I’m always up for playing tourist whether it’s a long trek that requires an airplane, a passport and customs, or a quick day trip that means I’ll be back at home before bedtime. Sightseeing and learning new things about wherever I am is something that never gets old and it doesn’t always have to be something big and major like the Eiffel tower or the Roman Forum, sometimes the small things have just as big of an impact.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned it and I probably haven’t because it terrifies me, but my husband has a motorcycle and he LOVES to ride it. Luckily for me he likes to take the small back roads through small villages because he “loves the curves”. That also means that he finds tons of hidden gems that even he didn’t know about and he grew up here!
Today we’re talking about Barajul Paltinu, also known as Paltinu Dam and Paltinu Lake. Located on the Doftana River, the dam itself is more than 100 meters tall and over 455 meters wide. It’s a big girl and in person it is beautiful.
A few kilometers from the actual dam walls is a nice spot on the lake which is peaceful and scenic, the perfect place for a midday date with your honey. I really want to go back before the weather cools down and spend the day with my laptop writing and soaking up the scenery.
Don’t worry, fellow vegans, this wasn’t just a sightseeing trip! There was food because, of course there was food!
Quick Vegan Picnic
Since this wasn’t a fully planned trip, the hubs and I just grabbed a few items from the store and the fridge, and called it good. The mini vegan picnic consisted of:
*Vegan cheese cubes & grape tomatoes
*Vegan chiftele (basically Romanian vegan meat & veggie balls)
*Hummus
*Potato bread
*Vegan dipping sauce
It was simple fare but delicious, the perfect treat for a couple of hours out in nature.
And Now, A Few Photos…
This was a great find for a random Monday after running errands. The vegan picnic was an inspired idea and we spent a couple of hours walking around, chatting and simply enjoying being in nature.
Are there any places like this in your neck of the woods?
The Spicy Spatula 
Whatcha think?