Columnist Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe writes in her weekly column about life as an expat in Romania. This week she writes about her holiday at the Romanian seaside.

I am on holiday and I am on the Romanian seaside, and I just love it! Being near the Black Sea, which of course normally I can only dream about being situated in Bucharest, makes me happy.

When Romanians talk about the seaside in Romania, they usually talk about going either to Mamaia, Vama Veche or to the resorts of Neptun, Saturn or Olimp.

And be sure that there is a lot of gossip about what kinds of people go to the different places at the seaside. The usual line is that the 'Fitze' go to Mamaia, hippies go to Vama Veche and families go to Neptun, Saturn or Olimp.

I haven't been to Mamaia yet, so that part of the seaside I can't write about. But presently I am enjoying a week long holiday in Neptun. How I ended up going to Neptun was a little complicated, but I haven't regretted going, and so far my stay has also included a day trip to Vama Veche... and the holiday is not over yet.

For anyone who hasn't been to the Romanian seaside yet, this is one of the 'must dos' in Romania. The prices at the restaurants are similar to Bucharest, but it's cheaper to buy at the markets or in the small street shops.

The resorts  of Neptun, Saturn, Olimp and Vama Veche are all quite  close to each other, but I would recommend going by car from town to town.  It is possible to go by foot, but it will take some time to get there, especially to Vama Veche. Of course, you can take a taxi – and there will be some adjustments in service for English speakers, or you can use a mini-train- actually very funny-  and a bus to get from Neptun to, for example, Vama Veche, the last resort before the Bulgarian border.

Neptun

This is my first time in Neptun, and I am positively surprised. The place reminds me of previous holidays to Rhodes or Mallorca for a bit of sun and sea. I get the same feeling and atmosphere of a 'summer-town,' it is very green here, lots of trees, lots of restaurants and shops, the little train going from downtown to downtown – because the towns are quite small, it's also possible to take a horse drawn carriage around the town. There are people in the streets in summer clothes, carrying beach toys on their way to the beach or dressed up a bit up to enjoy dining out after a long day at the beach. All in all it also seems very clean here. This is is the perfect town for a family, since it is not so heavily party oriented as I imagine Mamaia is. In the 80s Netun, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, the so called planet towns, were popular with Danish holidaymakers went for their holidays, so for me it is fun to be here, because I have heard about the towns growing up in Denmark. There is one high street running through the town, and here you can shop till you drop, go to the fun park, where kids and childish grownups can try out the Paris wheel, radio cars and eat candy floss until the belly hurts. The streets are quite big and besides the possibility to eat everything from fine dining to Hamsii (little fishes fried), you can also experience all sorts of musical events, like the Bolivian musicians playing on their flutes on the streets next to a shop selling fresh fruits and the traditional music and dancing can be heard from the restaurants until late in the evening. And it’s live! This is the perfect place to go to, if you really want to relax and just enjoy the sun and the sea.

Olimp

Going to Olimp during the Olympic games in London has been my contribution so far to the Olympic games, besides the names, there isn't much to compare with either London or the Olympic games, apart from maybe the beach volleyball or beach football. I only saw the beach in Olimp, but what a perfect beach, a real sandy beach (even though rumors say it’s built on concrete), the sea being just perfect, not too deep and not too low, the perfect place to enjoy a swim or to throw yourself against the waves and feel the power of nature. The beach is very near the big hotels and sadly one of the biggest, the hotel Parnoramic is a ghost hotel, disused and dilapidated, but that does not destroy the scenery. This is one of the best beaches I have experienced, and there is a very relaxed atmosphere where almost everybody is smiling on the beach.

Vama Veche

Vama Veche reminds me a very small town at the seaside of Denmark. From the main road, you drive to the left. This first road leading down to the sea is filled with shops selling all sorts of things, mainly clothes, and hand made bracelets. The other street along the coastline (much of it being a concrete path laid directly on the beach) is filled with restaurants and bars and a few hotels. Otherwise on the beach at Vama Veche visitors can sleep in tents or camping wagons. The scene is cozy and very relaxed, very down to earth, groups of people meditate on the beach and in the evenings there is dancing around a totem-pole. This is 'La Ovidiu' or 'Stuf', the oldest place in town. Ovidiu is the owner of the bar near the totem-pole, he has a grey beard and very deep blue eyes, I understand he used to be an actor. I also saw a nudist camp on the beach- and Vama Veche was decades ago an immense nudist camp- the motto for this area is very relaxed, and everything is allowed in a sort of free spirit way. It does have a side that reminds me of how I imagine it must have been in the days of Woodstock. The people here are a fine mixture, there are young people, who go to chill out either sitting on the beach singing and playing on the guitar, listening to live music in a bar, or enjoying fast food in one of the street restaurants. Also there are the more grown up people among here, people who just want to get away from work and chill out enjoying the beach or one of the many restaurants.

I won't compare the towns, because all of them have their own uniqueness, but give yourself the treat of going. Enjoy the seaside of Romania, and if you find shells on the beach, send them to me, because I am now a collector.

By Eleonore af Schaumburg-Lippe, columnist

Eleonore is Danish, she holds a BA in Organization and Management and specializes in Corporate Communication & Strategic Development. She is also a Market Economist and a Multimedia Designer. She is currently working in Bucharest as the Executive Director of UAPR the Romanian Advertising Association. As a Danish Viking in Romania, with a great passion for ’covrigi’, she has a burning desire to find out more about Romania especially Bucharest, and enlighten the small differences in the culture between Denmark and Romania, that fascinated here. Her weekly columns will give you insights into an expats life in Bucharest written with humor and a big Danish smile.