Drobeta-Turnu Severin

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

    Well, I apologize for my extended absence, its been a year since I've been able to travel through my Romanian host country.  We were locked down on the base, unable to leave for any reason (but I found a 'need' to escape periodically regardless and much to the disdain of the less than stellar leadership).  Anyone who actually 'knows' me understands my dislike for being told what I can and cannot do so this should come as no surprise.  Telling me I can't do something is EXACTLY the reason I'll do it.

    I'm sorry if you're offended but I'm glad this COVID farce is over.  The pandemic debacle needlessly impacted everyone's ability to live a normal life. Fortunately for me, the Romanians don't have time for the silliness Americans allowed the government to put them through.  Here, people actually have to work or they starve.  Not like in the US where the government pays you more to stay at home than getting your butt to work.  Romanians live day-to-day and the cows, pigs, chickens, and crops don't care about politics. 

    In October, I kinda moved out of the dormitory where I had spent 18 months and into an apartment in downtown Caracal.  It was a one bedroom on the fourth floor (there's no elevator) but the exercise was good.  I told the commander I wasn't going to give up my dormitory room until the Navy paid me to live off-base. From October until May 1st, I was paying out of pocket for my apartment.  It was well worth the investment in retaining my sanity.

    As soon as we were able to leave - I was gone!  In March, I grabbed my good friend and neighbor Lindi, the base 'Resiliency Counselor, and we headed west to the city called Drobeta-Turnu Severin.  It's a metropolis about 2.5 hours west on the Danube, bordering Serbia (no Lindi, we cannot go to Serbia right now).  She pestered me the entire day about 'always wanting to go to Serbia' but the politics at the moment didn't permit us crossing any borders.  The main reason I wanted to visit Drobeta was the beautiful water tower in the city center.  I had seen pictures of it before but our Galley Manager decorated the dining hall with an array of Romanian landmarks.  The great water tower of Drobeta-Turnu Severin is one of them.  He purchased a large (36" x 48") canvas picture of it and had it hung in the dining area - just taunting me at every meal.

    Let me run through a short history lesson on this vital city with a storied past.  I don't believe you can truly appreciate the exploration of new sites without understanding even a brief history of how we got to where we are today.

Ancient Times

    During the 7th century BC, Greek sailors reached the lower Danube River from the Black Sea and sailed upstream, conducting trade with the peoples living along the river. They became very familiar with the river’s lower course and named it the Ister.

    Just after the the first century AD, the Romans marched north and east from Italy, conquering every land which stood in their way.  After laying siege to what is now Bulgaria, they reached the Danube River and set their sights on the lands beyond this great river.   It was here in this region they crossed the deep waters into what was at the time Dacian territory.  At this location the Danube is about 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) across.  Soon after crossing the river, they built their first city in this foreign land.  The city was called Drobeta by the Romans. The Danube served as the northern boundary of the vast Roman Empire and was called the Danuvius. A Roman fleet patrolled its waters, and the strongholds along its shores were the centers of settlements, among them Vindobona (now Vienna, Austria), Aquincum (Budapest, Hungary), Singidunum (Belgrade, Serbia), and Sexantaprista (Ruse, Bulgaria).

    The great tower which supplied the 'Turnu' part of the city's name stood on a small hill surrounded by a deep moat. Near Turnu Severin are the remains of the celebrated Trajan's Bridge, the largest in the Empire. The Romans built the bridge in only three years (103–105 AD).  The famous architect Apollodorus of Damascus, designed this bridge which, at the time, was considered by many as the most daring work in the Roman world. Apollodorus was Trajan's favored architect and engineer. He designed and oversaw the construction of the Forum, Markets, and Temple, and Column of Trajan (the first monument of its kind), and the Stadium of Domitian within the city of Rome. Outside the capital, Apollodorus built bridges across the Danube and the Tagus in Spain for Emperor Trajan. The Trajan's column in Rome is incredible to view and the deconstructed actual size copy in the Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest is amazing. A previous blog entry covers my visit to the museum and this great artifact of ancient history.

1907 reconstruction of Trajan's Bridge by engineer E. Duperrex.

    Built on 20 pillars of stone blocks, when completed the bridge spanned 3,724 feet (1135 meters), was 48 feet (14.55 meters) wide, and 61 feet (18.60 meters) high. Incredible to imagine a bridge 3/4 mile long and the height of a two story home built across a strong flowing river, during a time when there were no machines like we have today.  Each bridge head had its own monument, whose remains you can still see on both sides of the Danube, like the one seen below here in Drobeta.

Ruins of Trajan's Bridge

    The Romans used oak lumber harvested from nearby forests for the wooden parts of the construction. The bridge had twenty arches supported by stone pillars. Only two of them are still visible at low water. The remaining pillars were demolished in the early 20th century to allow easier access down the Danube River.  I still find it hard to imagine demolishing a 2,000 year old structure.  I understand economics and logistics and the importance of trade but...there must be a way to accomplish both.

    From a strategic perspective, Drobeta became vital to the Empire.  The construction of the bridge created a town at the crossing of land and water roads which led to the north and south of the Danube. It was the first real urban center in the region and the third in Dacia after Sarmizegetusa (refer to my December 2019 blog) and Apullum (refer to my Alba Iulia blog entry).

    During the 20 year reign of Emperor Hadrian (117–138 AD), the settlement was declared a 'city' in 121 AD. The population had reached 14,000. During the reign of Septimius Severus (193–211 AD), the city was raised to the rank of a 'colony' in 193 AD. This title gave its residents equal rights with citizens of Rome. By the middle of the 3rd century, Drobeta had a population of almost 40,000 inhabitants, a large settlement at the time. It was a thriving city with several temples, a large basilica, a theater, a forum, a port, and guilds of skilled craftsmen. After the retreat of the Roman administration from Dacia in the 4th century (covered in a previous blog entry), the city was preserved under Roman occupation as a bridge head on the north bank of the Danube until the 6th century. The Huns destroyed the bridge during their invasion in the 5th century, but because of its strategic importance, Justinian I (527-565) had it rebuilt. 

Medieval Age

    The fortress of Severin was built by the Kingdom of Hungary during the reign of Ladislaus I (1077–1095) as strategical point against the Second Bulgarian Empire. Two famous rulers of then Wallachia, Litovoi (1210-1280) and Basarab I (1270-1351) died at this fortress.

    After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, they began a crusade of attacks on the fortresses along the Danube. In 1524, after a devastating attack by the Turks, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, only one tower of the Severin fortress was left standing.  This led to the naming of the city Turnul lui Severin (Tower of Severinus). The Ottoman Empire seized the city in 1524.

    Severin's name was taken in memory of Severinus of Noricum, who was the patron saint of the medieval colony of Turnu. Severin Fortress was the most important strategic redoubt on the Danube. Its conquest meant to gain an important bridgehead in the region.

    Severin was under Ottoman rule until 1829, except for a brief period of Wallachian occupation between 1594 - 1599, and then an Austrian one from 1718 - 1738. For nearly 300 years the fortress was continually rebuilt after each battle to defend Wallachia from the Hungarians and Turks. After gaining freedom from Ottoman control as a result of the 1829 Treaty of Adrianople, Wallachia decided to rebuild the present city. In 1841, Severin became the capital of the county and in 1851 became a city. As a major port on the Danube, the freedom of trade facilitated the entry of goods by boat from Vienna and the exchange of material necessary for further economic development. 

Modern Times

    In 1914, the Water Castle (Castelul de Apă) was opened. Considered an emblematic monument to the people of Severin, it gave identity to the city by being built in one of the major traffic roundabouts of the settlement.  In 1968, Turnu Severin became the capital of the county and experienced a steady economic, urban, and social growth.  In 1972, the name of the ancient Drobeta was added to the city's name, making it  Drobeta-Turnu Severin. And here we are now, 2021.

    Driving up to the tower is an awesome experience.  Turn the corner, and there it is in all it's wonderment.  Definitely worth the two and a half hour drive.

    We parked the car and walked the short distance to the tower.  After paying our nominal fee to visit the castle, we viewed the small local traditional Romanian museum on the bottom floor and started our climb up the hundreds of stairs on our way to the top.

    Climbing the stairs, we got to the next open floor which housed the history of the Water Castle and the city water distribution system.

    Looking up from this level, you can see the inside of the structure of the roof.  It's amazing to behold and the next step is out to the observatory deck, another full story straight up the spiral stairs.

    As soon as you get to the rooftop observatory, the first thing you notice is the exquisite roof tiles.  Multi-colored and expertly placed, it is a sight to behold.

    Who's that coming around the corner - it's Ms. Lindi enjoying the view of Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Serbia on the distant shore.

    The Water Castle was not a disappointment and I would recommend everyone come visit, it is worth the short drive from Caracal.

    At the entrance to the tower is a big bronze plaque honoring King Carol's involvement and visit to Drobeta in getting the Water Castle built over a hundred years ago.  If I feel rambunctious one day, I'll translate it for my viewers.

    Leaving the castle, we took a walk up the city esplanade where there were multitudes of vendors celebrating the upcoming Martisor holiday (see a previous blog about this Romanian holiday filled with Spring, romance, and love for women).   You'd hardly know COVID was even a thing here.

    I couldn't just walk away without taking a peek back at the site we had just left - towering over everything around it.

    Every Romanian village has a great park.  I'll be heading back here when the grass is green, the trees are filled with leaves, and the flowers are in full bloom.

    Walking back toward the castle.  There are several sights in the immediate vicinity of here worth visiting.  This modern church located behind the castle, especially the mosaic fresco in the front portico, is amazing.

    Call me weird (and I know many of you do) but I love the architecture you find all over Romania.

    The Palatul Teodor Costescu theater is a beautiful building, I wish it was open so I could see the inside.  I'm sure it is equally exquisite.

    Next we took a walk in the park.  I saw some statuary which I always love to look at.

    Located in ancient Dacia, it is only appropriate to have a bust of King Decebal, the greatest leader of this region.

    And it kinda sorta makes sense to have Emperor Trajan who ruled this area but wasn't he the one who conquered the Dacians 😳 ?

    And what walk in the park would be complete without seeing some local Gypsies enjoying the great Spring weather?

    Finishing up our time in this wonderful city, we decided to stop for dinner at a local eatery - to get some Italian food.  Some Caprese salad and bruschetta followed up with a seven-layer lasagna then finished off with a cappuccino.  Great way to end the day with a good friend in a great city.

    Across the street from the Italian eatery was a church all lit up at night, I couldn't help but stop and take a look.

    I would like to say thank you to our host country and to the people of Drobeta-Turnu Severin for a great day.  The people are courteous and willing to help out this bumbling American make his way through their amazing land.

    Here's a little history about this city and the Water Castle for anyone who is as interested as I was 💙

    The Water Castle is a real symbol of Drobeta-Turnu Severin.  It has become not only the landmark for a tourist spot of this Danube bank city, but also one of the most important attractions for foreigners like us. The Water Tower was approved by the city council on June 10, 1910 as part of the city’s water filtration and supply system. It is built out of reinforced concrete and was designed by Romanian engineer Elie Radu, who also worked on Bucharest’s water supply network. The castle was going to be placed on the highest point in town, at 340 feet or 104 meters for an advantageous distribution throughout all areas of the city.  At almost 100 feet tall (27 meters) and 35 feet (10 meters) in diameter, it's the city’s tallest building.

    The structure was finished in 1913 and inaugurated a year later when the entire water supply system for the city was completed.  It was designed with two bunk tanks for a total capacity of over 35,000 cubic feet (1025 cubic meters) of water or around 262,000 gallons.  The average American water tower holds nearly one million gallons of water.

    Because of its height, during WW I, the castle was used by the German army as an observation point it served as an observation point for firemen and for the military.  This building went through both World Wars with no consequences.

    During WW I, the Germans had people in the upper cupola keeping in touch with the escadrille commander over Severin and directing the places to be bombarded. Over time, the holding tanks in the castle became insufficient and a third tank installed. It was finished in 1964 and was placed in the bridge space above the top floor of the building.

    It fulfilled this role until 1980.  Then the tanks were emptied and the tower building was converted into offices for the company  administering the water supply and sewage for the city. In December 2010, the Drobeta-Turnu Severin city hall obtained funding from the EU to restore the Water Castle.  They turned it into an ‘Arts’ Castle, hosting various local exhibitions, a museum covering the history of Drobeta’s water supply process, and a place to admire the city views.

    The Water Castle is built on various levels housing exhibit spaces, an art gallery, and a tourist information point on the ground floor. There are two ways to get to the top of the tower, either the short one, with an elevator, or by climbing the 400 hundred steps, an effort that is worth the climb.

    Each floor is unique in its own way. You can find out about the history of the tower through the art work from the time when the entire town was supplied with water from here. Paintings, inscriptions, and many sculptures all tell a story and sort of bring you back to the old days.  The restoration was completed in 2018.

Timisoara - The Jewel of Western Romania

Ok, so what did you do for the Valentine's Day/President's Day 4-day holiday this year?  

I got a wild hair and said to myself, "I love the way it sounds to say Tim-ee-shwar-ah and I can't find anyone who wants to go there, so why not go alone?"  So I did some research for the trip and hastily decided to make the 7 hour train ride to the far western city of Timisoara for a long weekend.  The city intrigued me from the start of my tour here.  Being from Boston, for some strange reason I felt a tie to Timișoara   All the history I learned growing up in Massachusetts taught me about the power of the people uprising against a totalitarian government in it's pursuit for freedom.  Timișoara was the birthplace of the Romanian Revolution.

The 1989 Romanian Revolution and the Fall of Communist Dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu

I think we all remember 1989 as the year of remarkable popular uprisings throughout the world.  Most notably Tiananmen Square in China, the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany, and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.  In December of that year, we saw the fall of one of Eastern Europe’s most brutal dictators, Nicolae Ceaușescu; and it did not come peacefully.  The Romanian Revolution started in the city of Timișoara on December 16 and spread across the country.  One ethnic Hungarian pastor spoke out against the Communist regimes policies. This in turn led to massive student protests and a crackdown by the military.  Ceaușescu traveled to Timișoara and made a speech at the Palace (now renamed Revolution) Square, on December 21.  People in the crowd, who had been bussed in from all over Romania to show support, began openly booing him and chanting “Timișoara!”  Ceaușescu departed the city to return to Bucharest and try to squash the revolt, but it was too late.

Timisoara Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral in the background

Members of Romania’s ethnic Hungarian minority gathered to prevent Pastor László Tőkés from being evicted from his home as punishment for criticizing the government. The number of protesters soon swelled, and their grievances rapidly grew beyond the original issue.  In the ensuing hours; a spontaneous demonstration, a march to a cemetery to pay homage to some of the citizens who had fallen victim to security forces excesses. The government violently repressed the march.  When a crowd of protesters defied the mayor’s orders and waved Romanian flags with the regime’s coat of arms cut from the center, the group was fired upon, leaving many dead and many more wounded.  It was too late now to stop it, the entire province blew up and the rebellion started to spread like wildfire to other regions.

Try to imagine how very difficult it was under Communist rule for the people to get news out on what was going on.  Regardless, in a matter of days the entire country was literally up in arms.  Of the 40 provinces, well over three quarters of them were engulfed in revolt. Using whatever method they could, the word of one uprising spread from region to region.  Strength in numbers works - people shed their fear of the ruthless authoritarian rule and rose up.

The Ceaușescu regime took its usual 'take-no-prisoners' and 'give-no-ground' approach to these uprisings.  They couldn't afford for the uprising to continue. He ordered the security forces to do whatever they needed to do to break the will of this incipient uprising. The people refused to back down.  Blood flowed in the streets.

Many members of the military were wearing the uniform only because they had no choice.  Durning the Revolution though, thousands of rank-and-file members of the military switched, almost unanimously, from supporting the dictator to backing the protesting population. 

Rioting in several Romanian cities forced Ceaușescu and his wife Elena, who was also Deputy Prime Minister, to flee Bucharest by helicopter on 23 December. The new leaders expeditiously dispatched troops to capture the dictators and return them to the capitol city.  Before the sentences were carried out, Elena Ceausescu screamed, “You motherfuckers!” while being led up against the wall.  At the same time, Nicolae Ceausescu sang “The Internationale”. They were tried and publicly executed on Christmas Day 1989. The Ceaușescus were the last people to be executed in Romania before the abolition of capital punishment on 7 January 1990.

Just 45 days before I traveled to Timișoara  the country celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Romanian Revolution and their freedom from oppression.  It has taken time but the country is slowly healing from decades of Communist rule.  It will take a long time for them to fully recover but the people are resilient and friendly.  Their country has so very much to offer and I think in the coming years, you'll see Romania's popularity increase and assist the country in building a brighter and richer future.

Back to my adventure...I thought the history was important for my readers to know.

I got onto my iPhone's Eurail Pass app and figured out the best time to depart Caracal so I can arrive in Timi before dark.  Next, let me find a place to stay.  There were plenty of really nice hotels in the city but I wanted the full-on Romanian experience.  I got onto Airbnb and reserved a suite in one of the old Communist era 'block houses' for the weekend.  I contacted my friend, taxi driver Cosmin and asked him to pick me up at the dorm and take me to the train station on Friday at 07:00.

I packed the night before and was ready to go when Cosmin arrived.  I got into the cab and talked to him about my trip to Timișoara   He asked why because there's not really anything special there like the many sights throughout eastern Romania.  I told him I wanted to go there because I don't know anyone who had ever been there.  He dropped me off at the train station and I paid my 165 lei (about $40 and waited for the train to arrive.  

When it pulled into the station, I got more excited (and a little anxious) to see the cool train.  This was my first solo trip for so long although I had spent quite a bit of time on trips with my friends and coworkers.  The other aspect I was nervous about was going somewhere and not knowing (because there's not a large English-speaking population) how I'll do on my own armed with my very poor Romanian language skills - and my Google translate.   

At first I was unsure which train I would be taking...

After a very long ride in a pretty comfortable Second Class car (there were no First Class tickets on this trip) in which I slept quite a good part of the time, I arrived in the city at about 15:00.  I grabbed my suitcase and backpack and started walking to my Airbnb.  The suite was a four mile walk away and it was February (hint hint - it was chilly).  I could have taken an Uber but I wanted to see the city from this perspective as I strolled through the city center and Old Town.  It was a beautiful walk.

The first record of the city of Timișoara dates back to 1212.  The city was built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress called Castrum Regium Themes.

Over the centuries, Timișoara  which is the largest city in western Romania, has been influenced by many cultures. The Romans used it as an important crossroads fortress until the Tatars destroyed it in the 13th century. Timișoara was under the protection of the Turkish armies from the time they conquered the region in 1552 until 1718 when the region of Banat came under Austrian rule for two centuries. Timișoara became a vital commercial and manufacturing town. The Turks, Austrians, Germans, and Serbs all left their mark.  As you walk through the neighborhoods, you can see their influence throughout the city even today.

The charm of this city, which is settled on the northern bank of the Bega River, lies in its  architectural character and vibrant cultural life. It has often been referred to as "Little Vienna," and is home to year-round musical and theatrical performances, art galleries, museums, and as I suspect, a buzzing nightlife. I will explain more about the more recent history of the city shortly but it seems to always have been a progressive, cosmopolitan place.  It was the first city in Europe and second in the world after New York, to use electricity to illuminate its public streets.

As I neared the city center, I saw the image of this church growing larger and larger as I approached.  The size was immense, the architecture was strong, and the ornate decoration was unlike any I had seen before.  

Timisoara Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral – Catedrala Mitropolitană Timișoara

Researching what Timișoara had to offer before I departed, I learned construction of this beautiful cathedral began in 1936  by a crew of engineers from Bucharest. Development lasted five years and the project was finished in 1941. To support this stone structure, the foundation is built on a massive concrete slab reinforced with over 1,000 concrete pillars, each buried 66 feet or 20 meters deep. The building is 207 feet (63 m) by 105 feet (32 m) with a total height of 297 feet (90.5 m). 

I'll have more pictures of the cathedral later in this page as it is THE focal point in this beautiful city.

Random observation - I was walking to my Airbnb and passed this telephone pole.

As an IT guy, I found it pretty funny.  Not sure I'd let my team run cabling like this but it is almost the standard here. 😵

I saw this sculpture in a small park near my suite. It is a tribute to the wounded and disabled soldiers who fought in WWII.  Pretty interesting.

Old Town Timișoara.   It was a chilly and drizzling day so there weren't too many people out and about on this Friday afternoon.  I expect it'll get much busier as night falls, especially since it's Valentine's Day 💛.

Unirii (Union) Square

The main areas of interest in Timișoara lie primarily around this park.  This square was formed as a result of the inner area created by the inner city’s defense wall.  The defensive fortification wall was made of earth, protected on the outside by a massive timber log fence (for a lack of a better term), plastered with lime. In front of the wall, on the outside of the barricade, was the fortress’ main moat (sans alligators). During the 1716 siege, the wall was damaged but later repaired.

Starting in 1733, the local government began several projects in order to set up a city square here.   In line with this plan, in 1740 they began to demolish the defense wall. Subsequently, the city’s moat was filled with earth and the square is paved with natural stone. The last remnants of the fortification existed in the square until 1745 to 1746.  It is gone now within the square but I saw vestiges of a fortification wall as I walked back and forth between my Airbnb and the City Center (see the picture of the "Cheers" restaurant earlier in this page).

Sometime soon after 1786, the construction of buildings sealing off the area was completed and Unirii Square became a closed urban area or park.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral (Catedrala Episcopala Romano-Catolica)

When I walked into the square, on the east side I saw the Catholic Church.  It was built between 1736 and 1754 by architect Fisher von Erlach and represents a fine example of Viennese baroque style.  This region of Romania was under Austro-Hungarian rule for many years and their influence is ever-present.

Victory Square (Piata Victoriei)

Some of the city's most interesting sites are its elegant baroque buildings, spread around town and particularly along the main square, Piata Victoriei, which stretches from Opera Square (Piata Operei) to Loga Boulevard.

Across the square, the spires in the background are from the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral

The church was built between 1744 and 1748.  The Orthodox Episcopal Church (Cathedral) is built on the site of the old fortifications which were built in the sixteenth century and demolished sometime after 1740. The towers were constructed in 1760, covered with sheet copper, and installed in the years 1791 & 1792.

Until 1865, at the time of the hierarchical separation between Romanians and Serbians, the building was the Orthodox Episcopal Cathedral.

The building is constructed in the Baroque style with Classicist elements, due perhaps to some restorations from the beginning of the nineteenth century.  The building has been restored numerous times: in 1903, 1962 to 1964, 1982 to 1983, and 1993 to 2007.  I'll have to go visit the church soon but right now - it's dinner time!

This is the most awesome restaurants (BRAK) I have ever been in.  It doesn't hurt the painting on the wall was freaking incredible.  A Dacian warrior riding a horse while displaying the Draco Flag of the Dacian Empire.  Then all the traditional Romanian articles mounted on the brick wall - pretty cool.

Grilled portobello mushroom appetizer and then followed up with traditional Romanian wild boar stew and mamaliga (polenta).  YUMMY!

After dinner, I strolled around and left the night to lovers.  I headed back to my Airbnb and wrestled with the cable throughout the night before I finally gave up and went to bed.  It had been a very long day.

The next morning I woke up and headed out for more exploration.  Today - Iulius Mall.  The best mall I've ever been in, whether here or in the States.  

Below are the Food Court pictures.  It was so large I could barely see from one end to the other (you know, curvature of the Earth stuff).  It's been over a year since I've had Chinese food - so 'Chinese Fast Food' it was!  It was GREAT.

A couple of old familiars below.

 Time to go on a walkabout again - back to City Center!

St. Mary and St. Nepomuk Monument

This monument has two names and both are used depending on which history you learned: “Saint Mary Monument” and “Saint Nepomuk Monument".

This statue actually replaces another from 1756, the older and more modest statue represented Stain Nepomuk, patron saint of Catholics in the Banat Region. Evidently the first statue was carved in low resistance sandstone and started deteriorated pretty quickly.  It was replaced with the delightful statue I see today. Over the years, the old Nepomuk was moved to different places around the city, finally ending up in the Catholic churchyard in Fabric district of the city.

The plague of 1738-1739 cost the lives of around 1,000 of the 6,000 inhabitants of Timişoara at the time. Following 1739, the city administration represented swore a solemn oath to do various good deeds as a sign of gratitude for the cessation of the epidemic - this statue was one of them.

The monument of the Holy Trinity

The Monument of the Holy Trinity (“the plague monument”) and thUnirii Square fountain are positioned in the middle of Unirii Square.

The statue of the Holy Trinity  is considered to be the most outstanding monument of Baroque art creation in Timişoara. Presumably (based on stylistic analogies with other works) it is a creation of Viennese sculptor Georg Raphael Donner.

The statue was brought to Timişoara from Vienna in 1740. The motivation for the monument was the commemoration of the major problems which had hit Timişoara during the war with the Turks between 1737 to 1739.  The sculpture must have cost a large sum of money for a city which was far from the prosperity others in Western and Central Europe presented. Similar monuments were very common during the Baroque period in the Catholic areas of Austria and southern Germany.

The monument’s base is a three sided pedestal; on each side there are figurative Baroque reliefs representing plague, famine, and war. On the pedestal’s corners, namely on consoles supported on volutes, are statues of the saints Rochus, Sebastian (the one with the arrow) and Karl Borromeus.

In the center rises a beautifully carved column; at its base St. Ioan of Nepomuk is represented, and below it there is Saint Rozalia. At the same height as Saint Nepomuk, but on the other sides of the column, there are King David and Saint Barbara.

The column is topped with an Ionic capital, on which resides the Holy Trinity thrones.

As I stated earlier, the statue came to Timişoara in 1740.  It had to have been placed somewhere else in the city in the beginning because, according to what is available to read, Unirii Square was still a far from finished construction site in 1740.  It's a beautiful statue and I'm glad it has survived.

I had to seriously contemplate how long I would spend in a Romanian jail for stealing this statue outside the restaurant I ate at last night.  Thinking it out carefully, I decided it wasn't worth it.  If you want to see what a jail is like here, watch "World's Worst Jails and look for the Craiova Prison.

This street musician was out of this world, on a piano older than I can even imagine.

Here's the handicap statue - a better picture.  I was walking by again on my way to dinner.

Grilled whitefish with rice and a tomato salad (and the obligatory local white wine).

Nutella clatite (crepes) are always a great dessert!

It's now Sunday morning, time for me to visit some of the other sites I've come here to Timișoara to see - namely the Communist Consumer Museum on the southern part of the city.  It was a four mile walk with plenty to see on the way.  Walk with me please...

Walking into Olde Town, I was amazed by the Austrian / Boroque architecture.  The city was coming alive and the streets started to fill with families enjoying the spring-like weather.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a cappuccino and a pastry.

Dauerbach Palace

Look who I found in the center of Old Town, Vlad the Impaler!

Huniade Castle

I wanted to visit Huniade Castle and after walking around for almost an hour in the part of the city I 'thought' it was supposed to be, I found it!  But it was closed for renovation.  It wasn't marked or identified anywhere as being the castle.  I asked some people and they said it was closed to visitors several years ago pending a renovation but they felt it would never open again.  WTH!

Here's a brief history of what I learned about this structure, it's actually pretty cool.

• 1307 - 1315 (or 1314), Charles Robert of Anjou, King of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Rama, and since 1308 King of Hungary, built “with Italian craftsmen” (according to historical tradition) a brick castle, located largely in the courtyard of today’s building.
• 1315 - 1323 (1316 - 1318, or 1325 according to other sources) – the castle served as a royal residence.
• 1443 – Damaged by an earthquake.
• 1443 - 1447 Ioan de Hunedoara takes up residence in Timişoara and restores the castle.  If you remember one of my earlier blog posts, Ioan (John) of Hunedoara was the King who built Corvin's Castle.  Hunyadi invaded Wallachia and dethroned Vlad Dracul in December 1447.  If you want some great reading, please see the information at the link below.

John Hunyadi

All over Romania you can find Romulus and Remus statues

Bega River

The Elisabetin Romano-Catholic Church

According to their website, on June 12, 1912 (the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) the construction of the church began. Works were stalled because of World War I, and later resumed in the spring of 1919.  The church building is dominated by the two towers, both 187 feet (57 meters) high. 

I made a new friend, I'm not used to seeing cats because of all the stray dogs in Romania.  There were no dogs here except those on leashes.  It was kinda nice not to see all the poor mistreated and hungry dogs.

Communist Consumers Museum

The Communist Consumers Museum is designed as a typical Romanian apartment from that era, with a living room, children's room, kitchen and hallways. It displays on shelves, in closets and drawers most of everything that Romanians could buy before the revolution of 1989, from toys to vinyls, TV and radio sets to bicycles, kitchen attire and much, much more. After traveling through time in the museum, if you want to hang around, you can also enjoy a nice relaxing time in the upstairs bar.  The 'curators' were really nice and showed me around before leaving me on my own so they could go back to standing bar.

Relax and take a tour of the museum through these pictures.  It was cool, but different.

Gas mask, just what every good Communist home should have!

I found this chandelier pretty interesting.  I wonder if I could recommend one of these at home?

My visit at the museum was over, it was pretty cool seeing how people existed in Romania under Communist rule but now it was time to wander back, enjoy the architecture, and find something to eat.

I know I was curious from the first days I arrived here about what the Communist-era block apartments looked like inside. Every weekend I would travel to nearby Craiova for my weekly shopping excursion or on my frequent trips into Bucharest I would walk by the massive apartment complexes and wonder how people lived.  I remember the same concept executed in the States during the 60s and they were an abysmal failure.  Well, I got my chance by renting a block apartment for my four-day weekend.  Here's a few snapshots from entering the complex to a tour of each room.

Coming through the exterior doors into the stairwell leading to the upper floors.  There was no elevator here.

Walking into the front door, you enter the kitchen area.  There's a tiny stove/oven right next to the water heater and radiator (typically European).  This is pretty nice.  They have done some upgrades like the ceramic tile throughout.  There's an unusually large refrigerator (for here) and you can see the washing machine under the counter near the sink.  I'm pretty sure Americans wouldn't go for this, plus our washers (there's no dryer here) are much larger.

Leaving the kitchen, I walk into the living room.  Outfitted with a television, desk, coffee table, and a sofa.  Other than the television (which barely works), everything else dates back several decades.

The bathroom fills the needs of a single person or a couple.  Anymore than two and we'd be hard-pressed.  I'm not complaining, just pointing out the differences between what we are accustomed to and what people here were forced to live with.  This is not bad but I'm sure the owner has done quite a bit of work to make it look as good as it does.  Thirty years ago, it was a completely different story.

The last room in the apartment is the bedroom.  The door is pretty neat.  The mattress is filled with straw and broken springs and I'm sure it dates back to the 60s.

I asked some Romanian friends how, when the Communist Party was overthrown thirty years ago, did the new government deal with the sudden problem of 'ownership' of property such as this.  They said in the months following the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the new government offered people the opportunity to purchase the homes and apartments they were presently living in or to file suit for properties their families owned before the Communists came to power.

When I first saw this structure, I thought it was some cool ancient fortress tower.  Little did I know it was a water tower - how cool is that!  And there's a story behind it too.

It was built from 1912 to 1914

The domestic water supply was always a major problem of Timisoara City. In a brief description  from 1551, it mentioned a deep well located in the premises of the castle. The archeological diggings from the castle yard, carried out in 2009 revealed a well but no one could be certain if this was actually the well described in 1551.

The Turkish traveller, Evlia Celebi, stated in 1660 the 'Timiş' river (actually it was the Bega River, whose branches mixed at that time with the Timiş River branches, and therefore was often referred to as the 'Timişul Mic' River) was flowing in two places in the fortress by means of the filters.  This was from where the inhabitants took their drinking and cooking water. Unfortunately, the "Timis" River was also the garbage dumpster since they hadn't invented sewer systems yet. The researchers were pretty sure the water filtration was a positive fact, considering in a Northern European city, such as Hamburg Germany, the domestic water started to be filtrated only after the cholera epidemics in 1892, which took over 9.000 lives in this one town!

After the project of building an aqueduct intended to bring the water from Girmata was completed, a "hydraulic machine" was designed and built on a small island in the Bega River. Here, after being passed through a sawdust filter, the water coming from the Bega River was pumped into a water supply system consisting in two wooden pumps.  They had two of these pumps because one would always function while the other was being cleaned or repaired. This system supplied the domestic water for the fortress. In 1774, a water tower, which you can see on the current official emblem of the city, was built on the location of the "hydraulic machine" Unfortunately, the water tower was destroyed during the siege of 1849. Now the water supply to the fortress had to be provided by wells until a new solution was determined. In 1892, when the concept of the city being a 'military fortress' any longer was abandoned, the city leaders brought to the table the idea of developing a "modern" water supply system. Numerous projects were drawn up. 

Many engineers submitted suggestions but the solution designed by local engineer Stan Vidrighin (who was the mayor of Timisoara City from 1919 - 1921 and from February 3rd 1922 to August 31st 1922, and who also went blind in the Communist concentration camps), was selected. From 1904 to 1907, Mr. Vidrighin drew up the projects for the water supply and drainage systems in Timisoara. In 1910 he was sent to study, in the field, the water supply and drainage systems used in cities like Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, Köln, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, and London. Mr. Vidrighin designed and  then developed the water supply and drainage systems of Timisoara.  These systems, which were first operated in 1912 and completed in 1914, are still functional today.

Sadly, the weekend has come to an end and I must head back to Caracal.  My Eurail app tells me I'll pull out at almost 14:00 and arrive back in Caracal severn and a half hours later.  This time I took an Uber to the train station, I'd done enough walking over the last three days and four more miles was pushing my limit.

Getting onto the train, I saw it was brand new - how awesome!  The car was nearly full but it was a comfortable ride. 

There was a guy walking up and down the aisle selling sandwiches and drinks and snacks.  The scenery was cool (until it got dark) and the ride seemed a lot shorter going back.

Here's a great look at the Danube with the sun setting in the west.

The Caracal train station at nine thirty at night is pretty desolate while I wait for Cosmin to take me back to the base.  It was an awesome weekend and I love Timisoara.  I know it's not a hot tourist destination but it's a fantastic city I'd love to visit again.

Last minute entry - is this one of the most incredible t-shirts ever?