The Savage Traveler: Gateway to the Black Sea-#3: Constanta, Romania

Sun. June 7--Constanta, Romania: This was our day to explore Constanta. With Stefan as our guide we drove up the hill beside the port to the square in the old part of the city, which was first known as Tomas under the Romans. We visited an archeological museum which was once a wealthy merchant's house. We only saw two rooms of the museum (it wasn't clear if there is more of the museum in other rooms and on other levels) where we saw mostly glassware, gold items, and statuary, some dating to the first century Common Era, when the Romans were in power at this beautiful city overlooking the Black Sea. Nearby construction for an apartment house revealed the old three-tiered Roman market place. The bottom tier is now underwater, but the arches and brick work for the second tier are preserved, as well as the beautiful mosaic on the flat roof where the market was held. Some of the mosaic is in remarkable shape and there were also old jugs and now petrified chunks of wine. Luckily, that was the end of that apartment building!

Early Roman blown glass baby bottles with a nipple on the side

Some of the vast gold treasures at the museum

Found while excavating. The label reads:
Glyon Serpent--Divinity of Good. Patron of House and
family. Guardian of temple tombs. 2nd Century AD

Merchant House turned Museum on the square

Roman wine jugs with petrified wine remnants,

Remains of first century Roman market with wonderful mosaic floor.

Recreation of the three level market area

We slowly made our way across the square and down the hill, past the Mosque, rebuilt once in the same spot since the time of the Ottomans. Just beyond is the Romanian Orthodox Church, where a service was taking place but we were welcome to enter and look around. I didn't go in because the church was very crowded and many people were sitting or standing facing east outside where they could hear the service on loudspeakers piped outside. The group continued our walk down to the waterfront and strolled the beautiful Promenade which has been restored to its late 19th century grandeur. The Black Sea was pounding in about 16 feet below the walk, the sun was shining brightly, a breeze cooled us, and it was so nice to take part in this simple pleasure with local families.

Mosque

Side view of the Romanian Orthodox church with the remains of
a very early Roman Christian Church in the foreground

Peggy & Marv on the Promenade along the Black Sea

Ross and Pat on the Promenade

Black Sea surf below the Promenade

Our bus was waiting for us a short walk away and took us to Mamaia Beach, one of the largest and most popular beaches near Constanta. We had about half an hour to walk the beach and wade in the water a bit. The beach was full of families and couples enjoying the sunny Sunday, some of the woman topless, as we had been told to expect.

Marv and Peggy standing in the Black Sea

The bus was waiting for us and we retraced our route the short way back to our ship. As we ate lunch the boat set off south out of the harbor and then close to the shore to meet the Black Sea-Danube canal. The canal was begun during WWII to cut through the hard rock remains of a long gone mountain range that turns the Danube north to the Black Sea. No one thought it was feasible or affordable to dig and so prisoners and concentration camp workers were assigned to hand dig it, since if they died, it would just save having to execute them. Long a dream and a promise of Ceausescu, the canal was finished long after the War. There was one large lock near the beginning, partly to raise our level and partly to serve as a barrier between the saltwater of the sea and the fresh water of the river. We met up with Phyl and Sim and played a card game they brought called Five Crowns as we sailed along. Taking the canal cut 150 miles from our trip as we arrived at the Danube around dinner time. Full from another great dinner we walked for a bit under the stars on the top deck and hit the sack.