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Bellatrix's avatar

What year did your parents leave Romania?

That’s very nice you’ve been able to make several trips there. Were you able to find any family?

The photos are beautiful!

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Ely's avatar

Thank you Bellatrix. My parents left Romania in the 1930s. My Dad joined the French Foreign Legion, my mother went to British Palestine. They saw the writing on the wall when Hitler came to power. We found my father’s original house in the city of Craiova, my mother’s was no longer there in Bucharest, replaced by a communist apartment building. I can still speak a bit of Romanian.

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Bellatrix's avatar

How very very interesting. You come from good stock -you had very smart parents! So nice you got to see your father’s house. Please post a picture if you have it. Sad about your mother’s place, it’s the future of the whole world if we don’t stop all this tyranny. May your dear parents be resting in peace.

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Ely's avatar

I have a photo somewhere on my computer of my father’s house. I’ll try and locate it. When my wife and I fronted up at the gate;the young lady there was very suspicious as we both had cameras on us. Ithink she thought we were trying to reclaim the house. Once she understood—in my broken Romanian—that we were just visiting, she welcomed usin open arms. There are still memories of communism.

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Bellatrix's avatar

Wow, that worked out great you were able to communicate and that she understood and was kind.

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Ely's avatar

Yes, though the family were not well off they invited us back for dinner. It was quite an experience.

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Bellatrix's avatar

Wow! Very nice!

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Ely's avatar

Bellatrix, if you go back to my post, I have updated with a couple of photos. A bit grainy––they're quite old––but you get the idea.

https://elylazar.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/137171867/share-center

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Bellatrix's avatar

Thank you for adding the pictures! Looks like an interesting place to live. Did your mom and dad ever go back?

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