Cluj-Napoca, România (the hat makes it "uh")

Still known as Cluj to most, the name of a Roman settlement, "Napoca", was added to the city in the 1970s. So it's Cluj-Napoca if you're feeling in a formal mood. Probably, and I'm very thankful for it, to make rhyming much easier (not a fact).

Most of the younger generation will advise you to pass by here during a short stay in Romania. It's a buzzing city with a great night life - or so I had heard. But travelling as slowly as I have been, I landed in the the famed Student-City in the middle of the summer. When all the students are with mum and dad, or, going commando at the Vama Veche beach. (fact)

Landing in "Cluj" in the Summer is a bit like going to a strip bar on Christmas day. It's usually a bit more crowded than this. Although, I've never been to a strip bar on Christmas day, so this might not be the most accurate comparison. Or to any strip bar actually, ever... I should choose my analogies better. (also, fact)

Pictured above, a few snaps from Cluj-Napoca and myself, trying and failing to think of good analogies for this blog-post.

Never mind that though, because here, I was blessed to receive the hospitality of a few wonderful locals. And by locals I mean, students from somewhere else that were spending their Summer there. So, fortunately for me, there was lots of learning and exploring on the programm. Most of which has been bundled up in the almost famous Ukulele Road Trips Podcast !!

Listen to the UkuRT Podcast - Episode Seven - Student City Cluj! With Anna, Ana-Maria and Natalia.

Behold! An immense amount of fun with language-knowledge, exploring, and singing a plenty. Much wow! You should probably download it for your next 40-minute bus/car/lorry/drone ride. Just saying.

During my stay, I popped down with my ukulele to nearby city Turda, to visit something very special. There, you can enter the depths of the earth and explore a breath-taking (out-of-use) salt mine, where you can... play bowling, ping-pong and row on a boat a bit. There is a  little "Salina Turda mines" chat in the podcast, and maybe, even a song inspired by it. So, before I make my way, to my last Transylvanian stop, I'll leave you with a few of its lyrics:

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from the depth of the earth and my soul comes this song, where I invite you underground to play ping-pong, holding your salty hand I will lead you on a boat, asking you as the chilled air clears my throat, won't you be mine...

if your answer is a shake of the head, make me a tomb of salt, I'd rather, rather be dead. So show me I beg you a different sign, as the nervous drops of sodium chloride trickle down my spine, won't you be mine...

A little break - Sibiel, Romania

I hope you are sitting comfortably. In some grass under the afternoon sun preferably. Though a comfy sofa or a rocking chair will do just fine.  For I am about to talk to you about a place of calm.  The little village of Sibiel. And to stay here a short while is as refreshing as a cold bucket of water from one of the local wells.

The heat calls for a little blue Ukulele Bath

Sibiel was a welcomed break, not only because I needed to recover emotionally from how little albums I had sold, but for it's authentic countryside feel. The rhythm of horses and carts accompanying the soothing sound of the river, which follows the main street through the village, is almost meditative. And by main street, I mean the only street. The old church building as well as the very special couple of "Troiţă" confer to the place something typically Romanian in this region with strong German heritage. The old paint of these small and beautiful Troiţă-s is fading away, but you can see inside the walls which protect the wooden cross, paintings and writing in Cyrillic, the alphabet used in Romania beofre the 1860s. Glancing inside these small constructions in this calm little village confers a slight sensation of time travel.

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The main Sibiel experience is however not on these calm streets, but walking into nature. A couple of hours hiking with wild flowers and complementary berries the whole way, will take you up very special "Wild Heights".

Having escaped from the clutches of dark forests and packs of wolves, once back down to the village, you can visit the biggest collection of painted icons on glass in the country. I'm not sure how much I should recommend this though. Mainly because they all look like they were painted by promising 5 year olds. But that could be part of the symbol. To find true spirituality, we may have to reconnect with our inner-child. Just a thought.

The best surprise, culturally as well, came from a most unexpected of sources: a little "pension", a type of family run affordable hotel. The "Mioritica" pension, on top of having one of the nicest gardens I have encountered on these travels, has a little museum of communism. I will share with you a couple of pictures taken in the little shed in the garden, which houses relics of this past era. Something even the city of Bucharest hasn't had the audacity to do yet.

Isn't this nice? Thank you very much for reading, feel free to leave a comment if you enjoy these posts, or if you just managed to read the whole thing today. Always much appreciated. Anywho, it is thanks to precious help that I am now back on my way! Next stop,

Hitchhiking. North please.

See you in - Sibiu, Romania

Sibiu is a city in Transylvania. If you had been there this week, I would have seen you there.

A very striking thing about this little town is how suspicious the roofs are. They are not suspicious because they look unstable or in bad condition. No. They are suspicious OF people. As you walk though the "streets and cobbled stones" of Sibiu, the roofs watch your step. So you better watch it too.

The peering roof-eyes, that come in varied shapes and sizes, accompany your promenade in this nonetheless charming city. Almost romantic, one could say. If I was doing a road trip with ukuleles through Europe and I landed in Sibiu, I'd probably write a love song of longing and looks that are missed and needed, about a yearning for the peering eyes which once used to grace a passionate lover... Yes, I'd probably do that. Something like that anyway.

The look you cast will always stay, the sweetness of these troubled eyes, engraved in me, and to this day, I see them in the rooftops and the skies

From German roofs I long your call, which is fitting for from my trips, I know in German "Ruf" means call, the one I long to hear thrust from your lips

As with other larger cities in "Siebenbürgen", the history and the architechture are quite German. As is the prettiest church in town, the XIVth Century Lutherian Cathedral of which I'll post a few photos to nicely round up this post.

A short word about these spying eye-windows. Believe it or not, they are not actually built in the hope that the houses might come to life as Monster-houses. It would making rearranging city centers much easier though. They were built as a cooling system for these roofs that used to be mainly used as storage space. That's about all I know, because I'm super-broke (seriously), and they only have paying tours in this city. Buuut, if you'd like me to be less broke and more professional, I can trade your money versus some songs here. Or, a donation or the postcard thing!

Church !

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