Almost a month ago (more precisely, on July 22), Mr. Christian Felea published a dialogue article (“La taclale cu Vlasti: vacation in the country? No, on the street!”), in which he reproduced the main ideas of the discussion of his holiness with Mr. Vlastimir Milanovych. In short, Mr. Milanovic recommended that readers take a vacation outside of Romania (and made a good case for his point), while Mr. Felea argued that a vacation in Romania might be a better solution, at least from certain points of view. I, for one, found the article extremely interesting. I’ve spent 15 years of my life writing travel articles, so my interest is understandable; however, it might tempt me to be a know-it-all, so I came up with another way to contribute to the argument. From the many testimonies this summer, I have chosen three stories that I reproduce without intervening or expressing my opinion. I did only minimal editing after transcribing.

Bulgaria

“Yes, what is said in the article about tourism in Romania is good. I am vacationing at the sea in Bulgaria, at Mayak. Sixth year in a row resort and the seventh since we arrived in Balcic.

Half of Romania is here. Service staff from Bali, 90% Bulgarians were replaced in 2021 due to the pandemic. Talking to the Balinese bartender who asked me where I was from, I guessed that I was from where 60% of the tourists are from. He laughed and said in typical Balinese English: Sixty percent? Better than 99%! Then I understood the scale of the phenomenon. We will return the quadrangle peacefully.

But this applies only to the coast, I say, a special case. Romanian entrepreneurs from the sea are stupid, and the value for money in Bulgaria is twice as good as in Romania, at least in terms of summer tourism.

For about four years, we have been spending the other half of our summer vacations in Romania. I worked in Fegeras, Hunedoara, Bucovina (last year) and Maramures (this year) districts. Very appropriate, I say. The fact that you have something to see and visit is not a problem. But living conditions and service have improved significantly. Roads, good or very good (although no motorways at present, except very limited). People are generally good. Lots of foreigners everywhere I go. Thank you, I would say with a smile on my face. Among the Romanians, you can see a lot of fanatics with five-star claims, but it is better not to pay attention to them, there is no point.

PS I visited Viskri a week or so ago, including the Prince’s house. deserve It is as it was 100 years ago, properly restored. They have an inn/tavern (Viscri 32) which is a must openly!” (AR, Bucharest)

Glamping

“I found an interesting accommodation online, near Valea Mureșului, north of Orăștie, somewhere near Geoagiu; glamping! I said I had the shot. Wilderness, adventure, bonfires – keeping the kids happy, making memories with my wife, etc. I left Bucharest, we arrived there exhausted because the traffic in the Olt Valley is bad. Warm as a loop. We drove through some wilderness, along forest roads, it was a treeless area, no trees, no shade, no coolness, nothing. We arrived, the host – the owner of the glamping, an entrepreneur – was waiting for us with cognac. It was almost 40 degrees; in the air, not in the brand! We went into our glamping tents – it was a hundred degrees like pop! Water flowed on us both in the sun and in the tent. We were hungry, very hungry. The owner explained to us that there was nothing to eat. Nothing, absolutely nothing. I asked for water. There was no water either – you had to bring your own, in the trunk. There was obviously no signal even though we brought our laptops, we said we were still working together while the kids played. In other words, we got to a place where there was nothing but electricity, bums and brandy. However, he was very attentive: he asked if we had brought a heater with us, because it was very cold at night. You hear one! Apparently, the man’s glamping was on the concept: you came there with four or five other families, brought everything, slept during the day, and feasted by the fire at night. Grills, spikes, crazy people. We were alone, hungry, hungry, thirsty and tired… and that man was not going to offer us anything, absolutely nothing! I told him we were going to buy something somewhere and left like a gun, wishing him something not too politically correct (“…with your glamping and all!”). I arrived in a town, actually a resort, in Geoagiu-Băi, where Kostinesti was clean, that is, an incredible agglomeration; Not only did we have nowhere to park the car, but we didn’t even have time to eat, everywhere was either “Reserved” or “Meal break”! I thought I was going crazy, my wife was scolding me, the children were screaming from hunger, I took them a glass of water and pedaled to Alba Iulia, where I have a friend, I stayed at his place for the night, he saved us poor Trandafir, well done, i’ll give him a big beer when he passes through bucharest, he totally deserves it! The next day, I went, found a normal boarding house, with a boarding house and a house, somewhere in the direction of Apuseni, firs, spruces, shade, coolness, a stream, I pray, like in the mountains. We saved this vacation, it was all good in the end, but with glamping in Romania we were confused. Let him be there!”. (PR, Bucharest)

Tour in Stany

“We started in 2020, it was the first year. There are three of us, although others are announced every year, but no one comes, never – they are lazy. We get on the train at the North Station, we and our bikes, get out at Băile Tușnad, catch our breath and move on. Six days, yes, seriously, we’re not kidding: about five intense hours of cycling every day, sometimes a bit more if we’re short on time. In the valley, cycling is a pleasure, on the mountain it is difficult; shoot what to do! We take two or three breaks a day, where hydration, if you understand me somewhere – I mean we hydrate with beer, damn we hydrate if it’s hot! But we don’t drink more than one per person, at each break, although the appetite is great, but we have learned to restrain ourselves, because Pants Tour is work, we are not kidding! And anyway. Read the whole article and comment on Contributors.ro