Romania, land of the… puny salads
Herăstrău Park, one of the best places to visit in Bucharest
People have it worse than I – it is such an effective way of making people feel better about their own situation, that it has weaved its way into the gene pool of our complicated society. It is at the root of the city v. village mocking, the East v West… it is used as a parenting tactic what is wrong with your purple sausage and green mush dinner?! There are children dying of hunger in… It inspires songs, for goodness sake:
Stay with me.
What does that have to do with Romania? Well, Romania was one of our feel good Balkan neighbors, Albania being the other. We may have been squished under the iron fist of communism, but they had it worse. They had Ceausescu! – ahhhs and gasps fill the air. We may have been poor, but they were that little bit more in lack of money. And this was the extent of my knowledge really. I am guessing any more might have threaten to pop the bubble of feel good we were bouncing on. And if you knew how bad life was in Bulgaria before I left, you will be awe struck by the low expectations I had for the country.
Romania is beautiful. The whole of Transylvania is filled not with concrete jungles amidst abandoned crumbling statues, but with views like that:
St.Nicholas church and cemetery in Brasov
Development following years of communism has not ruined the charm of the old cities. Nothing is over commercial yet, at least after you go out of Bucharest.
Rooftops of hilly Sibiu
The Carpathians are a balm for the eyes, be it on a rainy day or through the warm blanket of the shining sun.
There are plenty of things to see.
Old and new churches, intricate architecture, magnificent castles or imposing forts, lush green parks for the children to play in, mountains and hills to climb or peaceful squares surrounded by colorful buildings and rustling under the sound of a fountain, it is all here.
Piaţa Unirii in Timisoara
And yet, we left underwhelmed.
I was not sure if our feelings were a bit bias after spending almost 3 months in Bulgaria, where I speak the language, know the customs and were surrounded by friends. But the moment we stepped into Serbia and walked a little bit through Belgrade, we knew it was not a fluke.
I found in Romania everything that I did not expect, but it failed to satisfy the basic needs of my traveling soul. It felt distant. Villages seemed empty behind closed doors. There is no street food or cafe culture outside of the fancy cafe’s selling overpriced fare. Places turn into ghost towns as soon as you venture a little bit away from the central square, housing the expensive establishments I mentioned. Elderly people must be locked behind those village doors, because you don’t see many of them around.
I am sure there is life in Romania, we had the good fortune of being guests in a house that was buzzing with it. We have also managed to chat with a few of the locals, who seem full of it. But it is not easy to access. Life is hidden it seems and that left me wanting. I left without really feeling what Romania is, because it is not architecture and views that define a culture and people.
We loved all the Saxon buildings and the beautiful nature of Transylvania. We consumed too many of the delightful Romanian covrigi, which is not your average round bread, it has a sweet tasting crunch outside with fluffy innards that leave you wanting more.
And the only other staple you can find on the streets kurtos, which is dough rolled on a fat stick and baked like that. It comes with different toppings – caramel, sugar, nuts, cocoa and without. It is delicious, but expensive for what it is – super hollow bread that disappears in a split second (around $4-5)
The squares in the towns are fun, although on a hot day you need to find cooling tactics, as trees are rare.
Sibiu
The mountains? Magnificent even when they are just a background to a drive to your next destination.
And we loved the sleepy eyes that followed us around in Sibiu.
So what can Romania do to keep travelers like us happy?
At least fix the salads. After Bulgaria’s huge generous and cheap salads, the local offerings seemed like a horrible mistake. For the same price that you will get a bowl of shopska in its Southern neighbor, in Romania you will consistently be served half a tomato and almost a quarter of a cucumber and it will be called a salad.
We just passed through joked about the salads and left, but I cannot stop the nagging feeling that behind the beautiful facade, life in Romania is not as picturesque. Economically it is definitely not the straggler that it used to be, but maybe all the years of hardship have left some mark on its people that is hard to grasp. Maybe they are just more private people. Maybe I am just leaning on old habits and seeing it as worse off, but in a new area.
Only this time it is not making me happier.
Thank you Romania and all the best.
Hey, I miss you guys
Say hi to Miss Fab for me
Orla :)
I felt the bittersweetness in your words and I too feel like that sometimes. As a Romanian, I can assure you that Romania is more lively than it seemed to you. On the other hand I completely know that feeling of distance, decrepitude, cold looks, lifeless eyes, smileless busy busy faces that never look straight at you. We are like that. A nation turned in on itself, absorbed by its own neverending drama that is just that: drama. Not a tragedy, just self-perpetuating drama that keeps our minds busy and our eyes tired. Overly-dramatic drama.
Very nice words you found to describe it.
Oh, and about the salad: there might have been a slight misunderstanding here. You see, there are usually two types of salad: the dish-on-its-own salad, which is very similar to your ovcharska or shopska and usually bears the name “bulgarian salad”, and the salad-as-a-side-dish, which is the puny half tomatoes that you’ve had. The latter is supposed to be consumed as a side to a meat and potatoes kind of dish. If you ask for a tomato salad or cucumber salad, or just a salad, you will get the puny one. Sometimes the two kinds are not next to each there in the menu. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree it’s ridiculous.
Hi there! The Romanian that previously commented is right. I am also a Romanian, and having moved to New York 6 years ago, where there is certainly lots of action, I here sometimes feel disconnected. Romania is definitely more lively than it seemed to you, the thing is it is not very tourist friendly. And Bucharest is certainly a tad dry, and attractions are not close to each other. The things with the salad is as the previous person explained, TRUST ME, the vegetables there, and the salad combinations are divine. I always miss the food, although I can have any type of food in NY, and I miss the barbecues, the countryside, the lively atmosphere from outside terraces, you just have to know where to go and who to go with. I agree it can be a bit annoying when sightseeing. But either way, thanks for the wonderful remarks, Romania is a bit of a rough diamond, hopefully the eco-tourism will grow much more, the nature is so beautiful. Enjoy your world traveling, so jealous!
Monica and Roi, thank you for your insider knowledge. I guess it confirmed what I was thinking. We stayed with a local family and in guesthouses, so we got a feel for the warmth of the people, but it is too bad that most tourists will never get to see it.
Now I think I know what you mean about the salads, but in that case the real salads are too expensive. I think they need to adjust their terminology ;)
happened to stumble on this page – I’m an American guy married to a Romanian woman and after marrying in the states and spending a few years there we played with the idea of checking out Romania. This is not my first time here but it is the longest period I’ve stayed. Honestly I love it. Some of the reasons that have been mentioned that are off-putting are exactly what attracts me, because it’s like a challenge, a puzzle, that I think can never be completed but in its own strange way is something like an irresistible magnet. Honestly I don’t miss America, (except a Taco Bell would be a great franchise to see here – except it might not be too pragmatic what with the shaorma abundance).
Found it curious that a Romanian living in NYC misses certain things from Romania – I mean NYC is supposed to have everything. I will remark that as far as interaction with the people, it seems to depend on who you’re with, where you’re going, etc. I’ve noticed it’s different if I go out with my wife and maybe her sister or some friends – whether to someone’s home or to a terasa – as opposed to going out and about by myself. If I didn’t know anyone here; if I’d just dropped in here alone, didn’t know where to go, didn’t know the language…. especially say, Bucuresti in the winter – it could be quite intimidating. To say the least. In such a case I’d probably be in no hurry to plan a second visit. So knowing people here, I think that makes all the difference.
And I personally like that it’s still a bit ‘rough’ or I like the word ‘gritty’. I can say that at this juncture, if I never set foot on US soil ever again, that would be perfectly okay with me. Maybe this winter? But I don’t see it happening. And frankly I have a hard time pinning down in a few words what it is that appeals to me because there’s really some parts that are rather challenging and not quite so pretty. But even the less than pretty aspects seem to add to the attraction – for some reason. All in all I can’t get enough.
Wishing the best on your travels.
@tk: Speaking about fast-food franchises in Ro, I’ve long wanted to ask this to an American: even though there is no Taco Bell, how do McD and KFC here compare to their original American counterparts? Have you been to any in Ro? If yes, any noticeable difference?
@Snapping Blabber: Sorry to use your blog to contact other fellow commenters…
Ubu.roi, I don’t mind at all, on the contrary, I hope it happens more often.
tk, it is like that in many countries – it takes time and patience to get to know the people and their culture. I am sure Romania has many wonderful people and I met a few of them, I just hoped it will be easier to do so. Bucuresti in summer is not that easy either ;)
@ubu.roi: Didn’t do much KFC but did break down a few times for a McD. Maybe 4 times over the course of the last year. Now I’m not sure if my memory was playing tricks or if my taste buds were telling the truth, but I think they were better than what you get in the States. The ingredients? fresher?
What I found odd – especially the Unirii McD – is that it isn’t just something quick and cheap to calm a hunger pang, but almost like a special outing or something. And more than one Romanian who’s been to the States saw it the opposite way, like they couldn’t imagine it being no big deal to grab a burger at McDonald’s. Like…. for example: in the states, the very last last place a hopeful guy would take a girl on a date would be McDonald’s. No. Never. Cheap date. The cheapest. But here – especially the one at Unirii…. you could actually consider taking a date to McDonald’s. And it wouldn’t be a cheap date either.
That’s just one of many realities of Romania that an American will have a real hard time computing if that American dares to stop to think and try to imagine it. Like if I could magically transport a friend or relative from the states to here, and we’d get on the metro and two minutes later we’re in a shiny snazzy shopping mall. At first the friend would be like, “great, they have shopping malls just like back home” and I would politely offer a morsel of thought, like: okay think about this: very few americans know of a world without shopping malls. For many they’ve just always been. But this that we stroll through so cool and comfortable, is new. A mere handful of years ago: did not exist. Just think about that for a few minutes.
@snapping blabber: having a little apartment somewhat away from the thick of the city changes perceptions too. Like the little store downstairs – one of the women there, every time I’d go in there, she’d have this cold, impenetrable expression. I’d tell her what I want, she hands it over, I give the money, she hands over the change – all without nary a greeting, no matter what I did, and I’m a rather easy-going guy. Every time I’d leave thinking what’s going on with her? But after a few months there finally came some thawing, I got to see some spark behind that icy exterior and I felt really bad for some of the things I called her because now we get along quite well. I think that’s a common trend: there’s a lot more going on beneath what can be a really cold, hard, appearance. They have that scowl down to a fine art.
I also just remembered: the very first time I was in Romania (Cluj) and there was a little coffee place I’d stop in for coffee, and the guy there seemed really unfriendly, that same kind of expressionless manner that makes you wonder if they resent having to serve you, or something. This went on for a long time. Then one day I was out on one of those walks where you don’t mind getting a little lost, and I walked by a house and there’s a guy tending to some yard work (flowers? I don’t remember) and he perks his head up and waves and I’m thinking, “who’s that guy and why is he waving at me?” then realized: it was that guy at the coffee place who always seemed so cold and distant.