At least once a week, I think about the summer vacation I've been looking forward to since the beginning of winter and try to remember those that have passed by looking through photos.

When I say summer vacation, I think of the sea. I regret that I didn't get to live by the sea. My sorrow is that I am slow in realizing that many of my wishes could have been fulfilled, but it was always too late.

From what I have been able to visit, my favorite sea is the Aegean Sea, and the sea I could afford and find closest to my home is the Black Sea, both in Romania and Bulgaria.

The small resort of Balchik in Bulgaria is my favorite place by the Black Sea. I have been there countless times, so when I search through the photos, I most often come across familiar images of the small bay.

The Black Sea is not as its name suggests; the water is changeable, from ashen to green, blue, and silver. I am happy that I can now afford to photograph color at such a low cost and in almost limitless quantity with just a phone.

Balchik was not chosen by chance, even in a country other than the one I live in. Here is a small part of the history of my country, Romania, where Queen Maria of Romania lived for almost a decade in summer.

The Queen chose this place for the summer residence of the royal household and built a castle and beautiful gardens around it.

The castle title is given by its royalty. Otherwise, it is just the size of a mansion, as seen in the photo below.

The Queen lived here between the two world wars of the last century, and her great passion was photography, which was possible only in black and white. Because of this and out of respect for her, I try to use black and white photographs when I talk about her.

The Queen's Gardens also include an extensive cactus collection, the largest open-air cactus garden in southeastern Europe.

The gardens are vast and landscaped in many styles, with different species of plants and channels through which spring water flows.

Set on some hills, these gardens, one of the main tourist attractions, offer a beautiful sea view.

As with any place where tourists gather, there's plenty for sale. Local paintings and pottery are of good quality.

Ladies are always more interested in buying souvenirs and clothing specific to the summer season.

_{This is my entry for the #monomad challenge.}

_{I rely mostly on photos in all my blogs. Words don't help me as much as photos.}

_{I always start with photos when I want to write a blog. Photos remind me of places, events, and feelings that then turn into words. When I post in Photography Lovers the words have even less importance, they are a companion to the photos I want to show. This often makes the story uninteresting or common, yet it is necessary; otherwise, the photos would merely be a series of unexciting images.}

_{I make this statement as a plea to those reading not to over-judge the text and to focus on the photos. The story puts everything in context and provides the explanations and clarifications necessary for the blog to convey something of interest to the reader.}

_{Since we all love photography, let’s explore the captivating details captured in these photos!}

_{A wise saying goes that a photograph is worth a thousand words, but I don't think so.}

_{It depends on the viewer.}