This guide describes 27 short treks of 2-6 days and 10 day walks in the mountains of Romania. Although there is a slight focus on Transylvania, most of the main massifs are included, with chapters covering the Mountains of Maramures, the Eastern Carpathians, the mountains around Brasov, the Fagara?, the region between the Olt and the Jiu, the Retezat, the mountains of Banat and the Apuseni. Also included is an ascent of Moldoveanu, Romania's highest peak at 2544m. There is a wealth of advice to help you plan your trip and organise the logistics of your walk or trek. Some routes avail of the network of mountain huts; others offer opportunities to camp in attractive wild locations. Overviews and a route summary table make it easy to choose an appropriate excursion. Each route includes clear description and mapping, as well as notes on accommodation and access (some can be accessed by public transport, although others require either pre-arranged pick-up or hitchhiking). There are fascinating insights into Romania's colourful culture and history and appendices containing hut listings, useful contacts and a helpful glossary. The graded routes are as varied as Romania's diverse landscapes. They take in rolling hills, craggy karst peaks, glacial lakes and Europe's last virgin forests, with other highlights including Transylvanian castles, wooden churches, the Piatra Craiului ridge and the spectacular Sapte Scari (Seven Ladders) and Turda Gorges. Historic towns such as the medieval towns of Brasov and Sibiu and the spa resort of Vatra Dornei offer easy access to the mountains; other routes visit remote villages that have changed little over the centuries, where self-sufficiency is still very much the way of life. All in all, the guide is a perfect companion to discovering the unspoilt beauty of Romania's enchanting mountain regions.

A diaristic exploration of procrastination, pregnancy, and art The day before Cyrus Console and his pregnant wife leave for a monthlong visit to Romania, they receive troubling news—the fetus she’s carrying is at elevated risk for Down syndrome. As the trip unfolds, his worry spirals into broader meditations on parenthood, language, addiction, love, marriage, and the passage and management of time. In and among the cities of Roman, Iasi, and Bucharest, Console chronicles his loving but comically awkward interactions with friends and family, taking place as they do in a language and culture unfamiliar to him. The resulting travel diary moves beyond daily life to delve into the enigmas of art, suffering, creativity, and family. Mixing memory with acute observations on everything from chess and stray dogs to heartbreak and dreamscape, Romanian Notebook turns the anxiety and rumination of the expectant parent into a deeper way of thinking about the human condition.

Chosen for the Duchess of Cornwall's online book club The Reading Room by HRH The Prince of Wales When William Blacker first crossed the snow-bound passes of northern Romania, he stumbled upon an almost medieval world. There, for many years he lived side by side with the country people, a life ruled by the slow cycle of the seasons, far away from the frantic rush of the modern world. In spring as the pear trees blossomed he ploughed with horses, in summer he scythed the hay meadows and in the freezing winters gathered wood by sleigh from the forest. From sheepfolds harried by wolves, to courting expeditions in the snow, he experienced the traditional way of life to the full, and became accepted into a community who treated him as one of their own. But Blacker was also intrigued by the Gypsies, those dark, foot-loose strangers of spell-binding allure who he saw passing through the village. Locals warned him to stay clear but he fell in love and there followed a bitter struggle. Change is now coming to rural Romania, and William Blacker's adventures will soon be part of its history. From his early carefree days tramping the hills of Transylvania, to the book's poignant ending, Along the Enchanted Way transports us back to a magical country world most of us thought had vanished long ago.

As a commitment to witness, stimulate and record humanityÕs co-creation of paradise on earth, Jasmuheen shares her experiences and insights on this as she travels the globe during 2006 to 2012. From Russia and the Eastern Bloc countries, through Europe to the jungles of Colombia and India, Jasmuheen reports on her work with many open hearted groups that gather with her. In this journal the reader gains insight on what life is like for someone who is in full time service with this Ôparadise co-creationÕ agenda. Spending nearly half of each year on the road, living in hotel rooms, airports and seminar halls, constantly adjusting to continually changing weather patterns, all the while being nourished only by prana, Jasmuheen manages to keep herself healthy and happy regardless of the many challenges she faces for despite all of this she grows and learns and thoroughly enjoys meeting with all the beautiful light filled people that she now constantly meets in this world.

The bibliography volume of the three-volume East Looks West: East European Travel Writing in Europe collates travel writing published in book form by east Europeans travelling in Europe from ca. 1550 to 2000. It is intended as a fundamental research tool, collecting together travel writings within each national/linguistic tradition, and enabling comparative analysis of such material. It fills an important gap in the existing reference literature, both in western and east European languages, and will be of use to those working in the growing fields of comparative travel writing, regional and national identities, and postcolonialism.These texts exist in surprisingly large numbers, and include writings of high literary quality as well as of historical interest, but they have been relatively little studied as a genre. Much of this material is rare and difficult to find, even in national libraries. As a result, there are few bibliographical surveys of the literature of east European travel and self-representation, and none that are region-wide or comparative in scope. This is the third volume of a three-part set of East Looks West, Vol. 1 - An Anthology of East European Travel Writing on Europe; and Vol. 2 - A Comparative Introduction to East European Travel Writing on Europe.

Romania is a true cultural melting pot, rooted in Greek and Turkish traditions in the south, Hungarian and Saxon in the north and Slavic in the east and west. Carapathia, the first book from food stylist and cooking enthusiast Irina Georgescu, aims to introduce readers to Romania's bold, inventive and delicious cuisine. Bringing the country to life with stunning photography and recipes, it will take the reader on a culinary journey to the very heart of the Balkans, exploring it's history and landscape through it's traditions and food. From fragrant pilafs, sour borsch and hearty stews, to intricate and moreish desserts, this book celebrates the dishes from a culture living at the crossroads of eastern and western traditions.

Focusing on youth, family, work, and consumption, Ambiguous Transitions analyzes the interplay between gender and citizenship postwar Romania. By juxtaposing official sources with oral histories and socialist policies with everyday practices, Jill Massino illuminates the gendered dimensions of socialist modernization and its complex effects on women’s roles, relationships, and identities. Analyzing women as subjects and agents, the book examines how they negotiated the challenges that arose as Romanian society modernized, even as it clung to traditional ideas about gender. Massino concludes by exploring the ambiguities of postsocialism, highlighting how the legacies of the past have shaped politics and women’s lived experiences since 1989.