Arad - Timisoara - Lugoj - Caransebes - Resita - Semenic

Our riding loop into the Semenic Mountains was much more of an adventure than we thought when we set out early in the afternoon! The ride to Timisoara, 46 km away was quick and eventless. We rode through the city and on to Recas—a town known for its vineyards and good wines. For those of you snickering behind your monitors (you know who you are), Romania does produce some good wines… he he he. The town is situated among gently sloping hills, and produces the domestic Feteasca Regala and Muscat Ottonel, along with a good selection of Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.

Next, we headed down the road into Lugoj for a quick stretch in the picturesque downtown. Lugoj is home to a good number of Romanian musicians and composers. Lugoj is also the birthplace of Bela Lugosi (born 1882 as Bela Ferenc Blasko), the actor who immortalized the original Dracula character in the famous Hollywood film.

From Lugoj we continued our journey to Caransebes. Outside of Caransebes, towards Resita, we were greeted by the smoothest stretch of road we have encountered yet, with expansive mountain views and orchards lining both sides of the highway. The roads were reminiscent of our riding days in Eastern Kentucky and those great twisty roads! For a brief period all of the V-Strom’s 98 horses were allowed to roam freely—what joy!

Entering the city of Resita we were greeted by what was once one of Romania’s preeminent industrial cities—an important steel center during the communist heydays. Much of the town’s landscape is marred by steel mills, factories and conveyor belts, most of them left in disarray and abandon.

We quickly passed through town and headed up into the mountains towards Semenic, a well-known ski resort during the winter months. The ascent was beautiful, as it was in the late afternoon and the sun was highlighting all of the valleys and villages nestled in the mountains. The road is narrow and winds upward, mile after mile, at times, displaying significant potholes. It’s a real challenge, particularly when you meet an oncoming logging truck. After what seemed like miles, we came upon the quiet mountain village of Valiug.

Did we fail to mention that we had not taken water or food with us? Yes, this journey was only supposed to be a quick afternoon loop! (As we have learned when riding and exploring, time becomes irrelevant for our driver…) However, the forest (padurea) provided us with a special treat – a natural spring bursting straight out of the mountainside!


From the water stop, we headed to the Semenic Ski Resort. There was still snow on the sides of the road and a strong wind blew across the mountain, which explained the wind mills perched up top. We passed a shack serving as the resort store, bar and coffee house. The expressions on the people’s faces as we rode by clearly indicated that we were either crazy or from outer space to be riding a bike up there. Even the watch dogs lounging outside glanced up but didn’t budge as we passed.

Of course, to add spice to the trip, our gas gauge dropped precipitously to one bar—a bit suddenly and unexpectedly. Here we were on top of the mountain and the closest gas station was somewhere in the valleys below, a good distance away. And we intended to descend on the eastern slope of the mountain, in the opposite direction from Resita.

As we rode into the town of Brebu Nou, we stopped to ask a kind lady if we were headed in the right direction. She confirmed that the road was the right one, but mentioned that the condition of the road was “really bad up ahead.” Then, looking at and visibly measuring the bike with her glance, she continued, “but with that, it’s gonna work.”

Encouraged, we rode on, and for a while didn’t experience anything too bad, except for the fact that the pavement gave way to cobblestone. OK, we can handle this… But then, sure enough, the cobblestone disappeared and gave way to dirt with deep potholes, mud in spots and sharp turns!

With the sun slowly setting and the gas light flashing, we decided that we might run out of gas at this rate. So, the motor was shut off, the headlights left on, and we descended for 10 miles with nothing but the sound of the tires crushing stone and the rush of air around us. What an eerie experience! An almost 500-pound bicycle rolling down the hill at 15-25 miles per hour…thank God for shocks and springs. These miles seemed like hours, as we painstakingly navigated potholes and mud, often standing on the foot pegs. We only had to start the engine once in all those miles for a few seconds, because the slope had leveled off briefly. My wife remembered that the camera was still around her neck and decided to film a portion of this experience to share with you all—unfortunately, we managed to erase it!

A truly funny moment that sent us both into laughter was when we met a man walking uphill on this stretch of forest road. We greeted him with a simple “Buna” (short form for Good Day), and he simply stopped and stared with mouth agap as the motorcycle quietly rolled-by. His expression was clearly puzzled—what the heck are these two riding?

We finally coasted into the sleepy town of Slatina de Timis, and passed old homes and children playing in the street. In the center of town we restarted the engine. Not only was the gaslight no longer blinking, but there were TWO bars indicating plenty of gas! Now it was our time to be puzzled and wonder ‘what the heck?!’

As we drove through town looking for a gas station, four dirt bikes with their riders covered in mud from top to bottom blew right by us raising a cloud of dust. These folks clearly knew the best mode of transportation to explore this region—a real off-road bike!

As the sun was setting, we left the mountains and drove 20 kilometers to Caransebes for gas (and a bathroom)! As we gassed-up for the 2-hour ride back, we realized what an unexpected, yet fantastic trip the day had offered. – BGR & HSR

The clatite (crepes) is a favorite treat in Romania. They are typically rolled with salty (sarat) and sweet (dulce) fillings—sweet cheeses, mushrooms, jams.

Our salty filling was with olive paste (paste de masline) and meat (carne). Our sweet filling was made with a mixture of cheese (brinza), sour cream (smantana), egg yolk (galbenus de ou), sugar (zahar) and raisins (stafide).

We only wish you could have been here to enjoy them with us! – HSR & BGR

The stork (barza) is a welcomed springtime guest across Romania. Their nests can be seen decorating the tops of telephone poles. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon may be the only time to glimpse these beautiful creatures, as they guard their eggs from predators after searching for food during the day. – HSR

The sight of those Stars & Stripes stirs inside me an unspeakable pride. This feeling still surfaces for me with every overseas trip.

As an American, I have not felt threatened in Romania as a foreign traveller. Quite the contrary, as Romanians like Americans, they are welcoming and filled with questions about the country. They always ask about life in America and frequently launch into political discussions and offer commentaries. - HSR

A visit exploring the nearby Hungarian border cities of Bekescsaba & Gyula proves good for the soul. These cities are favorite day trips for many Romanians as they are within 5-10 km of the Hungarian-Romanian border.

The trip provides the chance to hear a very different language – one that is most closely related to the Finnish language than the Latin-based Romanian language. Hungary also offers the opportunity to enjoy great shopping, plenty of people watching and a stroll through the neighborhoods in the picturesque downtowns. --BGR & HSR

With Romania’s explosion in home construction, the Furniture & Design Expo provided a great opportunity to glimpse the latest contemporary furniture styles, sleek kitchens, bath accessories, and modern home design wares.

We want to introduce three special artisans we met at the Expo, who shared their passions for glass, paint and mixed media engraving. We look forward to visiting their respective studios and featuring their art in the near future.

Eniko Czirjak is a phenomenal, glass designer whose works have received national recognition. Her work is bold in its approach, yet filled with color and texture subtleties. I am glad to own a beautiful glass necklace crafted by Eniko - http://www.utiglass.ro/




Giotto Doichita is an oil painter specializing in abstracts with a keen eye for classical portraits, landscapes and still lives. http://www.giotto-doichita.com/





Dacian Selegean is a voluble and highly opinionated artist specializing in laser engraving. He engraves a variety of surfaces with beautiful images – from leather to wood to glass and mixed media. We enjoyed an engaging discussion of politics and economics. --HSR & BGR

A visit to a friend’s house is always a special treat no matter where you are or what day of the week it is. It is always a time to share good food and good conversation.

Our dear friends, Viorica and Mihaela live in Sebis, a town on the road to Moneasa, near the Codru-Moma Mountains. It is a pleasant town, well-known for its leather processing and products. The people are friendly and welcoming. The town is dotted with houses and many gardens (gradini), and giggling, mischievous little boys playing in the streets.

Our special table treats were two Romanian specialties: sarmale and placinta intinsa or placinta intoarsa (peasant roll). Sarmale are cabbage rolls stuffed with pork, rice, onions and spices cooked in a broth on the stovetop—a real delight. Peasant roll can be stuffed with either salty cabbage or sweet cheese, apples or nuts. We enjoyed cheese (branza), nut (nuca), apple (mere) and cabbage (varza) fillings.

The process of making peasant rolls takes a good part of a day from the kneading of the dough to stretching it very thin on a large table to filling it to shaping it and preparing it for baking. Our host had made 25 of these rolls over a seven-hour period. Traditionally, these tasty rolls are enjoyed as a meal in and of itself in the countryside – and take my word, the apple and nut ones are out of this world!

After such a wonderful meal, we took a hike into the foothills and enjoyed the spectacular views. We picked a bouquet of daisies (margarete) and smelled the fresh forest air!

Another beautiful day in Romania...
- HSR & BGR

It was an unexpected afternoon ride to the little village of Grosii Noi.

Looking at a map, we saw a road connecting the village of Capruta (located on E68 between Arad and Deva) with the town of Gurahont. Based on the meanderings of the map lines, it seemed like a real scenic treat, especially considering that it rides up through the hills into the mountains. Sure enough, the road was extremely scenic. After 5 km or so, it even turned to dirt, making the experience that much more rustic.

The views through the valleys were truly enjoyable—the lush spring green of the forests sprinkled here and there with cows and flocks of sheep. We passed through small villages where life seems to have stood still for the past 100 years, save for the occasional satellite dish poised on the roof.

Grosii Noi was one of those villages. Certainly, you would never think to make this a stopping point on this trip. The village does have an old wooden church bordered by the local cemetery—a postcard image of a different era. And the folks are curious but friendly, responding to your ‘Buna ziua’ with a nod and a ‘Buna’ or ‘Buna ziua’ of their own.

We were brought to this stop by the fact that a sudden summer rain had turned the uphill road past Grosii Noi into an impassable route. The muddy road led to a tail-wagging adventure, which on a motorcycle is hardly ever predictable or particularly enjoyable. We tried to continue, but it became clear that the road with the continuing rain would not relent. As we sat pondering and scraping mud off the tires with a stick, a man appeared walking towards Grosii Noi. We asked him about the roads ahead. He replied that the road was about to hit a long and fairly steep climb over the looming hills, and yes, it was still muddy and slick.

After deciding to turn back, we stopped in Grosii Noi to stretch and have some mineral water (apa minerala) by the old wooden church. We were greeted by the most friendly man and his wife, passing through town with their cows pulling a cart filled with hay. Their open glances were followed by the question: “Do you want to take a picture of us? You’ve got to show this out there. This is work no one else does—it’s like a museum here.”

Despite their generous offer, we felt odd about sticking a camera in their faces simply to satisfy our tourist need to capture the sight. Of course, looking back, we should have. The amazing image of the couple with their cart against the backdrop of the wooden church was absolutely memorable. And their way of life, even according to their words was worth documenting. Perhaps next time.

The funniest story for the day was the goose attack! Yes, on the motorcycle! Being spring, the geese in the villages were all coddling and defending their young as they grazed by the road side. As we passed just a bit too close to one of the geese and the little ones, the male (presumably) decided that our presence was simply to threatening. So, in a blink of an eye it was 5 feet up in the air, flapping its wings and attempting to strike with its beak. Ouch! The ever-enduring wife received the brunt of this attack, but thankfully it was over in a flash as the motorcycle sped away. However, the memory of this brief moment will live on… Beware of the geese!

It was a reminder of rural Romania which has seen better times. It was a reminder of the life that exists in places we have never imagined visiting or even heard of. There are no tourist attractions in the village of Grosii Noi. There are no swanky cafes or chic boutiques. There is, however, an amazing place where time seems to have lost its presence, where nature and human presence have found the balance of life. Sadly, such places are slowly wittling away in Romania, as elsewhere, with the young generations moving to the big cities in search of better jobs.

For now, life in the peaceful village of Grosii Noi continues, one day at a time. – BGR & HSR

Travel brings out sides of us unfamiliar in our own culture. Sides of us that remain dormant until awakened by curiosities hidden in our daily lives.

I have suddenly become obsessed with photographing everything that I lay my eyes upon—animals, houses, trees, people and even a funeral procession! After taking the picture, it dawned on me that I would never intrude into what is considered a person’s private space to photograph their face in the U.S. I would certainly not think about photographing a funeral in the U.S. either. I realize that I suddenly have awakened curiosities in myself and want to simply capture and share every corner of life in Romania.

However, Romanians are generally very reserved people and remain hesitant to the lens and its curiosities. Often in villages and the countryside, we carry the camera around our necks and slow the motorcycle to capture photo ops. This avoids stopping the engine and dismounting for every interesting sight.

Out of respect, sometimes I capture many impressions in our explorations that I can only hope to convey to you via words. - HSR

MotoExpo – Timisoara 2006
Ever since reading a U.S. motorcycle magazine article last winter that stated that there was no real motorcycle scene in Romania, I have decided to explore the validity of those statements. While clearly the scale of the motorcycling scene in Romania cannot be compared to the U.S. or even the Western European markets, it is certainly an optimistically emerging one. And the similarities between motorcycling movements are more frequent than the differences. Just as motorcycling in the U.S. has spent several decades overcoming cultural biases—only people motorcycling are either greasy mechanic-types or rebels and gangsters—to become more widely accepted, so in Romania, motorcycling is fighting an uphill battle to overcome the image that the only people riding are either poor or shady figures.

The Timisoara bike show was a positive example of market economy at work. The four-day event showcased the latest models of sport, sport touring, off-road adventure and numerous so-called naked bikes offered by Yamaha, Aprilia, Suzuki, Honda, Moto Guzzi, KTM and BMW. The show was extremely well-attended with enthusiasts, some of whom rode their own bikes, others who were clearly shopping for their first or second steed. Given the condition of Romanian roads, the plethora of off-road and enduro motorcycles is hardly surprising. The major, national highways are smooth and curvy enough to accomodate a sport or super-sport bike. But, the real beauty of Romania is found off the beaten path. There, the pavement ends more often than not, and the latest GSX-R600 or R6 with 120+ hp would not get you very far. But, for the speed-hungry, BMW was showing the new K1200GT while Yamaha and Aprilia were highlighting their 1000cc rockets. – BGR

One afternoon a summer storm came across the city and we experienced a beautiful rainbow. Enjoy! -HSR

Arad - Siria - Ineu - Moneasa

Our riding loop from Arad to Siria to Ineu to Sebis and finally Moneasa was simply breathtaking, glimpsing of life in Romania in the villages, working of the farmlands, and life returning to the once state-owned vineyards.

Siria has become a favorite hiking spot for us with every visit to Romania. The ruins of the Siria fortress are popular for summer picnics on the hillside and offer spectacular views of the plains, with vineyards dotting the hillsides.

Entering the town of Ineu, we were greeted by the impressive Delphi facility. Ineu was once home to one of Romania’s infamous orphanages.

In the resort town of Moneasa, my husband insisted on exploring a bit offroad. We took a dirt road about 6 miles up the side of the mountain and met a lumber tractor and handful of workers repairing the road. At the sight of the motorcycle, the workers stopped from their work with amused expressions—were we really going to attempt to cross the soft, unstable, fresh pile of sand they had just laid across? Their comment with a smile was Drum Bun (Bon Voyage – literally "Good Road")

After our efforts, we were greeted with expansive, mountain views and the sound of the wind through the pines. We could see in the far distance an old minibus parked by a shepherd tending his sheep. The area is also active with rock and marble quarrying as well as logging. The downhill ride proved pleasant with the afternoon sunlight gently streaming through the trees.

We found it hard to imagine a better way to spend a weekday! It was a memorable journey exploring the Codru-Moma Mountains, and we hope to enjoy a few more. As they say with the Kentucky lottery, “Somebody’s gonna win, might as well be you!” Well, we say—Somebody’s gotta do this job, might as well be us! – BGR & HSR

Arad - Sannicolaul Mare - Jimbolia - Timisoara

Our riding loop from Arad to Sannicolau Mare to Jimbolia and finally to Timisoara would seem less than spectacular to most riders. And that could be true at a first glance. The view for miles is of nothing but the wide open plains with frequent smells of agriculture and one small village after another.

The pleasant square in Sannicolaul Mare was a perfect break. This city is near the Hungarian border and is a slow hum of activity. It was the birthplace of the Hungarian composer, Bela Bartok and was once a thriving gold town.

As we moved on toward Jimbolia the poverty and economic depression became felt. Several towns which were thriving during communism have become mere shadows of their golden past. The town of Jimbolia is a perfect example. It is about 3 km from the border with Yugoslavia. During communism it was a manufacturing center producing shoes and construction supplies (roof tiles). Yet as we passed through town, none of the dreary looking facilities spoke of any economic life. Rather, they seemed stuck in a dusty past, unable to mime the least gesture.

Other than the adorable two little boys waving and blowing kisses to us, the other highlight was the endless fields of yellow flowers. Apparently, these flowers are harvested to make industrial oil. - HSR & BGR

May 1st was an interesting day in Romania. It was Labor Day! Businesses were closed. People flocked to the forests and rivers to enjoy time with friends and family. Some shared a picnic by the river while others, camped in the foothills of the Carpathians or hiked the ruins of Deva.

We spent time with family and reconnected with two very dear friends, Lulu and Marioara in beautiful Hateg. Hateg is heralded as the gateway to Transylvania’s greatest Roman remains and offers spectacular views of the Retezat mountains. There was still snow on the mountains (approximately 2500 meters) on the first of May! This was our first introduction on this journey to the famed Transylvania!

On our return home, we stopped in the old mining town of Deva and the fortress ruins. Whether you choose to climb 300 meters or ride the cable car, the 365 degree views of the Mures Valley are beyond breathtaking! On an interesting side note, the founder and first bishop of the Unitarian Church, David Ferenc (1510-1579) was martyred and imprisoned here.

A beautiful visit into Transylvania with the assurance this will not be our last! - HSR

It hardly seems possible that May has arrived. Time has an odd way of slowly ticking no matter where we are or what we do to pass it.

Our visit to Arad’s Garden, Arts and Crafts Expo showcased samples of Romanian pottery and handcrafts from around the country. My favorites were the tastes of the old fashioned cookies, Turta Dulce and the homemade candy cane stick.

Topped off the afternoon with a stop for ice cream – and not just any ice cream, but gelato! A pound of flavors from Gelateria Coandi with vanilla (vanilie), chocolate (ciocolata), peach (piersica), berries (fructe de pradure), mint (menta) and coffee (cafea) to name a few!

I am reminded once again of the simple things in life. -HSR

Have you ever sat still for hours? Much like a fly on the wall, I am often watching and observing without movement or even a word.

Working through the initial discomfort, I am attempting to absorb the feelings of each person I come in contact with. I am watching interactions through body language, eye movement and listening to vocal tones.

Language is truly only one way we communicate with each other. I am learning everyday barriers exist only if we allow them.

I awake everyday and simply ask to have the opportunity to give and to receive…HSR

A city 50 kilometers away, Timisoara is filled with energy and enthusiasm. It is a bustling university town and fantastic shopping venue. You could walk the downtown for hours strolling through shops and alleyways exploring the City! Or better yet, grab an ice cream (inghetata) or a coffee (cafea) and watch people in one of several Piata (squares).

There is a plethora of shopping with my favorite stores, Kenvelo (young and trendy European clothing), Triumph (number one lingerie producer in the world), Leonardo (shoe store), and several boutiques!

The dining choices are numerous from sidewalk cafes to Italian and Chinese! We recommend a drink at the fashionable Baroque cafe in the Piata Unirii.

Standing at the Piata Victoriei, it is difficult to imagine that more than 100,000 people and an army were here in December 1989. The only remnant of this bloody Revolution for freedom can be seen on the building above McDonalds opposite the Opera House and the square monument with a fountain honoring those who died.

This city will be a favorite spot for relaxing afternoons with family over the next few months. I promise you will undoubtedly see more photos and hear more about Timis County and the city of Timisoara. – HSR