My Very Own World

世事如常，春風吹又吹 -   羅馬尼亞克盧日-納波卡市
A Medieval Town with a normal life as Vernal Breeze non-stops rolling,
Cluj- Napoca, Romania.

為了玩耍羅馬尼亞境內中世紀7大小鎮，混著混著一直往北方邊境過來，
這裡克盧日-納波卡是境內北方最大城，這裡現代化程度已較高，
舊城廣場隨處可見有著歐洲傳統的戶外咖啡店和餐廳，夜店也不少，羅馬尼亞的鐵道很舊，
公共交通有必要再加強，二戰結束後，羅馬尼亞的發展受到美俄冷戰影響，從共產制度脫離花了很長時間，商業發展上落後西歐，經濟正從那個破敗時代慢慢走出來，由於是歐盟一員，成為傳統歐盟中各工業大國的衛星製造國可以是很好的選擇，人員自由流動下，不少人往中、西歐工作。
I kept going north , with a goal of visiting 7 largest medieval towns in Romania.
The day I came to Cluj Napoca, here, the largest city in the north of the country, seemingly with higher developed way of living compared to other towns.

It's not surprised at all to see seats of cafe stores and restaurants outdoors, that's a standard sight in all Europe, night clubs could be found here as well.

As to the public traffic, I have to point out that the railways are old.  
It hasn't been long enough for Romania to enhence its quality of public transportation after WWII, and after the epoch of the cold war between Soviet Russia and USA. 

It took Romania a very long time to get out of the Communist system, which causes its development greatly fall behind its peer countries in Western Europe. The economy is gradually walking out of that dilapidating era.
(In 21st century? now?...
 Yes, I also hate to see this, but things in the world sometimes are not going as our hearts wish.)

Due to being a member of EU, it's natural to be a satellite subordinate to these traditional developed countries in Western and Middle Europe. At this developing stage, it's not a bad choice though. 
Therefore, there are many going to work at that side of the continent, because people can move around freely as a member of EU. 

火車站出來沒有計程車願意載客，因為用走的離舊城中心不遠，

跟我比了比方向要我自己走去，只好走了，我其實願意花這個錢，因為在外旅行很久了，身體很疲憊，但是人家說得也有理，拖著沉重的行李，一步一腳印往城中去，幸好沿途道路平坦，但是入秋天氣仍然炎熱，滿身大汗，口乾舌燥，途中衝進一家Pub，也不管人家開始營業了沒有，點了啤酒就軟趴在椅子上，感覺很是狼狽。
I got out of the train station, but I couldn't find a cabby, who liked to give me a ride to the downtown, because the distance wasn't far, even on foot.
A cabby of the taxies waiting in front of the train station gave me a direction.

I couldn't help but walk on. 
As a matter of fact, I would like to spend for the service, for I was quite beat at this moment after a long ride. 
I was in fatigue, however, what they told me was logically correct.
I hit on the road dragging my heavy luggage, slowly heading towards the main square.
Lucily, the path was flat and well paved.
I was perspiring heavily. 
It was too dame hot, even it's getting into the mid fall.

So thirsty, I rushed into a nearby pub, and I didn't care if it was open or not.
I flopped on the chair feebly after gurgling down my cold,cold beer, feeling urgly...

進入宏偉舊城廣場後，雖然景象宏大，但是日照灑滿廣場，曬到不行，幸好飯店就在廣場上，竟然跟我說沒有訂房資料，拿出影印本，吵了一陣子才不情願地撥出"最後一間"，但是只能睡一晚，只是願意給我隔天別人退房後，將房間讓給我，既然有"最後一間"，到底還是在跟我吵什麼?
這晚...
我才知道這間有點問題，也就是一般飯店業傳說的"幽靈房"，平時不出租的...
At last, I stepped into the realm of the Old Town's Square. It did look awesome, really magnificent indeed,unfolding in front of my eyesight.
But sunlight shone so bright, I started to feel a bit stroke. 
I quickly skimmed over the whole area just to find my hotel was right by the square.

But I started a fire with the staff at the reception desk, after he told me "No room available , and there's no record of your reservation left."
I took out my reservation copy with an apparently unpleasant speaking tone.

In the end, the staff gave way and gave me reluctantly "The Last Room".
and told me he'd change me to another room tomorrow after someone else checked out.
Then I felt a bit puzzled, weird, for apparently the hotel had a room that's available still,but I didn't say more, for I had had enough argument.

That night...
I came to realize why.
"The Room" probably was what people used to call "the ghost room", which was not for rent in regular business time...

羅馬尼亞有很多3星級的飯店，是從"古蹟"改建成飯店的，政府的規定是不可以隨意改建變更，這間也是古蹟，歐洲的古蹟飯店不見的很好，雖然便宜，但是幾乎都沒有裝冷氣，飯店業喜歡放上美觀家具，但是其實桌椅品質很差的，休息一會兒就出門了，櫃台人員被我罵過，現在都不太理我，哈哈。
Many hotels were revamped or upgraded as starred-hotels, but usually governments wouldn't allow civilians to make any change to spoil the buildings' original layout.
The hotel I stayed in Cluj Napoca is one of them.
This type of hotels in my general impression was not very good in quality, but less expensive. 
(Surprised !, haha.)
Besides, they usually were not equipped with air conditioners.
However, hotels would place pretty furniture, which were not good to me, because they were not practical in use.I didn't feel comfortable though.

I took a short break and then hit the road again.
The receptionists didn't now have much interaction with me after our petty quarrels when I checking in, lol.

吃完這餐，就到我飯店旁邊的國家美術館去逛，晚上回到飯店時，氣派的樓梯上有人在吵架，那人穿著閃亮的禮服站在紅地毯與她的男朋友大聲囔囔，哈哈，聲音超粗的，原來是變性人，可是我又累又好笑，等下又要回到鬧鬼的房間，算了，明天飯店要讓我換房間，我也這時鎖定去郊區的著名鹽礦玩。
Anyway, after my dinner, it was still early.
I made a quick tour to the National Gallery, which was just beside my hotel.
I got back to my hotel after night fell.
I heard someone was making noises.
A woman was in bright, shinning gown, standing on the stairs, having a quarrel with her man actually, on the extravagant red carpeted stairs.
Her voice was extremely coarse that made me realize she was a transsexual, lol.
I was tired and felt funny all at the same time, and needed to get back to my haunted room later, lol.

Well, since the hotel staff wanted me to change room tomorrow ( see, they knew there's something wrong with the room before letting me use it.)
I decided to make a change of my itinerary.
I re-scheduled my tomorrow's plan to the famous tourist site, Salina Turda.

找了巴士就出發，我並不是要吹捧旅行有多好，或是人一定要旅行，只是很多人在家久了，這種自行處理的能力已經退化，很多人不敢一個人出國去呢!
到了Turda下車，還好有路標，但是我還是問了人，牙套妹跟我說了方向，還吃吃的笑，怎麼了嗎?

結果我用走的，翻山越嶺，走了好幾個小時才到正門口，其實後來離開時，另一頭的出口就在市鎮裡面，連回程巴士都在那附近，天氣熱死人，走到差點仆街，還好，這個景點很不錯，算是不虛此行。
所以若你要來，記得在鎮上直接找台計程車比較快，又省力。
I set off as soon as I found my bus.
I am not bragging about how good it is to travel around freely, or it's a must to travel.
My point is in the self handling capacity, which was degenerated through ages, for many people are not dare to travel alone today.

My bus arrived in Turda. I got off and started to ask around about the direction,even though the direction signs were plain to see. A girl with tooth brace told me the direction, though I was not sure the reason why she giggled. Was there anything wrong?

Then, in hours later, I had already walked over hills in the sultry sun.
I came to realize that the exit was back to the other side of the town, and even the bus I needed to take to get back to Cluj Napoca was waiting nearby.It's quite surprising to me until I pushed the exit door to leave.

It's a long walk from downtown to its front gate. It's even harder walking in a smoldering sun. I almost felt fainted. But in the end, it all worthed of the efforts for the sight was really good.
It would be easier to save time and effort next time by hailing a taxi to tackle the transportation in town.

這個景點太過強了，我一直以為羅馬尼亞又沒有靠海，哪來產那麼多鹽，事實是這類鹽礦在羅馬尼亞歷史都非常悠久，都好幾百年，挖得又深，導致與路面溫度相差高達4、50度，我看到門口外面有建養生泳池
，可是還沒有搞好的樣子，不然是很好的休閒觀光地點( 我大概走累了想泡一下，哈哈)。
Salina Turda was a great tourist spot. At first,I wondered where to get all the saline mines, in my impression, I didn't think there's any ocean that adjacent to Romania.
It turned out all salt mines in Romania having been existing for ages in history, some of them are more than hundreds of years.

The miners dug the ground deep so that the temperature difference could be 40 to 50 degrees from above the ground.

A spring pool was being constructing, not yet completed. It'd be an ideal spot for relaxing( I might be tired after the long walk, so that the pool looked tempting.)

裡頭有語音導覽，但是沒有中文的，最下層還有咖啡廳和遊樂場，地底還有一個人工湖，要準備花一整天，至於大部分文物有被移放在鎮裡的古蹟博物館裡面，有興趣的人可以再去。
The audio guide was free, but no Chinese version was included.
There were a cafe shop, a small amusing park, and especially an artificial lake, which could take you a whole day down there. As to the documented artifacts, there were moved to the other site in the downtown working as a museum.

**********

回到市區，新房間好亮，根本就整天日曬，只好整天拉上窗簾，來到這天，我想去看一下這裡的專業植物園 -
亞歷山卓波爾薩植物園，
本來沒有抱著任何期待，只是不想整天混咖啡廳，去了才知道非常好，旁邊是醫院，也是癌症研究中心。
My new room at the hotel was so bright that I needed the curtains to be drawn all day. There was no any object to block sunlight directly into my room.
I couldn't stay at my room for long under the circumstance. I quickly made a plan to visit the professional botanical garden, Gradina Botaica, Alexandru Borza, where might offer me an escape for a time being from the heat at my room.
Actually, I didn't expect too much for it. I simply didn't want to spend too much time in one of those chic cafe shops.
However, the tour to the garden turned out to be an excellent experience. It was very professional, and a hospital adjacent to it, which was also an oncological research center.

所有花卉之中，在中、東、南歐大概就屬玫瑰花是大家最愛了，各種品種都有，也出產很多玫瑰產品，從土耳其一路過來都有，這其實有歷史的，我有點忘記了，大概是從亞歷山大大帝開始吧，從印度傳過來的，其中以大馬士革品種最適合大量加工，台灣的廣告上標上"大馬士革玫瑰"，感覺很酷可以很貴的樣子，其實並不是很稀少珍貴，只是因為傳統上適合加工用，就像你要喝玫瑰花茶，所用的玫瑰不會用大馬士革種， 我在保加利亞買了超貴
5ｍl的純玫瑰精油，品質超好，我送給老姊用了，可是還是老了呀，哈哈，世上的傻孩子，那有不會老的人類。

Among all flower species, Roses could be the most favorite to people in Middle, East, and South Europe in general. All kinds of rose products can be found here, all the way from Turkey.
As a matter of fact, the roses here have their history starting from Alexander the Great. 
I don't remember quite clearly now about the history. From my vague memory, it has passed over from India. The " Damascus" species is the most suitable species in mass production.

Some Taiwanese companies that sell rose products like to label the goods with " Damascus ", so that the goods look fancy and expensive , a way of exaggeration in advertisement. However, some consumers would fall for it, so gullible. After all, there are many people who are vain nowadays in our society.

Damascus roses are not scarce, it is simply good for processing rose related products.
If you drink rose flower tea, you wouldn't use Damascus roses. There are other species for tea.

However, this reminds me of my stay in Bulgaria.
I bought an expensive bottle of pure rose essence, about 5 ml.
The quality, of course is excellent, and I gave it to my older sister, so that she could rejuvenate.
Ha, there's no such thing in life. Aging is irreversible. No need to spend too much on these cosmetics.

這天園裡沒什麼人，我逛得很愜意，規模不錯也夠大，不輸我在法國玩的植物園，除了有大型溫室外，竟然還有日本園藝區，我很喜歡，園裡玫瑰花開爭豔，一時還以為春天忘記走了， 後來在溫室區又遇上牙套妹，看到我就一起笑出來，因為她知道那天我走到鹽礦，一定走到很靠杯，lol。
On this day, there were not many visitors in the garden, which I felt so happy about it.
I spent a wonderful leisure time here.
The garden's scale was large and it was good as those I had visited in France.
It also had a large greenhouse, and an area of Japanese garden.

I felt so soothed and relaxed. Roses were everywhere along the trails I'd treaded.
Sometimes, I forgot Spring had already gone.

Then,I bumped into the girl with the tooth brace again in the greenhouse. We laughed at each other immediately when our eyes met. Because she must have known I had been cursing all the way to the Salina Turda on foot the other day, haha.

羅馬尼亞比想像的還好一些，首都布加勒斯特雖然有雜亂，但普遍給我的印象算很純樸，羅馬尼亞從1990年開始蘇聯解體後脫離共產獨裁政權，國家再發展只有短短30年而已，所以人民還是有不少很直腸子且對外來文化和人有好奇心，鄉間最為明顯了，不過，不要誤會，也不是人人都熱血心腸，我只是運氣有時不錯會碰到而已。
It seemed to be a little better than I'd expected before I came.
Bucharest, the capital, was a bit messy, however, in my impression it was sort of down-to-earth generally. 
It wasn't developing aggressively because Romania was just out of the Communist autocracy from Russia collapse in 1990. Only 30 years has it been ever since.

Thus, exotic and foreign culture or people would trigger a bit curiosity. It gets even more obvious in country. However, please don't be misunderstanding, for not every one is passionately interacting with aliens like we do. 

I only had a better luck during my stay here.

克盧日-納波卡市算是大城市，這天，我到附近山丘和中央公園走走，綠蔭岸然的道路很合我的味道，滿眼翠綠，陽光下風動爽人，山上有人在拍婚紗照，一時恍若春意滿人間，山下這區也有巨蛋運動場，規模宏大。
Cluj- Napoca can be counted as a big city. I went to take a walk in the nearby hill and its central park. The promenade was accompanied with green trees on either side of the path, which I took in the refreshing air and my eyes were full of jade like greenery. The breezes blew softly in bright sun, making my head spinning light. 

Then I saw a newlywed couple taking wedding photos with a team of camera men and stylists. I thought I had sensed Spring lingering a longer here on this day.

On the foot of the hill (Cetățuia Park), there's a gigantic sports dorm, too.

這是給人休息的好地方，難怪會成為背包客在羅馬尼亞北方的天堂，想著有點不可思議，怎麼會來這裡? 這其實是羅馬尼亞鄉間一位90多歲的老人問我的問題，現在想起來，好像有很多不認識的人問我同樣的問題，我其實沒有原因，只是單純想來看看玩玩，沒有要證明什麼，也沒有在追求什麼，既然逃不出生老病死，那就隨心所欲吧。
The city is an ideal place for travelers to take a break. No wonder is it a haven in the north of Romania. 
Sometimes, I wondered to myself, how did I come to places like this? Incredible, for this is also a question asked to me, from a 90 year-old man in the Romanian country.
Now, I remember , there were many people on my way who asked me the same thing, who I had never met before.
Actually, I don't have a concrete answer for that, even now.
I simply wanted to see, play, or whatever, you know, that's what a travel calls.
I was not trying to prove anything, or pursue anything at all.
I'd like to allow what my mind would love at the moment, then I'd go for it, because I can't escape the grasp of living agonies that we are all in( birth, aging, illness, and death ).
I would then, drift a bit.

明天要搭火車離開了，羅馬尼亞的火車很舊，有攜帶沉重行李的旅客上下車會辛苦一點...
It came to the time to leave again. 
The trains in Romania were old, making travelers with heavy luggages... hard.
 

~ End ~