Pond or Pool?

The first time I went to Romania we took a group of teenagers to a public pool in a rural town that was about a two-hour drive away from where they lived. There were very nice views of the mountains surrounding the area, as you can see in some of the pictures below.

But perhaps the strangest thing about this pool was that it was literally water from the pond next to the pool. You couldn’t see the bottom of the pool, simply because it was murky pond water.

Despite the fact that it didn’t seem as sanitary as a typical public pool in America (but then again, how many pools are actually sanitary?), we still had a great time with the teenagers there!

Would you swim in this pool? I didn’t go willingly, but when I did eventually get dragged in, I had a lot of fun! 😉

Enjoying the Countryside

Whether you’re used to the hustle-bustle of city life or the stillness of the countryside, Romania has some breathtaking views. Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance yet to spend time in any major Romanian cities, but the countryside in Sălaj County is absolutely beautiful. See for yourself in the pictures below!

There is a lot of farmland in Romania, despite its hilly terrain.

Haystacks like these are common sights throughout the rural areas.

A large secluded pond. It was so peaceful not hearing any cars driving by!

No, the trees in Romania don’t naturally have white trunks. I noticed this a lot in orchards and in towns. I’ve never gotten a certain answer as to why so many trees in Romania are painted white at the base, but eHow has an article explaining several reasons for doing so.

This is actually the view from the top of the hillside in the first picture.