Romania

ROMANIA is a country of great contrasts, from the dramatic mountain areas, through flat arable landscapes to the scenic Danube Delta and the coastal resorts of the Black sea. The people are very friendly and welcoming and there is much of interest to see in the country.

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The busy COUNTY TOWN OF TULCEA in eastern Romania is a commercial port, having a pleasant riverside walk with attractive views, a good shopping centre and several famous museums. It has good road links with the capital city of Bucharest and the resort of Constanta. There is a newly built Baptist Church in Tulcea, which is well attended for Sunday worship and midweek meetings.

THE VILLAGE OF CATALOI lies about 15 kilometres southwest of the city, and has a tree-lined main street with a few small shops, a school and many nicely decorated, mostly single storey houses. It is in an undulating area close to forest land and the river Danube. Cataloi is famed for having had the first Baptist Church in Romania following the expulsion of the Turks towards the end of the 19th century. The present Church is just a few doors away from the original site.

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THE ROMANIAN PEOPLE are hard-working and resourceful, but very high inflation has made it difficult for many of them to feel the benefits wrought by the country opening up after the revolution in 1989. In the villages many farming families still use a horse or donkey and cart for travel and have few facilities, often sharing the village well. As a nation they are trying hard to improve conditions - especially in childcare. They continue to hope that their entry into the European Union back in 2007 will help to improve conditions further.