Hometown and first love. I wrote about many trips and my 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 2 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, the regrets. This is what the Black sea means to me.

Constanța

Ancient city name was Tomis and was founded in 600 BC. Summers here are pleasant, easy to bear, the air is salty and the “breeze” is present.

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. Sadly it cannot be visited, 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

📌 Climbing the Tower in the ‘Carol I’ Moschee

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

📌 Mamaia and the Black sea

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