Oradea - Satu Mare - Zalau - Cluj-Napoca - Huedin

Paralleling the Hungarian border with continuous views of the Romanian plains, the road from Oradea to Satu Mare proved an uneventful ride. In addition, the poor quality road made the trip seem even longer than the 130 kilometers (about 80 miles) shown on the map.

Although this route is a national highway connecting the Banat region with Maramures, we were not surprised to again see horse-drawn carts. Over the past few months, this has been an interesting experience. Romania is truly a country of contrasts. On one hand, the past is very much alive in the customs, habits and daily realities, such as horse-drawn carts--people use them here as you would use a pick-up truck to haul things or people. On the other hand, the fast-paced 21st century life is pushing for space on the very same dimension--commercial trucks blowing by constantly (and if you think that 18-wheelers feel big on an interstate, imagine them on nothing but two-lane narrow roads), delivery vans with always-impatient drivers seemingly racing one another, and overtly smug businessmen in their Porsche Cayennes, Mercedes, or BMWs flashing headlights, honking horns, and generally buying into the marketing of their overpriced cars which tells them that they "own the road."

Satu Mare was our first glimpse of Maramures. With the crossing of the Somes River, we began exploring the town. Based on what a travel book described as “the ugliest town in all of Romania,” we were sure that the town would not be worthy of our visit. After an initial glance on the outskirts of town, we were almost ready to write off the center, yet decided to check for ourselves this statement. As it turned out, the downtown area was fairly charming and pleasant. As a matter of fact, we have seen towns in Romania that would be much better candidates for the ‘ugliest town’ moniker. We now suspect that perhaps the writers of the misleading book (which shall remain unnamed for now) didn’t really visit this town or had a particular bone to pick with it. The Hotel Dacia was the former city hall and royal court. Much of the activity of Satu Mare is centered around the Piata Libertatii with the Hungarian Reformed, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches as well as the Great Synagogue nearby.

Enroute to Zalau, we took a narrow, steep hill off the main highway to the Mihai Viteazu monument. This monument celebrates the prince’s successful unification of the three historical provinces—Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova—into one nation, albeit for a very short time, as he literally lost his head at the hands of enemies. The monument was erected in 1976, in the blocky and somewhat uninspiring style of communist monuments.

The impressive thing about it is its location—up on a hill, high above the surrounding valleys, visible for miles and miles in all directions. Equally striking were the wild horses grazing near the monument and the two herdsmen. Needless to say, the views were breathtaking and worth the awkward climb up a narrow one-lane road.

Arriving into Zalau, we were greeted with congestion and blocks at every corner. In its current format, the town is a far cry from its origins as the first documented Transylvanian town, also known in antiquity as a Roman-Dacian military and cultural stronghold.

On the outskirts of Zalau toward the ascent into the mountains, we captured a surge of new home construction. But more importantly, the road provided a surprise - excellent hairpin turns! We were not surprised to encounter a handful of sport bikes thoroughly enjoying the road weaving through the Meses Mountains into Cluj-Napoca!

With a bustling center, Cluj-Napoca has a vibrant personality and energy with its trendy coffee shops, swanky bars and up-to-the-minute Euro fashion on the streets. Cluj is as much Hungarian (Kolozsvar) as Romanian. In the 1970s, Ceausescu added Napoca to the city’s name to signify its Daco-Roman roots. However, most people refer to the city as Cluj. It is home to the popular Romanian beer, Ursus.

One of the premier examples of Gothic architecture in Romania is the 14th century St. Michael’s Church in Cluj’s Piata Unirii. Nearby is ths statue of Matthias Corvinus (1902) who was the king of Hungary from 1458 to 1490.

Our evening ride back into Oradea was a pleasant ride with amazing roads and plenty of hairpin curves to complete the day. With the sun setting, we passed through the villages of Huedin, Ciucea and Negreni, experiencing the transforming beauty of rural Romania.

Huedin is the main area to start exploring the nearby natural wonders—mountains, caves, and waterfalls. Ciucea is a place dear to Romanians and Hungarians, as it was home to Romanian poet and politician, Octavian Goga and Hungarian poet, Ady Endre. Negreni claims to boast a fabulous Saturday fleamarket.

After another long riding day, we were happily greeted by the children of Caminul Felix Villages eagerly wanting to hear all about our day’s adventures as well as a bed at the Noble House Hotel and even dinner leftovers! – BGR & HSR

The small village of Pecica in western Romania hosted a three-day motorcycle rally—Moto Rock 2006—during June 30-July 2. The event celebrated its second anniversary much the same way it did last year at its inaugural session—with rain and cool weather. As we spoke with the event organizer, a colorful character with a real passion for motorcycles, he complained that last year they had three days of rain, which drenched the riders and their tents. He was concerned that this year’s looming thunderstorms and temperatures in the 60s (Fahrenheit) were going to deal the event a hard-to-overcome blow.

Sure enough, the event was marked by thunderstorms and rain, yet the spirit of the participants was fairly high. And the nightly rock concerts coupled with impromptu amateur stunt shows kept the heat and adrenaline going. The Romanian motorcycle market is in its growing stage—it has a long list of fans with thinly lined pockets. So, the showing at Pecica provided an interesting smorgasbord of mounts.

Yet, despite the rains and current economic conditions, Romanians have the motorcycle bug. Every week we meet young and old(er) folks alike who talk about their plans to acquire a motorcycle. And encouragingly, a lot of women are also pursuing their interest by taking riding courses and perusing the used market listings, while saving up for that shiny new bike they eyed at a show or in a magazine. - BGR

With the avian flu becoming an ever-present domestic concern for the US, I thought I would share our experience in Romania. The country had a couple of outbreaks of flu among its poultry earlier this year in the Danube Delta region and the Brasov area. The flu led to the destruction of millions of birds (chicken, geese, ducks), and to the quarantine of a couple of villages.

Aside from that, the Romanian government, prodded by intense international pressure and scrutiny, decided it was going one step further. It decided to create road blocks where it would spray all incoming and outgoing traffic with a 360-degree antiviral sprayer. Which, in theory, perhaps it made some sense to the stuffy bureaucrats in Bucharest. In practice, however, it didn't quite materialize as planned, nor was it particularly effective. The only thing it did for us, however, was cause a great deal of frustration and annoyance. We encountered the filters on our way to Brasov. About 40-50 miles outside the city they were posted--one in the going lane, and the other in the oncoming lane, but about 500 yards away.

We went through the first spray filter simply because we were motioned through. We did not activate the sprayer since it was weight activated. The experience was unsettling, nonetheless, especially because the road through the filter was lined with a regular carpet that, soaked with the soapy water they were using, was extremely slippery, and almost caused a bike drop. The second filter we slowly made our way through, once again unsprayed. By the nuclear-looking suits of the attendants, I thought, this must be some serious stuff they're handling over here.

At the third filter, we had the misfortune of being behind a car which drove on the pressure plates that activated the spray mechanism, but then gunned the vehicle and rode through untouched by the miserable concoction. We, on the other hand, got drenched with it, while the workers were screaming all kinds of things, most of which resembled a bunch of "No, no, no, no!!!" On top of that, I had to balance the bike on the slippery carpet meant to rub the tires for another 30-40 yards with this stuff. This absolutely sent me over the edge!

And to add insult to injury, at the next filter, as we approached, one of the workers walked into the road to motion us into the other lane--motorcycles should go around the filters, he said! Aahhh..... so I should have been notified all along that I need to go around, but at the other filters the workers reckoned, "Why bother? Let the fool go through."

Consequently, for the rest of the day, we drove around every single spray filter. Yet, I still could not get over getting sprayed, completely unneccessarily. Which of course, brought the question--what purpose were those filters fulfilling?

Discussing the matter later with several Romanians, it turned out that some of the solutions used at the filters had been independently tested by third-party organizations, and were found to be no more than weak, soapy, water, with some trace of anti-viral solution. Furthermore, the sprayers were only spraying the outside of vehicles and trucks. Which meant that if you had a trunk-load of dead chicken, you simply drove through and went on your merry way. And sure enough, a week after our trip, they discovered a whole batch of suspect, infected chicken which had been distributed to groceries. Romanians in general, were taking a rather laid-back-but-amuzed attitude, blaming the whole thing on the European Union. They were saying that since Romania is due to join the EU next January, the Union was trying to drive the independent producers out of the market, to better sell other members' chicken in Romania. With a sad tinge in their voice, they were saying--"Welcome to the centrally-planned economy that the communists couldn't pull off, but which the European Union is forcing down our throats!!!"

So, for all intents and purposes, the Romanian government had taken action. Poultry had been killed and vehicles were being sprayed. Say Hello to Bruxelles and Vote for us in the next election! - BGR

Oradea (Nagyvarad in Hungarian) with its proximity to Hungary and the Apuseni Mountains, offers a pleasant downtown for walking and wandering. The area has been a second home base for us over the past few months with our volunteer work at the Caminul Felix Villages.

In the center of Piata Unirii, the Prince of Wallachia, Mihai Viteazul (1593-1601) is memorialized with a statue. He was the first prince who unified the three historical provinces that make-up today's Romania. The Black Vulture (Vulturul Negru) building (1908) houses shopping and a hotel towering over the Crisul Repede River.

The Orthodox Moon Church (1764) is unique for its tower mechanism which changes position with the moon’s movements.

A few kilometers outside of Oradea is the bustling spa resort of Baile Felix. Baile Felix is known for its thermal pools drawing Romanians and foreigners year round. In addition to the large ominous hotels peering over the valley, there are several new properties in construction with their brillant colors.

Continuing enroute to Beius, the road quality required much attention due to large potholes yet provided excellent views with the mountains beckoning us to continue onward.

The market town of Beius provides the access to the Meziad Cave. Discovered in 1859, the Cave is known for its enormous stalactites.

Intermittent violent summer storms prohibited us from filming and photographing a good portion of the mountain road leading to Brad. We did however spot the production plant for one of the Romanian beers, Bergenbier, on the outskirts of Beius. Being on a motorcycle, we enjoyed the available legal alternative—water… with nice company, nonetheless - goats.

Our spectacular views of the Apuseni Mountains were abbreviated with the approach of lightning and rains. We did enjoy a brief moment roadside to photograph and don our full rain gear. The charming villages of Varfurile and Halmagiu captured the essence of this region – peaceful and serene, seemingly from another time.

Arriving into the village of Brad on the heels of yet another rain shower, we passed quickly through. We continued enroute to Deva and onward enroute to Lugoj through the countryside.

During a roadside break, we met a man who shared of his motorcycle riding days. He had owned a MZ motorcycle back in the 1960s, and spent quite a while touring the sights of Romania. He said that he used to work for the Romanian Railroad Company, and through his job, he visited every corner of the country, yet never ventured outside its borders. Currently, he was herding cows and enjoying his retirement. He mentioned that the V-Strom was clearly a large bike, and wondered how it handled. It's interesting meeting people across Romania who have old motorcycles, or old stories of motorcycling. Their passion is still present in their eyes, and their voice betrays the longing for an activity that their age may be the only limit to.

Perhaps our most amusing sight was in the town of Faget. We were greeted roadside by a large, red airplane with the Coca Cola logo emblazoned on its side! It was an inviting terrace!

Amused and exhausted after a long day’s ride, we rode into the sunset with a stop for LaTino’s pizza in Timisoara. With a number of pizzas tasted across Romania as well as the States, we rate LaTino’s a 9! – BGR & HSR

Over the past few weeks we spent some time traveling in Szekely Land (Secuime). With more than 90% of this Transylvanian region living and communicating in Hungarian, it is difficult for foreign travelers to make sense of the language, particularly since it is not related to any of the main European languages (its closest, albeit quite distant, relative is Finnish). The village and town signs are in both Romanian and Hungarian. However, most people in stores and restaurants greet you in Hungarian.

Arriving into Odorheiu Secuiesc (Szekelyudvarhely), we felt the bustle of a growing town, due in large part to the redevelopment of textiles, furniture, and leather companies. The 16th century citadel is almost fully intact allowing visitors to wander within its walls. Interestingly too, Odorheiu Secuiesc has two Greco-Catholic, three Hungarian Reformed, two Orthodox, and four Roman Catholic churches!

The small village of Corund (Korond) displays its well-known green, brown, and cobalt-blue pottery. While we certainly enjoy the Corund pottery, we were very disappointed with the village. Covered from entry to exit with dusty, cramped, roadside kiosks similar to those found all over the rest of Romania, Corund was merely overrun with tourists, tour buses, high prices, and, at times, questionable quality merchandise. While we had looked forward to seeing the town where the pottery is made, the trip was not worth the effort and expense.

Praid is known for its therapeutic salt mines. One hundred twenty meters below the surface, the legendary mines are known for the benefits they provide for respiratory ailments. While looking for the entrance to the mines, we followed a sign leading us down a dirt road. About 2 kilometers down this road, we were chased by guard dogs and kids, who clearly had not seen such a sight in a long while. And along with the guard dogs, we encountered two serious looking guys bearing black T-shirts emblazoned with SECURITY. Oooops!!!!! Is the tourist business so in demand here??? Is there a mine dance club with VIPs near here??? Oh, no, not quite--we had arrived at the old commercial mines, which were still owned by a company and ergo guarded. Hmm... I guess no salt treatments here, then....

Targu Mures (Marasvasarhely) developed as a cultural and academic center in the 14th century. It remains a vibrant city with its medical and theatre schools nationally renowned. Under Ceausescu, all ethnic groups other than Romanians were forbidden to live here. In fact, Romanians from other parts of the country were moved in to influence the Hungarian presence!

Lined with Secession-style buildings, Targu Mures was a pleasant stop. The early 20th century Palace of Culture is eye catching with its steeple roofs, tiled with colorful geometric patterns. (Perhaps not quite coincidental, since the city boasts father and son mathematicians, Farkas and Janos Bolyai, revolutionaries of Euclidean geometry.) The Palace houses the history and art museums, as well as the stained glass window museum. There is also a concert hall boasting an organ with over 4500 pipes! The building next-door, the Prefecture cannot be missed with its bright green spire and tiled roof.

Rains, thunder and lightning were moving in and sent us back to Sighisoara for the evening. We found lodging with a family in the citadel and had a wonderful conversation with a British traveler visiting Romania by train. Exchanging stories of his train experiences and our motorcycle adventures until 2 a.m. was much fun! – BGR & HSR

Summer is wedding season. Beautiful dresses grace storefront windows. Friends are scurrying about coordinating the last minute details from flowers to photography to reception menus.


When wedding day arrives, the cars are adorned with flowers and decorated with ribbons. The wedding party parades through the city streets with horns honking.

Out for a Saturday evening walk, we heard traditional Romanian instrumental music on the street and saw the bride proceed into the church. We captured the vehicle of choice for the bride and groom’s escape.

Photographers and the happy couple take advantage of the historic sights in Romania at the fortress in Rasnov.



In Szeged, Hungary on a quiet street, we captured another couple enroute to their photography session.

Love is in the air! - HSR

Summer is in full bloom in Romania and Hungary. Geraniums and begonias are plentiful in the window boxes. Roses and blossoming trees are abundant in the parks. Vibrant perennials and organic vegetables are bursting in the gardens.

Photographed in Szeged, Hungary, the black-eyed susans are lovingly dedicated to my Mom.

The iris patch was photographed in a small village outside Baile Felix, Romania - a pleasant reminder of my graduate school days at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

The Romanian plains are ablaze with the color yellow! The sunflower patches remind me of our bright yellow Adirondack chairs and evenings spent with friends celebrating cuisine and conversation in the States.

Friends, enjoy this beautiful splash of color! – HSR

The market is a special place in Romania. The smells and sights of fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, cheeses, breads, and meats endears any American who remembers only the picked-green, impersonal, mega-grocery stores of America.

Watermelons (lubenita). Blueberries (afine). Apricots (caise). Cherries (visine). Tomatoes (rosii). Cucumbers (castraveti). Cabbage (verze).

Every city, village and town has a market. It is a place of commerce. It is a place to observe personalities and communication. It is the heart and the soul of the region.

“Poftim. Poftim.” (Please. Please) When you enter the market, vendors begin “selling” their goods. If you touch their products, almost immediately a bag is produced and you have more than likely committed to taking the items with you. Depending on the quantity, the hour of the day or the relationship, negotiation may even be a part of the transaction.

The market is a reminder food is still natural. It is a reminder of the person who labors the land to produce a quality taste experience for the customer. It is a reality of a day fleeting around the globe in an attempt to standardize processes and boost economies - as we ignore the health of our bodies. – HSR

We wanted to share the full story of the volunteer we met who was making his 21st trip to Caminul Felix Villages.

Joe Babb is not your typical 76-year-old. This is his 21st trip to Caminul Felix. This year alone, he will make three trips to Oradea . His eyes dance when he says that "every time I come, it feels like I come home.[I] never have done anything in my life that I enjoy more."

Miles from his hometown of San Jose, California and his plumbing and heating business, Babb recounts with much emotion his first trip to Caminul Felix Village Two in July 2000. Their team of 58 built the Calvary House in nine days. He shared the story of their pastor, Fred Wilson and the team going in each room and praying for the salvation of each of the children who would grow up here.

He said, "When I was asked by friends to do the plumbing and heating for the Caminul Felix trip, I said I didn't have time. After prayer, a few days later, I called back and said I would join their team. Seven team members came and talked about Caminul Felix and the build in my family room. I later learned that they had a prayer circle praying for a plumber on the team. Unless they had a plumber, they would not have been able to finish the Calvary House."

This would be only his first interaction with Caminul Felix. Over the coming years, he assisted with converting Caminul Felix Village Two from propane to natural gas. He remembers the digging by hand for 2 1/2 miles and 36 inches deep for the natural gas delivery. He has since worked with a number of manufacturers, and mentioned several, including W.A. Call in San Jose who supplied sheet metal, Reem Company in Fort Smith, Arkansas who provided furnaces, and Moden in Madison, Wisconsin who supplied space heaters for the Noble House.

He and his wife currently sponsor five children. His home church is the First Baptist Church of Los Altos. He and his wife, Eleanor have three children (two daughters and one son) and two grandchildren. The latter, thirteen year old twins, he hopes will soon join him at Caminul Felix to meet his "other grandchildren."

His recent trip's purpose was to oversee the installation of range hoods for the recently opened kitchen in the Open Hand House. He will also join a team from Santa Cruz Bible Church and friends in July for work on the Teenage House.

Babb certainly is welcomed by the thirteen children of Calvary House and their house parents, Dana and Paul Luncan. With notes of love on the door and a room in the house, he and his wife are indeed welcomed home with every visit. The children smiled and said, "He is like our grandfather."

It is not difficult to see the joy being shared and passed around. The popcorn machine that the Babbs recently brought is but another expression of the love they have for the Caminul Felix children.

Babb enthusiastically says, "[Caminul Felix] is like a disease…There is no cure the doctors have found yet. You must visit."

Visit www.caminulfelix.org - HSR

Following the scenic Jiu Valley, we drove through the mining town of Petrosani. From Petrosani into Hateg, we parallelled the Jiu River with the Valcan and Parang Mountains bordering the road.

With the frustration of road construction, we ignored the hassle and chose instead to experience the stunning views of the Retezat Mountains. The Retezat National Park was established in 1935. It became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1980.

We arrived in Hateg only moments before a thunder and lightning storm and decided to spend the evening with friends. Our dinner was a personal and Romanian favorite, mamaliga. Mamaliga is similar to polenta and can be boiled, baked or fried. It is traditionally served with one or all of the following: cheese, sour cream and butter. Mmmm….

With shelter and comfort food, it was a perfect end to another day’s ride. – HSR & BGR

Skirting the rains and enjoying the scenic road, we arrived into Targu Jiu with thunder booming and ominous clouds rolling in. However, Targu Jiu was a definite stop no matter the weather.

It was home to international sculptor, Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957) who is a personal favorite of ours. Having seen his works in the National Art Gallery in DC and the Met in NYC, it was an amazing experience to view his pieces outdoors and be able to touch them!

He dedicated the four works in the memory of those who died in WW II (1937-8). In the Central Park are Brancusi’s three works – Gate of the Kiss (Poarta Sarutului), Alley of Chairs (Aleea Scaunelor), Table of Silence (Masa Tacerii).

The Gate of Kiss was to commemorate the reunification of Romania. It bears a striking resemblance to Bucharest’s Triumphal Arch and has folk art designs from his native Oltenia.

The Alley of Chairs is composed of small stone stools grouped in threes.

The Table of Silence has 12 stools circling a large table, representing the months of the year.

Alone in another park, the Endless Column (Coloana Fara Sfarsit) stood at almost 30 meters tall with its 15 steel beads. We read that the Column is one of the planet’s top 100 art pieces. It was restored in 2000 for $4 million Euros.

For the art enthusiast, Tg. Jiu is a must-see! – BGR & HSR