Radio România Internațional

Tag: beauty

  • Long-distance hiking and cross-cultural bonding

    Long-distance hiking and cross-cultural bonding

    Via Transilvanica is Romania’ s longest hiking trail. It
    connects sites that have been included on UNESCO World Heritage List. Via
    Transilvanica is also a vital connection between the local communities and various
    aspects of the heritage, including both built and natural legacy, but also the
    immaterial tradition. Via Transilvanica is rated as a most remarkable achievement
    for the Romanian Heritage, so much so that the European Commission granted Via Transilvanica
    the European Heritage Award 2023.


    Anna Szekely is Tasuleasa Social’s executive manager and
    the author of the Hiker’s Guide to Via Transilvanica. Anna told us it is Romania’s
    first long-distance hiking trail, running through the entire Romanian territory,
    north to south-west.


    This long-distance hiking trail was created
    in a bid to show Romania’s entire beauty and ethnic and cultural diversity. It
    was thought out in such a way that the hiker or the cyclist, or whoever comes
    to visit Romania, should discover Romania the way it is. First of all, I’ve
    told that before and I will say it again, it is also very important that we, the
    Romanians, rediscover the beauties of the country as we’re not aware of them
    just as yet. We cut through 400 communities with Via Transilvanica. These communities are very diverse and along the way
    we get to know more than 18 ethnic groups. We’re speaking about a stunning
    cultural and ethnic diversity. The heritage, we come across it everywhere, every
    step we take. Also, we cut through lots of rural areas, of which some are
    almost abandoned. There are villages on the brink of extinction, with a couple
    of elderly people who are still there but we don’t know for how long. And yet, since Via Transilvanica crosses those
    particular regions, the youngsters are invited to return to those areas. The
    rural areas have a tremendous diversity, we can find all sorts of traditions,
    food, we can have our fair share of very impressive culinary and cultural
    experiences.


    On the official site, at viatransilvanica.com,
    hikers even have a blog of their own, they even have an interactive group on Facebook,
    labeled Transilvanica Official Group.

    Anna Szekely:

    There people open the
    page and ask how they can take a hiking trail, they find their hiking companions,
    they also ask technical questions. There are very many useful pieces of
    information, yet most of them can be found in the Hiker’s Guide they can access
    on our website. The guide is translated into five languages. I really love
    speaking about it, as I am the one who wrote it. Together with my women
    colleagues, we documented the entire trail and we compiled this guide where all
    the needed pieces of info can be found, for those who are into taking up a long-distance
    trail. Also, it is downloadable for free. As a rule, we redirect everybody to
    the blog, so they can get info on accommodation, on the trail, of the trail
    map, on the regions, on the areas we cross. We have a verbal description of
    that, but we also have lots of technical data that re very important for a
    trip.


    Accessing the Hiker’s Blog, the tourist can find it easy to
    pick the segment of the trail he wants to take, as the trail is divided by
    days. So, a one, a two-day or a weekend-long hike can be planned, or a
    fortnight-long, or even for the entire trail. Even the organizers themselves
    answer the more technical questions. With details on that, here is Tasuleasa
    Social’s executive manager and the Author of The Hikers’ Guide to Via Transilvanica,
    Anna Szekely.


    There we teach prospective hikers to plan
    their hike in such a way that they should avoid getting lost, also planning
    their overnight stays, we inform them on the places where springs can be found,
    shops, or the emergency numbers. There are all sorts of very useful pieces of
    information. And we did have a great many foreign hikers. We ‘ve had most of
    them this year. We have foreigners from all over the world: from Australia, from
    Canada, from the United States of America, from Great Britain, from Germany,
    Switzerland, Spain, France. They have been very impressed with how the trail is
    marked. Let me also say one of our first foreign hikers was Christine
    Thurmer, who, two years ago, was a thru-hiker for the trail. She is one of the world’s
    most hiked women, with a record of more than 60,000 or 65,000 kilometres she walked
    around the world, on long-distance trails. She was the first woman to have had a
    thru-hike of this trail all by herself. She was the one who provided the greatest
    and the best feedback, for us, saying that through the andesite milestones
    marking every kilometre and which have various sculptures, we practically have
    the world’s longest fine arts and sculptures exhibition.


    Specifically, there are 1,400 such milestones marking a
    truly unusual hiking trail, and a full one, at that, in terms of the experience
    we can have, says Tasuleasa Social’s executive manager and the Author of The Hikers’
    Guide to Via Transilvanica, Anna Szekely. The uniqueness of Via Transilvanca has
    also enjoyed recognition since it was declared the winner of one of the
    European Awards for European Heritage, the Europa Nostra Awards in 2023. The
    Awarding ceremony was held in Venice in late September, with the vice president
    of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas,
    attending. The public’s award was granted also in late September. So Via Transilvanica
    was the most highly-appreciated European heritage project, for which 27,000 people
    cast their votes in favour.


    It is
    a great honor for us to enjoy international recognition, with that coming from the
    European Commission itself, and we keep our hopes alive we can live up to everyone’s
    expectations. I invite anyone from abroad or from Romania to come over and become
    familiar with the beauties of the country as they do their hiking, since it is
    one of the best and soundest ways to know the highs but also the lows of a
    country. This the best way to know and love Romania.


    Through its 1,400-kilometer-long trail, Via
    Transilvanica crosses 400 de localities and 10 counties, being divided into
    seven cultural historical regions. The trail connects 12 sites included on
    UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The construction of Via Transilvanica lasted for
    about five years, being completed with the support of 8,000 volunteer workers.

  • A summer holiday in the Carpathian mountains

    A summer holiday in the Carpathian mountains


    It’s
    mountain lovers we dedicate today’s installment to, since the Romanian
    Carpathians’ tourism offer is extremely generous for those who want a relaxing holiday,
    or an active one. The beginners as well as the advanced tourists can practice
    all sorts of mountain sports. As for the families, they can discover trekking
    routes. Furthermore, a holiday in the mountains can also translate into an incursion
    into the fascinating world of the rural regions. Old traditions are still being
    kept in the villages that are scattered on the hills. As for the dining table,
    it is rich in food prepared using the ancestors’ recipes.



    Marius Adrian Coviltir has been a member of the
    Carpathians Mountain Association     since 2008, when the association
    was established. Marius has been the vice-president of the association for more
    than ten years now. Also, Marius Adrian Coviltir is a mountain rescue service
    operative and head of squad as part of Vrancea County’s Mountain Rescue Service.


    Marius Adrian Coviltir:

    There is a very generous offer, that of Romania’s Mountains, thanks to a
    wide range of opportunities to spend the leisure time there, for the
    well-trained people, who want rather more difficult areas for themselves,
    higher ones, but also for the tourists who are not that well trained physically
    or regarding experience of equipment. So we can recommend a couple of areas. My
    recommendation has to do with the most important project carried by the Carpathians Mountain Association, which is ongoing, as
    we speak. It is about an altitude shelter in the Faragas Mountains. Fagaras is
    also the Romanian Carpathians’ main massif. It has the largest surface area and
    it is also here that we find Romania’s seven tallest peaks, lying at an altitude
    of more than 2,500 meters. We have a main ridge, which is very attractive and
    where I ran into most of the tourists in Romania’s mountain area.


    A holiday in the Romanian Carpathians might also enable tourists
    to get closer to the rural world. Therefore, we get to know villagers and we
    can get acquainted with their traditions. We’re sure to discover a universe
    which is as old as it is diverse.

    Marius
    Adrian Coviltir once again.


    Therefore, I can mention
    the Vrancea Mountains, but also other areas lying a bit further away from us, in
    the westernmost points. I’m speaking about the mountainous Banat area which
    includes a couple of less-well-known regions where traditions have been very
    well kept, sone of them truly Romanian, others being influenced by the national
    minorities. In the Banat Mountains we have Czechs, Germans and Hungarians. There
    we can run into that kind of mix of three or four cultures.


    The mountains are a perfect place for an active holiday.
    The swift-running waters invite you to practice rafting, while the high ridges invite
    you to practice climbing. In fact, people do the escalade quite often. With
    details on that, here is the vice-president of the Carpathians Mountain Association,
    Marius Adrian Coviltir, once again.


    We have many areas where routes have
    been arranged to that end. Most of them are in central Romania, in Bucegi Mountains,
    Piatra Craiului. The rock in that area is prone to such sports activities. Access
    also matters here as well. Lying at the centre of the country, those are easier-to-access
    areas, and pretty well stocked as regards the accommodation infrastructure. There
    are also competitions. We must admit that in recent years we’ve had fewer competitions
    because of the pandemic which took its toll on all of us, yet as of this year,
    all those competitions will be resumed. Most of them have to do with the
    mountain marathons, or with running or climbing contests. Most of them are
    carried in the Bugeci, Piatra Craiului or Ciucas mountains. There marathons
    there are all too familiar, and you can get all the info about such events on
    the Internet.


    The Romanian Carpathians are also famous for the
    wilderness of the places, for the areas that are still unspoiled by the human intervention.

    Marius Adrian Coviltir:


    Ours is a richness
    that has not been put to good use properly . Nevertheless, in the protected areas,
    in the nature or national parks, such activities are staged quite often,
    targeting the lay public. They promote the flora, the fauna, with the entire
    set of rules properly observed, so that the effect on the environment stands at
    the minimum or is practically inexistent. There we can observe the plants and the
    trees in the region, but mostly animals. Tourists are attracted by animals because
    they are more difficult to notice. We’re mainly speaking about the bear and the
    wolf. Various animal observation towers have been built, while the info can be
    accessed visiting the parks’ sites.


    Here is the vice-president of the
    Carpathians Mountain Association, Marius Adrian Coviltir, once again, this time
    speaking about how the foreign tourists have also been impressed by the
    wilderness of the places.

    I met very many tourists, mainly German-speaking
    tourists, but also a lot from Eastern Europe, from Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic.
    They are very much attracted by the offer of our mountains. In another move,
    some of them said the natural assets could have been put to good use more efficiently,
    as access is still difficult in certain areas. In recent years, such problems
    did not occur that often. The tourist infrastructure made of marked trekking
    routes, pathways, but also the tourist shelters have seen a great deal of improvement.
    Likewise, the access driveways. So overall, a good impression prevails. The
    wilderness of the places is very much appreciated, it is something that cannot
    be seen in the West any more. For instance, the Alps have very much been under a
    steady degradation because of human intervention.


    Marius Adrian Coviltir recommends the Vrancea
    Mountains as a holiday destination.


    They’re not that well promoted, and
    for a good reason, somehow, since until 2010,
    2012, the trekking routes were not in the best condition. Meanwhile, as the
    Vrancea Mountain Rescue Service was founded, things have changed. The routes
    have been reconditioned and, practically, the mountain tourism in Vrancea has
    been reborn. The Association I represent, over 2011-2013 got involved in that
    as well, and roughly 250 kilometers of pathways have been marked. These
    mountains are pretty wild. I am not sure if they are Romania’s wildest, but
    they definitely are at the top. Human intervention has been rather limited. The
    Vrancea Mountains are not that high, their Goru Peak being the highest, with an
    altitude of 1,773 meters. We have 20 tourist trekking routes that cover 300 kilometers
    of pathways.


    So
    here is a rich and diversified offer for you to spend a holiday far from the hubbub
    of the city, and far from its sweltering heat, but quite close to Romania’s natural
    riches.


    (EN)

  • Beauty einmal anders: Naturkosmetik immer beliebter

    Beauty einmal anders: Naturkosmetik immer beliebter

    In der Überzeugung, dass das Geheimnis der Schönheit in der Natur wiederzufinden sei, entwickelte ein junges Team ein neues Beauty-Konzept. Das neue Konzept verbindet Naturkosmetik mit traditionellen Massage-Techniken und Packungen in Naturgewebe. Damit zielt es darauf ab, einen Zustand des Wohlbefindens entstehen zu lassen, dass im Inneren entspringt und sich im Äu‎ßeren widerspiegelt. Eine Wiederentdeckung der Sinne, die, einmal positiv angereizt, unser Wohlbefinden unterstützen können. Folglich werden wir besser aussehen, uns besser fühlen, im Einklang mit der Natur leben. Das teilte uns die Gründerin eines Wellness-Centers mit, das derartige regenerative Behandlungen anbietet. Andreea Emilian ist Biologin. Sie ist die Gründerin des Wellness-Centers und erzählte uns Folgendes:



    Ich bin von einer Leidenschaft ausgegangen. Es mag wie ein Klischee klingen, doch von klein auf liebte ich die Natur. Ich war fasziniert von den Pflanzen, von ihrer magischen heilenden Kraft. Die Pflanzen bieten Lösungen für Probleme, die manchmal in unserem Leben entstehen. Sie haben eine heilende Wirkung für Hautkrankheiten, können zur Heilung verschiedener Krankheiten eingesetzt werden. Ich bin meiner Leidenschaft nachgegangen und habe Biologie studiert. Danach arbeitete ich 15 Jahre lang im Bereich der Kosmetik. Vor zwei Jahren überlegte ich, dass ich viel mehr tun kann. Zusammen mit einem Unternehmen, das zu 100% Naturkosmetik anbietet, beschloss ich, ein Beauty-Center zu eröffnen. In unserer Praxis arbeiten wir lediglich mit rumänischen Naturprodukten. Bei allen Therapien setzen wir Produkte ein, die zu 100% natürliche Zutaten enthalten. Darüber hinaus setzen wir überhaupt keine Geräte ein. Wir verwenden nur unsere Hände für die angebotenen Therapien.“




    In einer von Technologie beherrschten Welt hört es sich vermutlich überraschend an, wenn jemand die Handarbeit lobt. Andreea Emilian erklärte uns, wie es darum steht:



    Wir bieten Naturkosmetik an. Die von uns verwendeten Produkte sind zu 100% aus Pflanzen hergestellt. Umso wichtiger ist also die Anwendungstechnik. Wenn die Gesichtsmassage mit der Hand gemacht wird, so ist die Absorption der aktiven Wirkstoffe viel besser. Mit der Einsetzung einer geeigneten Anwendungstechnik werden die Vorteile der aktiven Inhaltsstoffe vermehrt. Die Wirkstoffe dringen besser in die Haut hinein.“




    Eine weitere Pflegekur zur Verwöhnung der Haut sind die Körperpackungen mit Bioprodukten und Naturgeweben. Natürliche Gewebe erleichtern das Eindringen der auf dem Körper angewendeten Produkte in die Haut. Ätherische Öle, Lavendelwasser, Akazienhonig sind nur einige der Haupterzeugnisse, die bei den Behandlungen verwendet werden, egal ob es sich um Gesichts- oder Körpermassagen handelt. Andreea Emilian fügte noch Folgendes hinzu:



    Wir bieten ein vielfältiges Beauty- und Wellnessprogramm an. Im Angebot stehen sowohl Gesichts- wie auch Körperbehandlungen, therapeutische Massagen, Entspannungsmassagen, aber auch Körper-Remodelling-Therapien. Alles, was durch Massage erreicht werden kann, um den Körper neu zu formen.“




    Wir wollten von Andreea Emilian erfahren, welche Pflanzen vorwiegend in ihrer Praxis verwendet werden:



    Die Naturkosmetik setzt sehr viele Pflanzen ein. Wir arbeiten mit etwa 45 rumänischen Pflanzenarten. Manche stammen aus der eigenen Produktion, die wir bei Nehoiu betreiben, andere aus anderen Anbaugebieten. Ein wichtiger Wirkstoff, den wir einsetzen, ist der Sanddorn. Er ist in vielen unserer Produkte enthalten. Sanndorn ist ein starkes Antioxidationsmittel. Unsere Produkte enthalten auch Ringelblumenextrakt, wilden Oregano, Blütenstaub von Lilien und Lilienblüten. Auch Blaubeerensaft setzen wir für verschiedene Gesichtsmasken ein. Wir arbeiten mit vielen Pflanzen, allerdings sind manche weniger bekannt für ihre Beauty-Vorteile.“




    Entspannung, beruhigende Wirkung, Erfrischung — das sind nur einige wenige unmittelbare Ergebnisse, die nach einer Therapie beobachtet werden können. Weshalb die Naturkosmetik vorzuziehen sei, das erzählte uns zum Schluss unsere Gesprächspartnerin:



    Zahlreiche Studien zeigen, wie vorteilhaft die Wirkung der Pflanzen in vielen Behandlungen ist. Wir glauben fest daran. Und die wissenschaftlichen Ergebnisse unterstützen uns in unserer Überzeugung. Es ist wichtig, Naturkosmetik einzusetzen, vor allem solche Produkte, die Pflanzen aus Rumänien enthalten. Denn meistens sind die Produkte, welche einheimische Pflanzen enthalten, günstiger für unsere Haut, für unseren Körper.“




    Die Anwendung eines ölförmigen Sanddornextrakts auf der Haut oder die Verwendung eines pflanzlichen hautregenerierenden Elixiers nach der Hautreinigung sind Tricks, die uns gedanklich zurück in die Zeit versetzten, in der unsere Gro‎ßmütter lebten und solche Techniken anwandten.

  • Proiect de parteneriat strategic – ERASMUS+ / “INTERNATIONAL HAIRDRESSERS”

    Proiect de parteneriat strategic – ERASMUS+ / “INTERNATIONAL HAIRDRESSERS”

    INTERNATIONAL HAIRDRESSERS este un
    proiect strategic – ERASMUS+, în parteneriat cu 6 organizaţii din 6 ţări – Malta, Norvegia, Grecia, Portugalia, Spania şi
    România.


    Proiectul se află în etapa de pregătire
    profesională a participanţilor din cele 6 ţări, modul coordonat de dna CECILIA VĂDUVA – Lector/ Formator cu o
    experienţă de peste 10 ani în proiecte europene, având la bază calificări şi
    specializări în diverse domenii.


    Cu o vastă expertiză în accesarea şi
    implementarea proiectelor europene, dna CECILIA
    VĂDUVA, director al societăţii
    GICEROVA SRLdin Rm. Vâlcea ne
    va spune care sunt principalele obiective ale programului şi rezultatele
    aşteptate:


    Proiectul se desfăşoră pe
    o perioadă de 2 ani, cu o finanţare
    de 235 000 euro, de la Uniunea Europeană şi cofinanţare zero.


    Aceşti bani sunt pentru toţi partenerii
    din proiect.


    Suma alocată este primită de coordonatorul
    de proiect – Asociaţia
    Socio-Culturală Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul Berbeşti – România şi este
    distribuită către parteneri în functie de bugetul prevăzut în aplicaţia de proiect, la depunerea
    proiectului, de fiecare organizaţie în parte.


    Principalele obiective ale
    acestui proiect vin în întâmpinarea direcţiei strategice referitoare la scăderea
    şomajului prin crearea unor locuri de muncă şi dobândirea de noi competenţe profesionale.


    Un alt obiectiv este îmbunătățirea
    acestui curs de calificare pe partea de frizerie-coafură, adăugându-i noi
    auxiliare în cadrul proiectului şi deci creşterea şanselor de angajare a
    participanţilor la curs oferindu-le
    instruire de calitate, cât şi un obiectiv principal – dezvoltarea de parteneriate
    la nivel local, național, internațional și acorduri de lucru între furnizorii
    de instruire și actorii de pe piața muncii.


    La
    finanalul proiectului se vor crea 2 auxiliare:


    Un GHID pentru etapele calificării în
    meseria de înfrumuseţare, de coafură, realizat prin perspectiva europeană şi
    care va conţine tehnici şi metode utilizate în fiecare ţară parteneră, – care să-i ajute pe cursanţi să-şi formeze o
    viziune despre această meserie nu doar în România ci şi în alte ţări europene.




    Al doilea
    auxiliar este un GHID de evaluare a competenţelor dobândite în timpul
    cursurilor de calificarea pentru fiecare partener.




    În
    primul an al proiectului vom termina primul auxiliar:


    Aceste schimburi de experienţă se fac timp de o
    săptămână, în fiecare an, pe perioada de implementare a proiectului de 2 ani.


    Primul training s-a desfăşurat în MALTA, al doilea training
    s-a desfasurat în PORTUGALIA, al treilea training s-a desfăşurat în ROMÂNIA, în perioada 11-16
    noiembrie. Am fost gazda participanţilor din ţările partenere, dar şi
    coordonatorul programului de formare pe Beauty.