I was born in Braila on the 26.02.1932 and I spent my childhood there together with my two brothers. During those ages mothers used to stay home and take care of the family, so we used to go every day, together with two aunts and with cousins to the Salt Lake. We spent 5-6 hours there and had a very good time, but our mothers used to force us to put mud on us.
A less happy memory is that we also were forced to take each day a spoon full of fish oil. This photo was made when I was 8. The memory it recalls is that it was exhibited, without my knowing it, in the window of the Photo Studio in the center of Braila. A friend of mine told me that and I was very surprised. This family picture was taken in 1944. Here, next to my parents and my brothers you can see my goddaughter with her daughter. The picture was requested by our godson who, at that time, was on the war front missed us. I got married on the 25th of May 1952 and had two children, Dorian and Camelia. My husband was a career military and we had to often move from one city to another: Bucharest, Galati, Braila, Sinaia, Constanta, Targoviste, Ploiesti, Cluj. I always enjoyed dancing. Every time I had the opportunity, I danced with great pleasure. Even today, when hearing music, I can barely stop the impulse to dance.
 In Cluj I have been living since 1970. I felt good living here from the very beginning, the city was different from any other city, very clean and quiet. One day I went out for a pick-nick with my neighbors, at Faget. It was very awkward for me, this custom of the “ardeleni” to fry bacon. For me it was something very unusual, I thought I could never eat that, but I tasted it and it seemed the most delicious thing on earth; every time I go on a trip, I long to eat such fried bacony.

M.B.

I came form the village called Malut back in 1967. From those ages I hold the memory of a clean Cluj, without a lot of inhabitants. I enjoy remembering a “butcher’s dish” hey used to cook at “Bucurestiul” Restaurant, which was then situated on Horea Street. I have never eaten something like it anywhere else. I used to go to the restaurant together with my wife.

Once we tried to cool that dish at home, but we didn’t get it as good as they made it at the restaurant. We enjoyed going to the movies – I loved “Sheheresada”. We paied 4 lei for a ticket. Once, at Republica Cinema, something quite amusing happened: during the film, a piece of the ceiling fell down, it was a piece of metal.

Everybody was very frightened, thinking that the ceiling would come down, but after all nothing dangerous happened. It was very fashionable to go for a walk in the Botanical Garden, and it was very cheap also, a ticket was only 1 leu.

D-na. A.M.