Romanian Vacation Part 2

After the jet lag wore off we started the long 8 hour journey to my side of the country, towards Piatra Neamt. Some of the road was impressive brand new stretches of highway, but for the most part we drove thru sleepy villages, stopped along the way and ate everything in sight.

Driving towards Piatra Neamt, watching the houses start to resemble the ones in my memories, I could feel this buzzing sense of returning to a piece of myself. A piece I tucked away for many years to keep safe, to survive in this new home we were making in the States.

Also, a note on this next set: I photographed every single stork nest I saw on the way. LOL They are a marvel to me still, at this age. Growing up my parents used to point them out to us on long drives and we would shriek with glee. And I forgot. I forgot that you don’t see stork nests just anywhere. I forgot what a magical wonderful thing it is to stumble upon a nest atop a street light, in quiet sleepy villages across the countryside. This tall majestic bird, standing over its masterpiece of twigs and leaves.

And so I photographed every single one. For kid Irina. For joy. For a piece of my childhood returned to me.

We stopped in a small town to eat and – truly, it’s HARD to find a spot in Romania that DOESN’T have good food.

Then we had to drive thru Cheile Bicazului, which roughly means Bicaz Canyon or Gorge. It was an area that was dug by the waters of the river Bicaz and it’s considered a passageway between the Romanian provinces of Moldova and Transilvania.

Frankly, I’m not even ashamed to say I couldn’t do this region justice. First of all it was CRAWLING with tourists so we couldn’t even find parking to really take our time and explore and second I only brought my 50 mm 1.4 lens on this trip so I couldn’t get wide enough to capture JUST. HOW. IMPRESSIVE the rock formations are. Nevertheless here is my best attempt:

And just like that, we had made it to Moldova. Home sweet home. And guys, I know it’s CRAZY, but I swear every face felt familiar. Like these were MY people. I mean, all Romanians are my people, but THESE were the faces I grew up with, the houses I drove past, the streets I used to play at. And as the forests and mountains parted, soon enough I stepped foot back in Piatra Neamt.

Nestled between the green peeks of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and wild forests, Piatra Neamt is KNOWN for its beauty. It’s considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania, but for me, it was simply, home. It was where I was born and christened, where I attended school, where I played soccer with the cute boys in the neighborhood until the street lights came on, and where atop my pegasus bike, I ruled the playground with the iron fist of a would-be leader.

These amazing views are courtesy of Central Plaza Hotel, where we stayed for the time we visited. We actually had a lovely time, slept great, it was easy to book, affordable and it’s just so close to everything. Highly recommend it. We had dinner at this place called Turnul Berarilor, within walking distance and for THAT alone, it was worth staying there. 10/10 if you’re ever in the area.

The next day we met with my childhood friend, Ioana (a friggin black belt in Karate and just the smartest human I know) and her beautiful family. We dined at Cercul Gospodinelor, caught up on each other’s lives and ate like it was our last day on earth.

Then I stopped by my grandparents and lit a candle.

And before I knew it it was time to say goodbye again to loved ones. And I cried, like I cry each time. I imagine the life we might have had had I stayed. The choices I might have made. And besides, that’s the price we pay when we love people across oceans and continents.

From Piatra Neamț, I went to visit my 83 year old grandmother, a powerhouse of a woman that will inevitably outlive us all despite having planned her funeral to a t her entire life. Stay tuned. If you missed part one of our travels, feel free to CLICK HERE to catch up! I initially promised very few images but I lied. They’re all beautiful and you should see them all LOL #sorrynotsorry

If you’re interested in booking a shoot, click here. I’m not USUALLY a travel photographer but ya know, when a portrait and wedding photographer travels, the camera tags along, so I promise to return to portrait work soon enough!

Thanks for following along to our adventures and here’s to many more!
What was your favorite part of this chapter? I’d love to know in the comments!