http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU40CfVJSEI&sns=em
Friday, October 25, 2013
Hot springs pool complex in Drasov just 7 miles from Gergeschdorf (Ungurei), Romania!
http://m.stirileprotv.ro/lbin/mobile/index.php?article_id=3293391
This outdoor hot springs pool complex was built in the last year in Drasov, Romania which is just 7 miles through the forest from my family's village of Gergeschdorf (Ungurei).
At Drásov, in the middle of the field, among thistles and corn crops, an investor built a hot springs pool complex with 2 million Euros of European Union funds. Locals and tourists can splash around in the three pools with salt water and soda-iodine. Here residents can cool off in the water pools heated by solar panels.
village elders knew that there was a salt water spring in a land full of brambles. a tourist complex which covers 26 hectares. Villagers could not believe when they saw that in the middle of the field now they have three pools with water that they can splash around freely in! Invested 2 million euros, half of the money they took from the European Union and the other half from investors, and now after four years they can boast the only resort in the county built the village of Drasov.
"We thought that's what is missing here. the only Pools and hot springs are in Ocna Sibiului and it is too far for those in the area says complex manager, Mirabela SALONTA.
Tourists are very excited, especially as the price of 20 lei ( $6 US dollars) entrance and sun beds.
http://salonti.ro/
This outdoor hot springs pool complex was built in the last year in Drasov, Romania which is just 7 miles through the forest from my family's village of Gergeschdorf (Ungurei).
At Drásov, in the middle of the field, among thistles and corn crops, an investor built a hot springs pool complex with 2 million Euros of European Union funds. Locals and tourists can splash around in the three pools with salt water and soda-iodine. Here residents can cool off in the water pools heated by solar panels.
village elders knew that there was a salt water spring in a land full of brambles. a tourist complex which covers 26 hectares. Villagers could not believe when they saw that in the middle of the field now they have three pools with water that they can splash around freely in! Invested 2 million euros, half of the money they took from the European Union and the other half from investors, and now after four years they can boast the only resort in the county built the village of Drasov.
"We thought that's what is missing here. the only Pools and hot springs are in Ocna Sibiului and it is too far for those in the area says complex manager, Mirabela SALONTA.
Tourists are very excited, especially as the price of 20 lei ( $6 US dollars) entrance and sun beds.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Drive from Sibiu to Pitesti to Bucharest, Parliament House, Dinamo Fotbol and eating Korean food in Bucharest.
Jim and I woke up early on Tuesday morning to head back to Bucharest for our early morning flight from Bucharest to Frankfurt than back to Denver. We headed out about 5:45am and took the Highway 7 route through the Fagaras mountains towards Pitesti. I wanted Jim to see this route because of the beautiful scenery and it follows the Olt River, however I forgot the sun does not come up till almost 8:00am so it was a dark and rainy drive. Once we arrived outside of Pitesti we were able to take the A-1 Auto Strada directly to Bucharest which decreased our travel time to about 3 hours and 30 minutes from Sibiu to Bucharest. Pitesti is the Romanian Detroit and it is a city of heavy manufacturing including where the Dacia brand is built along with other brands like Ford and Renault.
When we arrived in Bucharest we experienced the morning rush hour which was hectic and chaotic. We dodged cars, pedestrians and stray dogs within the city.
Communist era concrete apartments building still in use today around Romania. Some have been upgraded, painted and look very nice, others do not look so pretty.
Many of the residential parking spots are on the sidewalk!
We arrived at the Parliament House which was built by former Communist leader Ceausescu in the southwest portion of the of the city. It is the 2nd largest administrative building in the world; 2nd to the US Pentagon. It is the most expensive building in the world and the heaviest!
The palace is 890 ft. X 790 ft. is 12 stories tall or 282 feet high; it is also over 300 feet below ground. It has 1,100 rooms and 3.7 million square feet in size.
Unfortunately to build this beautiful building Ceausescu leveled 1/5th of Bucharest which included residential neighborhoods and historic buildings. In 1980 19 Orthodox churches, 6 synagogues, 3 protestant churches and 30,000 homes were demolished to construct the palace.
Construction began in 1983 and is still not completely finished. It took over 20,000 workers 5 years to build. It features its own power plant and the largest, heaviest curtains in the world! The building is constructed of 3.5 million cubic square feet of marble from Transylvania; 3500 tons of crystal for its 48 large chandeliers; 1409 ceiling light and mirrors. A total of 9.7 million square feet of wood was used in construction and 2.2 million square feet of wool carpets.
The palace houses the Romanian Senate, Legislative Council and the Chamber of Deputies.
After the Parliament house tour we headed to our Hotel Angelo near the airport on the north end of town in Otopeni. The Henri Coanda airport is named after the Romanian that invented the jet engine.
For dinner we headed out to Bucharest's only Korean restaurant the Seoul House.
We had to wake up at 3:00am on Wednesday in order to return our rental car and catch our flight at 6:00am to Frankfurt. The 2hour flight to Frankfurt was good and then a 5 hour layover till we caught our 9 hour flight to Denver and back home.
I am going to write another 2 blog posts. One that gives the websites and Facebook pages of the restaurants, hotels, government agencies and other businesses we stopped at and that we found useful and then a last post on my thoughts reflections and thank yous to friends and family from our trip to my homeland of Romania!
Rainy roads on the way to Bucharest
Gas station outside of Bucharest. In Romania you never have to pre-pay before you pump which is suprising because of the high gas prices I would imagine there would be more gas
drive-offs. Also most stations have a "grease monkey" that comes out and pumps the gas for you, fills fluids and also will wash your car.
Heavy truck traffic on the outskirts of Bucharest
Communist era concrete apartments building still in use today around Romania. Some have been upgraded, painted and look very nice, others do not look so pretty.
Magazine and newspaper stand
Crazy Bucharest traffic!
The city of Bucharest is divided into Sectors rather than named neighborhoods
Electric buses and solar crosswalk signs in use in Bucharest
The street cleaning crews throughout Romania still use brooms instead of leaf blowers!
Cool old military truck on the streets of Bucharest
Downtown Bucharest Mall
Bucharest motorcycle police
It was almost impossible to turn onto this street with the amount of pedestrians walking between cars and ignoring any crosswalk lines or street lights.
Many of the residential parking spots are on the sidewalk!
We stopped by the Dinamo Bucuresti Fotbal/Rugby Stadium and I purchased a jersey and scarf.
While there I saw their star player Dorin Rotariu arriving in his Mercedes SUV at the stadium for that evenings game!
The palace is 890 ft. X 790 ft. is 12 stories tall or 282 feet high; it is also over 300 feet below ground. It has 1,100 rooms and 3.7 million square feet in size.
Unfortunately to build this beautiful building Ceausescu leveled 1/5th of Bucharest which included residential neighborhoods and historic buildings. In 1980 19 Orthodox churches, 6 synagogues, 3 protestant churches and 30,000 homes were demolished to construct the palace.
Construction began in 1983 and is still not completely finished. It took over 20,000 workers 5 years to build. It features its own power plant and the largest, heaviest curtains in the world! The building is constructed of 3.5 million cubic square feet of marble from Transylvania; 3500 tons of crystal for its 48 large chandeliers; 1409 ceiling light and mirrors. A total of 9.7 million square feet of wood was used in construction and 2.2 million square feet of wool carpets.
The palace houses the Romanian Senate, Legislative Council and the Chamber of Deputies.
King Stephan silk tapestry
For dinner we headed out to Bucharest's only Korean restaurant the Seoul House.
We had to wake up at 3:00am on Wednesday in order to return our rental car and catch our flight at 6:00am to Frankfurt. The 2hour flight to Frankfurt was good and then a 5 hour layover till we caught our 9 hour flight to Denver and back home.
I am going to write another 2 blog posts. One that gives the websites and Facebook pages of the restaurants, hotels, government agencies and other businesses we stopped at and that we found useful and then a last post on my thoughts reflections and thank yous to friends and family from our trip to my homeland of Romania!
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