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I am a die-hard fan of Jules Verne's books since I started reading and as I grew older I've had a reread of the 54 novels every decade (and I still do). There are some famous ubiquitous works but there are also some precious yet less-known gems like "The Steam House" from 1880. That book is one of my absolute favourites and all my life I've only "played the movie" in my head.

Until last Sunday. That day I was touring Sibiu with 3 lovely ladies from Australia, right in the middle of the International Theatre Festival when I heard this big noise coming from around the corner of the Old Town's medieval Square. And then I saw this. Maybe not the elephant in the book, but the cows and the mechanics behind stood the test. I was mesmerized. For 15 minutes I was there in Raj 150 years ago, one of the hindu peasents watching in shock the passing of the steam house, the very same trip.

If you know the book, enjoy the video:

(RO)
A doua cea mai mare statuie din Romania care il reprezinta pe Stefan cel Mare este cea de la Podu Inalt din jud. Vaslui, situata exact pe locul celebrei batalii impotriva turcilor de la 10 ianuarie 1475. A fost inaugurata 500 de ani mai tarziu, are 6,90 m si cantareste 19 tone. Aici: https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C4%83t%C4%83lia_de_la_Vaslui
(EN)
Romania's second biggest statue of Stephen the Great (king of Moldova 1457-1504) is the one from Podu' Inalt in Vaslui County, at the very place of the famous battle against turks from January 10, 1475. It was inaugurated 500 years later, it has 6,90 m, weighs 19 tons and it is the work of Mircea Stefanescu. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vaslui

The famous Horezu pottery was listed in Unesco World heritage since 2012 but its history goes deep in the romanian history. Here is a splendid piece from the 19th century, displaying the most depicted symbol of this culture: the rooster!

The rooster is the emblem of the ceramic center from Horezu. The rooster comes from the houses around, where it served as a warning: solar guard against the unknown, the symbol of victory, of the victory of light over darkness. Legend has it that "it heralds the disintegration of darkness and measures time, also being the one who awakened people in times when the technique was not so advanced. He announced not only the hours of the night, but also the cleansing of the night space from the hostile forces of man. "

At the same time, the rooster is considered the symbol of the resurrection and immortality of the soul, the emblem of vigilance and pride. The representation of the rooster on the ceramic vessels of Horezu is a varied one, the rooster being rendered in various chromatic ranges and hypostases.

After a tour-free year in 2020, I was very happy and super excited last week to open the new season and go on tour again, yeeeah!
I mean, everybody wants to travel but tourism guides had the worst time last year by not only not working but also not travelling as much as they do.

So I finally hit the road and the first destination was one of my beloved parts of Romania, for its ancient history, high spirituality and incredible landscapes: Dobrogea, the southeastern part of the country! We went deep south, near the border with Bulgaria, in a natural reservation, genuine wilderness, following the trails of the old monks and hermits, until we reached the hidden rock-hewn church of Dumbraveni, documented in the 4th century. I have only read about it and got fascinated by its misterious history, tunnels and legends, besides the geology and the natural wild life for what the region is already known.
The place around is beyond any attempt to describe, not very easy to reach by yourself but totally worth any effort, so I am already planning the next trip there.