We live in strange, changed times. Everyone's life has changed to a certain extent, different for each of us, in accordance with our needs and desires. I, for example, thought that in the rest of my life I would go to the sea a few times every summer. Because I love the sea. The sea that is not near me but not so far as to be inaccessible.
My sea has three stages. The Black Sea in the first two, the Black Sea in Romania, the country where I live. Most often seen since childhood. Then the Black Sea in Bulgaria, the neighboring country. A superior stage because here the sea is more spectacular than in my country. The third stage is the Aegean Sea in Greece. Another kind of sea. Superior quality. When you say Greece, in terms of tourism, it's a peak!
Well, last summer I couldn't get to Greece because of the pandemic. I could have easily reached the Black Sea in Romania but I knew it far too well. Fortunately, the Bulgarian neighbors were very light in terms of accepting tourists and so, beyond our expectations, we managed to see the sea twice. This time I chose a place closer to my country, a quiet little town called Balchik. A city famous for two tourist attractions. The castle of Queen Maria of Romania and the botanical garden.
You are probably wondering why the Castle of Queen Maria of Romania is located in Bulgaria. Because in the last century this part of Bulgaria (the region called Quadrilater) was attached to Romania, because of the Balkan war.
Queen Mary of Romania...
Marie of Romania, also known as Marie of Edinburgh, was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I. Born into the British royal family, she was titled Princess Marie of Edinburgh at birth. Her parents were Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia.
...visited this city and fell in love with the very special light and the surrounding white hills. She bought a plot of land and built a small castle and a beautiful garden. It became her favorite place to spend summers and with she came a large part of the nobility and the richest people in Romania. This led to an intense development of the city. Balchik has also become a favorite place for Romanian artists, especially painters and writers.
Because of this, this place is highly sought after by Romanians, as they are probably the largest group of tourists who regularly visit the region, also benefiting from its proximity to the country.
The same reasons made me visit Balchik for the first time, but also the recommendation of some painter friends who come to Balchik to paint wonderful seascapes.
I was then in Balchik many times, last summer being the most recent visit. I want to tell you more about this last vacation.
A short vacation at the sea does not involve too much movement, it is different from a trip to the mountains where you have to travel to see as many places as possible.
At sea and at a certain age, in our case quite advanced, we preferred short walks. A vacation at the sea is for us a vacation for relaxation, a vacation for forgetfulness. The program is easy and starts with leaving the hotel, right?
A new and quite comfortable hotel. Beyond the beach but fortunately I still had a sea view.
From there, every new day at the seaside began. After breakfast followed the walk, passing by the hotel pool, empty because most tourists were still asleep.
But the target was the promenade, the place to walk.
In front of us three flags. The flag of Bulgaria, of course, we are in Bulgaria but also the flags of Romania and Russia. Probably most tourists come from these countries.
Once down the promenade by the sea you can choose two directions, on the left to terraces, restaurants and all kinds of stalls and shops and on the right, the path to the Castle of Queen Maria. We always start the day by going to the right.
The morning walk is very pleasant first of all because we are almost alone, only the cats are eager to meet us, probably waiting for something to eat.
The pleasure of walking is given by the fact that on our left is the sea and on the right, after a few hotels and apartments for rent, there are hills full of abundant vegetation.
Earlier than us are some amateur fishermen, happy to be so close to the sea, to tell stories and catch some fish (I don't know if that happens).
Some of the stones by the sea are sculpted with all kinds of images, according to the style they seem to have been made by the same artist. I like them, they bring a note of originality to this place.
On the right, the hill and the historic buildings for which I came to see them. These have to do with Romania, because they were built and inhabited by Romanians.
This villa is my favorite. Unfortunately it degrades, I don't know why it is not reconditioned because it has a special architecture. This villa belonged to the family of Roman painters and sculptors Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu Storck. They were among the first to build a summer residence near the Castle of Regia Maria.
Next are the castle gardens and various buildings that belonged to the Queen. In addition to the Castle, there are six villas, which were intended for the queen's children. The first that can be seen from the outside is the villa of Prince Nicolae.
Then other buildings, which in the past were guest rooms and now have been transformed into a restaurant.
Finally, the Castle of Queen Maria appears, the main objective as a historical, architectural and artistic interest.
This is how this complex consisting of the Castle and several villas, terraced gardens and a garden with a famous greenhouse can be seen from the outside. I have visited this place many times, it is so big that you have to spend even half a day there.
Now I preferred the movement, not visiting the Castle. Immediately after the castle there is a modern hotel, called, of course, Regina Maria and then a road that leads to a resort 10 km away, a modern resort called Albena.
Next is an alley that is perfect for nature and walk lovers. Clean air, sea breeze and green vegetation. A perfect place for a morning walk.
Our wish, for many years, was to take such a long walk that at the end of it we would reach Albena. The resort looked pretty good but there was still a long way to go.
I didn't succeed even now, the distance was too long. So I went back to Balchik!
Initially I wanted to show what this place is like at night. Because the night has its charm. The resort has its colors and at night everything seems to wake up! Nightlife begins. Although Balchik is a favorite resort especially for adults, at night the promenade is full of tourists, the terraces as well. It remains to be seen next time what Balchik is like at night.
