References
Richard Szabo USA , August 2011
“I am emailing you to tell you what a wonderful time we had with you as our guide! I went to Romania in search of family history, but found so much more…a remarkable landscape and what I hope will be a lasting friendship. My mind is filled with images of Saxon villages, summer wildflowers in countryside and cemetery, painted Monasteries, nesting storks and so much more. I have already googled recipes for mamaliga and muraturi .
But while Romania is wonderful in itself, it became spectacular under your guidance. Thank you so much for a wonderful , wonderful trip. In the meantime, I want you to know how much we appreciate your expertise and friendship. Until next time, when we can visit the wooden churches and Danube Delta,”
Marci Gintis USA, July 2011
“Dear Eduard –
Alice and I want to thank you for the wonderful week we spent with you from May 28, 2011 to June 3, 2011. All of the arrangements that you made for us were excellent. However, even more important was the knowledge and the insights that we gained about Romania — the country of my Mother’s birth. We saw and learned a great deal in a week.
Your personal connections with people and places “off the beaten path” greatly enhanced our trip. Of particular note was the Cistercian Abbey in Carta. Your friendship with the priest leading to a most interesting tour of this 800 year old site (as well as the invitation to his living quarters) was a true highlight of our tour. The ecumenical nature of your personal contacts also allowed us to visit some very interesting Jewish synagogues and gain interesting historical insights.
We also appreciated your flexibility in adjusting the tour to accommodate our evolving interests and your tenacious assistance in trying to gather information about my Grandfather.
Finally, your knowledge, outgoing personality and intelligence made spending a week in a car with you an experience we wish we could have extended.”
Ralph Stern USA
“Dear Eduard,
First, I wanted to tell you how much we appreciated your help and advice in Romania.
Not only were you a superb guide to the culture, history and politics of Romania, and to the situation of the Jews in your country, you were a warm and generous friend. You showed us places that we would not have seen, and you introduced us to people whom we would not have met.As writers, this was invaluable.
We appreciated your honesty, your intelligence and your sense of humour, and your affection toward our children!
Our visits with you to the synagogues, to Ceaucescu’s palace, to the Jewish Community Centre, and to the Yiddish Theatre were meaningful to us. It makes me want to return to Romania, and join you on one of your visits to discover the history of the Jews in Transylvania and other places outside Bucharest. ”
Professor Andrew Cohen and Mary Gooderham, authors and journalists, Ottawa, Canada. March 2011
“Dear Eduard,
Many thanks for making our trip to Romania one we’ll never forget. We especially want to thank you for all that you did on our behalf to make the synagogues of Romania come alive for us. Our experience was also enriched by hearing your firts hand stories of growing up in your country, your warmth and of course your great selection of gypsey music!
We leave Romania with lots of wonderful memories and a new friend.
Fondly,”
Karen and Bruce
“I am a travel agency owner who had the pleasure and good fortune to meet Eduard. He was a dedicated and knowledgeable guide. Eduard knew his product (Romania) intimately.
My friend, John Gutman and I went to Bucharest to find John’s grandmother’s gravesite. John’s grandmother died in 1972. Eduard took us to the proper authorities and within one half hour, we were able to locate the cemetery and gravesite. Eduard then arranged to have the site shoveled out as it was snowing and took us to the cemetery that day. The gravesite was intact and we were treated like royalty.
I would recommend Eduard’s services without reservation.”
Joel S. Ezra, Maxxe Travel
Rockville Centre, New York USA
“Dear Eduard,
It is hard to put into words how wonderful you made our trip. Anybody can show the sights, but it takes special people to make you feel like guests, not like tourists. We cannot thank you enough for everything. We wish you happiness and succes in the future.
All out best wishes and affection,”
Mary and Jordan
June 2007
“My wife and I recently spent seven unforgettable days traveling through an extraordinarily beautiful country, Romania, with Eduard Popescu, an extraordinary guide, who quickly became our friend.
Eduard was knowledgeable, caring, personable and -always- helpful. He understood and often anticipated our needs and saw that they were met. He tailored the trip to our specifications and, in several instances, opened doors that we had been told were closed. Is there anybody in Romania who doesn’t know Eduard?
Our comfort and enjoyment were always paramount to him. And I wish American drivers were as careful and skilled as he is.
Part of the impetus for our trip was to enable me get a sense of the country my father emigrated from so many years ago and to visit some key Jewish heritage sites. Eduard made sure the missions were accomplished.
From Bucharest to Transylvania to Elie Wiesel’s family’s home, our Eduard-led trip was a spectacular success.”
Romania and Eduard: What a winning team!
Sanford Teller
New York
“Eduard was a really great guide for me while I was in Romania, he very obviously spent a lot of time in advance preparing a tour specifically for my needs. I felt not only comfortable while I was there but safe as well. He is very knowledgeable and entertaining, and after spending only a few hours with him I knew I not only had found a tour guide but a friend as well.
I would recommend him to anyone traveling to Romania in need of a guide.”
Rose Braunstein
“An exceptional, privately designed, tour led masterfully by the charming and knowledgeable Eduard Popescu. Eduard draws upon archival and historical information and conducts expert tours, as a result. Not only that, he is charismatic and entertaining! This enriching trip is one that I recommend without reservation!”
Shelley Hornstein
July 2008
“We had the opportunity and pleasure of visiting Romania in spring of
2008. We wanted to find the roots of my wife’s family and to see and
feel and experience the Romanian landscape, people, UNESCO heritage
sites, Jewish memorials and the present Jewish community.
Our guide, Eduard Popescu, worked ceaselessly with us to design a trip
that more than fulfilled our hopes and wishes. He arranged contacts
with the leaders of the Jewish communities in many towns and in
Bucharest and Iassi, and made it possible to visit lovely old and
refurbished synagogues. He showed us palaces and monasteries, wooden
churches and museums, the mountains and the sea.
He is broadly knowledgeable, entertaining, a safe and competent driver
and knows the country intimately. His fees are reasonable. He chose
interesting and satisfactory accommodations for us.
All in all, we had a memorable trip, a return to the land of our
origins and a great vacation.
We recommend Medieval Tours and Eduard Popescu without reservation.
Most sincerely,”
Marty and Lori Nosan
El Cajon, CA
“Dear Eduard,
Maxine and I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful travel experience which you provided to us during our visit to Romania. To say that you went above and beyond the call of duty is an understatement. Your were always available, all of our requests were promptly fulfilled, you showed us interesting sights, provided wonderful accomodations and knew all that there was to offer in Romania. It does not get better than that.
When I came home from my last trip to Romania with John Gutmen, I told Maxine that John and I had a great guide. As a result of that conversation, Maxine and I utilized your services again and were again delighted with the guide services and friendship that you provided. I spoke with John, last night, told him about what a great time we had with you and now John’s wife and another couple want to visit Romania and have you as the guide.
Please have anyone who wants a recommendation of your services contact me.”
Joel S. Ezra USA
Eduard attended to the details of our tour with the utmost care and provided excellent customer service. He made us feel not like a customers but like treasured friends. He insured that we stayed in special hotels, ate the most authentic meals, and saw the best of Romania. Romania is blessed with many UNESCO heritage sites that include immaculately preserved medieval cities like Sibiu–not to be missed. However, Eduard also insured that we saw what life was like behind the Iron Curtain before the revolution in December 1989 . . . an important and not to be missed part of Romanian history.
We have always traveled on our own and never had a private guide before this trip. However, we highly recommend Eduard—we could have never seen as much as we did or obtained access to the many sites that we saw in the amount of time that we had (5 days) without his help. And in retrospect, it was too little time. Romania especially will be an incredible antidote for Americans accustomed to traveling abroad without much welcome—this generous, lively country greeted us with an enthusiam we have experienced in few other countries and Eduard was our passport to a trip we will long remember. ”
Richard Berger and Shelley Kick, Ph.D.
“Exactly one hundred years ago, a Jewish lemonade manufacturer from Botosani, Romania emigrated with his wife and 5 children to UK. That man was my great-grandfather Israel (Strul) Haier. With little more than that to go on, we (his grandson, great-grandson and 3 great-great-grandsons) set out on a voyage of discovery led by the intrepid Eduard. Even before we set foot in Romania, he had started searching for clues and had found the likely town where the lemonade was made (Hirlau). Eduard led us to Botosani where, with his close contacts in the Jewish community, we visited the cemetery, searched archives, prayed in the shul and even had the opportunity to interview a sprightly 90-year old Jewish man from the area who described life in the town in his childhood. Eduard took us to meet the Presidents of the Jewish communities in Botosani and Iashiand the Chief Rabbi in Bucharest. He left no stone unturned. When our itinerary needed to change, he remained flexible and helpful. He entertained us with his good humour and educated us with his extensive knowledge of Romanian history. For those wishing to learn more about their family roots and Jewish heritage, I thoroughly recommend Eduard and Romania Jewish tours.”
Steve, Krishna, Bernard, Jonathan, Justin, Jason Hyer
London, UK – August 2009
“Eduard and Romania
Just wanted to say thanks again for the extra special attention you gave on our tour of Romania . Both Jason and I had a terrific time, as you can tell by the photos I forwarded. I truly appreciate the depth of your knowledge of your homeland, its cultural diversity and most importantly your willingness to share that history with us. Jason said he had a ball, loved the country and was crazy about the hotels in the Citadels. He looks forward to continuing our tours of the region. This coming form a twenty year old is a high compliment! Regards to Florea, and please tell him we look forward to seeing him again. He was an amazing driver.
Regards,”
David and Jason, USA
September 2009
“It doesn’t have to be Halloween to enjoy the art and culture of Romania and of course Transylvania. If you still want to see old Europe then you need to visit this area. It has the glamour of Germany and the friendliness that one used to expect from all of Europe. Edward as a guide provided not only the history of the country, but you come away knowing the joys and sorrows of this country and its people. He managed to enliven the trip both with history and personal references that make you feel you had known both him and the people for ever.
Small and large hotels were all outstanding. All of the individuals came away praising the cleanliness even down to every toilet whether at a gas station or a restaurant. The Romanian experience is not only exceptional but it is still an area where it is a bargain, unlike any other area of Europe.
Go now before it changes.”
Peter Treibley, USA
September 2009
“I had a raised eyebrow reaction when I said that i was going to Romania and felt almost as though I had to offer an explanation as to why I was going on a trip that was not on the regular travel circuit. The initial email detailing the trip appeared fascinating and it seemed like more of an adventure rather than “just another trip.” There were so many exciting surprises that I find it hard to isolate and separate details. We were very fortunate to have perfect weather. The hotels, all very different, had charm and personality. I looked forward to the differences in each stop. Now I will attempt to begin.
I found there to be 3 different Romania’s – a flat, poor and ugly part, then beautiful rolling green layers of mountains offering a visual delight and dimension, and finally towns and villages very far apart each with its own personality and charm. The city of Bucharest was the only place offering what I expected, although lacking the beauty and charm of the villages. The food was a very nice surprise as it was tasty and beautifully served making it more appealing. The tomatoes were the best I have ever eaten anywhere. The people, not too many spoke or understood much English, were anxious to please. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and laid the groundwork for all the places of interest so well that we really anticipated each stop with excitement. Peles Castle in Sinaia was probably my favorite of everything we saw. I could not even imagine anything so magnificent. It was unlike any castle in Europe I have ever seen as it was complete in every detail without being garish. The attention to detail and appreciation of art and architecture defies superlatives. It was truly a vision. The other highlight, truly beyond comparison, were the wine tastings – one in a country garden setting and the other a step back into history with a table set for royalty. Both lunches were outstanding in very different ways – one totally country and the other extravagant and magnificent. Brasov had a great deal to offer. I would have liked more time there. The only negative about the trip was that there was not enough time for shopping. An important part of travel is buying things to bring home as gifts. I would have appreciated time set aside in each place for shopping. I’m sure this was not important to everyone but the prices were so low that I was frustrated not having time to enjoy what the shops had to offer.
I felt in the long run that this trip was so much more than I expected and I will forever feel a deep connection with a country that was only a name until now.”
Gail Stackman, USA
September 2009
“We enjoyed your guidance and direction on the trip and know we could not have done nearly as well without you. We saw many fascinating things out of the ordinary and met several of the local people in different areas which added dimension to our voyage
The hotels in the main were splendid and your extras’ were appreciated. We would whole heartedly recommend you to any one taking a similar trip. Feel free to use us for references. ”
Sheldon Katz, USA
October 2009
“It was an honor for us to tour Bucharest with Eduard’s unique perspective of his beloved city. His knowledge was outstanding in all aspects of our interests: Judaic History, Classical Music, Romanian Culture, Communist Era Politics and Architecture. Our tour was customized and planned with him via the internet; we gave him all tall order of what we wanted to see and experince. Eduard exceeded our expectations adding venues that we hadn’t even considered. His sensitivity in the Judaic area was very heartwarming and his excellent relations with the Jewish community was quite apparent.
As an individual Eduard is of the highest character and integrity. As we explored serious topics, he was respectful and knowledgeable. When we found humor in certain settings, he joined in comfortably with our American humor. Our only regret is that we did not have him with us as we toured other parts of Romania. We look forward to returning and continuing our quest with our new friend.“
Arlene & Alan Karpel
Tarzana, California USA
December 2009
“Edward,
Rina and I would like to thank you for the wonderful tour of Romania. Not only is the country gorgeous but your experience, knowledge and humor was an excellent way to spend our week visiting this great country. We will never forget Plum Brandy, the “symbol” of Communism and the amazing cities of Brasov, Sibiu and Bucharest. You made us have an unforgettable experience that we will never forget!
We wish you much success and hope to one day see you again. I will forward some of the pictures we took shortly.
Best Regards,
Elan Hertzberg
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Dear Eduard,
Thank you for a wonderful tour of Romania.
I shell remember it all my life .
Be well,”
Sylvia Kagan, USA
July 2010
“Eduard,
Thank you for everything, we had a great time . Come see us in America.”
Honey Blank, Jordan Blank, Sandra Massey
July 2010