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It was a very cold day, with a cold rain, cold wind and cloudy sky, over the entire Oltenia area.
As part of an application for a European project for the rejuvenation of Baile Ionele Lake, Urzicuta village, by the Mayor of Urzicuta, in partnership with the Alexis Project, under the management of the consulting company conducted by Miss Gabriela Antonova, Bulgaria, we have made today another important step in the completion of this application, to collect water samples from the lake, in order to establish its water quality, for this EU project.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th October 2011
With the help of the Mayor of Urzicuta village, as well as other people from the village, water samples were taken from one and a half metres underground from the middle of the lake.
The elders of the village said that there is, somewhere, a hot water spring - perhaps the Alexis hypothesis about the ancient Aquae is not just a dream! and we will search for it.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th October 2011
Adrian and Alexandru went to the Baile Ionele Lake region to visit the tumuls of this area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
Under these tumuls or earth burial mounds are sleeping ancient warriors, slumbering still in the rich black earth of the region.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
The tumuls are shown in this Google Earth image.
Photo: Google Earth 28th August 2011
The salty and muddy waters of the lake were cold and uninviting on this chilly day.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
Photo: Google Earth 28th August 2011
Photo: Google Earth 29th August 2010
In early November, Adrian and Alexandru went again to Baile Ionele, near Urzicuta village, Dolj County, where the lake which had almost disappeared just a month ago has come back again completely, with no logical explanation.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 6th November 2010
Adrian and Alina Neagoe and some others were at Baile Ionele lake, to find out more about it.
They found a very strange fact. During the hot summer, the lake was full of water, with a lot of birds near and on it.
Today the entire lake is almost empty. Where has the water gone, when it is now cold and windy weather in autumn?
The lake is not fed by a river, it is fed by a very deep Pliocene spring underground.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 3rd October 2010
There seem to be at least eight Tumuls or barrows or earth mounds over graves in the area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
Many years ago, there was a large centre here for the treatment of rheumatism, much as the town of Herculane is today on the Cerna River.
However, today the road to Ionele Bai is full of dust, like one might see in the Paris-Dakar Rally, but here the dust is free!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
A general view of the lake shows a lake full of water but with grass everywhere, without any facility for tourists.
Even the name of Ionele is now only in the memory of a few people.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
There are many ruins of once substantial buildings for the tourist trade. This was formerly a WC.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
The clay was once used as part of the treatment of people with rheumatism, along with the water which was heated from the lake. The fact that this clay has been put here indicates that tourists still come here occasionally to bathe in the waters, and coat themselves with the therapeutic clay.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
On the way to the Economu House, in the middle of winter, in a snowstorm.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th February 2011
Taking measurements of the house, with the plan of a future project to repair it, in cooperation with the authorities.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th February 2011
It took two hours of concentrated work to make the measurements and record them. This part of the project is almost complete.
It was not an easy task, the whole building was searched and measured, and some parts are dangerous and ready to fall down, but it is good to make another important Alexis activity to promote cultural targets in our area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th February 2011
Alexandru made up a complete floor plan of the house.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd February 2011
This is the ghost house in the Goiesti area, called the Economu house, after the name of its owner.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
It is a 19th century house, very damaged but beautiful, with large windows and very light inside, with a lot of large rooms and a cellar.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
All of these wonders of Romania will be lost soon, such as the 19th century churches of Vogna and Vlaimir, as well as the Macedonski and Economu houses, if no one will protect them.
A people without a past has no future.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
There are five such huge houses in the Goiesti area, as well as 6 to 8 churches, so eventually there could easily be over 100 such targets in this area.
Romania is a beautiful country, and we must do all we can to promote and protect its treasures.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
GPS readings: 44.504682° N,23.734852° E
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
On the road between Caracal and Corabia, Olt County, at GPS points 44.03111°N, 24.40562°E there is a ghost house. Many houses like this were built before the two World Wars, having rich owners, but during the communist period they were given as offices to agricultural authorities or other government bodies.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
Now they have been given back to their former owners or their families, but in a bad condition, and even with a lot of money, the ancient building could not be rebuilt, so the building is lost.
A few of them are historical monuments, but no one has taken care of them, as we can see here.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
The Alexis Project members have met ghost buildings such as these everywhere, such as houses, castles, factories and so on. It is thus important to record the images of these buildings for future generations, before they are lost forever.
Often it is not possible to learn the history of these buildings, such as for this example, and the buildings are left alone in the bare agricultural fields, empty, like a ghost.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
Google Earth image in which the ghost buildings can be clearly seen.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
