Three Interesting Facts about Romania
- It is about the size of
Oregon.
- They have the largest
population of brown bears in Europe.
- The most expensive building
in the world is in Bucharest, Romania.
Palace of Parliament
I spent the month of June in
Draganesti – Olt a town in southern Romania.
While I was there I worked in two villages near by, Maruntei and
Coteana. My team and I spent time
visiting families and playing with kids.
Weather
The weather in Romania is
similar to the northeastern United States.
They have four distinct seasons.
So while in Draganesti it was a lot like home, but with less humidity. We had very warm days, a few cool nights, and
many rainy afternoons.
Transportation
Many people living in
villages get around on foot, bike, or horse and carriage. You can take a train or minibus into the
larger cities.
Money
The Romanian currency is also
called Leu (RON). Right now the exchange
rate is $1.00 = 3.22 lei. Leu is the
singular form, lei is the plural form. So let’s see if you can figure out how much each of these
items are in USD.
Snickers – 1.59
lei
Coke 16oz. – 3.00
lei
Subway 6in.
sandwich – 8.90 lei
The Black Sea
I was able to visit the Black
Sea in Constanta, Romania. An
interesting fact about the Black Sea is that it was originally a fresh-water
lake. It did not become salty until 7000
BC, when glaciers melted after the last Ice Age and the sea levels rose causing
the Mediterranean Sea to spill over some land that separated it from the Black
Sea.
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| My feet in the Black Sea. The water was clear, cool, and there were only tiny waves. |
Bran Castle
I was also able to visit the
Bran Castle in Bran, Romania in the Carpathian Mountains. This castle is also known as Dracula’s
Castle. Though it is not the true Count
Dracula’s castle, because Count Dracula is a fictional character. It is said
that the author’s, Bram Stoker, imaginary Dracula’s Castle was based on a
description of Bran Castle.
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| The Carpathian Mountains |
