Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the RAU student residence was closed, so we rented an Airbnb apartment for the first month. We landed in Bucharest a few days before the start of the semester and explored the city in sunny autumn weather.

Moritz Schwinge: “At this point, I can say straight away that I would always prefer Airbnb to student accommodation, despite the extra organizational effort involved. Not only because the two options are hardly any different in terms of cost, but also because Airbnb offers many advantages (own kitchen, greater flexibility, more freedom) that you don’t have in a student hall of residence.”

With its historic buildings, fountains, parks and lakes, the metropolis offers many beautiful opportunities for strolling, drinking coffee or lingering. We were often asked why we decided to study in the “Paris of the East”, and looking back, the answer is: the Romanian capital surprises with its many facets – a Balkan atmosphere with oriental influences and French-inspired architecture, which was redesigned in the 1940s under communism – and now impresses as a flourishing, western-inspired city with friendly, helpful people.

Moritz Schwinge: “I particularly remember the beautiful old town of Bucharest with its pedestrian streets of Strada Lipscani and Strada Franceza, which is also the oldest street in Bucharest. Also impressive in autumn is the ‘Romanian Times Square’ Piata Unirii, whose fountain in the middle is illuminated with different colors in the evening and is surrounded by many huge LED billboards on the roofs of the surrounding skyscrapers. In addition to the old town and its mixed-style, historical and orderly cityscape, parts of Bucharest also have very modern and tall buildings as well as very old, unkempt and abandoned buildings, which repeatedly illustrate the strong social inequality and individuality of the city.”

In the first week, we took part in the introductory event, put together our timetable and took advantage of the Erasmus+ benefits of the Erasmus Student Network Card and the Buddy Program. The largely German discounter landscape made it easy to get used to the local supply – you can’t avoid buying water regularly due to the Romanian tap water quality.

The rampant Delta variant allowed for exclusively online lectures throughout the semester. The semester is divided into two sections. You have the opportunity to avoid the corresponding exam at the end of the semester by taking the pre-exam. To do this, at least 80% of the pre-exam must be answered correctly. In general, you can follow the lectures well and use the study materials to prepare for the exams in a targeted manner.

Moritz Schwinge: “Student life at the RAU, like my A-levels and previous studies at the FHDW, was heavily influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to incidence figures of over 1,000 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in Bucharest, all lectures at the university had to be held online with the help of Microsoft Teams. Despite this restriction and the novelty of English lectures, I was able to grasp and understand the content of the course well during my Erasmus period. The lecturers at RAU teach you the topics in a relaxed manner and are also very open and helpful when asked individually. In addition to the presentation during the lectures, depending on the lecturer, you also receive further help and learning materials with which you can work through the lectures very well on your own.”

Once we had gained confidence in the academic challenges, we met regularly with our Erasmus buddies and got to know other Romanians. The buddies were particularly helpful in organizing excursions and booked us train tickets for a day trip to Constanta, for example. The port city on the Black Sea is well worth a visit when the temperatures are warm.

Moritz Schwinge: “All in all, studying at the RAU is fun and also leaves enough freedom for leisure activities and day trips through Romania.”

The sharply worsening coronavirus situation, which was also reported in the German media, among others, also severely restricted everyday life – not only due to stricter regulations for bars, restaurants and other leisure activities, but also the increasing fear of catching coronavirus in a country from which patients were also flown out to Germany or where they lay untreated on the floor to die in overcrowded hospitals.

In short: the impending change of accommodation, the precarious situation, the increasingly cold temperatures and the certainty that lectures and exams would continue to take place online anyway led us to the decision to leave Romania. During a joint brainstorming session in our already well-established team, we came up with the idea of continuing our semester abroad in Cyprus.

Moritz Schwinge: “Cyprus was a particularly good destination at the time because the coronavirus figures there were lower than in Germany, the culture and history of Cyprus with the division of the country provided a very exciting basis for a longer-term stay, the weather there was the warmest in Europe and there was a great flight connection from Bucharest to Cyprus.”

After some research and consultation with the RAU and FHDW, we flew to Paphos/Cyprus at the beginning of November and moved into a nice vacation home near Latchi. Temperatures of around 30 degrees, palm trees and the warm Mediterranean Sea (20 minutes’ walk) were a welcome change from the Romanian metropolis and a pleasant environment for the upcoming pre-exam phase.

Moritz Schwinge: “The examination phase went very well, our diet was characterized by self-pressed juices from local Cypriot fruits, the absence of soft drinks, chips or other unhealthy convenience products, many cooking and baking activities and a lot of exercise, especially motivated by the great weather, the beautiful landscapes, but also the lack of public transport in the remote area of Cyprus where our house was located.”

In contrast to Bucharest, local public transport in Cyprus is poorly developed and a car makes a lot of sense. In mid-November, we rented a car for the rest of the time and were able to use our newfound mobility to explore the cultural and tourist highlights of this Mediterranean idyll. In addition to numerous sporting highlights such as swimming, jogging, hiking and playing golf, we also visited various museums and exhibitions. The island’s strategic location has exposed it to many influences over the centuries, and real history can still be experienced today in Nicosia, the world’s last divided capital. In addition to Nicosia, we visited Limassol and Paphos and spent a lot of time enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings: The country’s highest mountain, Mount Olympos, which borders the Paphos Forest nature reserve, is just as impressive as the beach at Agia Napa or a boat trip with a local fisherman.

After successfully completing the pre-exams, we enjoyed our time in Cyprus until mid-December before spending the Christmas holidays with our families in Germany.

In mid-January, we flew back to the Romanian capital and moved into an apartment in Cișmigiu Park. We then successfully completed the second pre-exam phase and didn’t have to write any exams.

In addition to visiting the national arena for the top match of the first Romanian soccer league FCSB vs. CFR Cluj, we took the night train to Cluj, visited the thermal baths, went skiing in Sinaia and met with Sonja Gebauer (cultural attaché and wife of the German ambassador), gaining exciting insights into bilateral relations. The crowning glory was a short trip to Milan.