Places To Go
I love the idea that a certain place inspires me for further doings. My son inspires me to go places since he came into my life. So every day I take him places and he models for me without knowing. I made a whole bunch of photos with him these past months which may one day turn into an exhibition of pandemic times with positive vibes. Without knowing he actually seems to be taking me to more than life itself. Since having him, the joy of going places seen before is even bigger. I will start here by making a list of what I find interesting for a little one to do and when is the best time for that. It’s a personal interpretation of how to make the little one get the most of our time in Bucharest or around Romania. Some people don’t enjoy so much some place, some places are too early for him to check out, but to me, education is all the small things we get and use later on. It worked for me and it might as well work for my baby. I am saying this as some of you may judge as wrong taking a young child to a museum. However my mother took me to business meetings when I was very young. I didn’t know what I was witnessing, but I have learned to know people beyond their words, to shut up and to speak up. By sixteen I was already among bank directors or ambassadors and I felt comfortable speaking up with such adults. So, yes, a museum may be a bit too much for a 1,5 year old, but he will remember some strange things that he may use later on. So without further ado I am putting below a very nice long list to try sometimes in the free days with your child.
Animal Farm / Ferma Animalelor – Comuna/Orasul Pantelimon
It’s a ranch zoo which I love for the concept and dedication of those involved. It was started out by a family who by the time they had two kids were also keen on showing the little ones life at a farm with its best and worst. And they have extended it all into a completely functional business even today. It has a variety of local or international type of goats. You can find sheep, ponies, horses, ducks, swans, chickens and roosters, buffaloes and some other animals. It’s best to go on weekdays – they open at 9:00 and close by 17:30. You can get some dairy snack over there and also snacks to feed the animals for the child’s delight. First time we came here he didn’t understand food was for the goats, so he would try to taste the small bites. Then he would protest for his own hungry stomach. Now he knows that food is for goats. And he learned so much by coming here. They have good and fresh dairy products. You can buy with credit card so no need for cash bringing along. On a general note, it’s very friendly for kids. I left my 20 month old wander around as much as he wanted. He would discover animals, hide from us, find us and so on. Despite the animal smell, which is familiar to all farms, you can have a relaxing time. No animal will harm your kid. Our little boy got slightly bit by a rooster first time he went there and he remembers to hate birds and stay away. He learned something from the happening, so I really don’t mind the rooster bite since it was anyway more of a scare than the actual bite. Goats may have a bit of an attitude, but then again they always do, so please let your child enjoy the time spent here without worrying too much.
It’s a wonderful place to go in the warm summer days when you have to get out of the city heat. It’s all covered in tall shady trees. So you don’t need to worry for the heat. It has one area, where the horses are, which has a small opening in the forest, but unless you are horse back riding, you will only pass by. If you are not from Bucharest, or even if you are, you can also spend the night here in one of the houses. The place opens at 10:00, it’s open weekdays or weekend and it’s more crowded during the weekend. In the summer days it’s ideal for spending all day over there as you are deep in the forest. It has a small zoo: camels, ostrich, horses, goats, lamas, deers, which are incredibly fun for kids to watch. You cannot interact with the animals. And I wouldn’t advise a little one to mess with the tall ones, but they will watch and learn from their behaviour. We went there twice and the second time my son recognized the tall birds, ostrich. We spent a few hours in the afternoon, when is our son’s longest period of awake time. We tried taking the kid when he was still napping, but it was a bit difficult, so we decided to wait a while. And by the time he was 18 months old he clearly loved it more. We take him there for the fresh air, for the horse smell and for the joy of the forest. He loves strolling his little bike in the forest, watching the tree climbing routes and watching animals. Going with a sport stroller is a real hassle, so I wouldn’t advise it. They don’t allow bringing food or drinks for adults. They have a bunch of restaurants. Mostly fast food or traditional dishes. Everywhere you can pay by credit card, but you also have an ATM machine in the deep forest. The whole climbing of the trees is a real pleasure to watch even for our 20 month old baby.
Comana – Giurgiu country
It’s the perfect place to go in spring or autumn. You can take there your own food and rest on the green grass. It’s a real beauty what the owner has done bit by bit with this piece of swamp. It’s a small delta which offers great options for fun for adults or kids. It’s a hotel with several type of cuisine restaurants and places to fish. The restaurant is best to reserve in advance. The place is best for kids to wander as it’s flat. If you have a small kid you might as well take him and the stroller and spend a whole day by the lakes. It’s a strange beauty if you go in the summer as it can be quite hot. It’s absolutely fantastic in spring. In the same village you have also small aerodrome (Aerodrom Comana) and a place for discovering traditional handmaking process (Moara de Hartie-Satul Mestesugarilor). The forest in the neighboring area is also great for a walk in the shade. You might also enjoy the biking experience as the place is very flat and you have a lot of water and forest getting together in a nice landscape for visiting.
Last time I went there it was when I was pregnant. I wouldn’t advise any mom-to-be to go there. All the smells made me really sick. Still I love animals and it gives you a good vibe to watch the species diversity. I know some of you may feel bad for the animals being in captivity. Still you have to know these are not animals who would survive in the wilderness since they are usually born and raised in captivity. It is sad as their ancestors were caught and put into cages, but think about the good side of it: this is what has helped us discover so many things about our evolution, about their behaviour and so on. It’s a good option for the spring or autumn days because otherwise it’s very hot since the forest is further away, it’s got a lot of concrete and it gets too hot. However I highly recommend if you go to the city of Brasov to go and visit the zoo over there as it’s way more entertaining, although the species are more local.
This was a perfect choice before the pandemic lockdown. It’s a big park in a way, but some small explanations next to plants and trees help the visitors treat it as a more serious business. Not the case for my little one, but it is a big running field for his restless feet. It’s a place where you cannot go for a picnic, but rather just visit quickly and leave. It’s got a small boutique to serve some drinks or ice cream in summer days. It’s a good choice even for sunny days as you also have big old trees, but clearly much better in spring or autumn. My son enjoyed the visit and learned a little bit about caring for the plants. Before this visit he used to have this strange habit of shaking our trees at home. After the visit he has learned there is this beautiful thing called nature and he respects it more now. It’s clearly a good place to take the kids no matter how young. At this age with his biking habits, it’s a big place for him to wander.
Muzeul National de Arta al Romaniei – downtown Bucharest
It is actually the Royal Palace, a well preserved and beautiful building in the very downtown of Bucharest. Well, one may say I am crazy, but I assure you I am not. It’s a huge palace and he enjoyed the big rooms, the huge spaces and even noticed stuff like babies in the paintings. Before going with my son there, I would notice the religious themes in most of the paintings, while he stroked the eternal presence of the baby in most representations. It’s a strange remark for a baby, but I have to admit I am very pleased he reacted in such a manner. Please don’t treat them as silly beings only because they are little. All babies were naked with pink skins. If he recognized them means he was clearly defining some things in his brain. He may not have the full knowledge to do a hermeneutic analysis, but please allow them to notice as much as possible. It’s a small visit of maximum two hours which may open up a very an interesting and unexpected horizon for the little one.
Mogosoaia Palace Park – very close to Bucharest
This is a very nice place for a picnic setup, for the kid to do his activities and for parents to enjoy some outdoor activities. It may get very hot in summer time, but it is a very big place with a nice garden. The place used to belong to the palace and the park is absolutely fabulous with big old trees and wide lawns. Stroll, walk or ride the bike, it’s a good fresh air choice to get away. It’s not a good recommendation for weekends as it’s very busy. There are restaurants and kiosks in the area, but not all of them are open during the week.
Sinaia – a ski resort closest to Bucharest
This small provincial town has a beauty of itself. It’s got old gothic style houses which give it an aristocratic feel. A small park with old feel is so beautifully lying next to the casino of Sinaia. The Casino is only for events or visits nowadays. It doesn’t work as a place to gamble your luck. It’s a very nice town if you feel like getting away from the city chaos. It’s usually dark even in the summer days as the city is guarded by mountains. If you feel like doing a bit of exercise I recommend you walk up to the Cabana Schiorilor or Taverna Sarbului. It’s a nice exercise I have last practiced in 2010. Since then I haven’t tried it but I am certainly looking forward to doing so. It’s a very nice road to climb up. Also, in 2017 I have discovered a brand new part of Sinaia – Cartierul Cumpatu’. I didn’t know about it’s existence and as a matter of fact in my mind there was nothing on the other side of the train. And if you can imagine I have travelled there for so many times that I feel it’s only normal for me to have noticed it. I was always on the cota 1400 side of the mountain. I have always ignored there was a reality beyond the trains. Actually it was a really thick forest. Now I get the feeling the forest is less crowded and the sad face can be read between the lines. I am, as I was mentioning above, discovering so many new things and using so much of my life experience to show my son places. This is one place where I need to take him back from time to time as he grows up. Looking forward to a new getaway there.
Future places to visit and check out with my son:
Antipa Museum – downtown Bucharest
Cantacuzino Palace – Busteni
Muzeul Satului – Golesti Arges
Palatul Primaverii – Bucharest
Domeniul Manasia – Manasia, Urziceni
Casa Vlasiei – Snagov, near Bucharest
Palatul Primaverii – Bucharest
And one last thing: do try to take weekdays off from time to time to show him some beautiful places we may find crowded during the week.
