Hometown and first love. Behind the murmur or nostalgia of the sea, and the salty air that reminds me of my childhood, there is a strong connection to my roots.

I wrote about many trips and life in Germany & Belgium, but writing about my home city proved to be more difficult than I thought. Maybe because I don’t live there for many years, the touchable memories mixed with my imagination. Or perhaps because I was taking it for granted, like we always do with our hometown.

Long story short

The airport of Constanța (Mihail Kogălniceanu) re-opened a few springs ago. With only a flight away, when you plan your next holiday, I recommend to consider this part of Romania, with Constanța of the Black Sea and the Danube Delta. Another option to reach Constanța is to take a 2-hours direct train from Bucharest.

Dobrogea

Constanța is the capital of Dobrogea. Every region in Romania is different. For centuries Romans, Ottomans, Greeks, Italians, Russians were in Dobrogea and left traces behind. Dobrogea is a mix of cultures, minorities, languages, dialects, traditions and rituals. Is important to know the past of that region to understand the present.

The past is always better in retrospect. The emotions, the history, the memories, the family, the friends. This is what the Black sea means to me. Just as for Cella Serghi, one of my favorite writers, also born in Constanța, the sea also had a particularly strong influence on my childhood.

Constanța

Ancient city name was Tomis and was founded in 600 BC. The city positively changed in the last years since I left. The old town is a car free zone now, with cafes and restaurants. The historical center, also called the peninsula, concentrated all the ancient and medieval history of the city.

Not to miss

📌 Historical Cazino, an Art Nouveau pearl. Was designed according to the plans of the architect Daniel Renard and inaugurated on August 15, 1910. Sadly it cannot be visited at the moment, only admired from the outside because is in pending renovation. Best decision is to walk from here to the harbour / port of Constanța, for fresh fish and seafood

📌 Ovidius Square, named after the Roman poet, where is located the great edifice with mosaic, ancient archaeological remains

📌 There are a few moments and places in Constanța where you feel between Orient and West. Climbing the Tower in the ‘Carol I’ Moschee is one of them

📌 Roman edifice with mosaic is an impressive complex near the Old Center

📌 Plus, the Mamaia resort and the Black sea. More memories there than stars in the sky.

Mamaia & the Black Sea

The north part of the city, Mamaia is the Black sea resort. The long Black Sea coast that I know so well, from Mamaia, the Nord resort until little village of “2Mai” in the south, at the border with Bulgaria.

Only hotels and restaurants. Growing up, I imagined nobody lives there. That little resort is deserted in winters and comes back to life in summer. In Mamaia I learned how to swim, to drive. Probably also to walk.

The 1st of December is the National Day of Romania. Today, grateful, I want to wish my country a “Happy Birthday”. 101 years.

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Feature picture credit – https://www.romaniajournal.ro/ article about the commercial Sony filmed at the Casino