Every year I try to make the most of my trips to Romania
and the unique blend of traditions, art and culture, food and places to enjoy
it, people to meet.
Monastery Cotroceni Iconostasis
This October it was no different…a tapestry of rural delights,
vineyards, forests and historic towns woven in a rich autumn palette.
Poiana Brasov Autumn
The choice for one afternoon was art…art in Bucharest. I
had few hours set aside to dive deep in the one place I had not visited in a
couple of years…The Cotroceni National Museum.
Palace Interior
Three centuries of history embrace the structures and land
vibrations of the museum, all interwoven with politics, historical facts,
religious and cultural aspects.
It started with the founder, Prince Serban Cantacuzino
who ruled between 1678-1688 and continued through the times with the imprint of
various dignitaries and a long list of personalities.
Prince Serban Cantacuzino
My interest….interiors, architecture and decorative arts,
ready for a visual feast.
Palace Salon
Queen Marie's Bedroom
Cotroceni Norwegian Salon
Cotroceni German Dining Room
King Ferdinand's Library
Cotroceni Salon Oriental
Bronze Vessel
Art Nouveau Brass Covered Vessel
Since this is also the official headquarter and residence
of the President of Romania, I shall stroll through the gorgeous grounds….on my
way out hoping to say Buna Ziua!
The countryside of Romania, like the soul of the people,
is rich and varied, gentle and gracious.
Driving through the hills surrounding Cluj-Napoca,
seven hills that is, a display of peaceful tranquility unfolds.
Magnificent forests that shelter villages nestled in
the rich emerald green, dotted with brush strokes of soft white all embraced by
clear blue sky.
We find our way to the center of Cluj for an afternoon
of art, history and culinary delight.
Transylvania Ethnographic Museum
Saxon Pitchers from Transylvania
Szervatiusz Museum, private space in the memory of
sculptor Jeno Szervatiusz.
Bánffy Castle is a baroque building of the 18th century in Cluj-Napoca, designed by the German architect Johann Eberhard Blaumann.[1] Built between 1774 and 1775 it is considered the most representative for the baroque style of Transylvania.
Bánffy Castle Roof Sculpture
Sculpture Gallery
Ianos Thorma
Ștefan Luchian
Cluj Art Museum, five centuries of Romanian art with a
superb representation of Transylvanian artistic history.
Bánffy Palace Piața Unirii 30
Cluj-Napoca, România +40 264 596 952 Tel/fax:0264 – 596952, 596953
The autumn day is glorious, perfect for art gazing
outside the palace walls, sculptures, cathedrals tell the story of the layers
of history since Roman times.
Lupa Capitolina Romulus and Remus
Lupa Capitolina from
Rome was given in 1921 by the city of Rome to the town of Cluj as a
symbol of the Romania's Latin roots and culture. A bas-relief by sculptor Ettore
Ferrari (1849-1930) was added to the monument, representing the Emperor Traian,
and the inscription ALLA CITTÀ DI CLVJ, ROMA MADRE, MCMXXI.
Mihai Viteazul Monument
Michael the Brave Equestrian Monument in Mihai Viteazul Square by sculptor Marius Butunoiu.
A beloved ruler of the Romanian people, one who unified
for the very first time the three Romanian provinces Walachia, Moldavia and
Transylvania in 1600 and fought to keep the Ottoman Empire invaders at bay.
Casa Ardeleana Restaurant
Zacusca
Ciorba de Fasole
Bulz cu Ou
Casa Ardeleana Restaurant
From visual delights we welcome few culinary delights, a traditional meal at Casa Ardeleana restaurant, quick stop at 1900Bistro for refreshments followed
by dessert at Café Francesca.
1900 Bistro
Cafe Francesca
Raspberry Mocha
Walking at dusk, filled with memories for a lifetime, we pass by an open window....Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frédéric Chopin, we stop and listen....
