Bucharest, Romania

We went on a fun four-day trip to Romania.  I had never thought of visiting Romania, even with having a few Romania friends. It always seemed so far away...until now.  We hitched a Wizzair flight from Nuremberg to București.  Here's what we did on our adventure:

–WHERE WE STAYED–

We checked into the Bucharest DoubleTree, which was a little over a mile away from the city center. It's a nice walk, and good exercise. Our room was nice, our bed was comfortable, and they had warm chocolate chip cookies waiting for us; what more could you ask for? If you're planning to visit Bucharest, and you want to be closer to the center of town...Check out the Intercontinental Hotel.

The walk from the hotel to the center of town is a true testament of communist architecture–bring on the concrete!  

When communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power he was impressed by North Korean architecture and wanted to emulate their style.  He tore down the cities beautiful brick and stone buildings and hired an amateur 27-year old architect (who had never build anything in her life) to redesign the city. They left 20% of the old town alone, and the rest is now made up of massive buildings to house lots of people.  The people had no idea what was being planned until the police showed up and gave them a few hours to pack their belongings before being evicted.

They went from this...

 To this...

Big mistake I think.

–WHAT WE DID–

There is lots to do in București, and we packed it all into four days.

We took a great free tour around the city with a wonderful tour guide Livia. 

The tour covered historical sites and we learned the history of the city.  Luckily, the tours happen rain or shine, and the rain didn't stop us!  Our tour lasted a few hours; we visited local attractions, learned about Romanian culture, history, politics, communism, modern life, and freedom.  It was really interesting, holistic, and a great way to see the city with a local.

One of the great things about traveling to Romania is everything is very cheap compared to Germany. The largest bill we came across is 50 Lei which is about 12 dollars.  There were a couple places we visited that wouldn't sell us anything since they didn't want to break a 50 Lei because it was "too big".

We visited Palace of the Parliament–which is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.  It is 12 stories (8 are underground) and is made entirely of Romanian materials.  Major parts of the historic Bucharest had to be demolished for this 3,700,000 square foot building. 

We took a tour inside, and if you plan on visiting make sure you bring your passport or they won't let you inside.

The hallways are massive.  If you look closely you'll notice that every other chandler is turned off, that's because if they lit up the entire building it would use more electricity than it does to keep 100,000 homes lit. The building is so massive we were only able to see less than 10% of it on our 90 minute tour.

We really liked the story behind this piece of art.  The artist was supposed to paint the communist leaders wife, but apparently she was too "ugly" to be painted, so they painted her backside instead.

 There are so many grand halls in the Palace of the Parliament, they can't possibly use them all!

We paid a tribute to Vlad the Impaler, he freed Transylvania from Ottoman rule and helped prevent them from conquering Europe. The King of Hungary as a show of thanks inducted him into the Order of the Dragon as a defender of Christianity...Dragon in Romanian is Drac and from then on he was known as Vlad Drac who Bran Stoker later used as the basis for his famous character Count Dracula. 

One of the old buildings in Bucharest is the Eastern Orthodox monastery–Stavropoleous Church built in 1724.   During the communist regime, when they were rebuilding the city, artifacts were brought here to be preserved.  The courtyard is a stunning journey back in time-and quite peaceful!

The inside of the monastery was really intricate, check out a virtual tour of the inside here.

We visited the Jewish Quarter of Bucharest too. Jewish history in Romania isn't a pleasant one. Pogroms, the Holocaust and emigration has brought down the Jewish population, but there is a great deal of history and heritage to be discovered. Bucharest was once home to the biggest and most prosperous Jewish community in Romania and we got to admire what is left of the former Jewish Quarter. 

We visited The Great Polish Synagogue, which was BEAUTIFUL inside!

Close up of the chandler

 

The synagogue is no longer used for religious services, but it is a showcase for a Holocaust memorial.

We continued to explore the old town where we found a really cool bookstore–Cărturești Carusel.  

I love visiting bookstores, especially since most bookstores are going out of business with online purchasing.  The architecture has an artistic nuance of its own.  It might very well be one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, and it's worth a visit, even if you aren't planning on buying one of their 10,000 books. 

They had an impressive selection of English books, and an art exhibit.  Jordans' favorite piece of art he titled–Camping Gone Wrong.

 

Bucharest's nickname in the decades before World War II, when the art nouveau palaces and architecture was very French, was "Paris of the East".  I love the Parisian architecture.

We walked up Victory Boulevard and admired the little alleyways that hinted to the style of the past. Our favorite alley that we discovered was the Macca-Villacroose passageway, which was a glass covered arcaded street.

This is where you enter

...And this is what you'll find-little shops and cafes!

We walked up Victory Boulevard until we made it to the Peasant Museum.

This was one of my favorite pieces of art in front of the museum–bodies against glass.

The museum exhibited the arts and crafts of the people living in rural Romania.  The fabrics, material, and intricate craftsmanship was displayed, and they really have pride in their cultural heritage. 

We did so much in the city, and we rented a car to visit Dracula's Castle.  Read more about it HERE.

–WHAT WE ATE– 

Oh boy, did we eat! We did some research on all of the Romanian Delicacies and tried lots of different dishes.  I am amazed that Romanians stay so skinny based on their traditional foods, and if you're watching your weight, you can stop reading now...

Covrigelul cu Ciocolată/Chocolate Pastery

Our favorite breakfast came right off the street.  There are local pastry shops all over the city selling delicious pastries.  For a mere 25 cents you can get a pastry ring generously filled with real Nuetella chocolate.  It was so good, and I looked forward to it everyday. 

I'll take another please

  Another great authentic pastry we tried was: 

Plăcintă cu brânză dulce si stafide/ Fried dough with sweet cheese & raisins

Basically a dough pie filled with sweet cheese and raisins.  Sprinkled with some sugar and served warm.  Pretty good.

If you like more of a savory pastry theres always:

Luca Haiducesc

A pastry filled with onions, ham and branza cheese.

At Caru' cu Bere we experienced a real traditional Romanian meal.  The atmosphere was charming- beautifully painted ceilings and ornate woodwork- plus the restaurant was full of Romanians, which is always a good sign.  

Our menu included:

Salata Boeuf/Beef Salad

 If we never eat beef salad again we would not miss it.  Potato salad with beef, not our favorite...

Sarmale/Cabbage Rolls

Sarmale is probably one of the most traditional Romanian dishes. It's made of miced meat mixed with rice and spices, and rolled in a sour cabbage leaf; once it's all put together its boiled for a few hours in a special sauce of sauerkraut and tomatoes juice.  It was simply delicious and served with polenta and sour cream. 

Tochitură/Moldavian Stew

A very yummy beef stew in a tomato sauce served with polenta and a salty sheep cheese called temelea.

Papanași/Donut Amazingness

This is a delicious dessert usually made of cottage cheese (or any type of sweet cow cheese), that is rolled into a donut like shape, filled with sweet cream and topped with berries. Apparently they're pretty difficult to make, and not every restaurant serves them...so if you find it on a menu, try it!

The Doner Kebaps were not a disappointment. Dristor Kebap was packed even in the early morning hours.  Jordan called it the "Subway" of Kebaps because you get to choose from a buffet of toppings. 

One of our last stops on our food tour was at Hanu' Lui Manuc in the old town. We got to enjoy live music while dining on:

Zacuscă/ Vegetable Paste

There is definitely some middle eastern influence on this dish.  It was a puree of eggplant, peppers, onions, and green tomatoes.  The ingredients are baked, then boiled and then served chilled.  It doesn't look like much, but it was delicious. 

Mici/ Grilled Miced Meat Rolls

Mici means "small ones" and it is because of their size, normally no longer than an adult's finger.  Created from a mizture of minced pork and beef it is mixed with spices and garlic and grilled.  It's for a meat lover to enjoy that's for sure. 

Cârnați de Pleșcoi/ Plescoi Sausages

It's a sausage made of mutton (older lamb) with chili peppers and garlic.  They are dehydrated and then baked, served with mustard.  It was like a fancy SlimJim.

We had our share of rain, and after a cold day, there's nothing better than a good cup of hot chocolate...or two!  We loved the Hazelnut and White Hot Chocolate.

Well we had an awesome time, and clearly saw and ate our way through Bucharest.  It was great, and on to the next adventure.  Oh were will we go next?! Any suggestions, let us know!

Transylvania, Romania

We rented a cute itty bitty VW and drove through Transylvania to visit Peles Castle and Bran Castle.

Picking up the car was just the start of our adventure.  Driving in Romania is MUCH different than in Germany, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. For one thing, we learned what is it like to drive on freeways that have roundabouts on them, and we got to experience a ten car stack to make a left turn.   It was a good thing Jordan was driving and I recommend paying extra for the peace of mind of rental insurance.

Outside of the city the landscape becomes quite rural and the mode of transportation for locals changes too.

Our first stop was Peles Castle, the summer residence of the Romanian kings. 

Unfortunately it was closed for cleaning, but the painted courtyard (which looks like its right out of a Romeo and Juliet fairytale) and fountain garden, the statues and view are all reasons to still visit, even if your timing is off. 

Our next stop was Bran Castle. The castle owes it fame to both its unique charm and to the myth Bram Stoker created around Dracula. 

In the 1920's Queen Mary, the niece of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, turned the castle into a beautiful summer residence.  We think it's beautiful in the winter too!

  Here is the Queen's bedroom:

And some of the other apartments...

I love the living room area, it looks very cozy, and I like the bear rug!

We learned how the castle become known as Dracula's Castle.   It has the physical characteristics of the castle discribed in Vlad Stokers book Dracula, and the real Dracula even spent a few nights in this castle...but it was by no means his residence. 

There were a labyrinth of hidden corners and secret chambers that led us to some great views

A view of the city from the top 

We had a great time in the beautiful winter wonderland and enjoyed the Romanian Castles!

Käse Spätzle with Crisped Onions

Im really excited to be hosting a special blog post written by my friend Liz, who I went to Whitman College with... Liz and I have lived together when I was living in Washington and shared lots of wild times together.  Here is a bit about Liz and check out her blog.

Originally from Los Angeles, Liz currently lives in Spokane, WA with her fiancé Ian.  Liz and Ian travel often around the United States and spent two months exploring Europe together in early 2015. Liz created starship elizabeth as a means of chronicling her travels, as well as her inspirations, recipes and ideas for curating a life of humble luxury.  

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I know what you're thinking.  What is a käse?  And what is a spätzle?  These are good questions.

I will spare you the etymological, cultural and geographical points of contention around this issue (although you can read about them here). Simply put: käse = cheese; spätzle = noodle or dumpling. So basically, käse spätzle = German Macaroni and Cheese.

While the exotic name and its long-held spot on alpine menus might make this dish sound intimidating, fear not. Käse spätzle is simple to prepare.  And the result–a doughy, chewy noodle baked with nutty Emmentaler cheese and balanced by savory onion.   It makes the perfect stick-to-your-bones meal.  And after just one bite, it's easy to understand why käse spätzle on the dinner table is the perfect resolution to a long day of skiing the Alps.  Or, if you're Morgan, exploring a chilly European city.  Or hiking in the woods, if you're me.

Heres how it works, from scratch:

INGREDIENTS:

For Spätzle

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 large egg yolks

1 3/4 cups whole milk

5-7 oz grated emmentaler cheese

Italian Parsley

Cooking-or-vegetable oil

For Crisped Onions

1 medium yellow onion

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt

SPECIAL EQUIPTMENT

Ricer 

HERE'S HOW

One: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together egg yolks and milk.  Pour the egg & milk into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, leaving a few lumps.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight.

Two: While the dough chills, prepare the crisped onions.  Halve and slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick strings, using a mandolin if possible.  Transfer onions to a medium sized bowl and microwave for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a towel-lined baking sheet and dry thoroughly.  Once dry, heat onions and oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until onions are golden brown in color, roughly 10-15 minutes.  Drain onions on freshly lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Three: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare a large bowl of ice water.  Grease the insides of the ricer with cooking spray or oil.  Add about 1/2 cup of the batter to the ricer and press it into the simmering water, cutting away the dough once it is pressed through the ricer, and stirring to break up the individual noodles.  Repeat the process until all of the dough has been used, re-applying oil to the ricer as needed.  Once all the dough has been pressed through, cook for 1-2 more minutes. Drain spätzle and transfer to ice bath to cool.  Drain

Four:  Preheat oven to 400°. Oil a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread spätzle in the dish and layer with cheese and crisped onions.  Dot the top layer with butter, and sprinkle extra cheese, and crisped onions. Bake for abut 20 minutes, or until the spätzle is hot and the cheese is just melted. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

And there you have it... an authentic Käse Spätzle!

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Thanks Liz for sharing! Check out more great articles by Liz here.

Floßenbürg, Germany

It is hard not to remember the horrors that occurred during WWII when they are in your backyard. Not far from where we live is the Floßenbürg concentration camp.  Floßenbürg was primarily used as a labor camp to mine for granite.  The prisoners who were held here were persecuted based on their nationality, ethnicity and political beliefs.

The camp initially held 400 inmates; toward the end of the war 100,000 prisoners were crowded into the main camp. There is still a somber feeling of all the horrific things that happened here.

You enter through the headquarters where records were kept.

 The prisoners would go through roll-call daily.  It was also a central spot for hangings, shootings and beatings.

After the war, lots of concentration camps were destroyed, including parts of Floßenbürg.  Today they have marked out where the barrack-style buildings once stood.

When the inmates arrived at the camp they were taken to be barber where their heads and bodies were shaved by other prisoners.

The prisoners weren't given a choice about being washed- sometimes the water would be ice cold, and other times it would be scalding hot.  They were humiliated as they stood together to be cleaned.  

The washing room:

 I spent lots of time in the museum reading about victims and survivors.  There was a great educational video to watch with survivors. 

It is hard to believe that such a beautiful place could have such a horrific history.  There were watchtowers all over.

I visited the "Valley of the Dead" were the killing grounds and the crematorium were.

Such disturbing feelings.

Visiting Floßenbürg was very humbling, and it's disturbing to see what went on at a "low-key" concentration camp. 

To lighten the mood I took a hike up the castle ruins.

 These hills have so much history

Lots of development has happened