Romania
Bucharest (I)
Travelling around the world would be nothing without the people you can connect with along the way. It’s even more special when you meet people who share your passions, allowing you to collaborate and learn fascinating facts about their homeland at the same time.
Recently, I traveled to Romania and spending huge chunk of my time in the capital city, Bucharest. My trip would not have been the same without the wonderful and passionate photographer - Gabriela Ciobanu, aka @polagabriola I loved her insights about Bucharest and Romania, and I’ve learned a great deal about various locations in the city as well as around the country, many of which you will be able to read about here in the upcoming weeks.
Bucharest (II)
The city of Bucharest was such a joy to explore, but on my second day, while walking from my hotel on Calea Victoriei toward the central train station, I started to notice something peculiar. I had been walking for at least thirty minutes, and despite passing many monumental buildings, the urban layout felt as though it lacked an organic flow—like I hadn’t encountered anything truly significant along the way. This is a common feature in many cities shaped by centralized planning initiatives during the 20th century.
Brasov
When I was a child, I wanted my parents to put a TV in my room. They weren’t very happy with the idea, but after many attempts, they reluctantly agreed. The TV didn’t stay in my room for long, and for good reason. But from its brief stay, one memory stuck in my mind.
One of the channels where I watched cartoons turned into a completely different one after 8 pm: TCM, which played old classics from the golden age of Hollywood. As a rebellious and curious kid, oftentimes I stayed up late watching those movies instead of going to sleep. One of them was an old, grainy vampire movie that started with a carriage arriving at a castle—a scene that became forever engraved in my memory.
Constanta
Growing up in Eastern Europe, I was exposed to numerous stories and media that idolized places and geographical regions which might remain relatively unknown to the rest of the world. One of these places was the Black Sea, celebrated in film and literature for its leisure qualities and the legendary beauty of cities like Odesa, Varna, and, of course, Constanta.