Seven things I learned in Romania in 2018

Oh dear. It’s March. In fact, it’s spring! This means I’ve been back for over four months and still I haven’t written my reflective 2018-post. Of course it is a bit ridiculous to publish it this late but since I kept a things-I-learned-list I would like to share these insights with you. Also it is a good exercise for me to get back into writing blog posts. It’s not that I don’t write; in fact I do little else. The deadline for my guidebook to the mountains of Romania is end of April and I have no clue how I am going to finish it in time. But I will. Besides that, I’m working on lots of exciting new projects that I can’t quite talk about yet – but what I can say is that I never dreamed the Roamaniac adventure would roll on like this after the guidebook part! In short, I’m juggling a lot of balls at the moment, so here is a little distraction from all these frightful facts for myself, and for you from whatever it is you need distracting from.

more “Seven things I learned in Romania in 2018”

Hiking in the Rodna Mountains

If the Carpathians are wild, the Rodna Mountains (Munţii Rodnei in Romanian) are truly wild. In the mountains around Braşov, the Fagaraş for example, you will meet plenty of people and find many a cabana – but in the Rodna, you will have to be completely self-sufficient. There are no cabanas except for a (temporarily closed) inn at the Setref Pass in the west, Hanul Pintea, and a cabana at the easternmost end of the ridge, Cabana Rotunda. So pack your tent, food and water, and let’s go… more “Hiking in the Rodna Mountains”

Sounds of Romania: A Cowboy and his Trumpet

On day one of my hike into the Rodna Mountains last week, I thought I heard a trumpet or other brass instrument in the distance. Soon after, we saw a shelter appearing on the horizon, which turned out to belong to a cowboy and his son. They herded cows and horses; made cheese and kept a little lamb beside the fire in their very snug hut. The cowboy also turned out to be the trumpet player – or whatever it’s called.  more “Sounds of Romania: A Cowboy and his Trumpet”