Things About Transylvania, Romania and Other Musings

Where is Transylvania is as Important as This

2024-09-01T18:30:00.002-04:00

When someone asks where is Transylvania, most people assume that you won't know exactly where it is. The closest, and most correct answer is in Romania. That's about as far as it goes. Part of the answer is not where, but perhaps who knows the history of the area. It was in flux between many countries and Empires for centuries.

I have published a book a few years back, called In Search of The Lost Ones and in doing so, I found that I had to spend a lot of time learning the history of the area, but the extensive cultures found there. That in and of itself was an incredible adventure. I probably could write another book on the adventures and the things I learned about Transylvania. It's a very unique pac.

I know that the simplest answers can be the hardest especially when you have history and people who feel strongly towards what, who and where they have their homes. For some, they left the area decades ago, and still hold it fondly in their hearts. Where they left is not as important as what and who they left behind.

It has caused a lot of discussions and deep hurts over the years, and I found it amazing that Romania and Hungary and to an extend Austria haven't had as much upheaval as other more south eastern countries. I am certain that the memories of the various cultures will help and grow the new generation.

Transylvania is a part of the fabric of many people. It was, at least location wise, a gateway to the rest of Europe. The history of the land plays out in the castles and the mountains.

It isn't about where it is, rather who has a connection to the land and its vast and rich history.

Musings on Money and Life

2023-07-29T13:49:00.000-04:00

Musings on Money and Life: The life of a small bit writer. The bane of everyone, the whole 8 billion people on this planet. Whatever you might want to call it, money rules everything. Even in the Bible, there is money. Even back then there was some type of trading... #awriterslife #LivingaLifeofWriting #makemoneywithwriting

There is always more to life than money, however money does make the world go around, anti has done so for a very long time.

Writing, both book and online make the world go round for a writer. One day, maybe the success of writing will become a big money generating reality. Only hard work and time and luck will make this happen.

Is it Just a Delusion?

2023-06-27T21:25:00.001-04:00

Is it Just a Delusion?: My life isn’t quite where it needs to be. I am working on myself. I think. I hope. Well, okay maybe not the way it should be. I am confused, scared and want things back the way they were. Very, very badly. I’m not entirely sure it’s not all my fault, I am however sure that what... #musings #Writers

Musings on my delusions and what I need to do. Of course, it’s a quick post, but it’s something I am writing about.

Maybe writing on Transylvania and its land once more will be a thing.

Why Should You Publish Your Content on Youtube

2022-02-26T17:21:00.004-05:00

YouTube is, behind the Google search engine, the second largest search engine that is found worldwide, (although, granted this it is a part of the Google parent company Alphabet, but for searching videos it is the largest.) because of this, you should publish your videos on YouTube. The challenge is the numbers, according to various sources, content creators produce about 500 hours each minute. You might be thinking "well that's great, but I already know that!" It's true most people do.

It doesn't give you the answer to the question of: why should you publish your content on YouTube. If you went out and started producing content today, you'd start at 0. No matter what anyone says, it's not the place where "SEO" or "working hard" will help. This is where you go out, with a smartphone or some type of video camera, and film. Editing at this point is optional, but you should have a goal in mind to start learning how to edit and make a video better sooner, as opposed to later.

Getting a video up on YouTube is a moment you should be proud of, but now comes the hard work. Why were you doing that video in the first place. This is where you have a hobby. This is fun, and let it be fun. After all it's your first video and you can grow from there. Don't compare yourself to anyone at this point, it's your brand new channel.

Here's some quick pointers on why you should publish on YouTube:

1) To start with it's fairly easy. Smart phone with a camera? good, you can publish using the app for YouTube. Pick something you enjoy and start by pointing the camera.

2) It's big. Yet, in many communities within this huge search engine you can build networks you never thought you would have. For example: automotive, scale models, books, books reviews, how to put on makeup, how to do crazy things, for most people you can always find what you're looking for. If you can't well, then maybe that's a thing you might be able to share, and build some networks as you do.

3) It's a place you start at, but it's not the end game- unless it's just a hobby. Some of the content creators have more than just their channel, some are big enough to have TV deals on the side, or their own TV shows, so branch out! Aside from that you should start somewhere, and yes there are places such as Facebook, tiktok, Instagram, twitter etc, who allow you to post videos, let's be honest, if you hope to expand, YouTube is one place you have to consider.

4) It's constantly changing, and this means more people around the world can find you. It has potential, and with some steady effort you can grab the attention of people from other parts of the world. In fact, a video you might not expect to do well just might because of another country. YouTube is also changing and growing, and while this can and will have some negative impacts, you can keep going if you want to, and are willing to adapt.

5) It's a place to create content, and one day possibly to earn income. This is a tricky one, I'm sure you wanted to read "publish content and make money." However, that's actually only part of it. YouTube does have requirements to get there, so here they are 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours in 12 months to get to the point that you can apply to the partner program. Then it's just small bits of change here and there, until something takes off or you have enough of a network to keep growing. So when starting out, it is just a place to create content.

There you have it, five quick points about why you should publish your content on YouTube. The key to note is that at some point you will get some money, but that's another article.

Social Media and Facts on Transylvania

2019-08-03T20:45:00.001-04:00

People who are involved in social media, and most people have some type of connection to the Internet, will use Twitter or Facebook to promote . When it comes to dealing with Transylvania, everything you knew about social media was wrong.

Most of the wonderful writers or bloggers who have run a blog on Transylvania, or any niche subject blog will tell you that getting people to read and comment on your work is hard enough.

Thanks to the strength of social networking sites, a lot of people can find your blog and comment on it. And they'll do so — often when they feel strong emotions based on what they think the blog is about. Often, they will write on the page you run or on your Twitter feed. There are facts... and then there are facts.

Take for example this: What is the name of the current Grand Prince of Transylvania?

The titular Emperor of Austro-Hungary. The last person to hold it without dispute was Emperor Karl of Austria, King of Hungary.

Even this statement is not entirely correct, since the last Emperor of Austria, Karl I was referred to as: His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, Karl I, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria; Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Illyria; King of Jerusalem, Archduke of Austria; Grand Duke of Tuscany, Crakow; Duke of Lorraine, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, and of Bukovina; Grand Prince of Transylvania; Margrave of Moravia; Duke of the Upper & Lower Silesia, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Guastalla, Oswiecin, Zator, Cieszyn, Friuli, Ragusa, Zara; Princely Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Kyburg, Gorizia, Gradisca; Prince of Trent, Brixen; Margrave of the Upper & Lower Lusatia, in Istria; Count of Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg, Lord of Triest, Kotor, the Wendish March; Grand Voivode of the Voivodship of Serbia.

This is a long title, but it has two interesting points that make a person think about how people see Transylvania in terms of society today. The Grand Prince is from the Hungarian royal family ( or Austrian Hapsburgs) not, as one would think, the Romanian Royal Family.

Getting a conversation going on this subject when it deals with Hungary and Romania, is at best interesting on Facebook, everyone it seems, has their own view of history. In fact, using these titles will make people question you. It's not only available online, but one can find it in books.

Twitter and Facebook, as big as they are have challenges, a few years ago, I received an email, all about how horrible it was that Hungary isn't a part of Transylvania, and that it is unfair that the Hungarian people living in Transylvania are marginalized. I was surprised with this email, but it is a point of view that one person had.

As it turns out, a lot of people seem to have heard of this email, and as in my case, they tried to contact the sender to no avail. Yet, with Facebook and Twitter this email is coming back again, and social media is both helpful and harmful in the way it deals with events such as this.

It is harder and harder to see past so much information and as good as learning is, it is easy to surf Facebook and Twitter all day for "facts" and "figures." This can lead one to feel I am anti social media, but I am not, I am suggesting that our learning should increase as should our ability to question facts and figures. I am suggesting being open to new ideas, but to also be aware that older ideas in a new shape will be there as well.

Are You A Love or Money Blogger?

2019-04-06T13:35:00.000-04:00

I was re-watching the movie "Sing" and I have a secret to tell- I love Mike the Mouse. He's my kind of... mouse. He's honest, well at least when it comes to money. In the interview he admits he's is in the competition for the money.

He has talent, and he wants the money. He just doesn't think of what the others might like or not like. He thinks that he shows love with, and a big surprise here, money.

Then there is Buster Moon. Loves it and is passionate. He loves his "old girl" and his money making schemes are all because of how much he loves music, and the theatre.

I love the art of blogging.

The writing, the people who comment, the topic I write about. I love the fact I can grow as a person and as someone who shows what they know about blogging, and more specifically about Transylvania to my readers and to others.

As a prime example: I may need photos to describe the land and area of this place- after all saying there are mountains in Transylvania doesn't quite do the term justice. It is important that there are photos about Transylvania, maps or pictures of people as this is needed to help a reader with the "writing of the story" of the blog.

Nothing helps better when dealing with a person or a country better than a blog photo. I have had many a time when I was like Mike, I just wanted a blog post up, and didn't think much about my readers of Things about Transylvania. You all probably could have kicked my butt for it.

Before I started putting in photos, I would try to describe thing through words, unfortunately this is not the way people see Transylvania or any land in general. Take this photo for example:

This is library in Alba Iluia, Transylvania, Romania. Now if I didn't have a picture of it, you might "see" it differently than I would, I could say it was white and large building with many windows. But you might say it is cream coloured with rectangular windows, possibly a former palace.

The point is that you need photos to show what you are talking about, and that is why I have photos on my blog.

The people I deal with Dracula for instance needs more "pictures" to understand where and what he was in Transylvania, the city he lived in the place he was born in. They need to understand how close to Wallachia it really was- since Wallachia became what is now Romania- Vlad Tepes was the Prince of Wallachia, born in Transylvania. Without care for the blog readers, I can't show this with ease.

If you love and are passion about your blog and its subject you will be able to have the money you wish. It simply takes time.

Dracula, and What We Think of Him

2018-05-13T23:26:00.001-04:00

Which one image makes you relate to Dracula?

After all he is a huge market attraction for Transylvania and Romania, he has since his book became popular helped make Transylvania a tourist attraction for the tourist with a little... blood lust. The book by Bram Stoker allowed the idea of Dracula to "live" on in the Western world, and when money comes in then people want to follow it. Yet, the man, the person who Stoker based the character on is something of a mystery. In many ways he is not as important a figure as what some will make him out to be. At best a exiled Prince, and at worst a bloodthirsty warlord. Vlad Tepes is however all the more famous due to Stoker's novel.

This image isn't what one would normally think of as Dracula, after all, it has a different garb, more of a small prince, and one who had seen much intrigue and murder. Tepes was a younger son of a Prince of Wallachia and was not a Count of Transylvania, but he lived large parts of his life in Transylvania, so perhaps he is more linked to his exiled land than one would think.

We like to think of Vlad Tepes as a great warrior. This is only partly true, he fought against the Ottoman Empire, but he also fought against the Christian Kingdom of Hungary. He was imprisoned by both groups, and would learn the art of fear from the time he spent in the Ottoman Empire.

Many people think Vlad Tepes was powerful. In the sense he was born a prince, this is true as many people didn't have any power and were living much poorer and forgotten lives. History doesn't record them as much. Tepes could be viewed based on some writing has a bully, and this was also based upon the writings of various people who lived and were targeted by him. The people with whom he protected view him differently and both played a part in how we see Count Dracula.

These are images of Vlad Tepes, and the one just above is possibly the more interesting of the two-- this image shows a bit of his name. Vladislavs Dracula Wallachia Weywoden. Because Vlad Tepes had been a part of the order of the Dragon, he had the name of "Dracula" at the end of his name. Vlad Tepes is someone who made Dracula possibly, but of course he was not the only person. There are others who influenced the person of Count Dracula- notably a distant cousin of Tepes, a woman who would bath in blood to keep her youth.

The power of Dracula is part of both history and fiction, and the two have helped a country with money and a long term tourist attraction. Bran Castle, for example, is more linked with Count Dracula and Jonathan Harker, the two fictional characters who conversed in a castle similar to Bran Castle. Most people don't think of these images of Dracula being Dracula, and they also see him not as a man- rather, a legend.

That is the power of writing and of history.

Blood Countess, and Dracula

2018-02-27T23:00:00.004-05:00

What is the fascination with Dracula?

I don't think most people really know Transylvania, Romania, or its long history with legends and other people, when they talk about Dracula. However, that being said, digging within the history of Hungary, there is someone else who might just fit the "vampire" persona much better.

By this, the vampire persona, I mean the reference to Dracula drinking blood. The quest for immortality and the evil results it can bring. This is especially true of people in power. Many centuries ago there was a woman who was a royal blood living in Transylvania.

She was known to history-- local history-- as the Blood Countess, or . She feared death or at least the loss of her beauty. To keep it she killed (according to some reports) 600 girls to keep her youth.

Why do we not mention her?

I write about this, and the fact that because Dacre Stoker (great grand nephew of Bram Stoker) wrote another Dracula book, entitled, Dracula: Undead. It has been published for many years, but upon re-reading it I have some new feelings. I don't think he knows much about Transylvania or Romania, although I am sure he's visited it, or knows of the area. he is passionate about the Stoker name, or more specifically, the Stoker brand linking it to Dracula. One thing I am certain of: he does however know a lot about marketing.

In this book The Countess of the Blood is the main antagonist. It's rather fitting in a way that over the years both Count Dracula and Bathory have sought immortality. However, it is for different reasons and different means that they have done this, and in the end, it's a rather bittersweet moment for all of the characters. It tries to make Dracula a lot more sympathetic but also it tries to increase interest in our fascination with Dracula.

If Dracula is supposed to be from Transylvania why focus on London?

I think in this case, the younger Stoker wanted to mimic, with limited success, his great-grand uncles' later success. One must recall that the first book, Dracula was not a success during Bram Stoker's lifetime. It was the advent of Hollywood and movies, which helped him, or rather his widow, see his book become a success.

Dacre Stoker has argued that his novel was written to re-establish the Stoker name and creative control over the novels of Dracula. In a sense, he brought too much to the table and not enough backstory to it. The Blood Countess did not need to be in the book, and she wasn't as strong as one would have thought.

The real blood countess wanted her beauty and would do anything for it. In this regard, the Blood Countess and Dracula had different motives, and even in their own lives, had different motives for the thing that they did. The same goes for the land they lived in, and played a role in many of the castles and people there. Even then, the more famous, Bran Castle has a focus on Hollywood and Dracula as opposed to other parts of the land of Romania and Transylvania.

The world has changed and the focus is on the myths that Hollywood has for these two people.

Bran Castle LEGO

2018-01-14T19:07:00.003-05:00

I'll admit I love all things Lego.

Though for the longest time I was rather stumped as to how I could mix my love for Lego with my love for Transylvania and add it to this blog. It's a big of a challenge, but I finally found some really great ideas. One of them was a build by a Lego lover who would create Bran Castle out of Lego.

Not Dracula's castle, mind you, but the real thing, the one which I can go and visit in Transylvania (for a fee) and take pictures of and just imagine the people and lives lived around there. I wanted something that would be amazing, and different at the same time....

However, before I found what I was looking for, I did enjoy finding, and it all started with monsters.

I was a bit wary of looking at this, after all, I've seen the official LEGO version of the Vampyre Castle on Amazon, and I'm a fan of it, for different reasons than my newest love of lego and details. Maybe because it's the focus on Dracula, even with the Vampyre hearse, so it's a bit of a nod to Bram Stocker's Dracula, and it's cute and has enough pieces to enjoy it, and it's part of a series.

Monster Fighters, as the series is known as gives Dracula his due- in Lego, and combined at around 1,200 pieces I enjoyed the process of making Dracula, and the fighters, and the castle come to life. I enjoyed the challenge and the time it took to make both.

I do recommend both sets, but at least the hearse is a fast one to build and really one that sort of puts two undead monsters together (Zombie and Dracula.) I was a bit disappointed that it was Rodney Rathborne, and not some play on Abraham Van Helsing. However, as much as this was fun to build, it wasn't quite what I had in mind.

I enjoyed the mythos they have created, but I wanted something closer to Bran Castle. Closest thing I found often times was the 3D puzzle, and while it was fun to create a model in 3D it wasn't.... Lego.

I was able to find that someone had built Bran Castle, along with many photos, and this was amazing to me. You can find the website here, and he has built many other lego castles in great detail as well. The thing I liked about it was that it combined both the history and the story of Bran Castle.

It gave a very good idea about Transylvania, as it showed the hills around the castle, and had parts of the inside of it done in Lego. This was nearly 1,400 pieces and it is quite impressive. It made my lego lover heart feel good, and it almost makes me want to do my own in greater detail. The bonus? On the website he does offer floor plans, so it allows one to let their imagination soar.

Ahh, yes Lego and Bran Castle, who could ask for more... except maybe, more details- the villages, and the trees and a few knights.

Transylvania and Quotes about It

2017-12-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

What does Transylvania mean to Romania?

“We are in Transylvania, and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things. Nay, from what you have told me of your experiences already, you know something of what strange things there may be.” Bram Stoker. (Dracula)

There is a lot in these three sentences. That quote speaks volumes about how people viewed, and possibly still view Transylvania. It's different from Western Europe, and in this regard, Transylvania and Romania feel different to people who have never been there. Transylvania means a lot to Romania because of the culture, and the traditions and for may people the religion. People love the land they live in.

Strange isn't a thing in Transylvania, it is both contemporary and yet, it keeps its Middle Ages charm. Some of the major cities in Transylvania are equally as ancient as some Western European

Even some members of the Romanian Royal Family would comment how much they loved their country. Romania to them was not just a small country it was going to be a Greater Romania, with portions of lands they coveted from other countries.

My love for my country is my religion. Marie of Romania

Marie of Romania seems to be the go to person for many quotes, as she was a person who spoke her mind. At seventeen she married, and became Crown Princess of Romania, and would go on to be one of the more famous Queens of her era. (Her first cousins, paternally, who would marry and reign as Queen Consorts were: Queen Maud of Norway, Queen Sofia of the Hellenes (Greece), Queen Victoria Eugene of Spain and Empress Alexandra of Russia) She became a well known writer, and used her influence as a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England to help gain territory for Romania at the end of the Great War.

She was beloved by the Romanian population because she viewed Romania so highly. As the quote goes she loved her country a lot. As for religion it was no doubt that she cared for it, but she was born an Anglican, with a Russian Orthodox mother, and married a Catholic, and would rule a country who was predominately Romanian Orthodox. Therefore, it's not a surprise that her adopted country, Romania, would be viewed with more reverence than her religion, which is possibly an idea that most in her time wouldn't want to think of.

"What comes to your mind when you think of the word Transylvania, if you ponder it at all? What comes to my mind are mountains of savage beauty, ancient castles, werewolves, and witches - a land of magical obscurity. How, in short, am I to believe I will still be in Europe, on entering such a realm? I shall let you know if it's Europe or fairyland, when I get there. First, Snagov - I set out tomorrow.” Elizabeth Kostova (The Historian)

An excellent quote about both Transylvania and Dracula, and part of it is from the novel the historian which gives this commentary from Dracula's point of view. It's amazing to see mentions of ancient castles and of werewolves, which many people who lived in Transylvania believed in, or knew of the myths of the werewolves. The fact that mentions were made of it being obscure is also telling. It's a land where either people know of it, or they don't.

The best bit to this is the Europe or fairyland, and it leaves it to the readers to choose.

Transform Your Ideas of Transylvania.

2017-12-22T15:19:00.001-05:00

For the record transformation is not a one a year deal.

You have a living, ever changing reader base, and you have to accept that for many a blog is a blog, and it's something that can be alive, or it can be dead. There's not much of an in between anymore. When you blog about a place, Transylvania, you are not limiting yourself per say, rather you can transform it by having a passion, a view, or something that makes your readers go 'hmmm.'

The most common idea about Transylvania is Count Dracula. This being said, it's not the only idea. What if I was to write that Count Dracula by rights should be a woman and not a man? You'd probably argue that I am a feminist of some stripe and say Dracula was based off of a man- Vlad Tepes. In that we are both correct, because Elizabeth Bathory- also known as the Countess of the blood was a strong influence on Dracula- or the later versions thereof.

Another common idea is the culture of Transylvania. Some will say, and rightly so, that Transylvania has a strong Romanian culture. They are not wrong, but there are other cultures and peoples who lived in or live in Transylvania who identify with Transylvania not as Romanian, but rather whichever and whomever they were part of, their group, culture or faith.

Transformation is not about changing your mind completely, rather it's the process of thinking outside the box.

When you write about Transylvania thinking outside the box isn't always a good thing, after all, there is history, facts, emotions, people and many other facets of life to consider. This isn't changing your mind completely, it's transforming what you know, and seeing another side to the world.

Can transforming a blog be a part of that too?

I'm blessed with countless visitors, and people who stop by to comment. I'm blessed with learning more each day about Romania, Hungary, Austria and many part of Europe that have ties to Transylvania. I'm pleased to learn new things. About the Romanian Royal Family, about what they are doing in Romania and Transylvania in particular.

This blog is growing, and now, it's showing signs of more growth, and this is where it's not a one year deal, it's knowing that each and every post will mean something to the idea, the people and the history of Transylvania. Each reader can and should matter, and the more comments, both the good and the bad will help. The hope is that people see more to Transylvania, Romania and Eastern Europe as something new and exciting. The heart will always be Transylvania, but it is step by step and bit by bit where it can go.

It's being passionate enough to learn and to build a community where ideas are the key, even if it's about Dracula, the endangered species, the people, the history and the voices of Transylvania. It's the beauty and the joy of learning and growing this community. Should it be about money? In a sense to keep this blog alive it's a good thing, but success and writing about Transylvania and going from there is about re-seeing the world from someone else's point of view.

Transforming ideas? Simple, grow the community and the love of Transylvania. It's a good thing to aim for.

Blogging and Success

2017-12-05T17:49:00.001-05:00

Blogging is a needed means of communication.

It's surprising what blogging can do for a writer. Not only can you find hundreds of ideas to write about, in some cases, you can even come up with a few in a matter of moments. It's as if you have that moment and that time to write.

It can be about Transylvania, or about politics or world events. For example: King Michael of Romania passed away. He was an elderly statesman, who lived through one of the many major events in the world. He outlived almost every statement of his time. Yet, he never needed to share his views on a small forum. He had the world.

He knew his part in history and he knew how to communicate with the people he needed to. He understood that he could share what he knew even if it wasn't what people wanted to hear.

Communication, is your platform for sharing, sharing what you know and what you feel is right. It is also the platform for success. In this case, is success something that is monetary? Is success something that you choose to have.

S-U-C-C-E-S-S

How scared are you of that word?

How much does it scare you to change?

When blogging about Transylvania, should I only write what earns me the most income or should I find something new? It's scary and nerve wracking and, really, it's a lot easier to stick with what you know. Except you shouldn't. You might fail, but that just simply might mean you lose a few less loyal readers, or a few less comments, or....

You succeed beyond you dreams.

That's a whole other thing, you might say it was luck, or just purely something that wasn't out of your comfort zone, but when you communicated in a different way after thinking and debating and then doing it, the blog post revived your love of blogging. Blogging to communicate to people and to be better than before- success is nice.

It's like building a castle, and, in Romania, there are many castles, and some are very famous. What this means is building it, and then seeing where it can go. It also means keeping it growing and expanding and renovating it.

In my case, the love of writing about Transylvania was there, but my fear of success was greater. I can point to a blog post I wrote a number of years back- about maps of Transylvania, which shows something of the passion I have for the land and people.

S-U-C-C-E-S-S

Still scared?

Maybe it's time to redefine success.

One extra blog post a year? One more thing I can share about Transylvania? Write one more book?

It's certain that there is a lot of information to find on Transylvania, and you can run a blog for years on it, you can write a lot on facts about Transylvania, and what it means to various countries, or you can build something greater and keep going.

Your blog can be successful, and you don't need to fear this success, but you have to try. Sometimes, it is a matter of keeping on, and just aiming for better. In this sense, our platforms can grow, and while we might not be statesmen or huge money making success stories, we shouldn't fear our own blogs, and we should never give up on our dreams.

Success is a daily choice, and even if you failed once, you know what not to do. If your blog is smaller than you'd like, see what you can do to make it bigger and better. Stand up for your believe in your readers and yourself. Communicate your vision, build the castle you want and don't fear success.

Facts About Transylvania and Hungary

2017-11-26T16:14:00.001-05:00

Hungary shaped Transylvania in many ways. Although the majority of the people are Romanian, there is still a strong link to Hungary. After all, there is a large minority of the Transylvanian population which is Hungarian in origin. This being said, it is harder to find information about Hungary and Transylvania as opposed to Romania and Transylvania.

Facts about Transylvania and Hungary are as hard to find as the more detailed ones about Transylvania and its part in Romania. Perhaps it is because Transylvania is not a "large" province of either one, and being a more primary based resource part of both, it isn't as high on the events and people, however, you can find information.

In this regard, you will have to look at the cities in Transylvania to find more details about the people and the events which shaped the country of Hungary. (And we aren't talking about Hollywood or magic or legends, rather just harder to find facts) Facts are easy in a sense to find, the details are harder, and not knowing the full background it makes it more challenging to knowing more about what shaped Transylvania.

Take for example, the martyrs of Arad- the book the concise history of Hungary explains it, but not in much detail. This area, the city and the dates of this event is important in the lives of the Hungarian community there. In 1849, thirteen generals of the Hungarian Revolutionary army were hanged for their support of, or promotion of a parliamentary government for Hungary, which at this point was a part of the Austrian Empire. Some were from princely families, such as Karoly Leningen-Westerburg, who was linked to the German princely House of Leiningen. The only reason that the Empire of Austria survived was because of the help that the new Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I, received from Russia.

It wasn't until 1867 that this Empire would become known as the Dual Monarchy, or the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Another fact: this happened during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, was in the Diet of Hungary which as part of their reforms listed 10 points, one of them being the reincorporation of Transylvania. the meeting on the 29th of May, 1848 (with Hungarians, Saxons and Székelys- no Romanians were a part of the group) ratified the idea that Transylvania should be reunified with Hungary. However, later on, the Saxons would reject this idea.

The treaty of Trianon, in 1920 also re-arrainged the boarders between Hungary and Romania, which made Transylvania a part of (at the time) the Kingdom of Romania. Before this time Transylvania was a part of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen.

Count Dracula and Magic

2017-11-16T22:14:00.002-05:00

There is something about Dracula which is a source of interest to many people. For some it's synonymous with Transylvania, and for others it's the feeling of power and magic which Dracula has: he's undead. In fact it is the father of all vampires.

The book is also uses very powerful imagery. The idea that it is written in letters and journals and various other media make it all the more fascinating for the reader. At that point, horror wasn't the thing- it was considered an adventure story. The fact that there was death and evil made it more of a selling point. It was exotic in its own way- being played out in a land which, at the time took weeks of travel to get there. It gave the magic to the reader that Frankenstein and other novels of the time also created.

It didn't make money for Stoker while he was living, something that many would learn from later sources, as his widow was a strong support in keeping the novel and legacy alive. After his death it was the magic of movies one in particular: Nosferatu, which would eventually help give new life to the book. Some changes were made, but the land, Transylvania was the same, and Count Dracula became Count Orlok. The second setting was in Germany in Nosferatu and in Britain in Dracula.

Count Orlok vanishes in a puff of smoke at the rise of the morning sun, due to his need to feed on blood, Dracula, in the novel dies from the combined wounds to his neck and heart.

Count Dracula and magic?

With the movies and the many ways Dracula dies has always made for more of a mysterious aura and the idea that he can only die under certain events (sun, dangerous and many mortal wounds) In Nosferatu the Vampyre was see a remake of the first movie, and the ending is similar, with the sun he dies, but Van Helsing would drive a wooden stake through his heart to make certain. (Unlike Count Orlok, who vanishes with the sun)

All of them use their coffins to transport themselves to various places. They need the coffins or some method to transport themselves over water (this is noted in Dracula with the helpers he has).

All of them are killed by sunlight or to numerous wounds.

All of them are nearly immortal. He is undead, or a walking corpse (not a zombie) with an evil character.

In most cases, they have super-healing factors, but can be killed by other means (see the Dracula novel) but that is hard to do.

In some movies, as in the book, Dracula has the power of telepathy, the ability to read minds, and to hear his "children" if they need help- should he ever be close enough. (in Bram Stoker's Dracula the movie with Gary Oldman, it's clear this is one of his powers.)

Dracula, a simple novel created magic and the genre of horror and a lasting legacy of horror where the powers of good vs evil are found and fought. It is where science and myth join and where a land developed more of a magical meaning to more people.

Those Who Don't Learn.

2017-11-11T21:21:00.001-05:00

It's an old cliche but today it seems appropriate "Those who don't learn their history are doomed to repeat it." That's not the exact quote, and quite, the one which is possibly more true is the quote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (George Santayana)

It's not a false statement, but it's not entirely true in the modern times. As a culture we have too much information now. It can be oral tradition, or written history. It can be a person's own memories or a biography. Either way, there is a lot more out there for people to learn from. But....

What sort of thing do we actually learn?

In many places there is the great push of "100 years ago this happened." As people we can learn from wikipedia, or the glossy magazine cover of what happened so many years ago, and have a general idea of how this event or that event took place. Unfortunately, the people who were there are no longer living testimonies to these events.

For example in Romania, the last veteran of the World War One passed on in 2007. Based on records, there are no surviving World War One veterans alive now. They had their memories of war, and many told their stories, but one wonders how long before similar events happen?

It's not politics.

May I suggest that if you have a moment to go and play the game 'telephone.' As a child, it taught me the value of messages and stories early on. In this game you sit in a group- the bigger the better- and one person whispers a message in another person's ear. It's simple enough. Then, the next person passes on that message, and it goes around in a circle.

Most of the time, the message gets distorted, and it's all rather funny when "go and get me some candy" becomes "go find the fish for me." The right words are important. That's the challenge of oral history, somewhere along the lines the story changes. Not always because of something someone willingly changed, rather because people can, and do mishear things. Innocent enough when it is a simple message. However, this game has a bigger meaning to it.

You learn quickly not to trust your hearing, and this can be a quick game. Imagine what history would be without as much writing in it. However, the basis of history is "words" the spoken word, then it is written from memory or from another source.

The telephone game if you will in a larger context- that of world history. In some cases it is entire countries. In some cases it is family. In others simply part of the country. In Romania, the facts are clear, the Romanian government joined with the allies and was quickly overrun by the surrounding armies. In the end, they still were able to claim overall victory, and gain territory.

To be clear, this doesn't tell the whole story. Romania entered the war in 1916, and by May of 1918 signed a peace treaty. The reentered the war in November of that same year. Sounds like a basic structure- it is basic historical fact, no one would argue this.

However, if one doesn't learn from history, or more to the point one doesn't dig deeper, then you cannot truly learn from it. The aftermath of the First world War gave rise to the Second. In the grand scheme of things it meant another large scale war. In Romania and Transylvania it meant many reviews of treaties and general animosity between peoples and cultures. Oral tradition comes into play.

You learn from history yes: what do you learn though?

In learning you keep an open mind, you ask questions. Often, it's not the simple answers that are wrong, rather is it the way we create the answers. Hungary was a part of the losing side of the war, Romania- the victor. Even reading a book such as the History of Hungary, one will see a different tone than if it's more focused on Eastern Europe.

What is written in history is based more often upon the victor's view of things. This is especially true when dealing with history which is more of a modern history. There are still men and women who lived through the Second World War, and their experience changes how many view the events. Those who had the experience should be listened to, and learned from, but as with the game of telephone, one can ask questions.

Those who don't learn....

Maybe, the best answer is: those who don't learn to ask questions from different sides are doomed to repeat them.

On Blogs, Moving and Maps. (Or the Things I've Learned this Summer)

2017-09-21T23:09:00.003-04:00

It's something that anyone can tell you if you are going to travel, or blog. it's simple, and usually easy to follow. Have a map, a plan, an idea, and just a bit of courage. Or, in the case of this blog, and writing about Transylvania, the past tense might be more to the benefit of how the last few months have transpired.

Moving, of any sort, is not fun, and, while moving means new adventures, and this also means that as a writer of a blog a bit of organization is a high needs piece of life, and one which I am still a WIP. Of course, good intentions and all of that wonderful idea of writing and moving, it simply didn't work as much as I had hoped.

It's also a challenge when a blog is starting to be a part of my life again, after years of feeling as if what I was writing wasn't as needed for readers as before. The problem wasn't readers, but rather the writer. Learning that there is always something to say is only piece of the journey. The next part is finding that the passion is still a part of the life of a blogger.

It's not about writing a blog post every day, but rather going forward in a new adventure mode. Even looking at things in a different way. In this case, the old assumption of maps being a story was nearly blown to bits owing to my adventures of traveling. There are maps, and then there is the reality of what a map can actually tell you. This case is best illustrated with a land map, upon traveling through lakes and the lake areas we found that the map we had made it look a lot different then the actual land.

One of them showed us that the road went "around the lake." This is not entirely the case, what was done was that gravel and dirt was brought in the middle of the lake, and dammed it up- much like beavers tend to do. After many years, the one side of the lake was marsh and reeds, and the other was, high lake- almost level with the road. Needless to say, it made for an interesting conversation when the map really didn't show the marsh, but a lake with a road beside it.

Some of the older maps of Transylvania were probably designed more with artistry in mind, as opposed to having the exact location and geography which our modern society wants in maps. Blogs are similar, and moving and growing, and possibly changing it around to make it stronger is all a part of life and work within the internet.

The best thing learned? Just keep writing and growing.

Why Should I Visit Transylvania?

2017-07-16T17:31:00.002-04:00

Let's play a game. Say you want to do a bit of traveling outside of the normal routes. Say that for you, London, Paris or Berlin are places which you have been to, and would want to visit something not too hot, so not Italy nor Portugal or Spain. A bit of history is what you are after, along with some very interesting local stories.

You want to see some older buildings which have bloody histories, and some which have world famous people who have lived in them. You want to visit small towns which date back centuries which seem to be lost in time.

Where should you go to travel?

Let's be clear, you want something a bit different and you have been to all the places listed before, but something familiar would be fine with you. This is why you should visit Transylvania. Take for examples its castles, at nearly 700 of them, they range from the famous- Bran Castle- to ruins which you can explore as a tourist. There are older abbeys which have histories dating back more than a 1,000 years. There are converted churches- from the Lutheran Churches to the Romanian Orthodox.

The food is also impressive, it begins which the mix of Hungarian, the Romanian and the German. There is a great deal of Asian flavour and Middle Eastern, as the Mongols and the Ottoman Empires would attempt to invade from the East.

Some tourist go to see the land, because of the fact that it was the 'gateway to Europe.' The past and the present seems to collide, when in a few hours one can drive in a very metropolitan city such as Brasov, only to find centuries old villages which have stood the test of time, and they are still inhabited. For people who have not lived in Transylvania, but have family who did, it is always amazing to search on Google Maps, and see the villages that the family grew up in, and where much of the village is intact and is maintained.

There are religious aspects to the land, this is where cultures seemed to have an idea of how to live, or co-exisit in some fashion with Catholics, Lutherans, Jews and Romanian Orthodox living and worshiping in the same area. This is a land where the people have both much, and very little. It is a land which survived and thrived under many types of politics.

The cultures have survived and carried on, and they are a link between the past and the future in Transylvania. It is a land where the community and the culture are still an important part of Transylvania.

Transylvania, is a place you should visit, not only for the major attractions but also for the less important ones- the people and the smaller communities, where the investment and the memories are so vital. It is a place you should see to learn about, and to enjoy. Give yourself the credit, and not only go to see a place such as Bran castle, or to the city of Brasov, but also to the outlying communities which have as much if not more history to them as.

Transylvania and "Cool"

2017-05-21T09:52:00.001-04:00

Cool and Things about Transylvania

Transylvania is cool. While that might not seem as if that's academic or even remotely smart, what it does mean is that people who don't know about the area, find it interesting. This conversation has happened time and again when I mention that my family lived in Transylvania.

This conversation usually goes with "wow that's cool." Or, most notably in the last while, "wow, Transylvania is pretty cool." I'm reasonably certain that they are not making reference to the weather, although the mountains are high enough to be cool for most of the year. Sometimes, they will ask questions about the area to confirm they had heard it correctly.(If I am honest, there is also a good chance that the person will mention Dracula, but I digress)

It's making it easier to be in a more positive mindset about writing and talking about Transylvania when you hear the words it's cool. It's fun to write about a place where the people and the history is so varied and unique and where each bit of detail can change who and what you see of as "Transylvania."

Going for a bit of a travel with family who once lived there was also an experience which was also both cool and sad. Google maps proved to be very useful in terms of seeing the villages that people who lived there once saw. For the most part, the buildings in the smaller villages remained the same. For some people, who left while very young and hadn't returned, it was more of a "wow" moment. They could visualize their home, and not just from stories others told them.

For others, who left later in their lives, and had more memories of the area, they said that it was different, in some ways more run down, and they could see the effects of communism or of lack of pride in the villages. Others, found that the house or the mill or whichever was there had been torn down, or expanded. To them, it was bittersweet "cool."

Transylvania does hold some unique memories and for many, these are more vivid and happier than what they find now. The same holds true with most people and how they recall events. More often than not, the person remembers it as either better or worse than what it really was. It seems this holds true when it comes to the people and the land that they lived. This is another way we can keep the ties that bind us to our past.

Sometimes, for something to be cool, one most have no preconceived notions about the area, and yet, as this post pointed out, most people have an idea of the world around them and have general ideas of what a place, a culture and a people should be. To be a part of Transylvania and its culture means that sharing the facts is only one part, it is also a willingness to make the place a bit more unique, cool if you will, to others who might want to know more about the land.

Losing the Ties that Bind Us

2017-03-22T18:04:00.002-04:00

It seems that these days there is a surge of the "blame game." Someone, somewhere, somehow, some when, did something to you- as a child... as a teenager... as an adult. There's always someone to blame, and the best of the blames generally comes from the past. (I am not talking about severe trauma, or abuse; rather the ones that everyone has to deal with at some point in their lives.) That's the problem, by blaming we lose a part of our lives.

I was struck that most people don't like to deal with how their parents, or their grandparents lived. My family were farmers. Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. They lived in Transylvania, and had lived in a small village, and work, church and extended family were the foundation, if not the end all and be all of life.

That was how they lived, and there was no margin for error, they worked for their food and they believed and held on to a religion. People were born as farmers, and worked as that, and should they want to be anything else, this was unacceptable. You were not an individual, but rather a part of a group trying to create food, and shelter and a living.

That's what bound them together, it was a harder life, especially in a place such as Transylvania. There were characters in the villages and most people knew each other's business, and individuality wasn't encouraged. In fact, in many dresses or suits, almost all the siblings would wear the same outfit. Possibly not due to style, but due to the cost of materials for all of them. The women tended to marry young, and have numerous children, and the men would be the providers.

Yet, now in the present, we are expected to be individuals, these strong people, full of empathy and compassions, with a higher sense of worth houses filled to the brim with stuff. We are not supposed to be as "down to earth" because we should have a sense of a style of our own, and go where the adventure lies, so that we live for the moment.

Now, not everyone feels this way, but it does make one wonder what it takes to get back to ones roots. A good example is the art of crafts. With many people in Transylvania, there was a strong element of traditional dresses. Credit goes to the women who spend days and months creating these works of art. In a sense, the art and woodworking and craftwork bound the people closer together.

The Saxons had their own style of dresses, which were worn on important or special occasions, as did the Romanians, and the Hungarians and the Jewish communities. They all shared the common core value of community and hard work. They all felt their community had the most positive aspects, and that they were a part of the workings of the nation they lived in.

After the Second World War, this all changed. As many of these communities fled Transylvania, they attempted to keep the ties to the land they lived in, and in many cases loved. However, as the population who once lived in Transylvania passes, the ties that bind us to there, or those who do not live in Transylvania become loser. The ties are tested against a more Western culture, which values independence more than community.

The farmers lost their land, and the descendants did not have the means to learn, especially when many would immigrate to the large cities in North America or other smaller European countries. As time has passed, we might blame them for not pushing towards a stronger community. We might blame them for holding us back or pushing too hard.

However, in the process we create more loss instead of learning from the past and what the people of Transylvania accomplished with what they had at the time.

Credit to the Heart of the Matter

2017-03-03T08:54:00.004-05:00

Some years are better than others when it comes to being passionate about what you love to do- even if there is a lot of "bad faith" about what you are doing. It's great to be passionate about a subject matter, for example Transylvania, but it's also just as hard when the heart of the matter is the people whom you expect should be supportive of you are passive-agressive naysayers.

So, the passion you have isn't enough.

Wait... let's take a step back here and think logically- if this is a passion, a bit of enjoyment and a hobby do you have to prove that it's a money making business to anyone? No, you don't.

Now, if this is supposed to be a money making business, to whom do you have to prove this fact to? Well: yourself, and your budget. Maybe your banker but certainly not anyone else. (I can hear the "buts" already, but if your parents/grandparents/family/best buddies/whomever isn't paying the money you don't need to answer to them.)

Let's credit this to the heart of the matter. Let's talk Transylvania, let's talk about Dracula. Feeling like you can sit down and learn about these things? Romanian Royalty? Hungarian nobility? Let's get back there, let's talk politics, let's talk anything about Transylvania that we should talk about.

Let's credit our passions for a place, and people to whom both readers and bloggers want to write, and what we have to offer. This blog is a fun place to write, and learning about Romania, and its people and history are all a part of the passion we can all have when talking about peoples and places. It's the art of sharing the newest political information and hoping that people learn from this.

The heart of the matter?

It's all about sharing the knowledge and learning about growth as a blogger and as a person who shares information. It's about the vocal groaning when one comes across an older, not so well written post. It's also about this blogger wanting to give credit to people who stood by this blog for years, and still do. It's about learning about taking some credit for both success and failure.

Finding a means to take a bit of credit?

That is looking at a bit of success, last year, 2016, was a hard year, and Things about Transylvania wasn't really written on- let's be honest, six blog posts in one year is not writing on something. Not that there wasn't passion for the blog, but rather there wasn't a drive, a feeling of success, and a feeling of knowing exactly what works, and what doesn't. It was a year of contemplation and thought.

The blog- this blog Things About Transylvania, Romania- didn't suffer, but that was because (and a credit to) of the readers here and not because of the writers. The fact that Transylvania is still vital and important to them means that something was good. Let's talk a moment about the success. It meant that at least one writer returned, and one person still found a reason to be passionate about Transylvania once more.

It means that there are more blog posts than this time last year- if only because it's the start of the year, but it's a small step. It means that Transylvania is back to where it belongs in terms of feeling that it has a place and time for this writer to enjoy it again.

It's about doing what is once again a passion, and knowing that really it's all going to be just fine.

Romania, and the Power of People

2017-02-06T10:07:00.002-05:00

People have a way of uniting for what they want. They have a way to make change happen when they feel that there is something wrong. In 1989, the Romanian people protested and were able to overthrow the political party at the time. They had a favourable era on their side, with much of the Eastern European world under great stress and change, and because of this they were able to change how Romania is run.

In December Klaus Iohannis named a new prime minister, and, there is political unrest and general dissatisfaction with a change in corruption policies. According to some reports nearly half a million people have gone out to protest the proposed change in the law against corruption.

That speaks volumes. The Romanian people are united. Some of the politicians have declared that they "won't quit" despite the protests. There is however, a strong possibility that they will be forced to resign if the protests continue, and the news media keeps up the coverage of this. In some cases, the world media pointed out these protests were caused by a proposed law, and even with its repeal the protests haven't stopped.

One person with whom the corruption law would have benefited from, Liviu Dragnet, argued that it was a political motivated protest, from "shadowy elements." He denies wrongdoing- but according to the laws which govern Romania, he did. He might argue it is unfair to him, and might argue it is politically motivated, but he is allowed his view. As do the people of Romana. They do not want the corruption laws to change. That is a known fact. What is also a known fact is that the people in Romania know that they have the power to change their history.

As in 1989, Bucharest and many other cities have had large scale protests, and the new government- which has been in power since the end of December is trying to deal with. The power of the people is strong- and most of the world media have noted that it is largely peaceful protests in the major cities around the country.

Romania has a powerful history and its people should have cause to celebrate, they know, they believe and understand that they have a voice. That is the reality which the politicians in Romania, and possibly around the world must understand.

On Death And The Merry Cemetery in Transylvania

2017-01-16T14:39:00.000-05:00

In Sapanta, Transylvania, Romania, there is a wonderful and unique cemetery known as Cimitrul Vesel (The Merry Cemetery). This small community is gaining fame. This is due to the colours on the tombstones, and the element of truth in the epitaphs, this cemetery shows a powerful and unique way of dealing with death.

This gem of a place is mentioned in Atlas Obscura, which has some of the most interesting and, obscure places one can visit. To say that a cemetery is "merry", is at best ironic, but it is the colourful blue tombstones themselves which add to the bizarre, and, more human element to this area.

It is a small village, and as with many villages the world over, everyone knows something about everyone else. In this case, there is no need to "hide" from the fact that you died, or even the manner of your death, nor to hide from the fact that you were not perfect in life.

This carving the tombstones for the dead is the labour of love for Stan Ioan Patras, who began his woodworking for the cemetery and even craved his own tombstone. His apprentice, Dumitru Pop, has carried on his work after Patras' death in 1977.

Death, or how many of the European communities view it, is a passage where it is a sad event. One does not see this person again. Either for good or bad. The Merry Cemetery takes a different point of view for many years. The older tombstones are less ornate and contain little of what might interest people.

They do contain dates of birth and death and the like, and possibly a kind epitaphs, but the tombstones after the 1930s are different, and unique and give the dead a means of being more alive than simply a memory. Patras himself made poems or verses on the tombstones, and each had a piece of the person's life- or moments of death- on the head. It is not a happy place, but it give life to the dead.

Even more important it harkens back to the Dacians who held a view that death was a step to a better life, one which was to be filled with joy and anticipation. In this, the village has done an amazing job at portraying to people who come and visit.

As a note to tourists, this is a small community, one which is hard to find on a map bigger than Transylvania, so knowing a bit of Romanian will help. Many recommend that a person has a guide, as to better understand the poems and the people who created them.

Maps of Transylvania

2017-01-11T09:52:00.000-05:00

Every picture tells a story, and every picture will have a different meaning for each person. When it comes to Transylvania, the pictures are important, and maps tell more of a story. It shows the history of a land and its people. Transylvania is not a country of its own, but as with most areas which have different cultures and history there, it has a story. Some of those are simple.

A map can show a person "where is Transylvania?" and can give them a sense of where something important is. It can show details- such as mountains ranges.

It takes time and effort to learn about history with maps, because all too often we don't want to expand on our knowledge or sometimes, we don't want to learn that our former believes were wrong. It is a challenge to look at an older map and learn, for example, that Bran Castle is closer to south than one might have felt.

Or that there are countless different names for the same city, based upon language. Transylvania isn't as large of an area as one might think- simply because of other provinces which surround it, but a map can show differences that wouldn't be there before. It's all about perception and what people take away from each picture- or map.

Even looking at cities can be a challenge- in this older map it shows the Saxon cities of Transylvania, which you'd not find anymore. They are still there, but all these cities have a Romanian name to them, and not the German they had in this map. This being said, they always had a Romanian name, but often, the more common was based on the people and culture which had the majority of the population.

Maps are instruments of learning and a means to tell a story. The more stories, the more people learn. It is up to the person to gather and decide what is important to them to know about history, culture and peoples of each area.

Each part of Transylvania has had a unique history and this allows it to have a place in the world. In some cases, this place is a tourist attraction- such as Bran Castle, formerly the home of Queen Marie of Romania, and one which is still privately owned by the Queen's family. It is a learning experience to see on a map that Bran Castle is close to Brasov and unlike in Dracula, it is not near the city of which Stoker wrote about.

Culture and history do play a role in changes to how people think of a land, or a country (in this case with Transylvania, part of a country.) It also plays an economic role, as the more people learn of an area the more inclined to visit the places the maps show.

Transylvania and The Reality of It Place in the World.

2016-09-20T20:43:00.002-04:00

Transylvania, as a part of Romania does have some value in terms of people knowing it is "where Dracula is from?" (or in North America at least!) which in turn allows for the tourism to grow and keeps the economy running.

In the greater world however, Transylvania is not important. It is a part of a medium sized country which for many years was a part of the communist bloc, and did not have the same economic benefits- and challenges- as its Western European counterparts. Transylvania was filled with many ethnic groups who had diverse interests.

It could have been a nation, but the majority- ethic and cultural Romanians- wanted to be a part of the newly formed country of Romania.

Transylvania and the surrounding area.

The reality is that while Transylvania is only a part of a country, it had an effect on it. Within its borders was oil. As such it made it an important strategic land for Romania during the communist era. It allowed the country to have very nominal independence from the Soviet influence everywhere else.

If it were not for this important natural resource, the chances that Romania would be controlled as was Poland, or Hungary or countless other countries in the Eastern bloc, would have been high. No matter how much the politicians, or even some people who lived in Romania, would argue the point, it would have been under more control of Moscow.

The reality of Transylvania now is that it still has the natural resources, but they are harder and more costly to come by than the oil found in some Middle Eastern countries. The power it holds now is its tourism industry which creates many job opportunities within Transylvania. However, upon deeper reflection, this is also not the entire story.

Bran Castle, Romania

In some cases, such as Bran Castle, it is privately owned by others. When one thinks of Dracula and his castle, and the power it has over some people in North America, it comes as a surprise that this was a part of the castles of the former Romanian Royal Family. In some cases, the power of the tourism dollar does not always flow back to Transylvania, but rather to corporations or the government of Romania.

The place of Transylvania within Romania is important, however, the place of Transylvania within the world is not.

Not because of the land and the valuable natural resources, but rather because it is a part of a country which is still growing and learning its own place within the world.

Transylvania and Updates

2016-07-06T19:03:00.002-04:00

Things about Transylvania and regular updates will return soon.....

Until then, enjoy these photos.