The living room houses an interesting collection of art, including English, German, Austrian, Chinese and Japanese ceramic and porcelain. The music salon has Veturia’s Beckstein piano, which where George Enescu and Dinu Lipatti played, as guests of the poet. The office of the poet has his Bidermayer writing desk, the resting arm-chair, and paintings by Iosif Iser, Rodica Maniu, Hans Eder. In the family’s bedroom, above the bed, two portraits signed by artist Istvan Nagy from Cluj, ensure the memory of the Goga spouses… The return to Cluj-Napoca reminded me that the city is a cosmopolitan metropolis in which we saw only a small part. Even hotels Napoca and Universe T, those where we stayed one night, impress now after successful renovations, while restaurants Agape, Via or Sinaia are at a European city standards. How should I forget Da Vinci Restaurant, located in an island of greenery and with a beautiful landscape...
Places for our Souls Returning to Bucharest was not easy. We had to regret even more that we were leaving Cluj and instead to move south, we went north, towards the city Gherla. 45 km from Cluj-Napoca, Nicula monastery dates from the sixteenth century and it’s famous for its miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, who is said to have wept for several days in 1699. Tens of thousands of faithful pilgrims come here every year, especially on St. Mary celebrations, August 15 and September 8. Nearby, Banffy Castle from Bontida also greeted us shrouded in fog. The castle was built in the second half of the seventeenth century, on the initiative of Dionisie Banffy, Transylvania military commander and one of the heroes of the Cluj defense against Turkish advance. In the eighteenth century, the Bontida castle was transformed in a stately aristocratic residence. Later, after 1850, the castle was added a western wing. Nowadays, an ongoing extensive renovation does not prevent the visit of the castle.
Before we left the Cluj County we’ve made a final stop at the Turda salt mine, a wonder of the nature, but practically carried out for centuries by the salt miners. Salt deposit covers an area of about 45 square kilometers. Average thickness of the salt is about 250 meters, and now the mine is a veritable museum of mining history and the most modern visit salt mine from Romania. The growing number of tourists arriving from the farthest corners of the world to visit the salt mine is a confirmation of its historical and tourist value... Sure we’ll revisit the Cluj County. Much more needs to be seen, or to be reviewed! www.bucurestiwww.ro
Bucuresti what, where, when
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