Signs of Spring

For me, there’s few things better right now than watching spring arrive in my hometown: the place of my birth and coming into the world, the place of all my small and great departures, the place where all my profound and genuine dreams were born. You know, the ones that give meaning to your life, and purpose. The ones that give you unrest and make you curious. And courageous!…

All the familiar places and their fragrances, reignited again, all the hiding spots and walking paths, the hidden bench – witness to many moments of intellectual solitude and delight, all of them now seen in a new light: the one of maturity, introspection and constant renewal.

I am amazed how much the fragrance of the Earth is just as fresh and crisp as it was when I was a child, the after-the-rain air tastes just as sweet and with that, the flooding of the memories! myriads and myriads of feelings, ideas and moments, all brought back by just closing the eyes and seeing with the other senses!

Sunny skies

One of the entrances into the parkA leaf from last fall…Buds on treesOne of my all time favorite thing to do at midday: to sit on a bench reading with the sun on my face… :)Happy squirrel eatingTwo baby flies resting on my legNatural path in the park

Colorful garage doors, ready for spring!

All these photos were taken by me in Gherla, Cluj Clounty, Romania. Late April 2012.

This week’s song: Romanian Rhapsody by George Enescu

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.

Sunday’s sunny snow

The sun finally shone, for a little while, just enough to catch some glimpses of its tender and sparkly love with the snow…

Light and shadow in Gherla’s central park.

The river, covered by ice and snow…

The main entrance into the park.

Blue sky and the back of the Roman Catholic Church, in Gherla, Cluj County, Romania. Photos taken by me, February, 2012

Winter madness

Photos taken in Gherla, Cluj County, Romania. In the park and next to the Somes River. February, 2012.

And, a very beautiful song to go with the photos :)

I have taken some photos of the same scenery back in November…you can check them out and compare here.

Glimpses of winter, in November

Just some glimpses of the upcoming winter, from my hometown…:)

Photos taken in Gherla, Cluj County, Romania. November, 2011

From St Michael’s Church

View over Cluj-Napoca (Iuliu Maniu /”The Mirror Street “- all the buildings have the same shape and size on both sides of the street) from inside St. Michael’s Church. Cluj-Napoca, Romania. August, 2011

The Road, in spring…

Somewhere in Cluj county, Transylvania, Romania. March, 2009

Spring is here…Finally! The light grows and with it, my good temper and willingness to act (finally :) ) on all the new and wonderful resolutions I set for myself. They just seem easier to take now when I wake up in the morning and feel the sun invading my room while the cold gradually stops being so bitter and harsh. I have longed for this spring but now that it’s here,  I can’t help wondering: where has the winter gone?… :)

Home

It’s strange to be back home. Especially if you have lived and grown somewhere else, in a different  reality. Everything’s the same and everything’s changed. You recognize it because it’s written within you but still, you find it small(er) and to a certain degree, unfitting. 

View over the Somes River, Gherla, Romania. Late October, 2010

New Year

Ahhhh, a new year! :) Don’t you just love the alluring tone of a new beginning? That prompts you into all these wonderful possibilities that you want for yourself? So many new things to change/do/accomplish! And doesn’t that just make you feel all giddy and joyous all of the sudden? Like you just can reinvent yourself truly this time, make the trip around  the sun really worth the while and during the process, become more and more like… yourself, maybe? :)

Oh, I am such a sucker for happy endings, beginnings, hugs, frosty mornings, books and chocolate. All in one and all together if possible. Shared with good friends and loved ones.

Looking back, 2010 was a glorious year. I moved to a new country, to a new home. To a new job. I learned to live simply and pack my life in just 2 luggages and be fine with that. Okay, 3, huge, and excruciatingly heavy. But no matter. I fell in love, again, and stayed in love. I traveled to unexpected places realizing afterwards that I always dreamed about them even though I never knew they were there. I ached and felt lonely, just like a single Parisian dove on a rooftop. But I never lost hope and bounced back a bit more stronger, a bit more wiser…

I hold tight, then I let go. I got excited and I got frantic. I broke down. I moved on and took the chance, just to meet even more wonderful people along the way, unexpected blessings, coming back to the same point.

(My) Life is Wonderful and Amazing just as it is!

When this year ends, I will have 130+ people to love and keep in my mind and heart forever. And many more adventures, many more travels, many more challenges…

I feel incredibly blessed and grateful!