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by Jeong O. Park (Author)
If you read only one book about Romania, make it this one!
Mr. Jeong O Park is a university professor teaching Romanian studies in South Korea. He has published over 50 research articles and 14 books on Romanian politics, economy, society, culture, and history. While conducting research at UC Berkeley as a visiting scholar, he wrote 60 columns for the Korea Times in the US. For his contribution to teaching Romanian studies in Korea, he was awarded the "Merit for Education" Order of Romania, by the Romanian president, Traian Băsescu, in 2007. He also earned the Diploma of Excellence from the Romanian Ştefan Grigore National Resurrection and National Unity Foundation in 2016.
This book is a compilation of the materials and experiences he collected during his 40 trips to every corner of Romania over the last 30 years. This book comprises two volumes. The first volume is titled Travel to Romania, The Garden of the Virgin Mary. It is an enthralling travel guide introducing Romania's history, culture, myths, and delectable cuisines along with practical travel tips.Examples of topics in this book include:
- The city of Brașov, which hosted the first International Mathematical Olympiad in the world in 1959. (p. 9)
- Romania was the 8th largest trading country in the world around the time of World War I. (p. 26)
- The last days of Romania's notorious dictator, Nicolae Ceauşescu (p. 116)
- Churchill and Stalin's secret meeting that reversed the fate of Romania and Greece after World War II. (p. 126)
- Was Romania the country that first made the airplane in the world? (p. 146)
- The origin of the helicopter comes from a sketch of a helicopter made by Leonardo da Vinci around 1490, but the Romanian scientist Grigore Brișcu (1884-1965) established its concept, publishing his study Helicopters in Car Magazine. (p. 147)
- Romania has the largest number of wild bears in Europe. Be sure to try the bear steak when visiting Poiana Brașov. (p. 222)
- Vlad Dracula, not as a hero in the Hollywood vampire movies, but as a patriotic but unfortunate ruler of Romania (p. 235)
- The Transfagarasan Highway, "the most beautiful road in the world," according to BBC Top Gear (p. 250)
- Sovata Resort with the largest heliothermal lake in the world. (p. 273)
- The Mysterious "Living & Moving Stones" of Romania (p. 278)
- Romania boasts the largest gold reserves in Europe and is the only country in the world where natural gold water is produced. Be sure to drink the natural golden water AUR'A and DORA when you travel to Romania. (p. 299)
Buy this book now and start exploring Romania!
