Bucharest, Romania

Bună from Romania!

Home of Transylvania (more on that in a few days) and Gypsy culture (the proper modern term is Roma or Romani). Bucharest is not a terribly old city. In 1977 an earthquake decimated much of Bucharest, leaving much of their city more modern.

Romania is an interesting place. The name Romania is derived from a belief that they are descendants of the true Roman Empire. This MIGHT be related to the fact that when the Roman Empire split into east and west, the Eastern Roman Empire (aka the Byzantine Empire) had its capital in nearby modern Istanbul.

So generally, Romania feels a kinship with Italian culture. The Romanian language is very similar to Italian. For example, Hello is Salute, and goodbye is La Revedere which sounds like Arrivederci.

It's also notable that despite the affinity for Roman culture, the early inhabitants of Romania were a tribe called the "Dacia." In fact there is a Romanian car manufacturer of that name. They were one of the last tribes conquered by Rome because their fighters gave them a REALLY hard time. The Dacias were a highly sought after mercenary group for that reason. When the Romans did eventually conquer the area, it seems that many Romans migrated to the Romanian region, which further backs up their name as Romania. In fact, Dacians were known for having red hair (Celt ancestry?) and that is not common in modern Romania.Read more