Constanta Romania

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<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Constanta, Romania

Constanta is a small city in the midst of a serious reconstruction effort. It has a long way to go. Nonetheless it is worth visiting if you don’t mind zigzagging around construction pits, loose cobble stones and piles of rubble. We were told that the reconstruction is being partially financed by the European Union, while Romania struggles to keep up with its more prosperous fellow EU members. Our talkative guide was a chubby little man who regaled us with tails of the disastrous years when Nikolai Ceausescu and his evil wife ruled the country. Fear of the secret police kept the people in line while Ceausescu ruined the economy. He and his wife got their comeuppance in 1989 when they were both arrested and summarily executed. Romania and Constanta has come a long way since but the damage will take a long time to repair. As our guide pointed out, Romanians have very little experience with democracy so they are in the midst of a long learning curve. As a memento I bought a small icon of Madonna and Child at the orthodox church of St. Peter and Paul. The archeological museum in Constanta is well worth a visit. The public square in front of the building is under rigorous reconstruction. I would love to return here in maybe 10 years to see what changes have been made.

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