Transalpina

The lofty guest post from tonight comes from Mari:

Copyright: Wikipedia

She is blonde, she is sexy and she gets along with the president of Romania (even better than his wife does, malicious tongues would say). And she invites everybody to "Explore the Carpathian garden", the official Romanian tourism slogan which was launched last year. If you're a guest in our country and came across this blog by chance (or not), you probably don't have a clue whom I'm talking about. Well, folks, there is a name you all should keep in mind: Elena Udrea, Romania's controversial minister of tourism (I'm kidding, ok?? I'm not a fan of her, I don't even know for sure what her role in the ministry and the well-being of our country is). Actually, this is all I know about her. Oh, I also know that she is married to a wealthy man and that she is fond of brand name handbags and high-heeled shoes which she wears irrespective of the weather conditions, place or occasion. 

Copyright: Wikipedia

I wouldn't have mentioned her if I hadn't had this trip in the Parang Mountains last Sunday, which reminded me of the famous slogan. Because I'm sure there are plenty of places in Romania which are worth exploring but are not promoted enough. Such is the case with Transalpina, located in the Parang Mountains, which is considered one of the best and most spectacular roads of Romania, crossing the mountains from Oltenia to Transylvania. It is 148 km long and its maximum heights are reached at Urdele Pass, 2.145 m above sea level. The view is magnificent, you just have to go and see it! And, if you're a lazy bum or a cold hater, you don't even have to stop and get out of the car to take pictures; you can do this out of the side window of your moving car, provided that you sit in the right seat and your camera has an image stabilization function. 

If you ask me, I haven't seen a better road in Romania and seriously doubt it that a better one will be built here in the next 10 years. Allow me to play the pessimistic role! :)