After revealing some snippets of her upcoming book, Window to My Soul, in the RO in words and pics section of this site, guest writer Yvette Larsson has started a series about the things she loves about Romania. This first piece covers a broader area, and in the future, she will focus on each one at a time.

Recently an acquaintance, whom I know very little, came up to me and wondered if I was Romanian. She said she'd been in Bucharest last week and loved it. She thought it was beautiful. And I added: Fascinating.

I explained, I'm not Romanian, I'm Swedish, but like to promote Romania as I have had a story with Romania since 1985.

I think it's about time that Bucharest and Romania get some great publicity. It's a shame that a whole country full of beauty and meaning is so not a more popular travel destination.

At the Bucharest Lounge I promote the good things I experience when I am there. The good examples.

To get back to the meeting with my acquaintance. When I got home, I got to wondering : what is it that makes Bucharest awesome and fascinating ? I have problems putting my finger on it. There is so much.

The beautiful architecture I love in combination with the blocks from the Communistic era, that make that special Bucharest eclectic mix.

The food and wine

The old town

The language with a Latin base, squeezed in, in the Balkans

The gorgeous people in the street who dress so elegantly

The feelgood music I hear in the car

Looking at people who underwent so much suffering under communism and are now trying to make a living on almost nothing

The farmers' markets

The new and old next to each other everywhere I look

Feeling like a travel pioneer when being there, as there are hardly any tourists - and only 1,500 resident Scandinavians

Exploration of a place we hardly ever saw anything about in Western media

Discovering new artists and writers unknown elsewhere .....

I think its all of this and more. It's something I find difficult to describe with words. I simply can't say why I love it so much.

Go see and experience it for yourself. Next time, we'll go more in depth with the things that I love most about Romania.

By Yvette Larsson, Guest Writer

Yvette Larsson is Swedish, born 1972 in Gällivare, Lapland. Between the years 1991- 1998 she studied English, Swedish, Education, Media & Communication and Science Journalism at the University of Umeå.

The University studies followed by one year in Stockholm and 13 years abroad. First overseas move was to French Reunion Island, followed by Stavanger/Bergen:Norway, Cassis/ Aix-en-Provence: France, London: UK, and now Copenhagen: Denmark.

Her continuous education constitutes of numerous courses within the field of Sports and Health and she dedicated ten years to Sports Management. When the children came she trained to become a Coach and Leadership Trainer, passionate about making individuals and organisations the best they can be, and she had her own practice for four years.

She runs  the blog and a Facebook -page called The Bucharest Lounge, where she displays the beauty and meaning of  Romania , seen through the eyes of a Swede.

(photos by Yvette Larsson)