higher than finishing its decoration so they continued and finalized the building 7 years later. It was renamed the “Parliament Palace” no matter that the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament occupy only a small section that not surprisingly in Romania is off-limits during the guided visit. The ground where the mainly corrupt nation’s higher-ups place their holy feet is sacred and cannot be touch by the boots of the commoners.
Union Hall, Parliament Palace, Bucharest
The building is asymmetrical having in front 12 floors on top and 9 floors underneath and fewer floors on the sides and on its back. Underneath the last two floors contain an anti-nuclear bunker, an obsession for Nicolae Ceausescu’ s plan for survival. In the end, he did not need such a precaution and was executed in daylight and plain sight.
The new orthodox cathedral, Bucharest, Romania
And because nobody learns anything from bad projects of “bigger is better”, made to impress the masses, behind the monstrosity is raising now a long-overdue project of the huge Romanian orthodox cathedral to be seen from the top of all galaxies by God Himself. But unfortunately, there are so many beautiful buildings in the city center that are testimonials of what happens with large buildings when is no money to maintain them.
Old building on Calea Victoriei, Bucharest, Romania
Crowds
Old city center. Bucharest, Romania
Saturday night in Bucharest old city center it’s very hard to find a seat at a table. All sidewalk cafes and restaurants are packed and the streets and alleys are full, people looking for a reprieve from the hot summer days till late hours in the night.
Hop a Lime
Limes are everywhere in Bucharest
Last year in October it was nothing but now I found the entire city full of scooters. Lime and Flow and probably many more than I cannot remember were in every city corner ridden by adults and kids alike. Probably some of the users were riding the scooters to work, but I highly doubt knowing the mentality of the city. But for sure most of them were used for pleasure by kids sometimes even nine-year-olds who were riding them from the city center to the Herastrau Park. With the crazy traffic and fed up drivers of Bucharest, few were riding on the streets but mainly speeding on the sidewalk, a menace if you consider the crowds from the city center. Others were riding on the Calea Victoriei bike lane, one after another in a row like in an exotic expedition.
Limes in the night
Calea Victoriei
Calea Victoriei, Bucharest, Romania
Calea Victoriei, the old fanciful artery of Bucharest is generally packed during the day, bumper to bumper, with cars. At night when it’s very little traffic, all sorts of politicians’ spoiled brats in fast and furious cars are racing on the boulevard at incredible speed. The city officials and the police that would make good money by slapping them a fine, choose to ignore them, avoiding to get in conflict with the powers of the day in a country marred in corruption.
Actor reciting on Calea Victoriei, Bucharest, Romania
The most elegant boulevard in Bucharest used to be the place where people were going for a stroll to see and be seen. Some of the beautiful palaces that adorned the avenue are still in place striving to cope with the pollution and the city dust. The American-looking “skyscrapers” – as much scrapping the sky as they could in an earthquake-prone environment – are a reminder of the fact that Bucharest was, and still is, the business center of the country.
Matrimonial
But occasionally Calea Victoriei gets shut down and becomes pedestrian reminiscent of the 19th century Bucharest when the city was called the Little Paris. Actors from various theaters, dressed in costumes perform or just walk the boulevard adding to the old epoch atmosphere, announcements from the old time are posted on the sides with matrimonial requests and events of the bygone days, signs invite you to stop and read about the old city crafts and stages are ready for night demonstrations of various forms of dance in vogue a century ago.
Calea Victoriei, Bucharest, Romania
And all in a relaxed atmosphere characteristic for this East European capital where sidewalk cafes and restaurants align the boulevards and invite you to just sit and admire the people passing by. The beer gardens are all lit and full till after midnight, each and every day of the week. When I tell about this lifestyle to my American friends I always get the question: “How come they stay so late? Don’t they have to work?”. Well, they do, but….
Have a juice
Graffiti
Rope Street, Brasov, Romania
Center Cluj, Romania
Cluj/Koloszvar/Klausenburg
A view from Cetatuia Hill, Cluj, Romania
I have never visited Cluj. Or at least I cannot remember except for a short dinner about 10 years ago and a whisked drive to the train station. But what stroke me in Cluj when I took the taxi ride from the train station in the middle of the night was the large boulevards aligned on both sides by sumptuous buildings in the Austro-Hungarian style, a combination of austere architecture with elaborated turrets mounted on top of the buildings.
St.Michael Church, Cluj, Romania
You cannot call Cluj charming like you would do for Sighisoara or Brasov. Cluj looks like an imperial capital, the most important city of Transylvania, coveted and named by the three populations that inhabited the area. For the Romanians is Cluj with the addition of Napoca, the name of the pre-Roman town in the area, for the Hungarians is Kolozsvar the hotbed of their nationalist movement and the 1848 revolution and for the Germans was Klausenburg. Along with history, these three nationalities juggled for power and influence, with religion as the main component.
Large Boulevards, Cluj, Romania
And this can be seen best in the city by visiting its many churches that adorn the city center, and probably some of the surrounding areas that I did not have a chance to visit: St. Michael gothic church right in the main square, the brancovenesc Orthodox cathedral, a combination of renaissance style with Byzantine elements and the monumental in-construction Greek-Catholic cathedral that all try in a way to outsmart each other’s rites in a post-ecumenical way
Banfi Palace, The Art Museum, Cluj, Romania
You also can feel the nationalistic fever through the city statues. For a year, in 1600–1601, Cluj became part of the 3 principalities union crafted by Michael the Brave, on a territory similar to current Romania, the first time when all three Romanian speaking regions were united together. Micheal the Brave’s statue adorns one of the city squares while the statue of Mathias Rex, considered by the Hungarians as their first national king is standing in the main square of the city. However, for the Romanians, the Hungarian king was Romanian under the name of Matei Corvin, son of another Romanian king who ruled in Transylvania and was hailed by them as a hero.
Well, well, all this Transylvanian history is so complicated! Why cannot be history as simple as in New Jersey?
Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania
Brasov
Brasov under Tampa Mountain
I always felt when walking in the center of Brasov that I was walking in Innsbruck. The long streets pointing to the main square are covered in their center by tables where people congregate till late in the night under large umbrellas. The city’s location, under Tampa Mountain, is charming and invites you to explore. Walking its streets and alleys you cannot stop asking yourself, “Why Bucharest cannot be as clean and well maintained as Brasov?”
Scheii Church, the place of the first Romanian school in Transylvania
We reached Brasov on the last day of the “Golden Stag”, a music festival that has this year its 50th anniversary, filling the city to the brim with foreigners. The main square of the town was fenced out. Inside the organizers built stadium benches and a large stage wherein the evening of the festival they put a folklore show with lots of lights and music that could be heard all over the city center till after 1 am. I did not get its point, though because the festival is not about folklore at all. And it never has been even during the communism years.
Behind the walls, Brasov, Romania
Large European groups, mainly Germans but also English speaking, were walking old Kronstadt’s medieval streets entering the courtyards lit generously by the morning sun. Behind the medieval walls, in the quaint park on the river, youth were hanging out checking their phones like in any other part of the world. Another youth group was cleaning the graffiti on the old medieval walls.
Courtyard, Brasov, Romania
On the Rope Street, an extremely narrow long alley built in the 17th century to give quick access to firemen, groups were walking back and forth admiring and leaving their signature on a graffiti wall meant for this purpose.
Rope Street, Brasov, Romania
The long cabin line
Cota 2000, Sinaia, Romania
After so many years of traveling by car, I found in Romania a train system that changed a lot. First, the train booking is done online that lists exactly how many seats, and bike seats, are available, a far cry from the time when we rode with “nashu”, the train conductor, whom we bribed to take us to our destination. Most of the trains to Brasov were sold out so we had to adapt. I could not understand how a train gets sold out but when I got to the Bucharest Nord station I realized that all trains were very short, usually formed by three carriages only.
Hiking on the Bucegi Plateau
But if the trains were short, the line for the cabin that would lift you to the top of the Bucegi plateau from Busteni was way too long. We planned to hike to Omu Peak, the tallest peak in the Bucegi Mountains at around 2500 meters, so in order to avoid the long line, we took a gamble and got off the train in Sinaia where the cabin was empty and whisked us to the top of the plateau in no time.
Caraiman and Babele Chalets, Bucegi
From there, after less than a two-hour hike, we reached Babele Chalet where people were exiting the Busteni cabin telling us horror stories about their 3 hours wait to get to the top of the mountain. With such a long waiting line for the return cabin – what goes up, goes down – and some menacing clouds, the hike to Omu Peak looked far fetched. So we settled for a short hike to the Caraiman Cross, as spectacular as it always has been with amazing views over the cities of Prahova Valley and towards all chalets on top of Bucegi mountains.
The “Heroes Cross” on top of Caraiman Peak, Busteni, Romania
Chased by the menacing clouds and rain, a common occurrence on top of the mountains, we took refuge in the long cabin line and after an only two-hour queue – yes, we were lucky – we reached Busteni where the bumper to bumper traffic reminded us of the lack of highways in a country marred by corruption where money is sent to the parties and their cronies instead of building infrastructure. It made us happy that we could not rent a car.
IDP
Chances are that few of you had the need to know what IDP stands for. Probably like me you drove in the US visiting from Europe or in Europe coming from overseas and always you used your regular driving license issued by your country. And you never needed an IDP, International Driving Permit, an old-looking booklet with an attached photo with an antique stamp on it that translates your driving license in 10 different languages.
Not anymore, because last year, as I understood, an international convention expired or was not signed anymore and countries imposed through reciprocity the obligation of the IDP. Of course, I had no clue about it when I came to Romania where I drove with no problem last October and when I asked how should I have known about it I was told that I should have looked on the US and Romania government website: “Don’t you check the government website when you travel?” Hell no, because I am not going in Somalia or Afghanistan but in an EU country. Maybe if I were to visit the post-Brexit tiny UK that would become just another island in the Atlantic but without the good weather and good food…
I found out by accident while in Bucharest that I need an IDP to rent a car and I rushed to an Internet site that very professionally issued me a scanned and a print version IDP with a picture and a stamp on it. All within one hour for $24.
With my new IDP on the iPhone, I walked into the Raddison Hotel in Bucharest where the SIXT agent told me that this type of scanned IDP is not good and even if I make a print copy of it would not be good. What they request is the old 19th-century looking booklet with an attached photo and big, fat, stainy stamp on top of it: “Sorry but we could not rent you a car because we would be liable under the Romanian law if we do. We used to do it based on this scanned version but we cannot do it anymore” she told me apologetically. And she continued, “Even if somebody would rent you a car, in case you have an issue with the Police you would be liable under the law and there are hefty penalties.” I tried to ask at other agencies just to get the same answer. So I walked away defeated, I got a refund from the IDP website after some email exchange and switched the entire journey to a good, old, choo-choo train. So if want to drive in Europe just take a walk to the AAA office and get a IDP issued by them. It’s ugly but it helps.
One hundred
The Triumph Arch, Bucharest, Romania
At the end of the First World War, exactly one hundred years ago today, Romania was able unite in its national state almost all the territories inhabited around it by Romanians. The original state crafted after the middle of the 19th century by the European powers with a German king on the throne was completed in 1918 with Transylvania – yes a real region and supercool, not a land of legend – and parts of Moldova. During the Second World War the new political jockeying changed its territory a little bit losing parts to the Soviets who took territories equally from everybody if they could. However the dispute about these territories continues even today a way more common problem in Europe than, let’s say, in New Jersey… As a result December 1 became the National Day of Romania after the fall of the Commies and was celebrated ever since. Happy 100, Romania!
Travel with technology
Cismigiu Garden, Bucharest, Romania
With all the apps available it’s always a new way to connect while abroad. For prepaid mobile plan in the US the moment you leave their network the phone stops seeing any network. It display “No Service”. A way to get around it is to forward your mobile number to another American number. I installed in my office a number on MagicJack that for $35/year you can call unlimited US and Canada. MagicJack has a free app that would be associated with any US number you would like, so if you associated it with your mobile number all received calls from the office can be taken on your mobile phone as well. The app works both on 4G and WiFi. If you forward your mobile number to the app you receive all calls, including all your mobile calls, abroad at no extra cost. All what you need is WiFi if you did not buy a local SIM. More than that the phone would ring both in the US and abroad wherever you are on your mobile, so who picks up first gets the call. And if you buy a local SIM abroad the phone would ring with two different tones, one for the local SIM and one for the mobile calls from the US so you would know right away who is calling.
Cismigiu Garden, Bucharest, Romania
Because I did not plan to buy a SIM in Israel and another in Jordan I had to find a way to navigate with GPS. I never used downloaded maps but I just found out how great they work. I used Maps.Me and Google Maps. On Maps.me the moment you open the app in a country it asks you if you want to download the map. After that you use it in the same way as if you had reception. I was able to navigate the roads of Israel all written in Hebrew and the convoluted unmarked alleys of the medieval towns with no problem. Of course you have to save on battery if you don’t have an option to charge it…
A bridge over the Cismigiu Lake, Bucharest, Romania
Rituals
“The White Church, Bucharest, Romania
The Eastern Orthodox church was able to preserve through its diminutive architecture a sense of intimacy that I feel that was lost in the large cathedrals of the Catholicism. Even the rituals that are performed in these churches are way more close to the person that the large mass that used to fill the western churches. This may be a reason why the churches of East are fuller with believers than the ones of the West preserving a set of traditions and various rituals.
Funerary rituals in Eastern Orthodox churches of Romania
“Scrisul Romanesc” literary colloquy in Craiova
The Palace of Culture, Craiova, Romania
For two exciting days Mihail Palace, that is the Art Museum of the city of Craiova in Romania, held its the yearly gathering of members of the Romanian Academy, professors, writers, poets, artists and intellectuals debating fascinating topics about different social issues that are a concern for the entire world. Organized by the almost centennial magazine “Scrisul Romanesc” founded in 1927 and resurrected in 2003 by the visionary professor Florea Firan, the gathering has each year hot topics of the day, like the power of technology or the social diversity that happened to be the gathering topic of this year.
“Scrisul Romanesc” yearly literary event chaired by Professor Firan became a tradition in Craiova
It happened that I was in touch for quite a while with this magazine having a monthly column in it for a number of years that I was able spottily to fill it with stories stemmed from my roaming around the world. Also, the printing branch of the magazine published my first book “Cartea povestilor uitate” (“The book of forgotten stories”) in 2016, a collection of travel stories and articles I kept writing in the magazine over the years.
The interior of Palace Dinu Mihail, the Culture Palace of Craiova
Professor Firan graciously invited me repeatedly to visit Craiova and attend the yearly colloquy event but somehow the road from New York to all forgotten corners of the world never crossed through Craiova. Till this year when I boarded a train from Bucharest, crossing the yellow Baragan plains of despondent peasants and rich politicians and found myself in the middle of a remarkable literary event surrounded by extremely interesting and exciting people that gave me a stimulating intellectual buzz for two unforgettable days.
King Carol High School part of it is presently the Craiova Opera House
Oltenia, the region of Romania that counts Craiova as its largest city, gave numerous Romanian literary and artistic personalities. Probably the best known is Constantin Brancusi whose recent exhibit at the MOMA in NYC tells the story of the chunk of metal, “Maiastra”, who the sculptor wanted to import in the US in 1923 to the chagrin of the custom officials who could not understand what they have in their hand and its revolutionary role. Eugen Ionesco, the father of the Theater of the Absurd, the author of the “Chairs” and “Rhinoceros” among many others, was born also close by, as well as Marin Sorescu, a remarkable poet.
Old Town, Craiova, Romania
But beside the fascinating and stimulating discussions at the literary colloquy under the shadow of these great personalities a big surprise for me was the city itself, cleaned up and beautified with a pleasant old town inviting you for a much deserved evening stroll.
Old town, Craiova, Romania
Many of the streets and alleys of the old town were places that used to have oily garages and dirty manufacturing places, all relocated and recently converted in restaurants and cafes all having terraces flooded in lights in the evening, all full of people drinking their lattes or having a beer in a relaxing sunset.
Craiova, Romania
Train
Freight trains in a station in Southern part of Romania
Somehow I never rode a train in the Southern part of Romania. The flatland is for sure not very appealing, a landscape of wheat fields with occasional sheep heard and scattered cows tended by shepherds that seem to come from a different time. But what is striking when you ride the train is to witness the economical stagnation of this part of the country. Nothing new, except one or two churches, look to be built in this land, a land that gives through numerous scheming the most corrupt, inept and incapable government Romania gave in the last 30 years. Chances are that you may not see new hospitals, schools or kindergartens but for sure you’ll encounter fleet of Mercedes and BMWs owned by the corrupt politicians who have their origins in these plains.
Flatland of the Romania’ south
MARe
The Museum of Recent Art, Bucharest, Romania
The first private museum of art, MARe, was opened in Bucharest with a huge crowd at its doors who wanted to visit. The museum is curated by Ervin Kesler, who is a well-known in the Romanian art scene as an art critic and philosopher.
Gorzo
Smartly built and organized like an modern art museum from the western world, the museum uses the space wisely creating places to present beside paintings, videos and photography.
The museum collection is formed by the works of new Romanian artists representing cutting edge trends in contemporary art
Barladeanu
Florin Mitroi
Congratulations, Simona!
Midtown Manhattan, NYC
Coincidences
It looked almost like a funny coincidence that a guy from an old Commie country reads about life in two Commie countries, one ex and one actual, on May First in the KGB Bar in East Village, the perennial heart of the left wing movement of New York. What else did we miss? The Black Maria waiting on 4th street?
Any way, I want to thank to all who came for the reading and for all who sustained me on all social media avenues that still represent a mystery for me in their convoluted ways. My reading as well as the other authors’ readings were fun, exuding a joyful atmosphere and it looked that everybody had a great time. Hopefully we’ll do another at one point grace to our publisher Nava Renek and New Meridian Arts.
And for many who could not come but emailed me that they would have died to be there – actually I made this up – please click on the image that would give you a little excerpt from the reading, but this time with a – very, very, very rough – edit of scenes from Havana. Or click here
The book is available on FlyingMonk.com (click here) or on Amazon, (click here)
New Meridian Arts Press Release
“Between Ceausescu and Fidel” by Radu Polizu – Dictatorship wrapped in the sensuality of Cuba
New Meridian Arts and FlyingMonk Films are proud to announce the launch of a fascinating literary journey through today’s Cuba as discovered by an author and filmmaker who lived his youth in another Communist system, Ceausescu’s Romania, half a world away.
“When I planned to go to Cuba, I never thought even for moment that I would land in a place that resembled the world where I lived as a youth. In my mind, that type of world had vanished and been completely replaced by new heads of the same hydra, as authoritarian and inhumane, and labeled creatively for the new generations.
Probably because of this state of mind, my first contact with Cuba was shocking. Amusingly, Cuba unveiled my forgotten youth in Romania, with the entire repertoire of senseless propaganda based on the same script that had been written in Moscow a century ago, with the same people’s complete dismissal of the authority, and even identical in the long forgotten street sayings, replicated in a world decades apart.
But besides all this, I discovered Cuba as a fabulous live museum, a place where history was forced to halt for a moment and take a long and refreshing breath. The cars, the architecture, the people’s spirit, the lack of Internet and even their antiquated leaders looked like they all crept out from a time that refused to advance, a time that you may find only in the yellowed pages of old newspapers. I also witnessed Cuba waiting feverishly for President Obama’s visit, an unexpected visit for the Cubans but their greatest and only hope in the last 60 years. All these elements compose the effervescent charm of Cuba, a country that lives with fervor and passion in an incredibly uplifting atmosphere that transcends time and space. The phenomenal resilience of Cubans in their will to enjoy life to abandon, with music, dance and rum, in spite of their daily hardships, looking almost like a rebellion against their oppressive and inept government, form the core of all the stories I have written in this book.”
Radu Polizu aka FlyingMonk
The book is available on Amazon, (click here) or on FlyingMonk.com (click here)
A first reading from the book will happen on May 1 at 7:00 PM at KGB Bar in East Village – 85 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003, USA (map)
The last king
Romania bade farewell to its last king, King Michael, in an impressive royal ceremony attended by numerous crowned heads of Europe. The national funerary lasted three days, declared as national days of mourning. The government, formed by the followers of the ones who blocked the king to return and chased him out of the country after the revolution/coup that toppled Ceausescu, was more than eager to offer all honors to a monarch that was always a role model of integrity and morality that could inspire nothing but fear in their corrupt souls. It was the king’s decision to switch sides in the WW2 and bring Romania to fight against Hitler’s forces, just to be pushed out of the country three years later by a bunch of Communists shielded by Stalin’s tanks. We all learned in school during the Communist times that the king fled the country in a train filled up with all national treasures but luckily we still had grandparents who whispered to us that the king left with nothing and the country’s wealth was spoiled by the incompetent Stalinists and further, as we were able to see with our own eyes, their sons and daughters who followed them after the revolution/coup. Eventually, after the 1996 election that brought Romania’s first center-right government, the King was permitted to return to Romania. Now, after the King’s demise, his role can be easier commended including his major influence in the negotiations of stirring Romania to join NATO and shielding it in this way of the menacing neighboring Russians. God bless the King!
The galleries’ night in Bucharest
Ion Barbu’s “Museum of the Pig”
Considering the short time I had in Bucharest I felt quite lucky to be there during an event I kept hearing about, “The galleries’ night”, a time when many of the art galleries in Bucharest are open all night, or at least till late hours.
Ion Barbu’s humor is deeply rooted in the political reality of the country
I did not have a lot of time to walk around but I was able to descend upon “The Journey to the Navel of the World” of Ion Barbu together with an impressive collective of talented and creative artists that I found to be astounding; funny, clever and deeply connected into the social fabric of the country.
Mircea Roman’s studio, Bucharest, Romania
Strolling with a good friend who is a well known Romanian painter I walked in several studios of his own friends, a world of spectacular creativity and unbound talent.
Metal sculptures in Orizont Gallery
A night stroll
Bucharest old town
I always found Bucharest old town packed by tourists and locals. The winding streets and narrow alleys towered by a superb, but still decaying, architecture, are most of times so full of people that it’s hard to get a seat at a table no matter what hour you visit. So in a very brief and very rushed visit to Bucharest I decided to take a stroll late in the night and found the old town quieter that many other times when I visited.
Old town alley, Bucharest, Romania
FlyingMonk @ Gaudeamus Book Fair
Professor Mihai Ene introducing “Cartea povestilor uitate” at Gaudeamus Book Fair in Craiova, Romania
Gaudeamus Book Fair is the largest international book fair organized across Romania. The fair itself happens in the month of November inside Romexpo pavilion, the Bucharest’ fair grounds. However it is preceded by what is called the Gaudeamus Caravan, a set of literary and book launching events that happen across the country starting in Craiova at the end of February/beginning of March and continuing to several large cities of Romania till they reach Bucharest in late fall.
The book we published last summer “Cartea povestilor uitate/The book of forgotten stories” was officially launched at the Gaudeamus Caravan event in Craiova, the city where is published the literary magazine “Scrisul romanesc” under the editorial management of Professor Florea Firan. At the event, the book was introduced by Professor Mihai Ene who wrote the bellow book review in the “Scrisul Romanesc” literary magazine. The book is published in Romanian, and we hope to have soon an English edition of it.
Farmecul discret al calatoriei
Mihai Ene
Din cele mai vechi timpuri, călătoria reprezintă una dintre experienţele fundamentale ale umanităţii, un orizont extrem de complex deschizându-se între Odiseea lui Homer şi On the road, romanul lui Jack Kerouac. De la călătoriile iniţiatice şi până la cele în scopuri pragmatice, toate au însemnat şi descriu descoperiri, cunoaşteri aprofundate, revelaţii, refl ecţii din ţinuturi mai mult sau mai puţin cunoscute şi pitoreşti, întâlniri cu oameni extraordinari, care îţi pot marca destinul, dar şi cu oameni simpli, care constituie elementul principal în atmosfera călătoriei. Modernita-tea a distrus, încetul cu încetul, farmecul şi semnifi caţia călătoriei, prin inventarea unor mijloace foarte rapide şi confortabile de transport, care te duc în doar câteva ore în locuri pe care, cu doar un secol şi ceva în urmă le străbăteai în săptămâni sau chiar luni întregi. Ceea ce s-a câştigat din punct de vedere pragmatic s-a pierdut la nivelul ethosului călătoriei, a semnifi caţiei şi experienţei în sine pe care o reprezenta călătoria, prilej şi sursă foarte importantă de cunoaştere directă. Însă, în ciuda acestui fapt, există încă oameni care sunt pătrunşi de neliniştea călătorului, care este opusul turistului. Pentru că, dacă turistul se duce să viziteze locuri despre care alţii îi spun că merită văzute şi el bifează atracţiile convenţionale ale unui anumit spaţiu bine defi nit, călătorul adaugă aven-tură experienţei sale, care înseamnă şi o anumită doză de neprevăzut şi de pericol, dar şi de cunoaştere mult mai profundă a lucrurilor, oamenilor şi locurilor cu care intră în contact. Iar când aceşti oameni decid să împărtăşească cu ceilalţi experienţele lor şi să îi incite, astfel, şi pe alţii să pornească la drum este mai mult decât interesant, pentru că, prin intermediul lor, te fac să participi la măcar o parte dintre aventurile lor.Aşa stau lucrurile şi în cazul lui Radu Polizu, autorul Cărţii poveștilor uitate(Scrisul Românesc, 2016), un călător pasionat, talentat şi tenace, care ne face părtaşi la câteva dintre aventurile sale pe patru continente. Ca producător de fi lme de călătorie, Radu Polizu (inginer de Televiziune în Ro-mânia, stabilit în New York din 1988) a reuşit să-şi transforme visul din copilă-rie într-o meserie pe care o face cu mare plăcere şi care îi oferă în acelaşi timp posibilitatea să se bucure de pasiunea sa. Deşi nu este scriitor de fi cţiune, talentul său de povestitor iese la suprafaţă în mi-cile proze memorialistice, care ne poartă din Lhasa până în Lima şi din Bangkok până în Havana, din India până în sudul Franţei şi din Mexic până în Vietnam. Radu Polizu ştie să observe, să discu-te cu oamenii, să privească la spectacolul din jur şi să selecteze pentru cititor ceea ce crede că este mai interesant, inedit sau straniu pentru cititor. Atmosfera unei Cube încremenite în timp, privită de un om care a cunoscut şi regimul totalitar românesc, dar şi societatea americană, unde trăieşte de mai bine de 30 de ani, este descrisă mai ales prin prisma conversa-ţiilor cu câţiva localnici pe care îi cunoaşte acolo, dar şi prin intermediul unei observaţii a mediului, a modului în care funcţionează mitologia locală şi a modului de raportare al oamenilor la aceste realităţi. În Peru, în anii ’90, în care activau guerilele de extremă stângă „Sendero Luminoso” şi „Tupac Amaru”, autorul păşeşte într-o lume afl ată, practic, în război civil, în Nepal, China şi Tibet se aventurează în experienţe-limită, descoperă Mexicul străvechi şi e interesat mereu şi de latura spirituală a lo-curile pe care le vizitează – temple şi alte lăcaşe de cult, rudimentele atât de încărcate de semnifi caţii ale unor civilizaţii de mult apuse, dar toate conectate cu lumea reală, contemporană, uneori paradoxală, contrastantă şi cu atât mai neverosimilă parcă, cu cât este mai adevărată. De aici afl ăm, de pildă, cum te vindecă de problemele generate de altitudinile ridicate Matte-ul de Coca, nivelul redus de serviabilitate al francezilor, mai ales din zone turistice, în care a cere un pahar cu apă de la chiuvetă se transformă într-un calvar comunicaţional, dar şi modul miraculos-inconştient în care poţi traversa o stradă pe care curge un fl uviu de motorete în Saigon.La graniţa dintre memorialistică, jurnal de călătorie şi proză scurtă, textele din volumul Cartea poveștilor uitatereuşesc să redea atmosfera locurilor în care se plasează şi mai ales să realizeze o intersecţie a mai multor planuri extrem de impor-tante: jurnalistic, sociologic, politic, mentalitar. Nu avem de-a face nici cu descrieri lungi de natură, nici cu date uzuale, pe care le poţi găsi în ghidurile turistice, nimic din „sfătoşenia” cu care te întâmpină de multe ori cei care au trăit diverse experienţe spirituale. Totul decurge natural, într-un ritm destul de alert, observaţiile merg direct la ţintă şi urmăresc un nucleu narativ şi de semni-fi caţie, ca în reportajele de televiziune a căror tehnică autorul o cunoaşte desigur extrem de bine. De asemenea, dincolo de experienţele personale, şi aceste observaţii au tot un caracter personal şi vin din interacţi-unea cu diverşi oameni întâlniţi în împrejurări cotidiene şi de la care Radu Polizu ştie să afl e lucruri interesante şi defi nitorii pentru acel spaţiu, aşa cum sunt discuţiile despre Cuba contemporană, despre Che şi Fidel, dar şi despre istorica vizită a preşedintelui Obama la Havana. Convins că mai sunt multe experienţe, locuri şi oameni pe care le-a cunoscut Radu Polizu, nu pot decât să aştept cu nerăbdare textele sale şi, de ce nu, un al doilea volum care să completeze aceste frumoase „poveşti uitate” şi reamintite.
Click to access sr_04_2017.pdf
Waiting…
…for a date or just checking Facebook?
Bucharest, Romania
Opening
Art exhibit, Bucharest
Bucharest is an artsy town and each and every time I visit is almost impossible not to get to an opening of any sort. The exhibits happen in beautiful houses renovated by their owners or by investors. Because the rents are low and rentals are in low demand, some of these houses get converted in art galleries to the delight of a vibrant art community.
Snow storm in Bucharest
Bucharest, Romania
Conspiracies
Victoria Square lit by the phones’ LEDs.
Many who disagree with the protests in the Victoria Square refuse to accept the reality as is and balm under a reality of alternative facts. Surprising is that many of these alternative facts are blatant lies presented in the same way as Trump’s lies in the US, uttered by the leader of the Social Democrats who pretends that millions of his sympathizers are ready to embark and create a counter demonstration. The “millions” were actually packed efficiently in several vans and unloaded in front of the Presidential Palace, while in Victoria Square the protests continued with thousands that block the avenues asking for the government’s demise. The President’ speech in Parliament was catalytic for the square who changed the message and used the President’s line “Are you already tired?” addressed to the Social Democrats when they decided to leave the hall during his speech avoiding his reprimand.
“Are you tired? We are not!” “Soros, these guys don’t give up. Can you give us an advance (payment) till Sunday?”
Learning from Putin’s model, the Social Democrats try desperately to send a smoke screen of conspiracy messages presenting the entire square as a massive manipulation, brought out either by the Romanian Secret Service, whom somehow would plot only against them or by the NGOs who try to infiltrate foreign interests in the Romanian politics. Of course, the man who is considered behind all the protests is George Soros, whose Open Society Foundation is for sure not the darling of Putin or Orban, two autocrats that are around. The paranoia was going on for a while blaming the previous technocrat prime minister, Dacian Ciolos, the only decent prime minister the country had in a long time, that being the natural son of Soros. The square reacted and some of the funny messages mock this fabricated reality in the eight day of the protest in Romania. #rezist and #resist
Facebook democracy
I have never been a Facebook fan but I was in awe watching how this platform can be used for mass protests around the globe fighting tyranny and abuse. Probably 15 years ago such an amazing protest could not have happened in Romania without a way to communicate and organize like it was done in these six magical nights.
“Cancel”
Last night, the sixth, way more than quarter million people gathered in Victoria Square that it was packed to the point that it was almost impossible to advance. Last time when I was in such a crowded place was in India during Kumbh Mela!!!
The moment when all the phone LEDs were turned on it was like a spiritual moment, flooding in light the entire square and sending toward the sky the hopes and wishes of liberty, fairness and responsibility of all 280.000 people in Bucharest and the other quarter million protesting in the other parts of the country and abroad.
More than quarter million people turned on their phone flash LEDs at once in an incredible show of unity in Victoria Square, Bucharest
I felt very proud of my compatriots all these six days and I considered myself very fortunate to be here and share with them this event in Bucharest. I hope that they will be able to keep organizing like this for the future challenges and not let the crooks and thieves who are prevalent in the entire Romanian political spectrum to steal and rob the country like they did it for the last 27 years. And because they were so good at pushing this grass root democracy and protests, maybe we can invite them in the USA to help us block Donald’s ridiculous and abusive policies and attitudes. Bravo and #resist
Victoria square lit by phone LEDs in Bucharest
Children and dogs
“The “red plague” should perish if you want for us to stay in this country”
The fifth day of marches and demonstrations was dedicated to the children. The entire square was full of children drawing on asphalt in a serene atmosphere. Many came with their dogs who were caring a political message on their collar and were the delight of the children who played with them.
“Don’t steal my future”
Entire families came out in a sunny and warm Saturday for a walk and gathered in the Victoria Square as a sign of unity against that abusive executive order.
” I cannot vote but I can protest”
The demonstrators stayed for the entire day, gathering maybe about 5000 people in the afternoon.
Political involved children drawing on the asphalt, Victoria Square, Bucharest
Even with “The Donald” at the helm the hope is still on the US and the American Embassy had a very clear message sustaining the continuation of the fight against corruption
The demonstration gained momentum like in every other day in the evening when its number swelled considerably filling the square to the brim and bringing the number to around 170000 people singing the national anthem whose verses were projected on an adjacent building. During the evening cowing under the street pressure the government gave in and announced that they would abrogate the executive order.
Victoria Square in the evening gathering more than 170000 people, Bucharest, Romania
The funny messages abounded in an incredible deluge of creativity, one of them mocking the Trump message applied to a jail, Jilava, where most of the corrupt politicians spent time.
“Make Jilava great again” – Jilava is a jail where the corrupt politicians spent time.
“Abrogate and leave”…
“Abrogate”
…was the main slogan called by the demonstrators last night in the Victoria Square. The protests swelled by warmer weather reached around 150.000 people and blocked all avenues that were accessing the square paralyzing the entire city center. People were flowing to and from the square from all directions transforming the boulevards in a human river through which the cars were trying shyly to find their way.
The man behind the curtain, the leader of the Social Democrats, Liviu Dragnea. “Drac” in Romanian means devil.
Most of the people were young, students who still hope when they graduate to have a country of their own where they can live and not have to find their luck somewhere else in Europe. Others came with children and pets with billboard attached to the carriages or to their dog’s necks. In a country riddled by legends of vampires the portrait of the leader of the Social Democrats, Liviu Dragnea, the behind the curtain architect and beneficiary of the current executive order, was adorned with horns being labeled as a devil. 2D cutouts of the members of the current monstrous government dressed in jail jump suits was paraded through the square with a coffin in front and a large cross under projections on the adjoined buildings of the slogans called by the demonstrators.
The five main puppeteers in jail jump suits.
The largest Bucharest protest
“Shame”
The protests in Bucharest followed all night and about 1000 people were in the square at dawn. Other people were bringing them tea and food to resist and not lose the square. The number increased during the day bringing the number at about 3000 people during the day while the rush hour traffic skirted around the mass of demonstrators.
“Parents, the thieves govern the country of your children”
But after business hour the square filled to the brim bringing the number of demonstrators to over 125000 in Bucharest, with 300000 in 50 cities around the country. It became the largest protest since the events in December 1989 that brought the fall of Ceausescu and the demise of communism.
“In democracy the thieves stay in jail”
Like in the US vote for Trump, the majority who voted this populist government are the same rural and uneducated people with a strong xenophobic slant or city people with clear business interests in this party. And for sure the result of the American election lingers of the current situation in Romania and is in everybody’s mind as one good friend put it bluntly last night: “If I knew that Obama were president I would not have been so concerned about the outcome but with Trump I don’t have any hope.”
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty”
Any conversation in Romania is always a test in endurance and a political one can be testy to the maximum. If the person does not talk over you, a thing that happens for most of the people something that they learn in the Romanian TV, their intransigence is incredible and almost all of them know the answer for all questions in the world. You opinion does not count and no matter where you come from nobody is interested in neither your opinion nor in any other opinions coming from the place where you live. Because you know nothing and let yourself manipulated and they know everything. Like God!
Victoria Square, Bucharest, Romania
The previous night it happened to meet in a large group one Romanian Trump supporter. He was so convinced about him, knowing almost nothing about Trump, except of what surfaced on TV and Twitter.
When I asked him if he was not concerned that Trump will retire USA from NATO he was totally convinced that he cannot do this and neither have a close relationship with Putin; so it was a pick and choose about what was convenient.
The government building in Victoria Square, Bucharest
He was embracing all the populist slogans Trump used in the campaign refusing to acknowledge that lots of the populist ideas where similar to the Social Democrats’ in Romania whom he was abhorring and he barely waited to go and march in the square against them.
Victoria Boulevard closed to traffic by the demonstrators
I tried to iterate some of the many issues people in the US have against Trump but the refusal was categorical with the mantra “Trump is good. I like him very much.”
“By night, like thieves”
Because he was known being an extremist none of his friends at the table dared to contradict him no matter that all were expressing their concern of both the direction of the American policy in regards to Europe and Romania especially, as well as the populist policies of the Romanian government. What all had in common was to go and demonstrate against the Social Democrats and probably in the end they did it swelling the numbers of the 125000 people in the Victoria Square.
Victoria Square, Bucharest, Romania
The thieves’ paradise
Victoria Square, Bucharest
Tonight the new government of Romania established Romania as the thieves’ paradise. The tremendous corruption that marred Romania was always there but in the recent years was challenged by a relentless group of prosecutors under the remarkable leadership of Codruta Kovessi who was able to prosecute in a “mani puliti” style lots of Romania politicians. It came to the point that a very large number of MPs were under prosecution or landed in jail after they lost the seat in the Parliament.
Unfortunately not all that were proved corrupt and accepting bribes because many dossiers were lagging in process but it was know that they will be soon prosecuted.
Victoria Square, Bucharest
Tonight the government voted in a exceptional session, late in the night, especially chosen, a 18F frosty night, an executive order by which all who were under investigation were cleared giving basically a clean slate for a national theft and graft. The thugs won! The main thug is the leader of ruling Socialists who was already with a number of dossiers hanging on his head and his Justice Ministry , Florian Iordache, who is at the second try to pass such a law.
The Romanian government building, Bucharest
After the Ministry of Justice obnoxious and aggressive press conference that happened around 10:30 PM, unexpected for the politicians, hoards of people in the entire country marched to the city center in a huge protest. The crowd surrounded the government building, blocking all access gates, hoping as one protester put it “to burn the rats live inside”. What made it interesting was that all this flux of protesters coming into the square was incessantly flowing after midnight, in a freezing midnight. In Bucharest, watching at 1:00 AM, I saw coming from all corners of the Government Square throngs of young people like in a procession that was mourning the Romanian democracy. It looked like a candle-less Easter procession but this time a mournful and angry one. TV anchors were denouncing the executive order that tried to protect not only the politicians but also their family and second degree relatives. Some anchors advised the viewers to leave Romania and emigrate because is nothing left to do in Romania except theft.
The Romanian Government building in Bucharest
In Romania if you are not a thief, you are a sucker!
Herastrau
Hard Rock Cafe in Herastrau Park, Bucharest
It’s a pleasure walking, day or night, in the largest park of Bucharest, Herastrau, a large expanse on the northern part of the city surrounding the large lake. Lake Herastrau is one of many in a chain of lakes that were formed by damming in several places a river creating a airy environment in a city mainly clogged by traffic. In many of my trips to Vegas I spent several evenings in Hard Rock Cafe and seeing its sign popping up in Herastrau I couldn’t but stop by for a quick drink in this iconic place.
Herastrau Park alley by night, Bucharest
…on the Bucegi plateau
The huge line of parked cars at the end of the road to Piatra Arsa
The gondola brought us on top of the majestic plateau. The landscape is spectacular, right from the get go you being able to see each surrounding peak. All peaks look so close and you really wonder what you will do all day when any destination is just there.
I read on Wikipedia that: “The Bucegi is believed to be the Dacian holy mountain Kogainon, on which the God Zalmoxis resided in a cave.” For sure the Dacians knew something because more recently lots of legends and stories abound about the underground tunnels and caves that may exist under the plateau, tunnels that may connect the mountain to the holy Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, to a holy place in Iraq and the third going somewhere under the Gobi Plateau. In the under the mountain caves the “Internet legends” talk about a holographic library of the universe displayed on extremely tall and large tables built for giants.
Obviously very cool but we planned only an over the ground hike leaving the underground exploration for a future trip. So we descended Furnica Peak towards Piatra Arsa, where the old chalet burnt down being replaced by a large hotel. More recently the dirt mountain road that existed here for long time was paved in an exercise of bad tourism so zillions of cars were parked on the road with absolutely no facilities, water, toilets, etc. and hundreds of people were climbing the mountain to Babele, a short 40 minutes walk from the road. This explained a little why there were no cars on the road to “1400”; all were coming straight to the mountain top. “I am coming from Pestera”, a village on the other side of the mountain, told me a German, “You have to see that part. Hotels after hotels and nothing in between. They have no idea how to develop a site. Look at those cars and people and imagine the garbage that surrounds them. And absolutely no toilets…At least I was able to stay overnight here in Piatra Arsa and the sky was the best I ever saw in my life”.
Babele, Bucegi Plateau, Romania
The Babele chalet’ surroundings were packed with hundreds of day trippers who almost each had selfie stick. The Babele rock formation resembling two old hags chatting face to face is fortunately surrounded by an iron fence to keep the climbers away. Not so lucky is the famous Sphinx that looks desperate toward horizon being climbed by people trying to get a picture on its top in the most ridiculous poses in spite of the numerous signs that invite for restrain. Between them path of rocks shaped as a snake eating its tail try to bring a more meditative mood to the surrounding zoo.
The Sfinx, Bucegi Plateu, Romania
From the Sfinx is another hour to the Caraiman Cross, an impressive monument dedicated to the rail workers who died in the First World War. It was built between 1926-1928 at the initiative of Queen Mary of Romania being the highest altitude cross in the world at 2291 meters. The cross is 28 meter high with two arms of 7 meters, arms that the Communists wanted to cut and put on top their darling red star. Luckily it did not happen….At the end of the 1930s a generator was installed and the cross was lit in several religious holiday nights each year.
The Caraiman Cross, the highest elevation cross in the world
The descent from the cross is through Brana Caraiman, a spectacular road that skirts the mountain top winding on its rock side and going to Cabana Caraiman from where it may continue straight down on Jepi to Busteni. We backtracked to Piatra Arsa that we reached after about an hour and a half from the cross. The day was glorious and we lingered admiring the spellbinding views but we had no idea how long would take to descend to “1400” and all questions to various day trippers remained unanswered. We took the route to Furnica Peak at which base we got to a sign that pointed down to “1400” and following the path we merged at one point with the Summer Road, one of the ski slopes that I used to run. Unfortunately right at the crossing I could see the location of the old Varful cu Dor chalet burnt down, only a metal skeleton remaining. Last time when I stayed there I took refuge in a brutally powerful and unexpected blizzard that plunged the mountain in a dense fog and made me lose my way while skiing. Walking down the Summer Road we got to “1400” after about 8 hours and a half with some breaks in between. A gorgeous day and it looks like that walking is not so hazardous for health after all even in Romania…
Brana Caraiman, the descending path from the cross towards Caraiman Chalet down in the valley
Longing for a hike…
We never make reservation in advance. It’s ruining the spontaneity of any exploration and ties you up to a specific location. But sometimes it’s hard to find a place to stay, like in a Saturday afternoon trying to find a room for four people in Sinaia. This is another hurdle in Romania and all over Europe; used to the American hotels where everything is big and you can sleep easily two people in a bed even if is not listed as queen size, when you try to find accommodation in Europe everything is so tiny that you feel that you’d fall off during the night. On Booking.com there were few locations available and when we finally found an overpriced pension named “Floarea de Colt” in Sinaia, that did not have kitchen and implicitly no breakfast and was also way out of the road, we decided to call and try to book it, a safer bet in Romania where everybody advertise on the booking sites but they hate paying the fees so they give you a way lower price if you book directly. “OK, we’ll take it” we told the host, “but we will be there around 11:30PM or even 12AM”, our typical way of traveling where the hotel is just a set of beds used for the minimum possible amount of time spent during the night. “I cannot wait and it’s not worthy to wait so late” told us the host. “If you come till 9:00 PM I can wait but no latter than that. It’s not worth it for one hundred euro…”, in an economy that pays a minimum monthly salary of about 200 Euro/month….Digging deeper we found a better option in Roberto’s Hotel in Sinaia where the lady receptionist was way more accommodating and for a lower fare we got a charming room with four beds and a delicious breakfast served on a terrace overlooking the mountain that reminded somehow of the last lovely breakfast I had in Santiago de Cuba in Anna’s house.
The Carp Valley towards “2000 meters” in Sinaia, Romania
The reason we came there was to hike a full day on the Bucegi Mountains plateau that raises at over 2000 meters on top of Sinaia. So we started to investigate how good is the road to the “1400” a place located at that specific elevation that used to have a famous hotel: “It’s hard to tell because is getting ruined in winter and they don’t fix it” or maybe how long is the hike to Babele, a charming place on the plateau: “We have no idea how long would take” and they did not know how long is to the “Caraiman” or “Omu”. Sinaia used to be a place where most of the people were mountain people and a question like this would have easily thrown you in the category of “tourist from the valley”. People came by car or train to Sinaia and hiked all the way up the mountain, or free rock climbed like I used to do on the Bucegi valleys, Cerbului or Galbinele, vertical hikes on rocks on all four that bring you all the way to the plateau. On these hikes we regularly encountered herds of black goats that were running scared up the mountain throwing dangerously toward us large boulders and prickly stones that on the open mountain we tried to deflect only with our backpacks. But while hiking in Romania I tried to stay away of the Bucegi plateau that became a boulevard after the installation of the cable car making the mountain easily accessible. I don’t remember ever hiking there since I was twelve, preferring mainly Piatra Craiului, an astoundingly beautiful mountain close to Brasov whose rock climbing trails were spectacular.
The drive to “1400” was completely empty, nor cars or people could be seen on the road. “It’s way too early” told me a guy pointing to his watch that showed something close to 10 AM. We walked up to the newly built gondola trying to get information about the hikes from the girl that was selling tickets, an always good source in the old days:”I skied this mountain several times a day but I have no clue how long it takes to walk down. Does it happen for you to know?” I asked her. The answer left me speechless: “I don’t know because I don’t walk.” I looked at the levitating creature in front of me and I was wondering how long it takes her to levitate till she gets in her Porsche in the parking place bought by selling tickets…But it was not the first time in Romania when I got this type of response associating walking with a health hazard.
On the Bucegi Plateau you get a panoramic view from Babele to Costila and Caraiman Peaks, Romania
We did not plan to hike up from 1400 meters to 2000 meters and we boarded the gondola for which our levitating girl sold us tickets and we almost levitated ourselves to the top at Varful cu Dor, a place where I skied several entire weeks each winter while living in Romania to the chagrin of my American friends who said that this type of life is lived in the USA only by aristocrats. The surprising perks of a Communist system… As a German friend recently returned from Havana was saying: “I work for 11 month like a German to live one month like a Cuban. And they live the rest of the year like this with no effort whatsoever…”.
To be continued…..
Fortified refuge
Saschiz Fortified Church, Romania
Medieval times were intense. Invaders and attacks were common and the wall surrounded towns were able to accommodate a limited number of people in case of attacks. All the others had to take covers in their villages and where else than in the large churches built in each and every village of Transylvania. Surrounded by walls with defensive towers the fortified churches of the Saxons were actual citadels that may have deterred the invaders to move away. Many of them are nowadays well preserved in spite of a high level of neglect during the Communist times. Out of more than 300 churches that were built in Transylvania today remain about half of them, seven being included on the UNESCO World heritage list.
The Fortified church in Saschiz is right on the road to Brasov-Kronstadt in a village that in its entirety was listed in the UNESCO World heritage list. It was built at the end of the 15th century with a number of fortified buildings out of which only the main tower surrounded by the church nave and several other buildings.
Viscri Village, Romania
Several kilometers further towards Brasov, a small road veers left and winds through bucolic hills and valleys peppered with farms and sheep. The road is/was paved but is full of potholes that require delft maneuvers not to ruin your car but after about 7 km you end up in the large main street of Viscri village, a lovely location that can be admired better if you climb on top of the church dating from the 1100s. The church is itself fortified and is surrounded also by a fortified wall with defensive towers looking spectacular. Inside is a museum that displays old village items and local history. The village is famous in Romania being known by the fact that Prince Charles came here and falling in love with the location bought a number of traditional houses, renovated them and at least one was converted in a B&B. We tried to visit it but unfortunately the gate was closed. The cobble stone street of Viscri has a sleepy atmosphere with occasional stalls selling all sorts of knitted clothing for the incidental tourists. The road leaving the village towards Brasov, different of the one we took when we entered the village, is a dirt road never paved before and, of course, is a a way better alternative to visit the village. Not necessarily modernity is a better option….
Viscri Fortified Church, Romania
Where Dracula was born…
The Clock Tower is the main entry gate into the Sighisoara citadel, Romania
For many who are immersed in the Dracula story, Sighisoara should be a must in following the steps of the Wallachian king because in this medieval town in 1431 the “Impaler” was born in a house right in the middle of the citadel. His father Vlad the Devil, Vlad Draco, was the king of Wallachia and used to mint coins with his name in town that at times was full tradesmen and artisans. One of the oldest Saxon settlements in Transylvania, Sighisoara or Schassburg, one of the seven towns of Siebenburgen, was first mentioned in documents at the end of the 12th century. It’s a remarkable medieval town, with a lower town that was populated for centuries by merchants and artisans who settled here from all over medieval Europe. From there, climbing steps or roads you reach the citadel, or the upper town, completely surrounded by 14 fortified walls with defense tower, each one raised by a guild. At its peak the town hosted 15 guilds and 20 artisan branches.The towers are named by the guild’s trade: the Carpenters’ Tower, goldsmith, butchers, weavers, shoemakers, locksmith, barrel makers, barbers, iron-smith, etc. Sighisoara is one of the very few European medieval towns whose citadel is inhabited. People go to and fro to their regular business, not necessarily tourist related, and they may walk down in town to work or travel to other nearby towns and return in the night under the fortified walls of the less menacing citadel that can be seen from far away.
On top of the citadel, on a hill in its middle, you climb a covered staircase built in the 18th century to reach the Evangelical church from the hill where frescos were uncovered in a recent restoration. Most of the Saxons evangelical churches in the region had the original paintings covered except the one in Malancrav where the Gothic murals survived. The church is surrounded by the cemetery surrounded also by other walls that overlook the valley. The highlight of the citadel is the Clock Tower where puppets are supposed to dance and move every hours, a thing that does not happen anymore except for few of them. Right down in the Clock Tower square everybody congregates around Dracula birth place who represents for the country a symbol slandered in medieval times by what we would call nowadays “a biased press”. Vlad was impaling in the public square the noblemen and officials that were cheating and stealing the administration and the population, a thing that many Romanians would love to see enacted in real life for most of the indicted MPs that are still occupying the Parliament benches in spite of the injunction, protected like a Mafia by their own parties.
A street in Sighisoara lower town coming from the Goldsmith Square, Romania
Siebenburgen
It’s an old German legend from the 16th century that tells about a flute player who pretended that his playing would be able to eradicate the town of Hamelin of the invading rats that were spreading disease. The city dwellers accepted his offer and the man started to play his flute and all the rats aligned behind him and together they left the town. However when the musician returned to get his pay the city refused to give him any money so he started to play again and aligned behind him all children that left the town with him and were never seen again. A legend is a legend but many associate it with the time when the Germans left their towns and moved towards Eastern Europe to found their new towns here and never went back to the German towns again.
Santa Margarita fortified church, Medias (Mediash), Romania
Siebenburgen means “seven towns” that were founded starting with the 12th century when a Hungarian king made an offer with large swaths of land to people speaking several dialects living in what is now Germany to move in the southern part of Transylvania in order to defend the border of the kingdom. The Saxons, as they were latter to be known, established here seven main towns that in a way surround Transylvania, extending from the original region around Sibiu-Hermanstadt towards the north: Bistrita (Bistritz), Brasov (Kronstadt), Cluj (Klausenburg), Medias (Mediasch), Orastie (Broos), Sibiu (Hermannstadt) si Sighisoara (Schasburg). Many Germans today when they refer to Transylvania call it by the old Saxon name, Siebenburgen. Besides these seven towns or citadels, surrounded by defensive walls and towers, at the middle of the 15th century a document mentioned Sieben Stühle, that were the seven Saxon “chairs” that administered the entire province, with a main “chair: in Sibiu-Hermanstadt: Orăștie (Broos), Sebeș (Mühlbach), Miercurea Sibiului (Ruzmargt), Sighișoara (Schäßburg), Nocrich (Leuskyrch), Cincu (Schenk) și Rupea (Reps), some of them preserving amazing fortified hill citadels overlooking the valleys. The German population dwindled in time and during Communist times it was literally sold by Ceausescu in his drive for foreign currency.
Medias is one of these original “burgen” that has in its middle a church preserving its original tower. The wall completely surrounds the church and on sides there are several other defense towers. Mediash was added in time to the territory administration becoming itself a Stühle , a Saxon chair.
Sibiu-Hermanstadt
Sibiu’s main square with the Catholic Cathedral, Romania
15 years ago I descended from a cold train in a crisp morning in Sibiu, known also by its Saxon name as Hermanstadt, and I was welcomed by a town that was barely awaken from the Communist amnesia. A dusty square with beautiful but peeling buildings surrounded by stores that sold brooms and knitted pullovers, trinkets, chemicals and pails with most of the stores closed. I went to have breakfast in a place that looked unchanged for the last 50 years with rickety and unconformable chairs, the same ones you could find in any place in the country. The main difference to its unfortunate past was that it sold real coffee and some warm pastries. On top of the stores’ doors were hanging the same signs that were prevalent at the time making the place indistinct. But in spite of its unkept look when I strolled through the old town, through its squares and streets aligned with the Saxon style houses, the city emanated an air of hominess of a close knit society, through an architecture that at every corner was telling you that the city may be beautiful but you just cannot see it for the moment.
Fast forward 15 years, I walked in the evening in the main square of a town that I was just barely able to recognize. It took me a while to remember and locate the buildings and make sense of what I was seeing. Lit like a theater stage, the today Sibiu looks and feel like any city in Europe but in addition it preserved this sense of hominess that I could feel a while ago. The pedestrian area is aligned with restaurants with menus of traditional Romanian dishes, elegant wine bars, beer places with no loud or tacky music and coffee places where youth are hanging out all in an atmosphere of impeccable taste that you rarely find in many other cities in Romania. The stores look all new selling meaningful things for the people strolling the city center: fashion, phones, music, wine, food, travel, etc. In the main square there are at least 3 stalls selling ice cream, beside lots of other stores that were organized for a medieval fair. The Sibiu theater festival was advertising its shows rolling through the square a butaforic horse under sounds of Wagner. The buildings are impeccably renovated, like it was done sometime last week, extolling their architectural features and the main squares are alive till midnight with tourists and local enjoying a night out. It’s so nice that you feel guilty to go to the hotel and you rather walk the cobble stones streets all lit like in the middle of the day.
The small square, Sibiu, Romania
The current president of Romania, a Saxon, Klaus Johannis, was elected three times mayor of Sibiu. He put a lot of effort and brought the town from its sleepy state to become the cultural capital of Europe in 2007. His success in revamping the city was a token of appreciation that promoted him to the top of the candidates for presidency of Romania in the hope that he would be able to do for the country what he did for his city. Two years in his mandate everybody still hopes…
Transfagarasan
Capra Chalet at the road’s entrance from Muntenia
I always wanted to cross the Carpathians by the Transfagarasan road but somehow it never happened till now. Transfagarasan Road was finally paved in the 70s becoming the most beautiful transalpine road in Romania crossing Fagaras Mountain and making the connection between Muntenia (Wallachia) and Transylvania. It was built as an alternative route in case the Soviets intended to invade Romania right after the Czechoslovakia invasion of 1968. Its peak of 2034 meters, at Balea Lake, is a charming location with the chalet on top of the lake’s perfect mirror, in spite of the zoo of stalls and people that sell everything and anything imaginable in terms of touristic kitsch. The place is also very close, about 3 hour to the highest peak in Romania, hiking on alpine pastures poked by glacier lakes and roamed by black goats.
Balea Lake and chalet
Before the road was built the only way to come here at Balea was after long hikes, some of them between 8 and 14 hours. The road is impressive when you engage it from Muntenia crossing the highest mountain tunnel in Romania, about half mile long. After crossing the tunnel you enter the alpine pastures where Capra Chalet welcomes you towards the further peaks and toward Balea Lake. From its highest point at Balea you can admire the road’s hair pins going into Transylvania. The road is absolutely spectacular being rated by Top Gear as the best road in Europe.
However in spite of a relatively early start, to get here with the local traffic takes a long time, so we were able to reach its peak at Balea only late in the afternoon.
The Transfagarasan road going into Transylvania
The Queen
Curtea de Arges Cathedral, Romania
Curtea de Arges Cathedral is about two hours drive from Bucharest on the only highway built during the Communist times and surprisingly after 27 years of kleptocratic democracy, still one of the few highways in Romania. We left Bucharest for a short shooting tour in Transylvania and stopped at the monastery, a jewel of byzantine architecture with influences of many styles among others the Moorish arabesque combines with Romanian, Persian, Turkish styles. Founded at the beginning of the 16th century the church carries a legend that the only way that it could have been built were to bury inside its walls a living woman, otherwise what was built during the day would collapse during the night. The head mason’s wife happen to be the lucky one being lured by her grieving husband to be bricked in the walls of the monastery. The mason and his crew’s fate were not a happy ones either; afraid that they would build a more beautiful monastery somewhere else the king ordered the dismantling of the scaffolding forcing the entire crew to jump to their death, a symbolism related to similar legends in the Russian folklore.
The front of the church, Curtea de Arges, Romania
The monastery is the pantheon of the Romanian royal families, all Romanian kings and their spouses being entombed here. Even Carol II who abdicated the throne, left Romania for Mexico and died in Portugal, was eventually exhumed, his remains being brought in 2003 and entombed in Curtea de Arges.
At the beginning of August, Queen Anne, the wife of the last Romanian king, Michael de Hohenzollern, passed away in Switzerland being also brought here for funerals. All Romanian newspapers and televisions covered the news for days in a row as a royal national event in spite of the fact that Queen Anne was not even for a day queen of Romania, Michael marrying her after he was forced by the Communists to abdicate in 1947. Anne de Bourbon was catholic while Michael was Christian Orthodox and a religious dispense was supposed to be issued. Returning from Europe where he met Anne, Michael had to meet the prime minister of Romania, the “red baron” Petru Groza, in order to ask for permission to marry Anne but instead of this he was asked to abdicate and gone he was till 1992 when he returned to the country to an exuberant popular reception.
St. Mary
Green Hours, Bucharest
In aligning Romania to the European values, some years ago the religious holiday of St. Mary was declared National Holiday. The holiday is on August 15, right in the middle of the holiday month and lots of people drive to the Black Sea for at least a 3 day weekend if they are lucky enough to find accommodation in a weekend that is completely booked. Holidays were scarce during the Communist times but now they enjoy enough holidays and especially the European standard of 6, yes six, working weeks vacation that they may take in bulk sometimes. In the same vacation spirit, maternity leave was extended to two years with a hefty 85% pay. Taking advantage of so many time off travel agencies have amazing offers for tours around the world and many Romanians travel a lot. If you ask somebody where the balance should be, of course they would love to be better paid but if push comes to shove a longer vacation is preferred to more earnings. And for sure I don’t blame them …
In Bucharest, with its slow tempo in the summer, the concerts are succeeding one after another, Rihana, Sia and some others packing the Constitution Square. For St Mary’s day another Mary, Raducanu, a folk-ethno-jazz singer filled the garden of Green Hours in the city center in an extremely pleasant and intimate atmosphere till late in the night.
August in Bucharest
Bucharest Old Town
I never visited Bucharest in August but I was quite surprised by the tempo the city has in the heat of the summer. First and foremost you cannot avoid noticing the large number of store closed. Entire chains are closed for vacation, some of them for 5-6 weeks. The pastry place near my house, some wine store and even both bread stores were closed and others were in renovation in a concealed vacation. To my utmost surprise I noticed that even the security services are going to the beach for a month and I was wondering if they share a house with the thieves in order to keep them at bay and not creating havoc when they are in vacation. The streets are obviously less crowded by cars, you can zip in a cab easier in the city but in evening the cafes are absolutely packed till wee hours, no matter that they are supposed to close at midnight. They are so packed that on the Old Town streets aligned with cafes and restaurants one near the other it was impossible to find an empty table. The youth were sitting relaxed on the couches that were invading the street and nobody looked to have any intention of leaving their seats. The evenings are pleasantly warm and people were enjoying life way more than work…Of course everybody had to be early in the offices but only me, who are in vacation from the crazy America, I was leaving early the stage imbibed by some kid of work-drug that they put in our coffee in New York. Leaving so early, meaning 12-1:00 AM, I always feel in Bucharest like a party pooper, everybody looking at me like “Are you crazy. Where do you go at this hour?”. When I told this story to some New Yorker friends they asked me if this happens usually over the weekends. To their utmost surprise I explained to them that it was on a Tuesday…
Even security is off in August in Bucharest
The book of forgotten stories / Cartea povestilor uitate
Travels weave stories, sometimes way too many that if not laid on paper quickly are getting lost in the creases of the mind from where they may stubbornly refuse to come out. But sometime new events trigger memories and force the old happenings out. We gathered lots of stories during our many travels and we finally were able to put just a fraction of them on paper and gather them in a book.
This is the good news; the bad news for you who read this part of the text is that for the moment the book is available only in Romanian, but we hope to have it published in English sometimes soon.
In the volume are gathered travel adventures and experiences that we had in many years from India to Cuba. From religious pilgrimages in Tibet on the Himalaya heights to the surrealist landscape of the American south-west; from the Peruvian altiplano that Inca used to build their empire to the Kuna Indians forgotten on the Caribbean’s atolls or the ones from the Embera tribes living their life as the way they were born on Chagres River; from an India frozen in time to a museum-like Cuba, impeccably preserved by the American embargo. Most of these experiences delved in a world outside of the beaten path, little exposed to the tourist routes. But the described experiences are not related only to the places and people we visited but describe also the shock of the westerner less exposed to vary ways of life so different from the world in which he regularly lives.
You can order a copy of this book, yes only in Romanian for the moment, as follows:
In USA click here
In Romania click here
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Calatoriile tes povesti, uneori chiar foarte multe pe care daca nu le asterni pe hartie repede se ascund in cutele mintii de unde refuza cu incapatanare sa iasa. Dar uneori noi evenimente declanseaza memorii si forteaza vechile povesti sa iasa la suprafata. Am adunat multe povesti pe drumurile pe care am bananait prin lume si intr-un final am reusit sa punem in paginile acestei carti o mica fractiune dintre ele.
In acesta carte sunt reunite aventuri si experiente de calatorie avute de-a lungul anilor din India pana in Cuba. De la pelerinajele religioase din Tibet pe inaltimile Himalaiei la peisajele suprarealiste ale desertului american din statele din sud-vest. Din inaltimile altiplanoului peruvian pe care Inca si-au construit imperiul la indienii kuna uitati pe atolurile din marea Caraibelor sau a celor din triburile Embera care-si duc viata asa cum i-a nascut natura pe malurile raului Chagres. De la o Indie incremenita in istorie la o Cuba, ca un muzeu viu pastrata asa de embargoul american. Majoritatea acestor experiente au incercat sa descopere o lume in afara rutelor turistice obisnuite, o lume care era putin expusa turismului de masa. Dar experientele nu erau numai ai celor pe care-i vizitam ci descriu socul vesticului care este mai putin expus la un astfel de mod de viata complet diferit fata de lumea organizata in care traieste.
Cartea este disponibila deocamdata numai in limba romana si se poate comanda in felul urmator:
In USA click aici
In Romania click aici
Green horses on the walls…
…it’s like dreams and fantasies of the teller that are presented as real facts. But the photography work of Alexandru Dinu Serban is for sure not a fantasy, even if the horse is green and is hanged on the wall.
Occident Gallery, an absolutely charming place full of antiques peppering its rooms, gives you the chance to forget yourself in reverie and be oblivious of the fact that this is not your house. The gallery hosted Andu’s exhibit that combines works from Romania interlaced with some works shot in the US.
The body of work is diverse but with an emphasis on the street photography where Andu with a keen eye discovers what many others are unable to see. Knowing him for many years and knowing his work I can easily state that the exhibit is just the tip of the iceberg, a tiny fraction of an amazing body of work that explores Bucharest and the surrounding areas, its life and people.
I always enjoyed watching the images he shot in the US where the familiar, for me, Brooklyn and Manhattan views or classical images of Washington, DC come up on his lens in a completely different perspective.
Mansions of the old Bucharest
Filipesu-Cesianu Mansion, Bucharest
Bucharest has an impressive collection of old mansions, that were owned by powerful families that controlled the destinies of the country. One of them is the house Filipescu-Cesianu that carries the name of two lawyers, the best example of an aristocratic residence of the Belle Epoque. Now owned by the History Museum of Bucharest, the house is part an architectural tour of the city that counts about 10 mansions that can be visited.
Casino
Palace Casino, Bucharest
When Romania transitioned from communism to a fledgling democracy one the first businesses that could be seen all over Bucharest were the casinos. The forbidden fruit of the communism became the symbol of the new order of things in Romania, that unfortunately ended up to manifest in all walks of life, the old communists dressed as new democrats transforming the entire country in a giant casino.
The cupola of the Palace Casino
The first casino that could be seen in Bucharest that wanted to match the glamour of European casinos was Casa Vernescu, on Victoria Way, an old mansion of a rich family that was sold by Baron Max de Waldberg in 1908 to the Romanian government. After running for many years under that name, the house closed and stayed like this for a number of years.
Palace Casino
It happened that I walked by it the night when it was opening again under the new name of Palace Casino. The grand reception was attended by a typical crowd that can be seen in any casinos in the world but also by the head of the Writers Union, a respected Romanian literate. Currently the location is leased for a number of years to the Writers Union that contracted it to an entertainment company dealing with the casino. An interesting marriage of interests….
Why me?
Scene from “Why Me?”
Under a packed audience “Tudor Giurgiu’s “Why me?”, a brave movie about the Romania’s corruption, premiered last night in New York. The movie follows a prosecutor who was given a case to indict one of his colleague and is based on real facts following the time of the oil embargo for Serbia that Romania was stealthy breaking. The proceeds of this traffic was siphoned to enrich Romanian politicians and their parties and mainly to various factions of the Romanian Secret Service, the oil traffic being approved by the highest levels of the government and the Romanian presidency. Having doubts that his colleague was guilty, mainly because he used to be involved in the investigating this oil traffic, the prosecutor decides, in spite of tremendous pressures, not to give an indictment, that brings upon him a harassing campaign and a threat of prosecution. The paranoia impeccably painted in the film around the main character, symptomatic for the Romanian society, in the end drives the main character to suicide, as it happened in real life. The film was released specially one month before the last year presidential elections in which the prime minister at the time was running for office as a wake up call for the Romanian society to mobilize and vote against him. This ex-prime minister, Victor Ponta, also a prosecutor, was the one who was given the dossier after the prosecutor Cristian Panait refused to indict and is the last one who saw him alive before allegedly Panait jumped from his house terrace. Many in Romania rumored that Ponta is guilty of his suicide and the most brazen ones accused him of pushing him off the rails. Victor Ponta is currently in indictment process for a number of corruption charges.
The Q&A after the screening triggered so many discussions that the Walter Read Theater personnel had to come and cut it short in order to be able to keep up with the theater schedule.
Romanian Film Festival in Lincoln center
This year, “Making Waves”, the Romanian Film Festival in New York is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Every year the festival brought remarkable productions, newer and older, of the Romanian cinematography. This year the festival is celebrating the famous Romanian director Mircea Danieliuc , a fighter against the Communist censorship, and one of the most original creators in the Romanian cinema. Besides are also several directors of the new wave who bring new dramas on screen: Radu Munteanu’s “One floor bellow”, Tudor Giurgiu’s “Why me?”, Cornel Porumboiu’s “Treasure”, featured also in the New York Film Festival, and the gypsy saga “Aferim” directed by Radu Jude.
@Colectiv – a week after
@Colectiv, Bucharest
A week after; they still come in a pilgrimage like at a sacrificial shrine; in disbelief; tears in their eyes; pain in their souls; broken hearts; no words; cars driving quietly around; silence; the young and beautiful souls that perished in the blaze; brilliant minds in an elated spirit.
@Colectiv, Bucharest
Their sons and daughters who used to go there; some even that night; some used to go but now are long gone; Silicon Valley or Europe; they could have been there also.
Candles in front of the club, @Colectiv, Bucharest
How could it happen? the same question, on and on; how could the sponge fire spread so quickly? same question on everybody’s lips; same question on the officials’ lips; conspiracy; was the sponge impregnated with flammable liquids? or it was just the detergent used to wash it? but the fireworks were supposed to be burning cold; just to trigger the events in University Square? to change the government? who is behind all this?
Candles in front of the club, @Colectiv, Bucharest
They still come and stare lost in thoughts; their place of joy murdered their soul mates; even the souls they never knew; but they were them; they are always them; inside the club in spirit with them but somehow still alive. Disbelief and sorrow.
A new revolution in Bucharest
University Square, Bucharest
The change is in the air. After three days of protests with the entire center city boulevard paralyzed by beautiful young people the prime minister resigned, together with the entire cabinet. For the first time in the recent history of the country, six days after the blaze that killed and maimed other beautiful young people in #colectiv, some officials apologized public for the arrogant statements they did, in the manner that they didn’t in the last 25 years. For them it never existed the idea of apologies because never had any consideration for the regular people. The borough president resigned and in a turn of a holy face the Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch, who was booed and targeted with many posters in the square, apologized sheepishly for his statements and blamed everything on a communication error. Not bad for a beginning however no politician considered to come in the square and talk with the protesters. But in any case is a twenty five years difference in mentality; the University Square and the entire boulevard was occupied each and every night but the country supervised by EU and a strong partner of US is not anymore captive to the communist ruling mentality that called the miners in 1990 to beat the students and the intellectuals. Even more than that the President asked that many groups who were protesting in the square to designate leaders who should come at the Presidential Palace and present their wishes.
“(Patriarch) Daniel, did you renounce the frock?”
And the wishes were very clearly stated: “We don’t want you anymore. None of you. We don’t want to see you again. Get lost and let the country be ruled by technocrats”. Not so easy to do when the system is so ingrained with graft and incompetence and their beneficiary.
“We don’t negotiate with thieves. Just go all of you”
People are fed up with the same political figures, with their venal corruption, with their immunity that put them above the law and with their mafia style they operate the legislative forum of the country, with their wealth obtains exclusively through theft that hopefully now should start to be confiscated when they will be put on trial. Significant for the hate and disgust the people have towards the entire political class is the fact that never in these days was any statement uttered against the #colectiv club owners, that were perceived almost as victims of the same profoundly corrupt system, the entire protest targeting exclusively the politicians. The first good sign of the day is that the prime minister who just resigned was already call for judicial procedure, as long as is not protected anymore by immunity.
“Mass resignation”
By coincidence I was here in Bucharest in the days of the tragic event at #colectiv and all these days of the protests and I felt privileged to be able to mingle in the square with these beautiful young people who the only thing they want is to live and work decently in the country where they were born, chanting all night that they want to take their own country back. But for this, like 25 years ago, others had to be sacrificed like in a ritual this type on a funeral pyre. But their souls would guide the spirit of the others and hopefully would chase away the fathoms of greed and venality. Otherwise another 25 years will pass….Now is the moment !
Goodbye to Gravity, the band who concerted and perished in the blaze at #Colectiv
What kind of country is this?
Protest in Victoria Square, Bucharest
A prime minister accused of plagiarism with an attitude and language of a pub petty crook who prosecutors found guilty of corruption but is protected by his MPs partners in crime who block his prosecution. No foreign official wants to engage him in negotiations but he refuses to resign.
A smart diva and very influential politician tightly connected to the past President accused in many prosecution files threatens his MP colleagues in full plenum of the Parliament that if they would vote for lifting her immunity they will be tomorrow in her place. On National TV. The MPs vote by putting all balls in one voting urn throwing the entire vote in disarray after which they swiftly left the Parliament on the spot.
A vice prime minister driving against the law only with police escort speeds at almost 100 miles/hour late in a rainy night chasing the police motorcycle in the front that at one point dives like in a movie in a construction hole and the policeman dies on the spot. The vice prime minister does not even consider to get off the car to see what happened. He was tired and just wanted to get home.
A Parliament whose only preoccupation is to pass a law that would block the justice system to prosecute them forcing the legal system to assure prosecution immunity for any politician; the same Parliament that tried unsuccessfully to impeach TWICE the past president of the republic who was trying to impose an independence of the justice system.
A doctor, the mayor of Bucharest caught red handed with kick-back money, siphoning millions of euros in construction is under arrest.
Another borough president arrested also after it was found also with million of euros in kick backs from all contracts in the largest economical borough of the capital. Several other borough presidents either arrested or indicted.
A doctor is insulted repeatedly in an examination committee simply because he had the courage to sustain his medical point of view in front a politically appointed abusive woman, the commission head, who ruled with an iron fist the entire examination committee. Nobody else in the committee had the courage to ask a question, offer an opinion or defend the doctor and they advised him that next time to obey and maybe even present a bad diagnostic to comply with the lady and also to let himself be humiliated.
A music club opened under exclusive responsibility of a twenty-something-year-olds goes in flames in seconds killing tens of people and burning almost two hundreds. The club had one small access door, no sprinklers, covered completely in highly flammable noise abatement materials, accepting for free inside around 500 people in a 80 seating. Obviously with no fire code regulation implemented like many building in Bucharest, including the National Stadium.The borough president responsible for that part of the city declares on National TV that his office does not carry any responsibility in spite of giving them the authorization to operate. Neither the President nor the prime minister or the vice prime minister came on site to offer comfort to the mourning families of the victims. The head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, a very shrewd businessman with almost no spiritual inclinations, when asked why there were no priests on site declares: “We don’t go there to make a show(…) People should come to church not to clubs” augmenting in a way the idea that permeated in the media that the heavy metal concert was a “satanic rite”.
Romania is the name of this place. A country ruled exclusively by Mafia-type clans disguised as political parties whose unique roles is just to feed their political cronies to stay in power and suck all the country resources. Romania looks and feels for the regular Joe living here as a sort of Zimbabwe, a country ruled exclusively by the blatant interests of the ruling politicians who fight among themselves to get elected in order to accede to power and spoil the country. It is no difference between one party or another, all formed by sons and relatives of the old security service or apparatchiks, the democracy being for them sacred only in theft.
For many who visit and see the charming country with lots of interesting things to visit or live as expats is almost impossible to understand the venality and the cancer that exist under a thin veneer in a country that was on purpose blocked to develop. The public sector is overwhelmed with a crony apparatus that is meant to create confusion and laws that are crafted to oppose each other creating a climate where the only way to solve your problems is to pay a bribe. Romania is the land of kickback, any paper requesting an envelope with money, no matter if you are in a public hospital, a public institution, or a ministry. The private sector is highly corrupt simply because is impossible to get business without money under the table most of them targeting the bloated government contracts.
Romania is a land where the only God known to the higher ups is a hefty bribe.
Roaming the world 
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