“Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Russia began a period of rapid expansion with the aim of making the Black Sea a Russsian lake and, ultimately, gaining access to the Mediterranean. Moldavia and Wallachia were importantly situated pawns in that game, while the Western Powers manoeuvred among themselves to exlude Russia from the Balkans. They thereby found themselves propping up a decadent Ottoman Empire while at the same time espousing the values of liberalism or, more often, romantic nationalism. Ideology, usually, but not always, took second place to realpolitik. At the same time, Austria-Hungary hoped to expand south-east into the Balkans.” RomaniaBalkansOttoman EmpireAustria HungaryMoldovaRussian EmpireBlack SeaWallachia Book:Roads That Move: A Journey through Eastern Europe Source: Roads That Move: A Journey through Eastern Europe
“It was Wallachia---her land, her mother---greeting her. This was how church was supposed to feel. She had never experienced the divine spirit within a church's walls, but on this peak, in this countryside, she felt peace and purpose and belonging. This was the glory of God. This was Wallachia, This was hers.” ExperienceWallachia Book:And I Darken Source: And I Darken