Day 12- La Revedere

22 March 2012

There was so much that we saw and learned on this travel that unfortunately I'm probably missing a lot of information. However, I'm content with sharing my most memorable experiences during the trip. On Thursday, 22 March 2012, we left our hotel to fly back home to Lugano. We were all beyond exhausted, we were all sick, but most importantly we were more than satisfied with the amazing trip we had just concluded. 

Romania: A Quick Summary
Having been in Romania for so long we learned a lot about the country. I feel as if its the country I know most about in the world, after the U.S.A. After visiting 3 principalities-Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia- we had discovered a bunch of interesting things about Romanian culture and how it differs across regions and cities. 
Our main focus having been minorities, I left Romania with a greater understanding on what it truly means to be a minority within this country. We learned that each minority- Saxon, Hungarian, and Roma- have their own cultures, traditions, and languages that they have been able to hold on to for hundreds of years since they first settled in Romania. I find it amazing that you can be a part of two countries or cultures (ex: Romanian and Hungarian), but feel no strong tie to either. We gained a lot of insight on how exactly these cultures have been preserved. Our visit to Sibiu showed us the Saxon way of life in what used to be a city with a population of mostly Germans. We saw how Saxon students went to German speaking schools, how their newspapers are separate, how they elect their own to become mayor of their cities, and how the Lutheran church plays a role as an authority figure. We witnessed how Hungarians continue celebrating their own festivals and events even through the opposition of the majority. We talked to students of Hungarian and Saxon minorities and got a first hand account of what it felt like to live in Romania. We saw first hand the stylistic differences between the Hungarians, the Saxons, and the Romanians. We questioned the Roma King's first hand man about why the Roma traditions were kept to secret. We listened as he told us their policy of not integrating with any cultures, and how they seek to remain outsiders. He told us that they viewed everyone outside their clans as a common enemy and by raising their children that way they had managed to carry on their traditions and values for hundreds of years. We discussed stereotypes versus reality, and come out of it all with a better understanding of the situation. 

Moldova: A Quick Summary
Although we were only in Moldova for one full day, we learned a fair amount about the country as well. We started out with the knowledge that it was the poorest country in Europe, and was struggling to gain entrance into the EU. We learned that it had once been a part of Moldavia, and had been Sovietized after it was taken away from Romania. Although Romania too had its own soviet influences, the extent of sovietization was far more prevalent in Moldova. We also learned of the struggle of Moldovans to create their own identity. They too did not consider themselves Romanian, and so carved out their own way of life. They named their language "Moldovan", although it simply was a slight variation of Romanian. They may be keen to remain separate, but the fact remains that they share the same history as the principality or Moldavia.  

Final Comments:

This was definitely a trip to be remembered. 

Day 11- We're not in Kansas (aka the EU) Anymore

21 March 2012

Our day in the country of Moldova began with an hour bus ride to the Cave Monastery at Orheiul Vecchi. Along the way, our new guide spoke informed us of interesting Moldovan facts and traditions. For example, she spoke of the differences between child-rearing in the rural areas versus in the cities of Moldova. She also talked a bit about Jews in the country, and how the once large minority had almost completely diminished. 

Once we arrived we had to make a small treck up a rocky hill. At the top you could already see part of the monastery, which appeared to be a small bell tower. On our walk up, we enjoyed the orange scenery around us. When our group reached the top, we were told to use our scarves to cover our heads as a sign of respect. 

In order to get inside the monastery we had to walk through a dimly lit and very small tunnel dug into the rock. However, once inside we were able to see a unique and beautifully arranged monastery. This one was unlike the other Orthodox monasteries we had seen, as it was not painted on the inside or the outside. A small door on the other side of which we came opened up to a sort of makeshift balcony of the same rock. WIth no barriers to impede a deathly fall to the valley bellow we all shuffled around the small space as carefully as possible. Ursula informed us that this had once been the entrance area, with a small staircase leading up from the bottom of the rocky hill. However, a natural disaster a few years ago destroyed the stair case leaving it in the state we saw when we were there. Back inside, we were able to see the sleeping quarters of the old monks who had once lived in the monastery. There were no beds, no blankets, and the ceilings were extremely low. This was definitely not a place built for comfort. At the time we were there, only one monk still lived within the cave monastery. 

After our tour of the inside of the monastery, we all returned to the area above it near the tower. Here we took many pictures of the scenery and of us standing at the edge of the cliff. Even the Professor and Ursula posed together for a picture.  

After the monastery we returned to Chisinau (the capital of Moldova) for our final walking city tour of the trip. Here again we saw another statue commemorating Stephan cel mare. SInce Moldova was once part of the principality of Romania's Moldavia, the who regions share their history up until the sovietization of Moldova and its separation from the rest of Romania. 

The main goal of our tour was to witness first hand the similarities and differenced between Romania and Moldova. Most noticeable was the extend of sovietization in the country of Moldova. Everywhere there could be seen soviet styled buildings, and the city itself gave off a colder more depressing feel than anywhere we had seen in Romania. Among the similarities was that the language itself was Romanian, however, Moldovans speak with a Russian/Ukrainian accent. After our tour we stopped at a market where Professor Cordon told us we had the rest of the day to tour the city on our own before dinner. Jordan and I perused through the market to see if we could find anything interesting. As we walked past, we noticed a group of men intently watching a game of chess. For some reason, this image just struck me. It is not something you would find common in the U.S, and its not something I'd seen before anywhere else in Europe. On this cold and cloudy day, here were six middle aged men spending a Wednesday afternoon, in the midst of a market, playing chess on a park bench. 

After we walked around the city for a bit, Jordan and I decided to return to the hotel for a short nap. Apparently we were beyond exhausted because we slept through our alarm and missed dinner. And so ended our last day of academic travel in Romania/Moldova.

Day 10- The Bus Ride of DOOM (and Iasi...)

20 March 2012

Officially, the worst day of travel.... This glorious day began with a long exhausting bus ride. After several bathroom breaks and bus presentations more driving ensued. Finally, we arrived in Iasi, our first real stop. Unfortunately, almost all of us felt as if we were dying of the plague, and were not overjoyed at the chance of walking around for an hour. However, we tried to make the most of it. The bus stopped right in front of the statue of Stefan Cel Mare (Stephen the Great). Here Ursula explained to us his significance to Moldavia. Stefan Cel Mare, the prince of Moldavia, was known for defending the principality from the Turks, Hungarians, and other invaders from 1457 to 1504. 

After learning about this important figure in Moldavian history, we continued our short tour by visiting yet another Romanian Orthodox Church. 

Following the conclusion of our short tour we were given the option of free time or following the professor and Ursula to see the Great Iasi Synagogue. Unfortunately when we got there we were less than impressed. The only assurance that we had in fact found the Great Synagogue was the sign in front of the deteriorating building that said "Sinagoga Mare" (translated to Great Synagogue)

It was sad to see what once was a majestic synagogue in complete disrepair. The unfinished restoration of the building was a further cause of disappointment. I had hoped, especially after not being able to enter the last synagogue, that I would be able to visit a beautiful Romanian Temple. This building, with its chained door, was not at all what i had expected. Luckily, the keeper of the Synagogue was home (in a house directly behind the building) and was kind enough to let us in. We saw the empty rooms where prayers were once held as he explained to us that the remaining Jewish congregation had emptied out the synagogue and taken all the valuables with them. He explained that they held services in a home of one of the members of the Jewish Community until the time when the Synagogue would be repaired. However, apparently the project had run out of funding and they were unable to continue at the moment. This made me extremely sad. With so many well conserved churched and monasteries of different christian sects, it was disappointing to see one of the few remaining synagogues completely uncared for. But I suppose it reflects the relations between the Romanians and their Jewish residents.     

We headed back to the bus, grabbing a quick kebab on the way. And so we continued our long tedious journey to the unknown land of Moldova. Most of the ride was uneventful, and comprised mostly of presentations, sleeping, reading, and suffering. When we reached the border we successfully went through customs on the Romanian side without any trouble. Entering Moldova was another story completely. 




After we had all turned our passports in to the professor who then gave them to the Moldovan authorities, we all waited patiently to continue on our way. An hour later we received our passports back. However, that was not the end of it. We were told later that the customs officials claimed that the bus drivers permit had not been stamped correctly at the Romanian border. The bus driver offered to drive the bus back to the border to get it correctly stamped, but the official told him he would give him a ride back to the Romanian side. While this was going on, other officials confronted our Professor, stating that they believed there was something not accurate about his visa. As the bus driver made his way to the Romanian side, the Moldovan driver asked him for "gas money" at which point our driver gave him 20 Euros. Immediately all the problems were solved. Our professor was set free, and the bus driver was driven back to us. We were finally allowed to go on our merry way after two and a half hours and a 20 euro bribe. 




The rest of the ride passed in slow agony. The tour bus was beginning to resemble something along the lines of a hospital bus. Coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing could be heard constantly throughout the bus. As night fell and we continued driving into the unknown another uncomfortable feeling emerged: hunger. It was becoming increasingly apparent that we would not arrive in Chisinau in time to eat dinner as it was already 10:00. Two hours later we finally arrived at our destination. Too sick and too tired to do much else, we all silently marched into our hotel, went up to our rooms, and collapsed into bed. 

Day 9- The Day of Many Monastaries

19 March 2012

In the morning we arrived at breakfast where we met for the first time our enthusiastic guide. In the bus on our way to the first of the Painted Monasteries of Bucovinian we would see that day, he introduced himself and his tour guide in training to us. Our guide's name was Ciprian, a young Romanian-Ukrainian fellow with a very bouncy attitude. We learned quite quickly that somehow he was able to turn a somewhat repetitive and boring day into a fun one, all while still learning something. 

The first monastery we visited was Voronet, buit in 1547. This Monastery is known for its primarily blue paintings. One of the first things we learned was that a monastery built with a tower meant it was built by and for royalty, whereas those without were monasteries built for commoners. The Voronet monastery had a tower. Ciprian then lead us inside where he explained how the paintings of the walls and ceiling each represented a day of the year. Together, the individual paintings created a calendar that had been used by the commoners to determine the day of the year, and to see what religious story it coincided with. Our guide explained that the calendar began with the month of September, and each month began with a painting with a moon in the corner. After he had explained to us the method of telling the month and day, he gave us some practice dates to see if we understood. I volunteered for the first question, and having answered it correctly, Ciprian claimed he would buy me a coke (he never did...). 

Our next stop was at the Humor Monastery. Unlike the last monastery, this one's dominant color was red. Humor was built in 1530, and did not contain a tower, which meant it was meant for the common people. In this monastery, like the last, Ciprian pointed out the meaning of the various paintings on the inside and outside. He emphasized that all Romanian Orthodox monasteries and churches have certain rules and traditions in how they are painted. For example, all of the monasteries contained the same rules for how the calendar within the buildings are set up and read. 

After the second monastery, our group stopped to grab some lunch. Once we were done we made a quick visit to a nearby Synagogue. We attempted to enter, but unfortunately it was closed and we were unable to see the inside. For me, it was comforting seeing something so familiar especially after all the research I had done on my topic: Jews in Romania and the antisemitism they faced. 

The next monastery we visited was Sucevita, built in 1585. Like the first monastery we visited this one had a tower, but instead of its dominant color being blue it contained more greens. It is said to be one of the last monasteries decorated in the traditional moldavian style. This monastery differed from the first two in that it was a fully fortified monastery completely surrounded by a protective wall. In addition it is currently used as a residence for nuns still practicing a devote lifestyle. We were lucky enough to see the nuns as they carried out their daily routines. Interestingly, this monastery remains unfinished. In the back, there is a portion of the monastery that has not been painted. According to Ciprian, this is because the original painter of the monastery died before its completion. Another artist was given the opportunity to finish the project, however, after his initial attempts to continue the fresco, it was recognized that he was in fact not a skilled painter and he was asked to stop. The fresco was never finished.  

On our way to our final monastery we stopped to enjoy the scenery of the Carpathian mountains. We snapped a few pictures and got back on the bus all ready to see the final sight. 

The final Monastery we visited was Modovita, built in 1532. Like the first monastery, its predominant color was blue in addition to gold.

 By this time we were all getting tired as the day began fading, and unfortunately were not listening as keenly to Ciprian's peppy chatter. Instead many of us strolled across the area of the last monastery, and watched the nuns and helpers from the nearby town shovel snow into horse drawn carriages. It was like a flash into the past. 

The day was finally over, and we were all more than ready for dinner. Ciprian had organized a special treat for us. That night we would be welcomed to dinner in a traditional Moldavian manner: with bread dipped in salt, and Afinata (a delicious Romanian blueberry liqueur). In addition to that we got a live demonstration of the parts of traditional Romanian dress and recieved a live performance from an absolutely adorable 9-year-old girl who sang traditional Romanian songs. Influenced by Ciprian's chipper mood, dancing insued, and before i knew it i was dragged into a dancing circle with Professor Cordon, Ciprian, Wendy, Luiza, and a few more people. After the dancing festivities ended we returned to the table to eat some very tasty garlic fish that we had to de-bone ourselves. All in all, definitely an interesting day. 

Days 7 & 8- Cluj to Gura

17 March 2012

Our day in Cluj appeared as if it would be the busiest yet, but we were excited. We were offered two optional events: Attending the opera and/or watching a Romanian football (soccer) game. A few of us decided to wake up early that morning to attend the Magic Flute opera. This opera was created in 1791 by Mozart. It was originally made to be a children's opera but contained adult themes nonetheless. Just to give a quick description of the opera, the idea was that the main character, Tamino, wants to gain the right to marry a beautiful princess. The princesses mother, the Queen of the Night, has had her captured, and Tamino seeks to save her. Once she is safe, he asks her father to marry her, and he responds that Tamino may do so once he completes three tests. Tamino eventually succeeds in these tasks and wins the girl. The opera was held in the beautiful Cluj-Napoca Romanian National Opera House, which was built in 1905.   

After the play we frolicked out the building singing in mock opera voices. Once outside we noticed a mob of people who appeared to be protesting or celebrating something. Later we learned that these were Romanian nationalists who were parading the city in attempt to send a negative message to the Hungarian minority who, two days before on March 15, had been celebrating the Hungarian revolution of 1848. These Romanians took up the Romanian flag and imitated the Hungarian celebration in order to send the message that this was Romania, not Hungary. Essentially, the Romanians were protesting against the Hungarian pride being represented in their own country. This event gave us a bit of insight into the unsteady tolerance between ethnicities in Romania, most especially between the majority and the minorities.  

Following the opera we began our tour of the city. We started with a short drive to the top of a large hill. Here we got out and strolled the lovely park area where we learned this was generally a meeting place for lovers. The park had a magnificent view of the city, and we lounged as Ursula gave us descriptions of what we were seeing. 

Our tour continued as we strolled down the hill and back into the main area of the city. Here we stopped by the university which was hosting a science fair event for younger students. We enjoyed the presentations of various science experiments and even participated first hand with the students of the Cluj university who had put together the event. After our small tour through the university we continued our tour in a quaint area with many shops and cafes. Here we stopped for a nice ice coffee and sat outside in the beautiful warm sunny weather. 


After our tour a few people in our group attended the soccer game. However, I decided to remain behind since I had to finish my project. Our group met up again at night to visit some students of the Hungarian minority. We sat in a classroom and listened as the Hungarian professor explained to us a bit of background on how the Hungarian minority had come to be in Romania. We then had a question and answer session with the Hungarian students where we asked them what it was like being a Hungarian in Romania. One question that was asked was whether the students felt themselves to be Romanian or Hungarian. A girl responded that she felt neither, that she didn't feel truly Hungarian but did not feel Romanian either. She said they were their own entity. After the meeting we all went to dinner where we continued our conversations with the Hungarian students. Unfortunately, I did not sit next to any of the four students so I do not have any personal insights or stories to contribute. 

18 March 2012

The next morning we left for Gura Humorului, a small town in southern Bukovina. We would stay here for the next 2 nights because of its close location to the Bukovinian Monasteries that we would be visiting the next day. After a long drive we arrived at a tiny town. There were chickens and dogs running around, small Romanian homes, and normal Romanian people going about their daily business. 




We arrived late in the afternoon but had enough time before dinner to visit the pool, which we were told was nearby. Luckily, the bus driver offered to drive us to the indoor pool facility. The drive there was dark and treacherous and we were all frightened for our lives. When we finally arrived we had to cross a road, an extremely creaky swinging bridge, and a swampland before we arrived at the pool. Once we entered we were informed that towels were not provided for us, despite the fact that the front desk at our hotel had promised us they would be. However, none of this was enough to deter our enthusiasm. We got in the pool, had a blast, and got out so we could get back in time for dinner. After our swim we had the interesting challenge of drying off and putting normal clothes back on before going back out in the cold. We managed this by using hand dryers in the bathroom as well as paper towels. 

Once we got back to the hotel we quickly changed and rushed off to dinner at the hotel restaurant. We all ordered hot Tuica, after a recommendation by Luiza. We sipped it carefully and enjoyed the warmth that came with drinking it. As per usual, i ordered my two Romanian soups. This time it was a bread bowl of bean and sausage soup. It was beyond delicious. I was in love with all soups in this country. 

As we waited for our food to arrive, we let our hyper sides emerge and took a bunch of silly pictures. By the time our food arrived and we finished our dinner we were all beyond exhausted. I took a lovely warm shower to get the chlorine out of my hair and collapsed into the extremely comfy bed in my hotel room. By far the best bed i had experienced in Romania. =] Overall, it was quite a lovely day. 

Day 6- Decorating Romania Szekely Style

16 March 2012

We left Sibiu and began our next long bus journey, this time to Cluj. On the way we made a stop in Targu Mures, a city was a large Hungarian population. Since we had spent the past couple of days focusing on the Saxon minority of Romania it was time to shift and look more into the Hungarian minority. Our visit to this city acted as a sort of introduction into the topic that we would further explore in Cluj. When we arrived in Targu Mures we immediately visited the Hungarian Cultural Palace where we saw first hand a glimpse of Hungarian styles and decorations. The tile roof on the hungarian buildings were the first thing pointed out to us. This style was already very different than the Romanian or even Saxon buildings we had seen in other cities. 

Inside the Hungarian Cultural Palace we were impressed by the entrance area with its brilliant green, blue, and gold designs on the ceiling and walls. 

However, once we began climbing the stairs to visit the other rooms in the building we were less impressed with the designs. They went from being majestic and detailed to looking like the decorations in a 9-year-old girl's bedroom. 

In the other rooms of the cultural building we saw beautiful stain glass windows, and an art gallery of famous Hungarian painters. 

After our tour we had a small break to grab some lunch before our departure. A few of us decided to have a lovely meal at the McDonalds on the way back to the bus. 

Day 5- Singing, Shivering and Sighisoara

15 March 2012

We left Sibiu early for a day trip to Sighisoara, one of the best preserved medieval cities. However, we stopped on our way there to visit the location pictured on the cover of our Lonely Planet Romania book: The Biertan fortified church. The town of Biertan is one of the most important Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania. 

Upon arrival a few of us desperately needed the restroom, which led to a very interesting toilet experience. The closest thing to a bathroom in the vicinity was an outhouse. I have to say, that was my first outhouse experience in my lifetime. Never again. Unless its an emergency, again... Anyways, restrooms aside, the place was beautiful.

After a few snow ball fights and pictures we headed back on the bus to continue our way to Sighisoara. Upon arrival we immediately marveled at the medieval clock tower that stood in the center of the old town. Sighisoara is another saxon city, however, it also has had a large Hungarian population. It is most well-known for being the birth place of Vlad Tepec. 

Luckily for us, Ursula had asked her friend Theo, a resident of Sighisoara, to guide us through the city. During our tour we passed by the home of Vlad Tepes, and continued on to a Lutheran Church where Theo explained to us the history of the church and its importance to the Saxon people in the area. In addition to touring the church, Theo gave us a private organ performance. We all gathered around shivering in the frigid air and listened to him play various songs. At one point Luiza joined in and sang Ave Maria while Theo played the organ. It was a spectacular performance. Afterwards we visited a somewhat new Hungarian church in order to compare and contrast the Lutheran church with the Hungarian one. 

Afterwards, our frozen group made our way into a local cafe to warm up inside with a nice hot cup of coffee (kindly bought for us) and some truly amazing home made pastries. Once we had warmed up and finished our treats we headed back out into the cold. Luckily, it was starting to wam up a little as we continued our tour. Next we went to the medieval clock tower where we saw the little figurines that move at the chime of every hour. We learned that these figurines are in fact the originals from when the clock tower was built. Eventually we climbed the tower, and saw Sighisoara from above. 

When we finished with our tour we were allotted 30 minutes of free time to wonder the city. A few of us used this time to visit a few souvenir shops in the vicinity. Eventually we sat down at the place where our group would meet again. Here we met a new friend. One of the local stray dogs meandered towards us begging for attention and food.   

Once our group reconvened we walked down to the bus so we could drive to our final destination in Sighisoara: The Orthodox Trinity Church. This allowed for our final comparison between the three churches: Lutheran, Hungarian, and Romanian Orthodox. This church was by far the most intricate and largest of the three. 

We left Sighisoara and drove back to Sibiu for our final night.