Today’s delight!

Honest and candid photos of rural Romania!

I have the feeling that this way of life, still unchanged for hundreds of years, will be completely gone in 30/40 years….therefore, I was very pleased to discover Adrian Petrisor’s* photography who captures so beautifully the details of our landscape, the beauty and serenity of our mountains, the closeness with the rhythms of nature, the simple, Earth-bound life of the peasants.

Romania…oh, so much to tell about it and where to begin? A country full of contrasts, hope, despair, beauty and sadness….still growing, still adjusting to capitalism and the rapid growth of post-communist industrialization, still trying to find its identity. I am so happy I was born here! After traveling extensively and now, on the verge of settling in a different country, I come to realize all the wonderful things it taught me, how much it shaped my values, my lifestyle and how happy I am to have had the opportunity to learn, through my parents’ and grandparents’ tales, so much about our past (communism)  and through mine and my friends’ endeavors, to shape its present.

If you are curious and want to learn a bit more about my country, feel free to ask anything! :) if you want to check some stuff about it, these resources are pretty good to give you a glimpse into its tourism, politics, nature, how to, etc.

About Romania – basic stuff

Welcome to Romania – blog in Romanian and English with great photos and travel tips! (one of my faves at the mo)

Romania Revealed – another pretty good blog

BBC – Country’s profile

Romania in your pocket

Travel to Romania – how to

Dacians, the ancestors of Romanians, in the Roman Culture around the world

And now, some adventure trips!

Barefoot tours

Active, adventure and wild life tours in Romania

Roving Romania

Hiking Romania

Hunting, fishing, bird watching…

Carpathian trek

Trek and climb

All kinds of other stuff..

Aaannnndd….my personal favorite at the moment! haven’t tried it yet, but definitely want to (is on my bucket list! :) )

Mocanita – real forestry railway, in one of the most beautiful regions of our country: Maramures! Some more about it here!

*Adrian Petrisor is a Cluj-Napoca based photographer who also conducts amazing photo workshops in the mountains and other rural landscapes.

Geneva – in 1.5 hours!

Last year in November, I was invited to participate at a European Seminar on Youth Policies and post EVS opportunities within the framework of Youth in Action programme. The seminar was held in a small city in Provence called St. Cyr sur Mer. And…. I decided to take the train to get there! :)

In between train rides, I had just enough time to stop in Genève, change some euros in Swiss Francs, grab a coffee and venture around the train station.

Here are some photos I took on my little trip:

Views over Quai Gustave-Ador and Lake Geneva

The “Jet d’eau” (Water fountain)

Early Christmas decorations…The Swiss flag

Like any other major European city, Geneva is very bike friendly: in the little bit of time I spent around the bay, I saw lots of people – business men, students, kids and elderly, all biking. Quite nice! It reminded me a lot of Austria…

Geneva is the home of Red Cross International, CERN, UN and many other international organizations. It also hosts a plethora of festivals, museums and art galleries, which makes it a friendly and young city.

It is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and the second biggest city in Switzerland after Zurich. If you speak French or English, and if not, some Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, you should be fine when traveling around (since there are a lot of people speaking these languages in the city).

No surprise there! Geneva is also the main European center of diplomacy and a very important financial center. It is ranked as being the third in the world at providing the best quality life for its citizens! The elegant and very well preserved architecture, the safe and orderly public transportation system, the efficient infrastructure, the clean-neat overall look of the city, as well as the numerous opportunities for cultural and educational growth reflects it.

Other fun facts and info about the city here and here!

View from St. George’s Castle, Lisbon

View from Sao Jorge’s (Saint George’s) Castle, Lisbon, Portugal. August, 2007

Overlooking the Tagus River, Lisbon, Portugal. August, 2007.

Lisbon is such an amazing city! rich in culture and history, with all its influences displayed, layers upon layers, on its grand architecture, it’s so wonderful to visit and the view over the city, from Saint George’s Castle, breathtaking!

Take a look at it here!

Venice

I miss Venice out of the sudden.

I want to visit it again, in a short weekend, hoping on a train and entering it by the sea. I want to walk barefoot on its stony and scrambled, ancient and minuscule streets. Then find shelter in a strange church to collect my thoughts and listen to the sound of silence. To wonder at all its sights, and smells and people. To get lost but still know that I am not.

Photos taken in August, 2007.

Le bijoux

First glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, literally, from Rue de L’Universite (if I remember corretly). Paris, France. March, 2010

Wow! I truly was so amazed to see it! I remember standing on a bench, right underneath it and thinking how exquisitely gorgeous it is! perfect in its height and symmetry. A little something to adore just for itself.

It surprised me even more since I have always considered it, before, overrated and touristy. Well, that until I saw it with my own eyes :) Just standing underneath it, waiting and watching the lights sparkle on it, it felt like a moment of pure bliss, captured in the  rush of all the others…

Cluj at its best

Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Museum’s Square. December 1st, 08

…sunny, warm and open.

Bella Italia…

Candid and beautiful video shot in Italy here! More about the artist – Leonardo Dalessandri and his work on his personal website.

Venice on a rainy day. March 08.

Eyes and wonder – Sibiu

Thank God, the Saxons, creativity, art and chance that places like Sibiu, in the heart of Romania, still exist.

Small, intricate, round and pretty, ever-watchful with those magnificent eyes, Sibiu is one of those places where even if you do get lost, you always find your way back to yourself. Never too grand or imposing to remind you of your humbleness, but ever welcoming and cheerful.

View over the main square from one of the towers

Eyes, eyes, eyes…

Eye on the pavement

More eyes :)

Sibiu – Hermannstadt by its German name, was heavily restored in the last five years in order to qualify and proudly bear the title of “European Capital of Culture for 2007″.

I took several trips to Sibiu and these photos were taken at different points, during those trips. The very first time we traveled there, in the spring of 07, was, and still is, the most quaint, soulful and relaxing trip I ever took.

More about the city, which I recommend visiting with all my wits and heart, here.

Large square…

View from inside the Bruckenthal Museum, first museum ever opened in Transylvania

In 9 words or so…

• Brukenthal Museum
• eyes
• German heritage
• Cultural Capital
• Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization ASTRA
• ASTRA Film Festival
• Fagaras Mountains
• guilds
• tellurium

Waiting just a little bit more

Poem carved in stone on the path leading (? I can’t remember precisely) to the Natural Bridge in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, USA. Taken in the summer of 2006.

More about this natural wonder, here!

Nature through a lens

Looking through an optical glass. Cluj Napoca, Romania. April 25th, 2009.