Category: Romania #Im4Ro

#Im4Ro ~ Sharing Positive Stories from Romania

I'm for Romania #Im4Ro

Here you can discover inspiring stories, timeless travel paths, and the rich folklore of Romania.

For additional nuggets from Romania’s culture you can jumps straight to these pages on my blog:
Nuggets of Romanian Folklore, Myths and Legends
Jewels of Romanian History and Travel
Posted on

Slow Gun Poetry: Romanian Words That Endure

Zlatari Church, square photo

Slow Gun Poetry, as Romanian Words That Endure, is inspired by this year’s theme of the Bucharest International Poetry Festival Slow Gun Poetry — Poezie cu bătaie lungă (Long-Range Poetry) inspired by poet Cezar Ivanescu’s reflection on the force of a single mark on a sheet of paper: how a single word can spark ideas, shape consciousness and even ignite revolutions.

This International Poetry Festival is at its 16th edition and takes place in Bucharest, 14-20 September 2026. All images in this blog post depict Bucharest.

Continue reading “Slow Gun Poetry: Romanian Words That Endure”
Posted on

The Lonely Return of Vlad III to Târgoviște, Reclaiming the Wanted Throne 1448, Part 3

We’re following Vlad III to Târgoviște, his father’s princely court that, at least this time, proved to be a cold and lonely space when young Vlad arrived to reclaim its most-wanted throne.

To understand Vlad Dracula we should visit more than his fortresses. We should search the Ottoman courts as well as the Wallachian and Transylvanian cities that harbored him. Additionally, the roads, mountain passes, and foreign paths that influenced his life.

The places where he lived tell part of his story. But the places where he was held, fought, fled and returned to – tell the rest.

Continue reading “The Lonely Return of Vlad III to Târgoviște, Reclaiming the Wanted Throne 1448, Part 3”
Posted on

Where Did Vlad the Impaler Live? Part 1: Sighișoara, Târgoviște, Gallipoli, and Eğrigöz

Following young Vlad Dracula through 15th century Transylvania and Wallachia to: Sighișoara, Târgoviște, Gallipoli and Eğrigöz.

When we picture Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula, we tend to picture him in a castle: dark stone, narrow windows, a throne, perhaps the mountains rising behind him. Vlad did not spend his life in one castle, one principality, or even one political world. Not even on one continent.

To follow Vlad’s life is to follow a landscape of shifting power: Târgoviște, the princely capital; Transylvania and its fortified towns; the roads crossing the Carpathians; the Ottoman world where he was held hostage; the Hungarian royal court; and, eventually, the battlefields and forests through which he fought his way, always back to Wallachia.

Each left something behind: a language, an allegiance, a military lesson, a memory of captivity, or an enemy who would later become an ally.

Continue reading “Where Did Vlad the Impaler Live? Part 1: Sighișoara, Târgoviște, Gallipoli, and Eğrigöz”
Posted on

Cover Reveal: The Book That Should Have Been Lost

The Book That Should Have Been Lost

Over the moon to share with you the cover for my new novella The Book That Should Have Been Lost, another companion read to the Blood of Kings, Heart of Shadows historical fiction saga set in medieval Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia – today Romania, my birth country.

The Book That Should Have Been Lost – Some books tell history. One remembers the truth.

Continue reading “Cover Reveal: The Book That Should Have Been Lost”