The road less traveled

Pornic, o felie de primavara la mare

2012-01-17T12:15:00.000+02:00

Stiu, stiu, le cer scuze fanilor mei, adica celor 17 inscrisi la feed si probabil 3 care pica pe aici complet intamplator, stiu, nu am mai scris de mult. Asa ca ma revansez cu poze de la mare. Sau mai bine zis de la ocean, poze de acum vreo 6 ani (doamne, ce a trecut timpul), cand eram Erasmus in Franta si cu niste prieteni am facut o plimbare pana la ocean. Cum locuiam in Nantes, aveam de ales intrer mai multe statiuni si sate si imi amintesc ca am vizitat vreo 3 cu acea ocazie, Pornic, Pornichet si La Baule.

Pornic este un orasel linistit, cu port, castel si mutle stradute labirintice prin care sa te pierzi, urmand mirosul de clatite si vata de zahar. Ca mai toate oraselele de pe coasta bretona. Si ai mereu impresia ca vei da peste un pirat adevarat. Sau peste Barba albastra (Gilles de Rais care a servit drept inspiratie pentru acest personaj, a avut resedinta aici).

In aceasta zona sunt multe golfulete ascunse privirii. Nisipul este aici inchis la culoare si fierbinte. Cand ne-am plimbat noi pe acolo nu era foarte multa lume, fiind primavara tarzie, insa vara sunt destul chiriasi in rulotele de pe faleze si totusi te simti retras de lume.

Pe drum spre La Baule ne-am oprit la fortificatiile de la Prefailles - St Gildas, un pic de istorie recenta, ramasite al celui de-Al Doilea Razboi Mondial, acum doar urmele fortificatiilor de unde turistii privesc peste Ocean, spre New York.

Nu am mai gasit fotografii din celelalte locatii si tare rau imi pare. La Baule este o statiune foarte chic, pentru protipendada. Aici gasiti cea mai lunga plaja din Europa (12km, e lunga rau) dar si cel mai bun sorbet de fructe de padure. Ah si hoteluri in castele, e de vis.

Si cu acestea va las sa munciti si paote sa visati. Pe aici e zapada si totul e colorat de iarna dar sper ca v-am adus un pic de nisip intre degete.

Romanian Road Trip - Day 2&3 Sibiu

2011-08-18T09:34:00.000+03:00

From Turda we went to Alba Iulia for a short visit of the Citadel. i will write about it in another post because it is really worth the time (for me to write and for you to visit). This was the second time we visited and we stopped because our friend has an interest in Vauban fortresses but also because we enjoyed the beer we had last year, inside the Citadel.

Our target was to get to Sibiu before nightfall in order to visit a bit as well so I booked a room in a pension, just to be sure we don't waste time looking around. Next time I will chose something more central and quieter but still, it was ok, the choice is quite varied, as in all the cities we visited on the trip.

We visited the center a bit and ate at the first restaurant we found, in the Small Square or "Piata Mica", it wasn't a bad choice but the concierge had a better advice, oh well. We wandered around the medieval streets of the downtown Sibiu, it felt almost like in a fairy tale or a RPG.

Most of the visiting was left for the next day. Around 11 we came to town, found a parking lot, very easy to find but a little more complicated to pay for as the vending machine was not working but luckily the lady at the boutique just across the street had the tickets on sale.

The center was booming with people of all ages, despite the bitter wind. The weather didn't stop us either: we bought some pastries at a local boulangerie with lots of choice for few dimes (at least for us, tourists), fresh fruits and orange juice completed our brunch on a bench in the Piata Mare or the Big Square.

I am sorry I didn't take a picture of the little girl chasing a pigeon on her pink bike. She was fearless and determined but got scolded by her mom. We smiled, thinking of the pigeons from the restaurant in Cluj.

We continued our stroll and headed towards the Bridge of Lies and I told them the legend behind it. And the bridge is still there! Going towards the Huet Square we found some antique and souvenir shops. They were interesting as well as warm and we found some gifts.

This time we also visited the Evangelical Church (I hope I am right about this, religion is not my forte). It was warmer than outside and we felt good about giving 1RON for the restoration because they were doing a great job at it, a part of the Church had already been restored and it was marvelous. Last year we had seen a French guy doing some woodwork in the Garden, he was singing a little known song and we found it funny to sing a long. Below, the Cript.

As we went out of the Church, I saw the sign of a Julius Meinl coffee so we headed inside for some Viennese delight. From there we had a great view of the roofs and the atmosphere was very Interwar.

We wandered around town some more and then picked up our stuff at the pension and left for the open road our destination was Busteni, on the Prahova Valley, with a small stop over in Brasov, another cool place to visit and maybe even to leave in. So far our list of Romanian cities to live in includes Sibiu, Cluj and Brasov.

The road from Sibiu to Cluj passes through a very beautiful region and there are many places to see. Last year we went on the Transfagarasan road which climbs up to 2000meters but we decided against it this year, the visibility was again poor. Instead, we took the traditional road which is very well kept and which offered us a surprise. Halfway to Brasov fe felt hungry and decided to stop somewhere and have a picnic. And just then we saw a sign to the Ruins of Carta Monastery and decided to leave the main road.

The ruins have an out of The Alchimist feel and were a great choice for the picnic. Someone in a house nearby was playing the piano. It was almost magical.

We stopped as well in Brasov, but we had already visited the year before and it was already late so we headed to Busteni where we had a Romanian homemade dinner and lots of tuica or plum brandy. To be continued...

View of Plzen

2011-08-15T13:03:00.000+03:00

From a coffee shop on the 16th floor.

Romanian Road Trip - Day 2 Turda

2011-08-12T14:02:00.000+03:00

After Brunch on Sunday morning in Cluj, I forgot to mention, we only had brunches, never once breakfast, during this trip, so after brunch, we sat out on the road again. Day 2 included a vizit at the salt mine in Turda, a passage through the Vauban fortress at Alba Iulia and a stop at our destination of the day, Sibiu. About the latter two I will tell you more later because I visited them last year.

Romanians probably know about the salt mine from the news. It was rebuilt and it's well worth a visit. As stated on the website of Salina Turda, you can do lots of stuff inside: bowling, ping pong, football, raw boat, etc The place is huge but the only think you cannot do is eat inside the mine and that is a pity in my opinion. There is however a restaurant outside, ice cream stand and boiled corn sellers.

Spending time in the mine is beneficial to your health and fun. The entry hall is modern and once inside you are in a long corridor. You can chose to go down inside the mine either by a lift or by the stairs at either side of the gallery. The lift was crowded so we decided to go all around the gallery and down the stairs, taking pictures.

The way down was long but we didn't mind, besides, doing some sports is good inside the salt mine and after the great meal we had had the night before, we needed the exercise.

There was a man playing music one sort of electronic organ, not my kind, but it did give the whole place a more unearthly atmosphere and made the experience even more strange. I liked it.

The first big gallery has all the important attractions, including the wheel, the sports grounds and the amphitheater. This is just the football/ping pong court.

We decided that if we had to chose, than we wanted to go rowing on the salt river, one lower. Going down the shaft of the stairways is not for the faint of heart, it was crowded, very crowded.

The second level is actually an island on the 7m deep lake and you get there by a wooden bridge. All around the mine there are wooden structures and lots of light. We rented a boat for 20 minutes and had a blast going around the island.

If you are wondering, the lake is very salty so no, they don't provide life jackets, no need for that.

The walls of the mine are just beautiful, in layers and sparkling. And that music was everywhere, I felt like in Abyss.

I was very tired going out of the salt mine, so the treatment worked.

It was heavenly

2011-08-11T13:34:00.002+03:00

As I've already told you, the whole Road trip 2011, revolved around finding good food. And we found just that, in Cluj Napoca, in a restaurant called Baracca, I found about here.

The first day of the road trip saw us in Oradea and Cluj. We were already a bit tired so I had made a reservation for 8pm because we were also very hungry. After looking for free hotels in town, we ended up in my back up, near the city center, which proved to be an excellent choice. Not to mention it was close to the restaurant. So we did some sightseeing before going to eat. Here is a proof of that: some weird finger like statues coming out the pavement. What you see between them is a bride being stolen from her wedding. A bit early in the evening for this tradition but what the heck, she was having fun.

Anyway, the restaurant was not very far so we located it easily. We went inside and I thought for a second that I shouldn't have reserved: only two tables were full so we got to chose were we sat. Hint: the white chairs are more comfortable. The restaurant has a very nice design, many quotes on the walls, bottles of wine, it was very cozy, you could see the pizza chef working next to the oven, quite posh. I was a fan.

The boys became fans of the waitress who brought us the menu, you can find the list on the site as well. I will not comment on the prices more than this: it's not a lot more than a regular place but this one here is well worth the price difference. We decided to go the Full Monty starter, main course, desert and the wines to go with that, plus a digestive. The wines were selected with the help of the very friendly waitress, who also spoke French and English, so the boys were more than happy. We had a Prosecco for the starters and a French red, both perfect for what we had.

First, the rabbit with carrot puree, warm goat cheese between two layers of pain d'epice. Divine. And the rabbit goes perfectly with the carrots.

Then foie gras with creme brulee. The tomato confit next to the foie gras was delicious, I want the recipe.

Both boys had the pigeon on a nest of vegetables with a delicious sauce. It was the first time I tasted pigeon but not the last, that's for sure, it has a more prominent taste than chicken so it can be very interesting.

I had the chicken. It was roasted in a way that reminded my of my grandma's cooking. The polenta was sweet and matched the chicken and the sauce in every way. It didn't seem like much but it was, for lack of a better word, heavenly.

I was quite full by now but when the words home made and desert reached my ears, my mouth said Yes! So I had one of the best ice creams ever: raspberry, vanilla, chocolate. I can still feel the chocolate.

The opera cake was awesome, I liked the chocolate again.

And the apple pie with a creme brulee crust. The waitress recommended it and it was a great choice.

Romanian Road Trip - Day 1 Cluj

2011-08-11T11:00:00.004+03:00

When I made the planning of the trip, I knew I had to go here. I didn't know about other places of interest around Cluj, but this restaurant was on my list after reading this about Mazilique's favorite restaurant. You can say I built the whole trip around this central point. I chose to enter Romania via Oradea because it was closer to Cluj, we then went to Sibiu via Turda where we visited the salt mine because that was close to Cluj as well and so on.

What is there to see in Cluj, you might ask, because I will make you wait a bit until the best part. To be honest, I hadn't researched Cluj Napoca as much as I did Oradea before leaving, maybe because I already knew for some years that I wanted to visit Cluj, a vibrant city, with a strong presence of students due to the many excellent universities and with an important Hungarian minority.

The city spreads around the two squares: one with the Church of St Michael and the Statue of Matei Corvin, king of Hungary of Romanian descent, born in the city and the other with an Orthodox Cathedral consecrated to the Virgin and a Statue of Avram Iancu, hero of the Revolution in 1848. You can see both squares here, first in a picture from the afternoon, notice the clouds again and the second in a picture from that night.

I also like to observe people in squares, more about that later, and try to imagine how it is to live in a certain town and people from Cluj seems more relaxed than folks from Bucharest, maybe it's because of the reputed calm of Transylvanians.

Other sightseeing points of interest surround this center such as the Botanical garden, with a beautiful Japanese garden, the Central Park, the Palace of Justice etc. The many universities and associated nightlife venues, are close but not directly in the center. As the hotel manager in Oradea warned me, the center of Cluj Napoca is not very compact, he was right once again.

Nevertheless, Cluj Napoca made it on the list of the cities I wouldn't mind living in, if and when I decide to "expatriate "myself back home.

Our hotel was on the street connecting the two squares and we could have found many restaurants and pubs there but we already had a target.We spent some of the evening after the restaurant in town, going to a bar or two and it was fun. I've heard that the night clubs here rival the ones in Bucharest but we were already to tired and haven't sampled that. Maybe next time.

Come back for the pictures of yumminess.

Romanian Road Trip - Day 1 Oradea

2011-08-10T13:15:00.001+03:00

I'm back after a wonderful week spent on the road in Romania. It was tiring but well worth it. The three of us (me and two French guys, lucky me), left From Prague on Friday around 2pm and we reached the Romanian border town of Oradea at 1am, local time. We got back last Sunday so in total we spent 9 days and a half on the road. The trip to Romania was quite Ok, except for a bit of a traffic jam in Hungary and the fact that the highways are not well indicated and I have a feeling there was a slightly shorter way to get to Oradea. The two drivers took turns behind the wheel and I did the navigating part, including the sandwiches and so time flew by.

When we arrived in Oradea, the hotel manager was already waiting for us. This was the only booking I made in advance because the trip was only roughly defined: I had in mind the general points of what I wanted to do and see and back ups to my plans so that the guys could also have a say in this schedule. The room was clean but the downside was the noisy street. We were still very much awake from the trip so we had some beers before going to sleep at 3am. In the morning we had brunch in the room: smoked Italian ham and salad and headed out to visit Oradea.

The usual gateway into Romania is Arad, at least for me, because the roads are better and the highway now passes Szeged and goes almost all the way to the boarder. But we had already been to Arad before so we wanted to see something new. And not to mention Oradea is closer to Cluj, you'll see why soon :) . Oradea is a charming town with many baroque and Secession style buildings and even, as the hotel manager told me, a pedestrian street. So keep this in mind for when you will visit Romania.

We started our visit on the pedestrian Republicii street. The weather was not very friendly, raining and unusually cold for this time of the year. The pedestrian street is a very nice touch, resembles a bit what we had already sen in Brasov, bars, restaurants and shops on both sides and bar tables in the middle. It would have been pleasant if it weren't for the rain. Here you have some views of the street, it was not very crowded yet, maybe because of the rain, but we soon found a lot of foreign tourists and some lively places.

Oradea seemed to me to be emblematic of a trend in Romania: many thinks have been done to improve the quality of life but there are still many things to be done and the vision of the future is lacking. Behind the shabby facades you could see that the boarder town was once glorious. Indeed some buildings have already been restored to their former beauty, some are undergoing reconstruction work while others are still waiting. But Oradea is on the good path, maybe it's the western influence since many people here work in Hungary.

Since it was raining quite a lot, we hoped into the first bar we saw: The "retro lactobar bistro" as advertised by the cow outside. I will talk about it in another post, the place certainly had personality and it was great fun, together with the pubs and discos around our hotel, I think the night life here must be at least worth a try. This proves that the airplane magazine that lead me to even consider Oradea as a stop over, was right: there is life outside Bucharest.

When we finished our coffee it was raining less and we managed to find enough courage to go outside. and wandered around the beautiful Ferdinand square. We passed the State Theater, one of the best theaters in Romania, according to my artistically inclined friends. Periodically there are theater festivals and the tickets are cheap compared to the quality of the artistic performance.

Some more buildings in the area are nicely restored or under restoration. In a few year, when they'll finish the restoration work, the city will be splendid, as I'm sure it was during the Hapsburg.

Actually, Oradea was meant to resemble Vienna, so many buildings here are in the same style as the ones in the capital of the Empire and were been built by Austrian architects.

The map I had had for free from the hotel pointed me towards the other side of the Crisul Repede river, where the center of the town lies as well as the citadel of Varadinum.

Over the bridge, the Town Hall is looking along the river. Along the Crisul Repede river there are many green spaces, parks and other recreational spaces

As I said before, the proximity to the West is beneficial to the town which has good links to the rest of Europe: the highway in Hungary goes to Debrecen, not very far from Oradea, there is an airport here and the airports of Cluj and Budapest are not very far either. It took us 10 hours to come here from Prague, by car.

The main square with a Statue of Michale the Brave, the first to unite the Romanian provinces. I found it interesting to see a statue of him here, he is more of a symbol for the Southern part of Romania.

With better weather, it's a nice place to sit down and watch the passers by but this was an atypical summer as you can see from the menacing clouds in the background. This is where we saw our first wedding of the day: with all the rain, there will be at least 5 lucky and rich couples.

The Black Eagle Palace, shopping gallery in the Art Nouveau style, named after a stained glass ceiling depicting a Black Eagle. Close by is the Church with the Moon, where one can find an interesting astronomical clock which follows the phases of the moon. Interesting fact: the first Meridian was considered to pass by Oradea, long before it was established in Greenwich.

According to Wikipedia, there are over 100 sites of religious service and many of them are in and around the square: Roman Catholic, Franciscan, Orthodox, Evangelical, Jewish, Baptists, all are represented and sometimes in close vicinity as you can see below.

The citizens of Oradea are 70% Romanian and roughly 28% Hungarian (some Roma and others make up the rest) for a population of over 200 000 people, a large town by Romanian standards. Don't be surprised to hear Hungarian spoken a lot here, as in other cities in Transylvania.

Oradea is not without it's importance in the history of Europe, having suffered hoards of invaders from the Mongols to the Ottomans. The ruins of the citadel testify to it's troubled past.

The bastion fortress is being restored, much in the same way as the one in Alba Iulia has already been restored. When we were there the site was under heavy reconstruction but still some wedding parties were taking pictures in the park.

This is were we ended our walk around Oradea, we got back to the hotel to have a tea before heading towards our next destination, Cluj. There are more things to see and do in Oradea such as the Muzeum of the region or "Tara Crisului", a baroque Palace with 365 windows. Just 5km South of Oradea is the spa town of Baile Felix with a beautiful waterlily reservation (again, the hotel manager proved to be a great source of information). If you want to make a detour, there is also the glacier cave of Scarisoara in nearby Alba County. But we had to be in Cluj by nightfall and you'll understand why soon.

From the sky

2011-07-17T02:57:00.001+03:00

I know, I've gone AWOL on you, I haven't said much for the last two months but that doesn't mean nothing's been going on in my life. Quite the contrary. I've been to two or three weddings (I'm loosing count) and this meant a lot of travelling so I do have some photos for you.

Yes, food again, call me obsessed. I just had to capture this because I was surprised to have such an unconventional meal (usually is a very safe bread ham cheese sandwich) and it tasted fairly good. It was a chicken wrap with a nice sauce. One of the best in flight meals I've had and I think my top 3 includes only Lufthansa food. I'm flying a lot with Lufthansa these days because they have good prices on flights from Prague to Bucharest, even if they stop in Germany.

On the return trip I had another wrap, veggies this time, but not quite as good, still decent and better than the usual; and an apple juice, healthy leaving.

A picture from the sky, just to say good bye and sorry for being late :p

Le Tire-bouchon

2011-05-31T10:36:00.000+03:00

For the collectors, more info here.

Some kind of magic

2011-05-18T11:00:00.002+03:00

The story of my day in Gastronomical Heaven continues with the main meal. I'm sorry but this will be a long and picture heavy post.

The menu was presented to us while in the garden, maybe in order to get used to the idea that we'll have something special. The menu card was very simple, with a pastel by one of the owners on the cover. Naturally I kept it. The waiter explained every course to us and answered all our questions and asked if everything was alright for us or if we wanted to change. My French Boy would have liked to change the escargot and fish dish, go figure, but in the end I think he was happy he kept them, it was our favorite! He told us we'll have the menu waiting for us on the table when we decide to go.

When we were ready, we made our way from the garden to the main pavilion, the staff wished us a good meal. Everyone was very attentive, stopping whatever they were doing to say hello or ask if we needed something. Like we were the only and most important guests! The boy had told me I'd get used to the special treatment but as I was going to the second part of the lunch, I still felt like Cinderella.

The same lady who welcomed us earlier, showed us to our table, asking if the Champagne and the terrace were to our taste. She even adjusted my chair and my cardigan to the back of my chair, saying she will leave it here because I might get cold, but that it will get warmer during the meal. I was thinking: OMG, I might get used to this treatment!

The butter arrived on a stone plate: a mound for regular butter and a cone, the salty variety, both from St Malo, as the waiter specified but I did not retain the name of the producer. I noticed once again the attention to detail: the monogram of the family was on the butter. I looked around a bit, but found no bread. Well, I didn't have time to turn my head back to the butter that another waiter came, offering us 3 or 4 different types of bread on a basket. I chose the one with tomatoes and olives and it was a great choice, perfect with the butter.

I almost wanted to finish all the butter (in Bretagne they say that the sweet one is just grease, so imagine which I prefer after a whole year in Nantes?!) but luckily they brought in the next dish.

A 85 year old gentleman, Mr Jean-Paul Haeberlin, came by himself to say hello and wish us a good meal. He went to all the tables, but next to us was a group of pure blood Alsatians he seemed to know quite well, they said they were coming to the Auberge since the 70's and remembered the time Mr Haeberlin, a now retired painter, was mayor of the village. I looked at the menu, he had painted the watercolor on the cover and I would have liked to have it signed.

Back to our table, for a starter we had lobster salad with green mango on a bread of basmati rice with different types of dressing and Kombawa leaves. The harmony of taste was perfect but I hated destroying the nice arrangement they made with the ingredients. Was it good? I'll let you guess from the pics.

Next came the dreaded fish knife. I actually love fish but some have a hard time using the knife, ah well. It was grilled perch in leek reduction and escargot between two thin bread patties with herbs. We asked one of the (many) waiters about the name of the wine, a Marsagnant, it was a white delight that accompanied the fish perfectly. Delicious. The boy loved it despite not being a fish fan.

By this time I had to go powder my nose as they say in the movies. And that is when I saw the chef, standing in the reception area with the big hat and all and he too smiled as if I was some important figure. Cool. The powder room was coming from a movie as well, luxury details everywhere and a vanity desk I would like in my room. When I came back at my table I had a fresh new towel all folded in front of me, and to think I had barely used the old one...

The main dish was a beef cut called quasi, the best it seems, cooked in a low temperature for a long time, with tarragon reduction and a wild mushroom flan. The beef melted in your mouth, a delight that was perfectly matched by the red Languedoc wine.

I was already in heaven by now and I had not even noticed the time fly by, this 3 star lunches are so long, it was already half past one when a waiter brought us some sweets before the dessert.

A family was canoeing on the river in front of us, reminding me of ducks swimming. I was thinking Alsace is such a perfect region for all sorts of activities: good food, sports, culture and history in nearby Colmar, a great destination for holidays.

The dessert, a milk cream perfumed with lime, rhubarb and strawberry compote with a a soft ice cream came with a funny flake, apparently a Swiss tradition. I find rhubarb a bit sour sometimes, but here, they found a way to make it sweet. Rain had started in the garden outside and I was watching the drops of water on the plants outside.

Coffee came by and another waiter brought a huge plate with mini sweets of all sorts to chose from, telling me I could take as many as I wanted. Hard choice!

Perfect time to relax, put some sugar in the coffee. God, even the sugar looks different here: big lumps of brown or white sugar that seemed hand made or small, amber bonbons, even at the end of the meal you know that you are in a special place.

I looked around, at some tables they were bringing the cheese, a very wide selection on a refrigerated cart presented by two waiters. I was almost happy not to have had cheese, choosing must be difficult and besides, I couldn't eat one more bite, I just wanted to retain the taste of that day.

If you ever get the chance to have such a treat, don't hesitate! A culinary trip like this one is a must do and I think that I will never see a restaurant with the same eyes.

I Just Died and Went to Gastronomical Heaven

2011-05-14T18:39:00.002+03:00

And now I'm back to tell you all about this unforgettable experience. Because first thing you must understand about a 3 star restaurant is that it's not only about the food, the service and the décor are just as important. From the moment you walk through the door of the restaurant, until you step out, you are transported into another world.

We benefited from a special offer that gives everyone the chance to sample excellent cuisine for a moderate price. And thus, we got transported into a temple of French cuisine, l'Auberge de l'Ill.

This magical place is right on the river Ill and you can even spend the night in the very quaint inn next door. This is actually the plan for next year.

From a beautiful Alsatian village, just an hour's drive from Strasbourg, you step into an out of this world space. You can leave all your cares at the door because the friendly staff will take care of everything. After a very gracius welcome, we were invited for a flute de champagne on the terrace overlooking the river. And how could we have said no?

The weather was fine, sunny but not very warm. Polen from the willows was flying through the garden, the air was sweet and magical. Some ducks were playing in the shallow waters, I even saw a swan swim by and of course, the Alsatian stork was king of the garden.

A swarm of waiters offered us Champagne, amuse-bouche, explained the menu and over all were very attentive to every detail. It takes some time getting used to all this attention but it's amazing.

More about the menu and how I met a famous chef, in the next episode.

As Seen by Me : Episode 2 : On the street

2011-03-19T14:04:00.000+02:00

In Budapest last Autumn

Pui cu Sos Gorgonzola - Chez Jiminy's

2011-03-13T23:20:00.003+02:00

Azi am decis sa mergem la restaurant in propria sufragerie. Asta pentru ca de aici mi se spune ca nu se poate sa gatesti ca la restaurant, iar de aici ca e chiar foarte simplu. Ba o sa fac si socotelile sa vedem unde e adevarul (dupa mine, e undeva la mijloc, dar asta e alta mancare de peste).

Reteta de azi e foarte simpla, este vorba de pui cu sos de gorgonzola, legume pe gratar si putin orez, ca sa tina de foame. Mai jos, poza cu ingredientele. Am folosit doi piepti de pui, pentru sos gorgonzola si smantana ( in poza e ceva intre smantana si branzica de vaci pentru ca mai tarziu s-a executat un chec sarat), legumele au fost dovlecel, rosii cherry, ardei si ciuperci.

In poza sunt si ingrediente in plus pentru ca am facut un gaspacho pentru cina - aici a intrat castraetele in actiune. Iaurtul a fost pentru desert si anume iaurt cu gem de casa. Si inca ceva, nu va speriati ca toate au nume ciudate, asa e in Cehia, dar te obisnuiesti repede:) Dintre legume am folosit doar cam jumatate dintr-un ardei, vreo 6 rosii, jumatate de dovlecel si doua ciuperci. Restul vor fi folosite, stati fara griji, pentru alte preparate culinare.

Am stat un pic sa ma gandesc in ce ordine sa pun pe foc toate ingredientele si am dedus ca bottle neck pentru mine este gatitul puiului iar orezul pot sa-l fac in paralel. Asa ca prima etapa, pentru care am uitat sa fac poza, am pus orezul la fiert cu un pic de vegeta, ulei de sesam si curry (de asta e un pic galben si uite cum va dau secretele mele).

Jumatatile de piept au fost piperate, sarate, am pus cateva condimente dintr-un amestec pe care l-am facut mai demult, special pentru friptura (de data asta chiar nu pot sa va spun ce contine ar trebui sa va ucid, dar sigur are boia). Am uns puiul cu putin ulei de masline aromatizat cu oregano si l-am asezat in tigaia incinsa si unsa cu un pic de unt. In acest fel puiul va iesi ca pe gratar.

Am spalat si taiat legumele, nimic deosebit aici, rosiile le-am lasat intregi, pentru efectul artistic.Am aruncat legumele in alta tigaie incinsa si am stropit cu ulei de masline.

Am incalzit o craticioara in care am pus un varf de cutit de unt, apoi branza gorgonzola si smantano-branzica. Un pic mai tarziu am adaugat piper si un pic de vin alb.

Si asa arata aragazo-plita mea cu toate oalele pe foc. Intre timp orezul s-a gatit singur.

Aici trebuie sa recunosc, am trisat un pic, am o masina de gatit orez care face totul singura, de parca era mare lucru de facut la un orez simplu.Iata si compozitia finala, pentru ca da, trebuie sa fie artistic.

Am scos farfuriile bune si am aranjat masa. Vinul l-am cumparat din Cehia, scrie in ceha pe el, dar este importat din Moldova si este foarte bun. Moldovenii se pare ca stiu sa-si vanda vinul, pe mine m-a costat cam 3,5euro si a fost extrem de potrivit.

Asta este cam tot pentru moment, o sa revin cu niste calcule, cat a costat tot. As fi interesanta daca ati putea sa-mi spuneti cat m-ar costa in Romania (sau altundeva) aceleasi ingrediente.Era sa uit, totul a durat 32 de minute si 7 secunde, ceea ce mi se pare rezonabil. Din nefericire mancarea s-a terminat mult mai repede.

Imi pare rau pentru aceia dintre voi care vor deschide aces blog si carora le va fi foame. Dar puteti incerca si voi :) Pofta buna!

Mother's Day

2011-03-08T22:53:00.000+02:00

Today was the International Women's Day, or as Romanian's call it, Mother's Day. Iwas working of course and my Mum is not here but I still managed to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. On Skype. This is a great invention.Talking to my Mum like she was right here next to me was a real pleasure. I even managed to prepare a nice meal while talking to her, just like old times (I made a great Chinese soup, remind me to tell you about it one day).

When I was back home, my Mum and I used to talk while doing something or other around the house, cooking, cleaning, watching TV, whatever. Now I'm living far away and talking to her seems somewhat artificial over the phone or Skype or YM, writing and not hearing her is strange. So today, on Mother's Day, we were both happy to have had a conversation like in the good old days when I was home. Like my Mum said it, talking today was like we were sitting together. Thanks Mum, I love you!

It was so unexpected, I just had to take a picture for you

2011-02-23T10:00:00.002+02:00

No, the fact that the local hockey team, the Plzen Indians, won against the visitors, PSG Zlin, was not unexpected, in fact it was to be expected, considering the performance of the winning team this season. After loosing 19 points on a technicality, they are back stronger than ever. What was unexpected however, at least by us, was the presence of two Peugeot cars on the ice, during the breaks. Here they are in all their splendor, looking a bit like another car I know...

I didn't know what to expect when I went to the game, I didn't have time to think about it too much but I guess the show and the very hot atmosphere, did take me by surprise a little. You see, football is not the king in this here little country, hockey is. And the crowds love it, they savor every moment of the match, the show the fans put on for the team is impressive.

During the breaks, the supporters have some beers (there is no season for beer here) or hot wine, hamburgers, hot dogs and other treats are also available. On the ice, there are sometimes shows for kids (hitting a pallet is not as easy for the small ones apparently) and for the grown ups. This is truly entertainment for the whole family, moms, dads, kids, grand parents, the whole family was there.

But this game is not an easy one, sometimes the players fight and the referees have to intervene. An action that would be a big fault for a football player, doesn't even get a frown on the ice, the goal might be smaller, but so much harder to reach. Hockey is not a game for the weak of heart!

There is quite a lot of action, it was hard for me to capture a good image, or to follow the pallet all the way for that matter. I did find myself cheering for "our" blue and white team: modrá a bílá, jdete kluci!

It was surreal, nice but surreal

2011-02-22T15:40:00.000+02:00

The invitation to the ball was a nice surprise from a couple of friends. Getting dressed up and going dancing, mingling with the who's who of the town's folks, sounded like a dream.

The night of the ball came very fast and nothing was prepared. A frenzy of choosing dresses, accessories and make up started. For the girls, at least. The gentlemen never have such problems so they instead prepared the "apero", before the ball: sushi and Champagne. Such a lavish treat! The night was to be memorable for sure.

As the the two couples left for the Art Nouveau building where the ball was held, the girls surely felt like modern Cinderellas gobbling on sandwiches (because the night was long). So quaint! said one of the girls, So surreal, said one of the boys, laughing.

They arrived quite late, the party had already started in the great hall as well as in the smaller rooms where concerts and a casino were being organized. With a first glass of white wine in hand, they made their way around, discovering and meeting people.

But the music was so alluring, the Band was playing tunes they knew, the rhythm was just right and so they rocked the night away.

As Seen by Me : Episode 1: In the Train

2011-02-14T17:19:00.001+02:00

I want to show you some funny things I spot around, without many comments from my side. Sometimes the quality will be poor, that is because they are unplanned and sometimes unexpected snapshots.

I used to take trains a lot when I first came here. I didn't have a car, I lived in a remote place (remote from the places that interested me) and I had to rely on the network of trains and buses, which, I might add, is quite dense and somewhat reliable (this is more true for the latter than for the former). But before last summer I had never seen this object pictured below. Or if I had seen it, I did not pay any attention to it, for me it was a sort of urban legend I had once heard. But behold, here it was and I had to take a picture of it, unfortunately I didn't have any beer on hand.

Yes, folk, this is a bottle opener in a train. Another testimony of how much Czechs love beer (if the wine was not enough). Of course, you can use it for your bottle of fizzy water or Coke, or even of the local Kofola, but let's be honest, a cold beer is much better on a long train ride through the country that gave us the Pilsner beer.

Inna

2011-02-07T12:06:00.000+02:00

Vazut anul trecut, pe vremea asta, se pare ca fata a avut cel putin un concert pe aici. Dar si acum o aud la radio aproape in fiecare zi la fel si pe Morandi si pe Edward Maya. La spinning am auzit niste melodii techno romanesti in premiera pentru mine. Se pare ca suntem destul de populari pe aici. Oricum bravo lor.

Imi plac si celelalte afise, daca va uitati un pic, mai ales cel de sus cu Monkey Business si cele cu showul de travestiti (foarte populari de altfel).

Still Life

2011-01-31T10:11:00.000+02:00

with Belgian beer, Czech bread, Corsican cheese and sausage, Ikea glasses, Tescoma knife and a book.

Walking in Brno

2011-01-24T16:01:00.002+02:00

First of all, let me say I've tried to find better quality pictures, I've looked on my computer and it seems all I've got are not so good pictures of Brno, as if every time we go there, there is no time for photos. Maybe because of the partying?

A big part of Brno means the Universities it hosts, so the student life is quite thriving. Everyone who's lived in Brno knows Ceska, the street that starts near the Masaryk University's Social Studies Department and it ends in the main square, the Freedom Square or Svbobodaku as it is known by the Moravians. If you want to meet someone, just say Ceska, under the clock, they will know where it is, something like Piata Romana n°9 for Bucharest dwellers.

Very close by is a church dedicated to the great teacher Jan Amos Komensky. Of course there is also statue of TGM in front of the University bearing his name. For a very laic country, these guys are held in almost Saint-like reverence.

Going towards Namesti Svobody you will find bars and restaurants, nice places to take a young lady from MU. A cool place is this mall that hosts coffee houses and a Student Agency window. I will write sometimes about this company, another Moravian symbol. Anyway, the shopping gallery is in an old building that has kept its charm. You can go with the elevator to the top floor for a coffee or wonder around until you find a gem of an Indian tea house. The shops are unique as well, art galleries, hand made, young designer clothes and jewelery, spice shops. From the outside you'd never say you're going to find some little treasure.

The Square is a large meeting place, I like it very much in the afternoon because the sun lights up the roofs beautifully. But at night it is mysterious and wonderful and the architecture helps create this air. Well not all the buildings are equally successful (much as my pictures I'd say). This green lit shopping center is outright horrible in my opinion. Of course the square (which isn't quite square, ironically) has it's Plague Column, but I don't have a picture of that, once you've seen one or two of these, the rest pretty much look alike.

Brno's old town lies between the hill of the Cathedral and the Castel hill. If you want to go to the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral, one way is to pass the Town Hall with it's interesting colums. There are many legends related to Brno and at least some of these have left a sign here. One is the legend of the dragon menacing the city who's skin hangs in the Town Hall. Another legend is that of the master who did not get paid for his work and so left one column crooked, as you can see below.

Above, a replica of the Castle Spilberk. The castle has never been taken and it has had a gloomy past as a prison, but it deserves a visit at least to spend some time in the gardens overlooking the town (maybe with that young girl you've met at Ceska?).

Both the Castle gardens and the Cathedral hill offer beautiful sights to the city. These are favorite spots for Brno residents to relax in the sun and play some petanque for example. Sometimes, you can find couples celebrating their wedding on a terrace overlooking the city.

If you do go to the Cathedral though, and I wish you do, you will not be disappointed, the walk is long but the view is beautiful, especially at sunset.

Brno is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic and it has about the same size as Bucharest (around 230sqkm) but only about 400 000 inhabitants so it does not look very crowded. Several of the neighborhoods are perched up on hills, including old worker's quarters where you can now find the Montmartre of Brno, an area of older workers' houses restored by newer and richer owners.

The Cathedral is interesting as well and the astronomical clock it hosts, deserves a look. The bells in the two tall bell towers are said to have saved Brno from invading Swedish armies. After a long siege, the invading army's commander decided that if they don't take the city by noon the following day, they will give up the assault. Somehow a local soldier learned of this and convinced the priests to ring the bells 12 times at 11 o'clock. And so the city was saved but to this day the bells ring 12 times at 11. Just in case.

Now that you've been up the major hills of Brno, admired the sights (met a pretty Moravian blond, took her to a bar), and wandered in the cobbled streets, you might want to try a local beer and a specific dish. Although Moravians are more proud of the local wine, they do have some good, traditional brews. One local beer is called Starobrno or old Brno, to be enjoyed responsibly. The brewery has a very good restaurant in the style of the Munich beer houses. I once ate some great spare ribs for a very decent price. Last time we were there, the restaurant wasn't open yet and we had to go just next door, to the Starobrno Pivnice, which would be the pub, but in very Czech/Moravian fashion, the pub serves food, very good food actually. What you see in this photo taken with my phone, is a wild boar goulash with bread dumplings, potato rosti and some slices of gingerbread that complemented the sauce very well and were a much welcomed although surprising, addition. It is among the top 5 goulash I've ever had. And the beer was just perfect.

There are much more things to see and do in Brno. There are very good theaters and art galleries. You should also visit the Villa Tugendhat for some design inspiration as well. If you are passionate about history, the site of the battle of Austerlitz is 6km away, in Slavkov u Brna. Each year the battle is reenacted for the public.

As for me, I like the Moravian capital for its laid back charm, the lazy afternoons after a picnic on the Castle Hill and the crazy nights spent barhopping. Reminds me of Nantes. Do give it a try, it might be a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Prague's many tourists.

La vache...

2011-01-22T14:46:00.001+02:00

Confit de canard

2011-01-16T18:33:00.001+02:00

Je l'ai bien mérité ce confit de canard...

Ce matin j'ai fait une heure de spinning assez intense, mais les jambes n'étaient pas au rendez-vous. Pourtant, dans l'après midi, la demi heure de balade en vélo vers centre ville a été très agréable et en plus on a vu un couché de soleil assez magnifique. Moi je dit, j'ai bien mérité ce délice du Sud Ouest accompagné d'un petit Merlot - Beciul Domnesc, pour la touche internationale. Bon dimanche a vous aussi!

Source de l'image: marmiton.org

Going up the hill

2011-01-12T15:29:00.002+02:00

Once or twice a week I put on my pants with special pads for my tush, I tuck in my heart rate monitor belt under my sports bra, put on my favorite t-shirt and my best sport shoes. And I prepare to go up a hill. Well, actually I just go in a class with 20 other people, each on bikes, and we sweat and hurt on music.

Oh boy does it hurt. I'm not the best at spinning, that's what this torture is called, but I do try and as my heart rate goes up I concentrate on continuing and above all breathing. Sweating is easy but breathing... It's hard but I also like it, some sort of masochistic sport. Anyway, I can disconnect from the world for an hour or think about my plans, I only pay attention when the instructor screams what her a change in the program. And so I bike, but don't put me in a forest please, not yet anyway.

HNY 2011

2011-01-10T15:54:00.001+02:00

The holiday has come and gone. It was very short, well, very short for all I wanted to do and see. I woke up late every date and went to bed late every night because I wanted to take in as much as possible from everything and everyone at home. I relaxed and I enjoyed myself, sometimes it was boring as well but all in all, I had great Holidays and now I'm ready to get back to work. (As ready as I'll ever be when it comes to work).

It's my turn to wish you, later but better late than never (and good wishes should not come with an end date), to have a great year, a memorable year in fact, to talk to interesting people, to see and hear unbelievable beauty, and to taste ultimate pleasure And I wish you to enjoy all that is good in your life, just open your eyes: it's right there.

Cheers, have a good year!

Source.

Snow on the Charles Bridge

2010-12-22T12:04:00.000+02:00

As I write this, Czech Republic is covered in snow and my only hope is that I will be able to take my flight back home, next Wednesday, very late in the evening. Winter came early in this part of the world, it brought way below 0 temperatures and it seems that snow and cold are here to stay. Maybe I will eventually find the time to take some pictures until March.

End of November was a white hell. Snow storms almost every day, snow piling up to 30 cm very fast. And yet, the traffic was fluent, despite all the trucks breaking their metaphorical necks on the highways and people crashing into trees in the cities (First day of snow I saw 3 accidents). I find that the authorities reacted quickly, clearing the roads of snow (and the occasional truck). Now that the weather is a bit quieter, and the worst has passed, people are going about their daily business without minding very much the snow.

Tourists still come to Prague in large number, especially for the Christmas Market and I think that the City of 100 Spires is just as beautiful under the white coat of snow as it is in Summer. But the streets are full of melting snow and although not as dirty as I am used to see them, still not pleasant when you are on foot, running to meet a friend. Which is my usual situation. Personally, I like the snow but I don't like the effects it has on traffic, as it falls and on my shoes, as it melts on the sidewalks. The pleasant surprise is that people here do clean the sidewalks in front of their houses and so, after the first snow, in good Czech style, you see a lot of people with shovels in their hands, clearing paths for the passersby. No wonder Tolkien was inspired by Czechs in creating the peaceful, hard working and jovial Hobbits, I see this same spirit in these activities (and not to mention they love Fireworks too).

Luckily for me, so to speak, I spent most of my time at work or in cars, going from place to place so I don't have much to do with the snow on the sidewalks. I don't live in Prague, but for the holidays I find myself living more in Prague than in Plzen. With the end of the year close upon us, I have a lot of dinner parties to attend to, either related to my personal life or to my work place. It sounds as glamorous as it is tiring. In the past week I went to two office parties, one concert and one party with friends. All in the name of Christmas!

You will not see my on the Charles Bridge this Holiday Season, I am flying home for the holidays, but I did go to the Christmas Markets, in Prague and in Plzen and I did try the mulled wine and the Christmas cookies. Oh, Czechs love this time of the year so much. You should come and visit, it looks so different during winter, but still like a Fairy Tale, I expect to see the Snow Queen on her sleigh anytime.

I am sorry I didn't take any pictures of Prague but I think that from the picture you can see just how dramatic the scenery can look.

Source of the image: here.

Carti care mi-au marcat copilaria (1)

2010-12-03T15:07:00.001+02:00

Din lumea vrajita a plantelor

Aceasta carte m-a fascinat si speriat de-opotriva. Imi placeau foarte mult ilustratiile pline de culori si de viata. Chiar inainte sa invat sa citesc, imi treceam degetele peste desenele din carte si parca prindeau viata. Imaginile care imi umpleau mintea, poate nu aveau multe de-aface cu povestile din carte, dar asta nu aveam de unde sa stiu, inca.

Erau desene cu pasari ce pareau foarte reale, zburand prin canalele Venetiei, paduri de mangrove in care te puteai ascunde, plante veninoase, imblanzite de femei cu manusi. Imaginatia mea zbura cand bunica imi citea. Ii ceream sa-mi arate si imaginile in timp ce-mi citea: nu prea reusea sa ma adoarma asa, ba din contra. Si totusi cartea ma speria, plantele veninoase ma speriau. Si oameniii care taiau copacii. Dar reveneam mereu pentru culorile acelea vii. Si pentru ca mi-ar fi placut sa am o casa intr-un copac.

Din pacate am crescut si cartea s-a pierdut dar tare mi-ar placea sa o regasesc candva.

Povesti fermecate rusesti

Clar cartea mea preferata. Tot asa, imaginile ma fascinau, mi-ar fi placut sa fiu precum printesa Vasilieva, cea care se transforma intr-un porumbel si care era cea mai frumoasa si inteleapta dintre printese1. Copii mei vor cunoaste cu siguranta povestea cu lupul cel negru sau cei trei frati. Asta pentru ca am pastrat cartea. Este nespus de frumos ilustrata iar povestile te fac sa visezi cu adevarat.

Imi aduc aminte o seara, inainte de revelion, eram inca mica. Mama, care vroia sa scape de tata si de mine din bucatarie, l-a trimis sa-mi citeasca pana adorm. Asa ca tata imi citea povestile rusesti, si eu visam, dar cu ochii deschisi, ca orice fetita de varsta mea. Si tata adormea, si eu il trageam de maneca sa-mi spuna ce mai urmeaza.

Am gasit-o aici recent. E pacat ca asemenea carti nu se re editeaza.

Bad News TV

2010-11-18T16:50:00.001+02:00

I recently realized I had a problem: I cannot give bad news. Because of my job I have to inform lots of people about delays and other problems that can appear in a project. And trust me, that makes for a lot of bad news. Production delays, parts not delivered on time, parts blocked by customs, tools not ready. It's not glamorous but this is how it is and every day I have to explain the why and the how and the who and the when, to several people, all pushing to solve the issues.

To make things worse, it's not always my fault but I still can't help but blame myself although I know this will not help: they will blame me either way. The bearer of the bad news is always hit by the wave of anger. And so I try to protect myself, but sugar coating everything is not a solution in this business,. People look for the hard candy which is the truth and more so, they look for the answers and solutions. And sometimes I just don't have them. Or I don't have what they expect me to say. And then I have to give bad news again, to someone who is already pissed off and missing hope and confidence.

I try to be sympathetic and explain as best as I can, give solutions, make proposals and the result is people shouting and being angry. And so I change strategy and I'm being mean but that only makes people even angrier. Is there a way out of it? Avoiding to break the news doesn't help either, trust me. It's like people ask for it, they want to know so they chase you around by mail and phone. Some days I feel like they all hate me!

How do you solve this? How do you break the news and how do you react to the aftermath?

PS. Click on the pic, the article is quite interesting. I think I need more help than that, though.

France, in Plzen

2010-11-04T13:01:00.000+02:00

A while ago we had Czech friends over and the common language was...French. For a change, because usually all is in English, at work, with the Czechs, etc. As one of our friends noticed, we felt like in France.

Why? Well the menu for one thing. Galettes bretonnes and Crepes, accompanied by fine Alsatian wine and prepared by a French cook. And because the setting was there, we also put on some French music and watched some funny French movies such as La cite de la peur or Kamelot. So naturally we wanted the whiskey before the finger, that's not false. Good jokes don't sound as good in English as they do in French and that's why French, Czechs and Romanians, all made jokes with the flavour of good Munster cheese and felt transported to another place.

Budapest City Break

2010-11-01T21:59:00.003+02:00

The weekend passed like a dream again, a very nice one, such a good dream that this girl was very sorry to wake up to the reality of office work, this morning. For you see, weekends have always been a pleasant escape from day to day, real and cruel life. And now, even more so than ever because I have to keep my dreaming and wandering only for weekend getaways. That's why I wanted to take advantage of the Bank Holiday we had here last Thursday. And so I managed to transform an ordinary Wednesday in a Friday, turn the Thursday into a lazy Saturday as for the rest of the weekend, I lost track of time.

Well now, let's not get melodramatic. Here is my little guide for a romantic weekend discovering Budapest on a low budget. Since I live in the Czech Republic, I have easy access to almost all corners of our continent, thus, I took the bus, Orangeways, excellent coaches, very comfy, wifi and hot beverages included, toilet, all services for just 80 euros both ways for 2. But you can also come to Budapest by plane, there are many cheap flights and the airport is well connected to the city.

I was staying at a friend's flat. But if you don't have the pleasure of having a Hungarian friend, you can make one on couch surfing or try one of the many hostels. I recommend visiting with a local: this is my advice for any travel of course. Our friend lives in Paris but she was arriving in Budapest on Friday. We came first, about an hour and a half before, her so we sat down in a park, near the rendez-vous spot, munching on a sandwich and enjoying the good weather by making plans for another weekend. I told you: weekends are big for me.

Our friend came and she dropped us off at a flat in Buda. You should know that Budapest is basically 2 towns: Buda on the West of the Danube and Pest on the East side. In Buda you will also find the Castle Hill neighborhood, the oldest settled part of the city. Pest is the flat side of town, the financial center, the party spot and the place to shop.

From our flat, we took a hike up the hill to the Citadel. It's quite a long winding way up but you get to see Art Nouveau mansions on the way and the view on top is wonderful, especially at sunset. Somewhere in the area, the Hungarians put all the statues of the communist era, a funny view of the system. I had forgotten my camera, sorry, but no pictures were taken.

On Friday night we went out, partying with our friend and her friends. Hungarians are great party people, there are many pubs and clubs, quite cheap and I found them to be rather safe. There are many expats, either just passing by or living in the Budapest, we got to meet a colorful crowd and had a great time. There is a night service bus but be careful, you must have tickets in advance, or else you have to buy them on the bus and they are more expensive. And it's full of guards checking for your ticket: you cannot escape the power of the Revizor.

The next day, we woke up late of course, we had a brunch made up of local products such as croissants (yes, Hungarians claim this invention), some local bread specialties and sausages, another famous local brand. There are many supermarkets around town so you can get what you need for a cheap meal and some souvenirs such as wines and sausages. By the way, I had this great Merlot that made me take a closer look at Hungarian wines, they are so diverse, don't be fooled by the Tokaj, there are red's as well.

The best way to explore Budapest, and any city, is to take a map, mark all the places of interest and just set your itinerary from there. You'll find that Budapest has a good transport network. For the tickets it's a bit more difficult: you can have about 10 tickets from any newspaper stand, but they are valid only for one bus/tram ride or one day passes. We took the 10 tickets and it was a good deal, there were no stands to buy one day passes around anyway. I am a map lover, I took out my map of Budapest, checked the itinerary of buses and trams and made my own itinerary based on these and our personal POI.

And so we started our visit by taking a tram along the Danube to Adam Clarke sq. which is right at the base of the Chain Bridge (or Lanchid). From there, I was planning to go up to the castle on foot but that's only because I had forgotten all about the funicular which runs fup to the Castle. The queue is long and the price quite high, 840 forint for a one way, but I always wanted a ride on a funicular so I indulged but I have to warn you, the view is not as awesome as I would have thought. From up the Castle though, you can see the whole of Pest, and the bridges on the Danube. We walked around a bit but if you want, there are other options such as taking the public transportation buses and exploring the grounds and the neighborhood this way.

Next, we took the Chain Bridge and crossed the Danube. I found Pest to be busier and more posh, lots of brand shops everywhere. We stopped for a coffee on Andrassy utca, it felt a bit like being on the Champs Elysee. In fact the streets in the area seemed to me to be like a mix between Paris and London, I quite liked it.

We visited the St Stephan Basilica and then took some pictures of the Opera House, before strolling around the streets towards the Parliament. Budapest has large avenues lined with trees, it resembles the grandeur of Vienna in some way but there are also smaller streets, with shops and cafes, it was a very pleasant walk on an autumn day.

Unfortunately I did not visit the Parliament either; it was closed by the time we got there, be warned, it closes quite early, we were not the only disappointed tourists.

Next we took a bus ride across town (we saw Vaci utca, the shopping street, on our way) and arrived at Keleti pu, which is a very beautiful train station in my opinion. What do you think? We walked a bit more in Pest before catching a bus back to Buda.

Dinner was had in a pirate ship. Well, a restaurant decorated as a pirate ship. I had these ribs in sauce with home made potatoes and a glass of good but not exceptional wine. The bill for two, including drinks was around 20 euros, quite reasonable I'd say. We spent about 100 euros each for this trip, without accommodation, just transportation, food, going out and some mementos.

I didn't have a lot of time and also because of some unexpected issues I couldn't visit as much as would have wanted. But I'll be back.I know I've missed some spots, such as the Gellert spas or the Margit Island. Please give me some more tips, I want to come back, that's for sure. Because you know me to be a freak, I searched for information and I found this guide to be very helpful, I forgot my notes, of course, so I had to rely on memories and a map. But you can also ask locals on the street, they are very friendly.

All in all I spent only one full day in Budapest, wandering the streets, looking at shop windows, taking pictures of quiet streets, taking in the beautiful sights of the city. But what a great day it was. At the end of it I was happy and exhausted and happily exhausted.

Scones, not cones

2010-10-26T07:28:00.005+03:00

Am multa faina in casa, ba chiar as putea spune foarte multa si inca de mai multe feluri. Asa ca periodic caut idei ca sa o termin. Unele imi ies mai bine, altele mai putin. Din seria reusitelor, va prezint astazi scones. Inspiratia mi-a venit de aici, de la Mazilique. Nu sunt mare fan dar retele ei mi se par mereu destul de simple si de bun simt asa ca vroiam de mult sa incerc una. Ceva tipic englezesc: scones.

Si cum asta seara am fost singura acasa (si nu-mi place), am decis sa fac lucruri "rele". Reteta este foarte simpla si dureaza aproape la fel de mult pe cat spune Mazilique, doar ca eu m-am complicat si am facut mai multe lucruri in acelasi timp.

Ca tot imi place sa ma complic, nu am urmat intocmai reteta. Am pastrat cantitatile dar pentru ca nu-mi plac stafidele si pentru ca aveam chef de ceva sarat, nu am pus zahar si am facut o umplutura sarata. Am calit ceapa taiata foarte fin, ciuperci, sunculita, am amestecat la sfarsit branza (cu mucegai si cascaval).

Si am mai modificat vreo doua trei lucruri la reteta. Am facut coca mai subtire, cam jumate fata de cat spune reteta originala. Am pus umplutura mea intre doua felii de coca si am apasat frumos marginile cu degetul. Dupa ce am pus prajiturelele pe tava, le-am uns cu ou si cam asta ar fi.

Au iesit delicioase. Se prepara repede, se coc foarte repede si sunt atat de bune. Plus ca exista o mie si una de posibilitati si de combinatii, sarate, dulci, ca mic dejun sau ca aperitiv, la ceai sau cu lapte, stiau ei ce stiau englezii, pardon, scotienii, cand au inventat aceasta reteta.

Super chouette

2010-10-25T11:32:00.002+03:00

I don't mean to brag, but I spent a very nice weekend. For once I stayed home, well I didn't go out of town and I didn't have any visitors either. So I enjoyed the silence and did some shopping, relaxed watching sit coms and went out to dine.

Saturday, I took advantage of a very nice offer, a tasting menu based on venison meat. You can find the menu here. I was sorry I didn't take the camera with me, so I don't have pictures, but take my word for it: it was great. Good service, ultra-central, nice location, I think I will go again to El Cid Corso. They have a second venue, as well down town, where they serve tapas, I might go there pretty soon.

The starter was the game liver pate. The piece was huge and went very well with the cranberries. Next, we had the main course, wild boar. For once the pasta was cooked right (they tend to over cook them here) while the meat was tender and finely spiced. I enjoyed every bite. Unfortunately they did not have the pheasant, I would have liked to try it. The wine was excellent as well. While I was not surprised by the quality of the Sauvignon Blanc served with the pate, I was very pleasantly surprised by the delicious Shiraz that was served with the main course. A good red wine is quite hard to get here and this one was good. For desert we decided to go with the pie and it was a good choice (as far as French cheeses go, we have a pretty good selection at home). It came with home made cream. The menu did not include a last glass of water for the desert but other than that, it was a pleasure.

Sunday we stayed in. We made lunch ourselves, kiwi and curry chicken with rice and watched Inglorius Basterds (no comments on that, typically Tarantino). For dinner we had a treat: a Sushi heart.It looks exactly like in the picture and we bought the box from Tesco for about 300 cK or 12 euros.

It was very good, I am not a big fan of Sushi and usually there are some I don't like, but this time I liked all of them so It was a good choice.

How about your weekend? Mine was "super chouette"!

Round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows

2010-10-18T11:04:00.002+03:00

I have a new flat, and with it come new DIY ideas and opportunities. A new flat is like a canvas, this gave me the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. We've both wanted it actually. Without further ado, please be amazed by my map of Europe. These are all the places I've been to and I cannot wait to get out of Europe.

The blue and green pins represent places where I've been or lived. The white are places I'd like to visit and I will or might go in the foreseeable future.

I'll also list them here when I have time, so you can ask me about them. Because yes, I remember them all. There are still some pins to be put on the map; I ran out of green and blue ones, but I still have plenty of white pins left.

Office talk

2010-10-14T12:58:00.002+03:00

I work in a plant but because I'm not an engineer I rarely get to go inside. Instead, I spend my time in the main office: an open space packed with engineers, designers, HR and Finance people, Purchasing and the likes. And my desk is near the printer so I get to see half the open space when they come to collect their documents.

We have here, working together Czehs, Slovaks, many French and me. The common working language for all is English and engineering. And although from very different backgrounds we all use certain phrases and words that are very specific not just to the industry but as well to the company. You have your QRQC, FTA, PPAP that are so specific for the entire automotive industry that they are the basis of ISO TS 16494. And then you throw around VPS, V5000, SQM, VRF and you are a real member of one of the biggest players on the market.

Acronyms. They are the founding stone of our work and everyone throws them around easily. But does everyone know what is behind them? It's not sure. Mostly these are procedures, names of documents to fill, milestones to achieve. If someone is not concerned by more than one phase of the project, he or she will most likely not be familiar with all the terms. I don't think everyone knows what all the letters stand for, but most know the document they refer to. I'm not an engineer but I try to know the name behind the abbreviation. Trust me, it's hard to make an engineer out of an economist.

The other language of this Babylon is the working language, which is of course English. You can hear different accents, and different specific words used by speakers from different linguistic backgrounds. The French are of course the easiest to spot, while Czechs and Slovaks speaking English have a similar accent.

All this intermixing of languages and cultures rubs off on one another. For example I hear a lot of specific expressions or words that come from French (similar structure), that logically should be mistakes made by French speakers, but that are used by the others as well. For example the plural of "month" is "months" but since "th" is difficult to pronounce in French, the singular becomes "monts" thus the plural becomes "montses". And this is being used indiscriminately by French and non French.

In other cases, French expressions are translated literally into English. Such is the case of "Merci de + verbe" which becomes " Thank you to+ verb". When wanting to ask someone to do something, in English, please use : "Please write an email to X. Thank you" and NOT "Thank you to write an email to X". I don't think the expression " to give the TOP" exists in English, maybe it does, but for me it's very French, because it comes from French. False friends are widely used such as "actually" used instead of "currently". I cannot blame this one on the French: Czechs, Slovaks and even Chinese make the same mistake. Past tenses : "I didn't know" becomes "I didn't knew", this is WRONG. I don't know enough Czech to give examples related to this language but I can name some typical things, like the tendency to pronounce every letter, especially stressing the last letters.

School was a long time ago for all of us and I think that for many, the language learned in school is not enough to function in such an environment. Working closely with other people means that inadvertently you take some of the expressions used by the others. Working all day in a different language than your own is very difficult, I can tell you this for sure. Avoiding misunderstandings is hard enough without grammar mistakes and on top of that you have a specific vocabulary. Somehow the specific English and the abbreviations become part of the company's culture and history so that a newcomer will eventually have to get used to this and then things become easier.

As for me, I don't judge but maybe I pay a little too much attention, I admit.. I just like to notice and understand where these come from. as I am being influenced by the way people talk around me; I am being told I'm getting a nice French accent (and I was aiming for Scottish, darn) and sometimes I wonder if what I want to say is really correct English.

Capital of Culture, Capital of Beer

2010-09-15T11:47:00.002+03:00

Plzen, or Pilsen, as you may know, is the town where I live. And last week the news were great for this town of 170.000 people: Plzen has won the contest to become European Capital of Culture in 2015. The title is to be shared with the Belgian town of Mons. Congratulations to the team behind this success: they defeated the excellent candidature of Ostrava and this was no easy task as the North Eastern town has worked hard to rebuilt itself from it's mining past into a fun place. But Plzen's passion and the effort put into creating it's future, paid off.

Ever since I first came to Plzen I felt the town prepare itself for the big party that took place on Thursday last week, the day the winner was announced. All year long there were cultural activities such as several national and international film festivals, the international festival of folklore (with a decade of history behind it), historical festivities, open air theater and so on.

Plzen had projects that go beyond this candidature as it prides itself in being a place for good food, good music, quality entertainment, a stage for modern and classical. It's all about bon vivre a la Czech.

The plans for the following year include a new museum and cultural center in an old Brewery, exhibitions, and more activities. Besides being the capital of beer, Plzen is also a fun town to leave in. And it's not afraid of controversies: the Techmania museum will host David Cerny's very peculiar art work on the European Union: Entropa.

There are a lot of things to look forward to in the next period, so come have a beer in the big square in Plzen, or have a goulash for lunch at one of the big Hospoda or Czech style restaurants. You can enjoy a concert in the Sinagogue or see the new additions of the Zoo. There is really something for everyone in this town.

The Wine Country

2010-09-12T23:30:00.045+03:00

We've spent this week in the Czeh Republic's wine country, Moravia. I know, I know, Czechs and beer and all that, but Moravians, well they love wine. This is for another story, because this weekend reminded me of another one, in a place generally acknoledged as the Wine Country: France. And more specifically Colmar, the Alsatian Wine Capital. Or is the Wine capital of Alsace, or the Capital of Alsatian wine? Oh I'm confused, but you get the point, right?

About Colmar. It's the 3rd largest city in Alsace and trust me, you'll love it. Timber framed houses with flowers at their windows, cobble-stoned streets and the canals of little Venice are enough to make you want to spend a day here. You'll find plenty of things to do. When we were there there was a cheese market and some festivities. Also worth mentioning is the quaint Christmas market that takes place in the streets of down town Colmar: it's one of the best in the Region.

But wait, there's more. Colmar is the home town of a certain Mr Bartholdi, of the Statue of Liberty fame. In fact, when you enter the town you are greeted by his famous statue. The town remembers it's famous offspring with a Museum and several dedicated landmarks.

One of my favorite places in Colmar is La maison des têtes an ancient guild house that bears the heads of five important figures in the town's history. I especially like the interior court yard with trompe l'oeil decorations and chairs under the vine.

Once you've taken a stroll on the nice pedestrian streets admiring the gingerbread houses and of course after you've taken a boat ride on the canals, you must, I repeat, you must go to visit the nearby vineyards. Alsace is the home to some of the best wines in France. They are still mostly unknown so it can be a chance for you to impress your friends with some special wines. Check here for a list of wines from the region. There are some special ones such as the late harvest wines, very sweet and perfumed, a real delight.

In July we went to visit the Stentz family in Wettolsheim, close to Colmar, on the wine route. Oh yes, the names of places here will make you forget you are in France. The vineyard region is just so beautiful with hills on all sides and pretty villages nested between the endless rows of grapevines. You can walk around the villages or take a bike ride in the hills, or you can attend the wine festivals, you'll get to meet lots of interesting people, and taste the delicious wines and cheeses of the region.

The Stentz, as most of the Vignerons Independants, independant winemakers, have a family business that stretches back a few generations. You can imagine the passion and knowledge they put in their wines. Madame Stentz took us inside, showed us the wines we were going to taste and explained a little bit about each one with a vivid passion in her eyes that made me wonder about what it was like to be a winemaker's wife. Here the bottles are arranged in order to give a better tasting experience. The ones in front are the special collections of late harvest and Grand Cru, the best of the best.

We also visited the cellar where they make and preserve the wine. You can see the way the technology evolved, yet the process stayed pretty much the same.Three generations at work here, making the best wines.

We left from Madame Stentz's with some of our favorite bottles, some Gewurztraminer and some Pinot, a bottle of the most surprisingly sweet Riesling and continued our evening in Alsace, in another town with ginger bread houses and colorful window panes.

This past weekend we visited the wine region of the Czech republic, around the town of Mikulov, close to the Austrian border. But this is a story for next time. I have to make a parallel between these two regions because I find there are quite interesting links between the two: people's passion, the love for wine, especially white and the troublesome history, it goes to show that good wine is not just a story of palate. Good wine is all about the heart you put into it.

French is the language of fine dining

2010-08-29T14:52:00.006+03:00

So she loves to cook. As a new page of the cook book is turned over, your mouth is left watering, it says : Recette du jour : chanterelle et magret de canard. She also loves to invent and so the tender duck breast will have two sorts of mushrooms and mashed potatoes to accompany it on it's journey to the stomach.

Here's how it's done. You take some potatoes, you boil them in their nice shirt. After a while, you'll know when the time has come, your fork sinks easily in the potatoes, you take them out of the water and start peeling, being careful not to burn your delicate fingers. You mash the potatoes with a little bit of butter, milk and cream and add some salt, pepper and some nutmeg mace (or noix de muscade or nucsoara), for taste.

While the potatoes are boiling you can already start on the mushroom sauce. Or rather sauces because as I told you the girl likes to invent and so does her boy who prepared the sauces. First things first, chop some onions and cook them until they are almost translucent and then add the ingredients of the first sauce : the pleurotus mushroom. Prepare a sauce out of some cream and some moutarde a l'ancienne, which is mustard with grains and pour it over the mushrooms and onions. Then prepare the second sauce by putting chanterelles on the hot pan, adding cream and stirring. Pepper and salt for the taste. These mushrooms are from the agaricus family so quite common, even in Romania.

Now for the "magret de canard". This is a duck's file, cut from a fat duck's chest, more info here (don't you just love Wikipedia?) Just take the tender pieces of meat, put them on a hot frying pan, turn them on the other side when the first one is slightly cooked, you don't want to overcook these babies. And that's it! Add a nice red wine, full of tannins, arrange it all on a nice plate, light some candles and you have yourself a romantic dinner. Bon appetit!

PS. More of my culinary journeys will follow soon.

Tuesday, the 13th

2010-07-13T15:48:00.005+03:00

Tuesday, the 13th is considered by Romanian superstitions to be a day of bad luck. But not today, because today is my Dad's b-day ! Happy Birthday Dad! He's spending it making BBQ, one of his favorite activities and I envy the people present.

Last month was my Mum's birthday, it made me realize that I'm not there for them, I'm not there for big events like her 50 year anniversary or Easter, or my cousin's wedding, or the dog's latest stunt.

I took the decision to live away from them and I stick to it: there are a lot of advantages to living in a foreign country and having a good salary. But there is also nostalgia. And so my parents get nice presents delivered by courier because I want to be there, in any way possible.

I like to make my presence felt on these occasions, even if I am aware that it's only a reminder of my absence. I planed special surprises for my Mum: she received a huge flower arrangement, which I made delivered to her work place. And just when she thought that was it, she also got a perfume, delivered by another courier later that same day. I think, I hope, it was a happy birthday. And now my Dad got a set of 6 games and a BBQ kit and my Mum and our friends helped me plot the whole thing. Because I'm involved, even from a distance, thank you internet.

So Happy Birthday Dad, see you in a couple of weeks, I'll drink a Pilsner for you!

The Remarkable Rocket

2010-05-07T10:53:00.005+03:00

My eyes were on the sky, my breath was almost still, I was standing there, transfixed. The cracking sounds that made their way to me felt like thousands of champagne bottles popping and letting the bubbly fluid out. And the skies were burning, the air was green. Yes, fireworks!

The people of Plzen seem really set on chasing daemons away, almost every week there is a firework some where in town. This time there was a really big one to celebrate the liberation of the city by American troupes on May 6th 1945, the only city in the Eastern blocks to have seen the freedom bringing American tanks.

The festivities usually last for a week : you see tanks, army trucks, veterans, fighter jets scene reenactments, and at the end, fireworks, maybe a reminder of the guns and cannons heard during the war, but this time, friendly fire only.

I was really sorry I couldn't take pictures, we were out for pizzas only so I had no camera. As pretty as a picture is and even thought it holds a thousand words, my glee is not encompassed in it. I am a kid looking at the fireworks. I love the sound and even the smell they sometimes leave behind. Lucky me, I live in a town with a huge firework budget. If they also had Auroras, I'd be in heaven (maybe literally; the Eskimos thought that Auroras where the time when the dead came back to communicate with the living).

While watching the fireworks I had in mind the discussions between the fireworks in the story by Oscar Wilde I read when I was a kid. But these fireworks were not as vain as the one in the story and ignited to make a whole town happy to be alive and for an instant maybe, feeling like they are living good times.

PS. This year I plan to go here.

A Blast from the Past

2010-04-21T15:00:00.007+03:00

Do you remember how much joy your old toys brought you? Wouldn't you want to feel that again? Today I went back in time to 1986, the year my Dad made his famous first trip to Czechoslovakia and came back with lots of goodies that were hard to find in Socialist Romania.

Among them, the famous Red Buffalo, the Yellow Honey Eater - a huge teddy bear in red overalls, my first gold earrings, my Mum's favorite bra and lots more. I was two but that moment is still stuck in my memory : the complete, honest joy of the whole family at the sight of those objects that were so common for Westerners yet so sparse for us.

The teddy bear was taller than I was at the time but even if I outgrew it in size, I still continued to sleep with it cuddled in my arms until much later. I'm afraid the Buffalo had a sadder fate, one that is linked to my first memories : the big boom of the rubber toy bursting under me. It resonated loudly with my childish joy of trying to tame the red buffalo.

Today I read this article about a toy exhibition and realized the treasure I didn't know I had as a child. Kids don't really care about the value of things; they just play in the sand, careless of the mess they make, careless of the toys they break but utterly, truly, carefree and happy. For a moment I felt the same way again, looking at this image :

Maybe the toys haven't survived past my childhood but I still feel the texture of the materials they were made of and the happiness they brought me is something I yearn for.

So, dear reader, what were your favorite childhood toys?

I Hugged a Tree

2010-03-16T11:27:00.003+02:00

One morning in March, last week to be precise, the weather was not quite perfect: sunny on the outside but frosty and snowy allover. And that is when it happened, on my way to work: crash boom bang and I hit a tree by the side of the highway.

I've been told it's a miracle to even be here and tell you this awful story. I was lucky: I had a new car that protected me with air bag and other security systems and I was wearing my seat belt. I have scraps and nasty bruises and injured knees and you can see marks of where the airbag hit my face and where the seat belt kept me from being thrown off the window. But I am alive and kicking.

I'm sorry I gave my Mum such an awful Mother's Day. I am thankful for everything she's done for the and for wanting to get on the first flight here. I hope she will stop smoking, as she promised. My guy was worried sick. Now we make fun of my amnesia but at the time, I don't think it was funny for him, having to tell me every 5 minutes what had happened.

I've had calls from a lot of people, friends, colleagues, former colleagues. My friends helped inform my parents. I'm overwhelmed by this outburst of love from people far away, when I was the one supposed to call people on that day. So I say thank you for your care and I'm sorry I caused all this trouble around myself.

Martisor

2010-03-01T17:41:00.003+02:00

I wish you all a warm and sunny spring. I know in France it's still Winter (and considering the latest storm, a very bleak one), Romanians are celebrating the start of Spring, the warming of the air and already looking forward to barbecues (my Dad has already grilled the first steaks outdoors).

Eastern European girls are all wearing a red and white bracelet around their wrists. And so are some of the boys. Usually it's boys who offer the little charm, but sometimes, the girl puts it around her boy's wrist (that's what I did) as a symbol of the end of Winter, the triumph of good over bad (and other lame things).

This image is one that all Romanians will recognize: you see it everywhere around this time, these two little lovebirds have become Spring itself.

The black and red strings are most often accompanied by a flower that boys and men offer their mothers, sisters, daughters, lovers... This is my favorite is a freesia that I would like to offer, symbolically, to whomever reads these pages.

Have a nice spring! Krasne Jaro! O primavara frumoasa

Brno - A City That Rock and Rolls

2010-02-16T15:02:00.017+02:00

I'm still recuperating after last weekend, so please bear with me while I tell you this story. This was supposed to be a story about my wonderful, fairy-tale like evening at a ball in Hradec Kralove. At least that is what all my friends are waiting for. Instead, you'll read about my (long) weekend of boozing, dancing and general debauchery in Brno.

First things first, I did go to the prom (or gala for the French or bal for the Romanians). And it was Awesome. I had a nice low cut fringe dress, perfect for pirouettes, high heels and the best dance partner one could wish for. I felt like a princess and the other girls that were with us, were among the prettiest at the ball. So my boy was spoiled.

The next day, after some troubles with a lost/stolen wallet, we took to the road and went to the Moravian capital, Czech Republic's second city and major university center : Brno.

If you plan a trip to the Czech Republic, visit Prague, of course, but go to Brno as well. The people are different there, more cool, relaxed, not in such a hurry as in Prague. Yet you will find all nationalities in Brno, in part thanks to it's Erasmus students but also to the throng of IT companies in the area.

We had beers with friends and former teachers, in a medieval cellar, the kind that Czechs like so much. We also visited the towns many pedestrian streets and had hot chocolate in a cozy cafe, chatting away. By evening we were so tired we had to crash at a friend's place before picking up a friend (The Ben) at the bus station.

The places to see in Brno : The cathedral, the Spilberk castle (actually the town is built around these two hills), The Old Town Hall, Charlie's Hat and Livingstone. Interesting are also the Villa Tugendhat, unfortunetly closed for renovation, the Masaryk University and the Brno University of Technology, the VUT. For the girls, you go to Masaryk, for the boys to VUT. In June Brno is the home of the Ignis Brunensis festival of fireworks and also in summer there is a MotoGP event not far from the city.

Brno is full of legends. Like the one about the dragon and the wheel. Or why the Town Hall has a crooked column. And also legendary places such as the pubs and clubs of Brno. We spent our evenings in two of these. First off was Charlie's. Bad toilets and smoke, but still a nice place to have drinks and talk.

There I found out a little bit more about the town and about the Romanians living in Brno, from a friend living and working there. All around you could hear every language possible and it made me happy to have a pleasant conversation Romanian. I have to say we didn't drink that much, but the 50 crown coupon was well spent on a vodka and pineapple. The following evening we went back to Charlie's but this time with gadz'arts. We ate the awful pizza they sell in front of the bar for 25czk (it's a tradition reminding me of Clatita Uriasa in Regie or that Shaorma place near the metro station).

Charlie's is a chick magnet. If you choose the right place in the bar you'll spot very fast what ever you want to pick up: boy or girl. After you woe him or her over a pint of beer or a cocktail, you can impress with your moves on the dance floor. It's almost guaranteed you won't spend the night alone.

My night continued in an exotic place the atmosphere of which reminded me of P24. *Sigh* Livingstone was full of people and the music was louder then Charlie's so we danced more and talked less. At least on Saturday we danced a lot, had some drinks, chatted a bit in some quiet corners. There were lots of Erasmus students showing off the dance skills while the French team waited for rock and roll rhythms. it was great fun. We didn't want to leave but we were too tired to stay.

The city is about as big as Bucharest for almost half of the population and the city transport system is very well organized with trams, or Šalina, how they call them here, going to every corner of the town. I can tell you they are also very used at night and useful too, when you're going to "the friend you're going to sleep at tonight", after a few drinks in the bars.

Before I forget, if you go to Brno, dear reader, you must absolutely eat at StaroBrno. They make very good beer and they also made the best ribs in honey, 1 kilo of them on a wooden platter with a delicious garlic bread and a great pint of beer for 300czk, or only 11.5 euros. A delight. And just next to the Pivovar Restaurant is a Pivnica (Pivnita for the Romanians) where they make the best goulash : wild boar meat, dumplings and gingerbread. My mouth is watering already.

Unfortunately we had to leave Brno, this Ibiza of Central Europe, this Nantes of the East, but we will be back, that's for sure, because this place really rocks. And because Brno is to my boy what Nantes is to me.

Gimme, Gimme...- The Best Abba since Abba

2010-01-28T11:24:00.008+02:00

Last night we went back in time with an ABBA show. At first it was cold. The show took place in a skating rink and we had to wait more than 45 minutes for the show to start (we were early and they were late) I went to the toilet before the show started (way before) and on my way (the place is a maze) I saw the lines for klobasa, or hotdogs and hot wine, I'm still salivating. We had brought our own sandwiches and drinks (we didn't know about the local treats) and really felt like on some sort of picnic. The people coming to the concert were all prepared with blankets to keep warm : a nation of hockey lovers. There were people of all ages and all walks of life. There were parents with kids and grand parents and young couples.

We had some of the best seats in the skating rink but we decided to go down, in front of the scene because we didn't have room to dance (and we had grand kids and grannies in the neighborhood). Besides the atmosphere, it was also warmer and we still had a great view (ok, he had to carry me on his shoulders so I could see the girl's shoes).

The show was nice, very colorful, very professional, a lot more than what I had expected; they had Abba band members and good band and they sang the songs really well. I must say that I half expected your neighborhood revival act/drag queen show. But I had none of that : it was really a show I recommend. It helps knowing the lyrics. We sang and danced all the evening. And my boy seemed to really enjoy the present (for his birthday/Christmas).

We were making guesses on what song will be next. They sang all the big ones: Mamma mia, Gimme, Gimme, Supertrooper. Of course Dancing Queen. But also some unknown ones. We were a bit disappointed, no Waterloo? Well they left the Eurovision winning song for the end :)

We went to see the show in Plzen, but I could only find this poster for the Brno event. They are touring allover Europe and apparently they are one of the best Abba revival acts.

La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha, Ya No Puede Caminar

2010-01-22T09:50:00.005+02:00

Last night I had my first dancing lessons. There have been other tries to teach me how to dance, including my boy who leads me when we dance French Rock and Roll, with more or less success. But this time, it's a definitely maybe, good try, once and for all, now or never, I'll learn to dance or else.

I opted for a Lady's class so I can also improve my social skills and my sociability score (I don't know anyone in this town apart from friends of my boy's and the friend's girlfriends).

And so yesterday, on a terribly cold evening, I went and had my first lesson with a group of other 4 girls: (of course) a Eva, a Petra, a Jitka (I was waiting for a Zdenka or Lenka but Jitka is also very common), and a Krystina (less common). Jana, the dance instructor was a skinny little girl, the kind you're afraid to break just by looking at her. She wore a white short dress, very suited for Latino dances and her shoes bore the signs of wear and of a passion for dance that was apparent also in the position of her body.

The class was fine, even thought I understood like maybe, maybe 1/4 of what was said. which is still good. We learned some postures, hand gestures and a few steps of samba and rumba (dansul dragostei). I left the school very cheerful and had one of my half mute monkey conversations with Petra, in Czech. The classes take place in a school, the kind of communist neighborhood school that all my friends (and I) attended. Only this one was huge, with swimming pool, football ground (with grass) and all sorts of interesting activities (archery club and room).

After the class, the boy and I drove to down town and had drinks in a pub. Thursday night is really full everywhere, I think we're going out this weekend: the atmosphere was great during the week, hopefully it will be the same on Saturday (last weekend was great, nice pub atmosphere, danced, had tequilla shots, the boys pissed in the river from a bridge, they made me an unofficial gadz'arts, I made a perfect snowman at 4 a.m.).

I'm beginning to like this town, I can go out after work and during weekends. And I've got stuff to do. :)

Back in the Czech Republic (2) There and Back Again and Christmas in January

2010-01-19T12:07:00.009+02:00

My hoards of fans are on my case to continue the story of adventures on the bus, so where was I? Ah yes, leaving Prague. I got on the bus, I sat down next to a girl, considering this to be the safe choice, the other was some strange manele-listening, jerking off kind of guy. Besides, sitting next to her must be some sort of camaraderie as we were the only girls traveling alone, the other two or three girls were with boyfriends or husbands (there was one more girl traveling alone but she was one head taller than the tallest guy so she could fend for herself).

I don't know how this happens but I always find myself talking to the person sitting next to me in the bus or train. I guess I get bored. Maybe I want to know more about my fellow traveler because we are crossing roads for a while, be it shorter or longer. So I can tell you that the Czech grandma in the Student Agency coach was going to visit her 3 granddaughters from her daughter. They live in Prague and love cookies and being read stories. Mihaela, the Romanian girl on the coach home, also has a daughter; a toddler living with her grandma and aunt which hasn't seen her working mother in several months. The Romanian is working here in a laundry, with other Moldavian and Romanian girls, speaks no Czech, gets a minimum salary and lives in a Ubitovany (like all workers) with her husband, also a worker.

So off we are, one or two passengers more than the number of seats, but at least I have an OK place: behind the driver. Of course the drivers smoked all the way and so they kept the window ajar and I was cold and smoked almost all the way . Had some conversation with the girl but dosed off now and then, that's how it is when you're traveling by night. Ate the delicious sandwiches my boy had made for me, drank very little water, read a bit of my book, Czechs in a Nutshell and that was about it. But really, Bulgarian music and weird looking guys with strange names (Trifon, he had a number plate with a name, that's how I know), I was like in a mafia bus taking girls and pimps to the West (only I was going East).

And just like they would do on the way over, they stopped in odd places like in gas stations in the middle of the road (to let people off or change drivers) and gave no toilet brakes (I managed to snack out). Yeah, I know, I talk a lot about toilet brakes but people, it's a necessity, really basic stuff that Eurolines drivers have to give every 4 hours and these guys had to be begged to stop the bus.

On the journey to CZ, I took the bus from Brasov and not Bucharest because there were no more places so I had to take a bus coming from Chisinau. Ludmila, from Prague, the Orlan girl, was traveling with us, again bossing everyone around and spreading wafers. Luckily she did stop the bus more than the first time. The trip you've all been waiting to hear about, was boring people. I had a Slovak seat mate, a blond that spoke English so we did talk a very bit. And I can tell you my mom's chicken schnitzel sandwiches were delicious. Other than that: boring, nothing to read, cause too dark, I just slept, listened to some radio and called the police when I got bored. Well, yeah, there was a truck on the side of the road, with nothing to signal it apart from a dim blue light that I might have imagined, so I called the cops, cause maybe someone was hurt there, right? Yeah, you've guessed it, false alarm...

20 Hours later, after snow blizzard in Hungary and police stopping us after the border we finally arrive in Prague, right on schedule (it helps not giving pee breaks) altough it would have really helped being late: no bus to Plzen for about an hour and a half (and the one I got was backed) and no boyfriend (back home only in 6 hours).
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you one last detail : no keys either. I had absolutly no keys of the flat or of the car so I would have been stranded outside in the cold if it wasn't for a friend who picked me up.

When the boy came and we finally went back home we had Christmas number 2, exchanging presents we had each got from the other one's parents. He got an apron fit for a chef and some scarves (he's French) and I got a lunch box and we both got tea mugs and a tea pot. I'll post pictures, promise.

That is more or less the account of my winter travels. Any questions? Feel free to ask.

Back in the Czech Republic (1) Going Home

2010-01-05T11:47:00.005+02:00

Well, the holidays are over. No more mistletoe, no more holiday cheer. Gone are lazy days playing cards and all sort of games with friends. The food has been eaten; the champagne has popped and flooded our glasses with sparkling wonder. The last firecracker was heard and we are back to work.

What I wish you all is what I wish myself for this year, and for every year: health and strength to go through all that the New Year has to offer, good or bad. For me, 2009 has been a good year, as I already told you but I find it strange when almost everyone around finds it was a terrible year. The crisis may account for that I think. But even with the crisis (which at one point turned into a big personal financial crisis), overall I found the strength, humor and love to pass all the difficulties. So I wish the same for this year.

The holidays passed like a charm and here I am back at work, back home in the Czech Republic. Yes, home, because on the way over it hit me that I was actually leaving one home for the other. The flat in Plzen is not just "the flat" but it's "home" You're going to say I did a lot of thinking...well yeah, because on a 20 hours bus trip, there is little to do but think. And try to sleep. And call the police with unfunded warnings about turned over buses but more about that later.

My fans want to know about my latest adventures, so without further ado I will start from the top: Going to Romania for the Holidays. I think this will generate another post, but I'll see about that later. What you must know about this trip is that I did not plan it in advance. So here I am middle of December, without a ticket to get back home, planes and trains are too expensive, Eurolines are booked out so I find myself having to reserve a ticket from a strange bus company. Why strange? You'll see. And to make things even nicer, the three days before my departure I made so many miles, going to Prague, going to work from Prague (at 5 o'clock because I had forgotten some papers. Yes, AM), then going on a business trip, coming home, going to a Christmas dinner, going back home, packing...On the morning of the trip I was exhausted.

So here we are, December 23rd, I leave my nice flat in Plzen, and the boy takes me to the bus station, where I take a seat on one of the last places in the Student Agency coaches. First off let me tell you this: Student Agency is the way to travel in CZ. No pub here, just facts: comfy seats and a nice hostess giving you a free hot drink: coffee, good hot chocolate, tea, and putting on a movie for your viewing pleasure (with English subtitles). All for the price of a normal coach ticket. If you manage to find places that is. The trip to Prague: bliss, I even stroke up conversation with the lady sitting next to me, yes in Czech (well very poor Czech).

From there it all goes downhill. Picture this: me with a huge luggage, half empty but just as heavy as if it were full and a smaller bag meant to hold all the food I'd bring back (I had a large order of sarmale, carnati and other Romanian delicacies). The next part of the trip was so long and difficult (thank God I didn't have to change metros, from Zlicin to Florenc it's all straight and they do have some elevators but I still had to carry my huge coffin-like bag up and down) that I was glad to reach the coach station and hopeful that the worst was behind me. I still had some time to kill before my coached arrived so what do I think? let's get a burger and chips from Burger King, cause you know, I usually like the burgers here. Well yeah, the burger was ok (at 10 o'clock in the morning) but the chips were awful. Yes awful. Stale. And cold. And did I mention awful?

Being a bit nervous, and afraid I'll miss the coach (it could happen, especially with my track record: missing busses and trains is a specialty of mine), I go to the toilet for the last time and then I go wait for the coach on the quay. And a good idea that was: it was already full, mostly of my compatriots, but also Bulgarians, Ukrainians and Moldavians. All working here, more or less legally. And now you will understand why I said strange when talking about this company, you see, I had no ticket. Nothing. Just a phone call with a guy who said I had to pay 500 crowns up front, but if I couldn't, I can get my ticket from the Ukrainian girl that will be at the coach. And so I go to look for Irina who gives me my ticket in exchange for some crowns (cheaper than Eurolines) and also a business card with her phone number and those of the company. And she also sells me another ticket for the way back, with another business card. (it's a leitmotif that one).

Coming down from a coach with a hostess and getting on another coach with a hostess, I think to myself (mummy >:D<) I'll get a decent ride after all. And then I see the other girls, Moldavian, Ukrainian, hostesses like Irina (Ludmila and Iulia) and they are all nice, frail girls, well dressed and wearing make up, showing the Slave heritage very well. But they boss around the hordes of workers, telling the guys where to sit and the guys listening, despite some (futile) resistance. And they give candy too. But the trip was made without the Slavic goddesses, only the two drivers remained, the same who put the luggage in a very irrational way and then started smoking on the bus. By this point I was like in a mafia movie: strange looking characters, lots of men wearying big rings and a longer pinky nail, longer hair at the back and shorter in the front (80's style) or other strange hairdos and I've even spotted the blade of a knife (I was carrying an Opinel myself).

Half an hour later, bags packed in reverse order (Bucharest bags where somehow to the front of the pack), men put at their seats in the rear and girls traveling alone at the front, couples seated together, candies distributed, and we're off.

(to be continued...)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2009-12-27T22:49:00.002+02:00

A photo from last year, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with your family and friends.

I'm home and I hope that this time finds you well and close to your loved ones so that you start the new year with a smile on your face.

This year has been very full of events, ups and downs but mainly ups I must say. This reminds me of a time line of events I had to make for a school once. If I put my year on a graph, it started ok, then took a plunge to the low and then went up again, continued very well, had a low low and then a high high and so now I'm still on the wave and hope it will continue like this.

Santa granted me my wishes by giving me a lot of love this year. May Santa grant you your wishes as well and give you power to get over the lows and enjoy the highs.

The War in the Bedroom

2009-12-15T12:35:00.008+02:00

I call on the intercom. No answer so I call again, this time longer and finally a disgruntled voice I barely recognize is heard at the other end "There's no need to call like that, you know". The door makes a buzz and I go up, I don't feel like talking much after yet another hard day.

Christmas shopping is exhausting, I think while opening the door to the flat, and I still haven't bought half of the presents I want to make this year. I go in, preparing for a, hopefully quiet evening in front of a movie. What will we have for supper?

As I walk towards the kitchen I notice it: it's quiet and dark, too quite and too dark. I prepare to say something when I see his face in the pale light of the lamp; sitting on the couch, holding something in his hand. He's just looking at me but with a grin on his face that at first I don't understand. Is he mad at me for ringing so loudly? Does he want to take me to the bedroom? Is he sick? I'm lost between being pissed, hopeful or worried.

"Pick it up!" he says. At first I don't understand the words but as I look down and as my eyes focus in the dim light I understand what I have to do. I throw away my bag and I pick up the gun. Damn it's not armed, I think as I try to shoot at him. By the time I arm and point, a rubber bullet flies by me, "Ha, you missed" and I head for cover shooting my only bullet on the pipe, only to miss him by far.

I reach the hiding place behind the sliding door : too late, I'm hit in the chest. I arm my gun with his bullet and dash through the doors in a desperate attempt to get at him before he arms his gun. Head shot! That was a lucky shot as my next rounds fly into the bedroom and living room but he manages to score points almost all the time.

The living room furniture makes for good cover between two shots, too bad I'm such a poor shooter and my bullets fly by while his almost never miss.

"Wait! I have to reload, I have no more bullets"

"Well that's because you can't shoot" and a bullet gets stuck in my wool jumper.

Time out while we search for the bullets all over the place. I prepare my ambush carefully: I have him where I want: on the other side of the bed, looking for lost ammo. I manage to fire twice before he launches his attack and comes running over the bed, shooting me in the arm.

I grab his arm and turn him towards me with a kiss "Great Christmas gift, sweetheart"

Easy like Sunday morning

2009-11-26T12:19:00.005+02:00

The sun is shinning brightly on this morning of November and I'm in the office. Working.

Fine weather we're having in the Czech Republic these days. I remember that last year in November I went on a road trip that basically changed the course of my life. I visited for the first time the Czech Republic, Vienna and Slovakia and then got back to tiny Cluny, in France, without knowing that one year from then I would be living in one of these countries. And the weather was not as good, if you're wondering. In fact it was shitty, raining all the time we were in Vienna and then we did Bratislava-by-rain-in-2-hours.

But today is a wonderful day for this time of the year. And I'm at my desk, having profound thoughts. I'll give you guys an update on my life because it's been a while since I wrote here.

Rewind to the last days of September '09. Awful days were those, as I had to take a life changing decision that would effect not only my life. I'll spare you the details but after those awful days I went back home for a couple of weeks and then to Clun's to see my friends and make the expose that earned me a Master's degree.

Fast forward to the last (sunny)days of November. I'm leaving in Plzen and have started a new job. As you guessed it, that is what my decision was all about: moving or not, changing my job or not. It wasn't always easy and I think I made it harder than it should have been.

I will again spare you the details, the pros and cons, what was hanging in the balance, my suppositions, my predictions and so on. What is important is that I made the step and here I am. And I'm not getting bored, that's for sure. :-)

I like this place, driving to work, the scenery is like in this picture. I cannot stop to take photos on the highway so there you have one from Flickr. It really is this pretty. And I feel like in the photo :-)

Party shoes

2009-11-25T20:43:00.006+02:00

These are my gorgeous shoes that my friend/ fairy Godmother, made for me. I wore them to go out last week and I can say they were great, all eyes were on me (maybe because I was a lot taller than usual...)

She has another picture on her blog (Si da, Sinziana, acela este un glasvant, intre bucatarie si locul de luat masa si living, iar usa din dreapta mea da spre dormitor :P )

21st Century Gal

2009-11-12T22:38:00.006+02:00

I promised I'd tell you about my new life but I'm so tired that this is going to be very breef because you see, I've been working in the factory today. Yes sir, not only did I visit the plant but I helped with the work on the shop floor. I was no Charlie in Modern Times, no, I was a real Rosie the Riveter of my times.

And I am a modern girl, even if I've kind of settled down: I'm going to work by car, stoping for some shopping on the way home, chatting with my girls about shoes and dresses, kicking ass at work and so on.

Don't worry, I'm still a wanderer. Last weekend we went to Romania and then to Bratislava on the way back (and beat the curse on this ocassion because we had a great weekend). The weekend before that we were in France. I am alive and well, my fans, only tired and so don't expect many pics from my own collection, ok? Ok.

Getting used to new surroundings

2009-10-23T17:47:00.003+03:00

I haven't written here in quite a long while, although I had a lot of things to say and a lot of ideas. The fact is that I've moved in with my sweet boyfriend, and he takes such great care of me that I do not have time anymore for blogging.

So I've been busy with my new flat and my new job, but I promise to be back and tell you all about it. And about the 3 restaurants in Arad and about my pretty shoes. And my pretty car. (The boy is still the same, didn't change him, he's also pretty)

Samaritaine*

2009-09-29T14:44:00.020+03:00

It wasn't the first time she saw him. But this was the first time she really noticed him and his spaniel.

She glanced back. Yes, he was there, still smiling, a tall, brown haired man, wearing sunglasses in this weather. She could see his green turtle neck from under his beige Mac. The dog looked wet and a bit sad, maybe he wanted home already. She felt her own dog jerking the leash to turn around. The guy's dog must be male.

How bizarre, she thought, there, on the bank of the Seine, under the pouring rain, these two strangers decided to walk their dogs. There was no one else around, no passerbys. Was he following her? She knew she'd seen him somewhere else but where? Maybe in the park,but now she really saw him : tall, taller thant her but just the perfect size. Where did that thought come from? He was quite good looking, square chin, brown hair, but she chouldn't see his eyes.

He was comming towards her, she could hear his footspteps on the wet pavement. And there was no one else under the rain. She was intrigued. Strangely enough it didn't even cross her mind to be afraid, she was actually fascinated by this guy and his dog.

The man's smile didn't falter as she half turned towards him. She started walking towards him then. He stopped. He was now looking at her with his brown, soft eyes, still that smile on his lips as if he knew her. She wanted to ask "Where? Who? Why?" but she found herself smiling as well.

She was now looking straight at him. She did know him, she'd known him for a while now. He also lived on the Rive Gauche, perhaps somewhere on the other side of the square from where her flat was(why it was called a square when it was round, she didn't know).

She'd seen him in the street, probably going to work, always fashionable, sometimes in a hurry. She knew he was French, but she never knew his name. How many times did they cross eachother in bakeries and tailor shops? How many times did they walk the dogs in the same park, sat on the same bench, at different hours, different days. How many times did they almost meet?

"Bonjour"

"Bonjour, vous"

"On se connait?"

"Maintenant, si"

*Samaritaine is the name of a famous Parisian Department store, bigger than La Fayette and Le Printemps, it was the place for fashionable and expensive shopping before it was closed for "rebuilding" in 2005. Actually it was a move to restructure the personnel and transform it into office and apartment building so this fashionistas' paradise never reopened. These pictures were in the window of the shop in summer of 2006.

Czech Living - Jedno Pivo, Dvě Piva, Pět Piv

2009-09-08T15:14:00.022+03:00

Today we are starting a new section, Czech living, where I am going to talk about my own observations of life in the Czech Republic. And what better way to start such a topic, than by talking about the Czech favourite and most famous product: beer. And of course, if it's beer, then it's pub talk, so let's see some phrases as well, in Czech.

Beer comes in all shapes, sizes and colors in the Czech Republic, but especially it comes in big pint glasses, it's "velké pivo", large beer. If you're not a real man but a winny, you'll have to specifically ask for "malé pivo", a small beer, else you'll get the pint which is a norm here. But be careful, with a half measure in front of you, people will give you strange looks. Czech girls will for sure feel less attracted.

Czechs are some of the biggest producers and consumers of beer in the world, and they have some of the cheapest and best beers available. (Around 1.17 euros for a pint)So you don't even have to ask "kolik to stojí" how much does it cost, but you should rather say "Jedno pivo, prosím" A beer please.

Czechs have a really strong bar culture, as demonstrated by the local heroe, the good soldier Švejk. They enjoy going out with friends in hospoda, bar/restaurants where they food is designed to match the favorite drink, beer. They even have wedding parties in bars. The food is for another story, just keep in mind this when going to a restaurant here: gulaš. Ok, you'll say this is Hungarian, maybe. Some Czechs will agree with you, but the truth remains, this is what will usually accompany a beer here. (And don't tell Czechs about it not being their invention, please, the local variant is a bit different from the rest and they might not take well to such news).

Everyone drinks beer. Pretty, delicate girls and chubby, beer-bellied guys, they all have a pint in front at all times while chatting away with friends. And when they finish it, the waiter will hurry up to bring a fresh one. They way to serve the beer may also seem peculiar to us, Romanians at least: a big collar of foam is a must in every glass. Beer has been an important part of Czech economical and social life, since the 12th century, when the first towns obtained a license to brew. Wars have been fought over it and any Czech you meet will be quick to tell you how much they love their drink and how lager beer is derived from Pilsner beer, a standard based on Czech hop and Czech brewing methods.

Fact: The Czech Republic has the largest beer consumption per capita. For a country with a population of 10 million, that's not peanuts. The most famous beers are of course Pilsner and Budvar, well Budweiser for you yanks (Everyone say: "Co se děje?", What's up?) But there are other very good ones. Basically every important town in Bohemia and some Moravian ones, have a beer of their own: Staropramen and Braník in Prague, Krušovice in Rakovník, Velké Popovický, East of Prague, Starobrno, from Brno.

There are so many types of beers here that you can't get tired of them, nor can you try them all out in a year, even if you drink a different brand every day. This is an urban legend but it's true that the diversity of beers here is quite impressive, 470 brands (says so here). From the very light colored, or golden "Světly" to "Černé", the very dark one, you have all the rainbow of beers. One interesting fact is that every bar, restaurant, and so on is specialized in one or two brands of beer only.

Bar etiquette is simple here. Beer. And food. And a good chat. Mix and repeat. They are proud of their beer. Other types of beer, like Belgian Krieks, or mixes such as the Monaco are not well looked upon, so don't try that if you want to be respectful and not cause a stir. For one of the most atheistic countries of Europe, the Czech Republic's religion is the Beer, with the god of beer being Gambrinus (the name of another famous Pilsner brew).

These gates are famous: the gates of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, the original source of the golden beer, in Plzen. Countless of trucks of beer have passed these gates since the late XIXth century when the brewer started exporting to France, Germany, Austria and even as far away as the United States. It is said that after the Prohibition, Pilsner sent many barrels of beer over the Ocean, as a gift.

My personal favorite is of course the dark beer, with a taste of burnt sugar, best served cold with some honey coated ribs and garlic bread, another local specialty.

Before I go, just remember that the best way to drink a beer is to follow it with another, with friends : Jedno Pivo, Dvě Piva, Pět Piv (One beer, Two beers, Five beers). And when you've finished your glass, just ask for a refill: Ještě jednou, prosím.

These shoes were made for walking

2009-09-03T12:07:00.011+03:00

I was going to let this one pass, I'm not a contest buff (Ok, the summer I spent collecting my parents' Monte Carlo cigarette packages and won several watches, ash trays and so on does not, I repeat, does not count) . But this morning, I had enough. Sorry. (The idea came from my favourite shoe addict)

This morning, I had a revelation. As I walked out of my front door, my little heel got caught in a hole in the garden pavement. And then it hit me: This country is not made for walking with heel shoes. Don't get me wrong, I don't have 12 cm stilettos, just small, kitten heel pumps. I'm going to work by bike, remember, I'm not going to be extravagant, but a little bit of fashion never hurt anyone, right?

I got my foot out of the hole and walked on; pass the gate, into the gravel road, up the hill to where my bike is parked. I scraped my heel and almost broke my legs. Really, is living in the country side compatible with having heels?

Last week I went to Prague. I rushed from home to catch my bus in my very comfy grey boots from pimkie. The same gravel road, the same hill with boulders, scraped heels once more. And once in Prague, I managed to walk on the cobbled roads without a problem, until, very late at night when we were wandering around Kampa at 2 o'clock, and then it was too much, my boyfriend almost had to carry me to the car (mind you, I don't think he would have minded).

This city is not made for walking with high heels. And now it's the whole country. My heels are scraped, bruised, a real disaster. I hope to have a car this fall so I won't be walking or riding my bike to work and so shoes shouldn't be a problem. Ok, I'm cheating here, but the best way to work a pair of shoes is to get your feet out of a car in a very Hollywood style. So a preview of my wish list (OMG, I don't believe I'm putting up pictures of shoes here).

You see, for me buying a shoe is not just about the shoe itself, it's about the image I want it to give me, this boots, and the way the girl is dressed match my style, and for sure I see myself having a romantic, candlelight dinner by a fireplace.

And to go to work, I think these would be perfect with my office pants, a real corporate gal, 9 to 5, here I come.

No, no flats on my wish list, I am decreeing, flats are boring. I'll probably get a pair for when my feet hurt from the heels, but I will not let the pavement tell me what to wear. I don't care about all the setbacks; I will make it, God damn it. My shoes for this fall will be low, I will wear boots, I'll still wear my converses, but by all that is good and true in this world, I will wear heels, you cannot stop me.

The Trespasser

2009-09-03T11:31:00.003+03:00

As I’ve told you, and you have also seen from my photos, I have here quite a large garden. And in it live a lot of animals. I’ve seen gopher holes in the back yard, bird nests. Lots of spiders and flies (there is a little river in the back yard). Fish in the front ponds and ducks in the larger one. My landlady’s dog. I’ve seen a huge frog.

And now, a new resident, let’s give a big round of applause to Sonic, the hedgehog. Pictured in two mug shots from this evening, when he approached me while I was chatting by the pond (better wifi reception there). I think we both were startled. He was quite sweet, attracted by the light, most likely, he just sat there, behind me.

At least he’s not meat on the road.

SkyEurope : Bratislava Strikes Back

2009-09-01T11:00:00.005+03:00

First weekend in September was to be fabulous: a trip to Brussels with my one and only sweetheart. But fate wanted otherwise and so, at the last minute, our flight got cancelled.

I’m outraged, plans were made, very nice people were waiting for us, and beer was in the fridge. And SkyEurope cancelled all that. If you didn’t already know, they filled for, what in the States would be Chapter 11 and promised no flights would be affected. Well every flight we’ve had with them has been delayed and this is too much. At least if they had the decency not to sell tickets for the last month so people would not get scammed into buying them and then get their plans turned upside-down.

Here’s what they say on the website :

Those of you who have purchased flights with a credit card, please turn to your credit card issuing bank to seek refunds for unused portions of SkyEurope's flights.

If you are already at the destination or have rented a car through SkyEurope's business partner, you may stay at the hotel and use the vehicle during the period originally agreed. You must, however, order a return flight from some other airline at your own expense.

I am completely appalled. Everyone should be informed about this, not to get to the airport for nothing. And if you're wondering what the relation to Bratislava is...well it's the curse again, remember, SkyEurope is/was partly Slovak owned, q.e.d.

We’re changing our plans, of course, we’ll surely have a great time, and trying to get our money back, but still it’s sucks big time.

The Bratislava Curse

2009-08-23T01:38:00.002+03:00

Known to the scientists studying this phenomenon as the Bratislava syndrome or the Bratislava effect, The Curse is a radiating, Bermuda Triangle like occurrence in Central Europe that follows Murphy's Law and where anything that can go wrong, will most certainly, go completely wrong.

The epicenter of this Phenomenon seems to be the city of Bratislava, on the Danube River, most famously known as the capital of Slovakia. Its proximity to Vienna gave it the nicknames Little Big city or Twin City. So far it is believed that the influence of the curse spreads as far as Vienna, thus inflicting its influence on a radius of 1hour's drive from the epicenter.

Manifestations

The curse manifests itself on travelers to Bratislava. No direct occurrences on locals have been noted so far, although there is a supposed influence. To this day, all locals questioned about the city have expressed a negative opinion about living there. However, no proof has been brought as to definitely link this to the Curse. The locals are very helpful and nice.

More precisely, the curse acts on travelers, attracting them to the city, causing them misery, trying to make them turn on each other (so far it hasn’t worked). The curse induces a state of frustration and fatigue by making the travelers lose their way around town, making them turn around many times to search for an address, etc, leading to a terrible time for the unwary traveler.

Despite help from the natives, travelers often loose their way and have trouble finding their friend’s flat. The curse sometimes attracts unknowing travelers to the labyrinth of the panelaks, the old communist apartment building complexes, making them turn in circle for hours.

Other manifestations are related to the city’s transport system, outgoing and ingoing trains and buses are affected, as well as tramways and buses inside the city (there is no metro, or none has been spotted by our researchers, despite their best efforts). Thus, trains and buses are often late. Should the train or bus be on time, Murphy’s Law is applied once more and the traveler will, most certainly either: be late himself or he will be mislead (the curse acting again) and will try to embark on the wrong train or bus.

Zone of influence

So far, the curse seems to be stronger in the area that spreads from the main railway station to the main bus station. Looking at a map, one will see that these are in opposite parts of town, meaning that the curse cover the whole of Bratislava.

Some accounts state that a focal point is this communist fresco in the departure hall of the railway station.

Scientists studying this phenomenon have been lead to believe that the curse, probably due to some strange paranormal activity in the area, might be stretching as far as Vienna, possibly even influencing flights and buses in the region. What is known for sure is that the curse tries to keep travelers in Bratislava for as long as possible, or as long as it takes for them to miss connecting buses and trains.

Examples and occurrences

The first time a strange event was spotted by our researchers (without it being called a Curse), was in November 2008, when, during a road trip in the area, two of our fellow scientists, I.D and V.A, passed through Bratislava on the way to Zvolen. While trying to find the bus station, the two saw almost all that was to see of the town, under steady rain. The pair got on the last bus, taking the last seats, and thinking nothing more about it. Two days later, while going from Zvolen to Brno, the two ha to change trains in Bratislava, at around 22.00. Because of misleading information, the two board a train to Minsk, only to realize this a few minutes before departure. Thankfully for them, they managed to break free of the curse and arrive at their destination.

One of the most famous occurrences happened in June 2009 when our leading researchers, I.D and Jiminy Cricket, a.k.a. A.R decided to take a trip to Bratislava, to visit some friends. They became aware of the Curse by mere accident, as the plan they had was simply to take one of the buses or trains from Prague to Bratislava and have a weekend with friends. The Curse started to act before they even left Prague, as I.D was stuck at work, making them loose all connections and forcing her already tired and preoccupied with work, boyfriend to come pick her up.

After a long trip, under the rain, the pair arrived late at night in Bratislava and tried, against all hope to find their friend’s flat. By the time they are rescued by the friend’s girlfriend, the couple had already been in the Panelak for an hour, searching for the street name on the buildings. During the whole weekend, they were too tired and some friends were too sick to go out and have fun.

When they decided to leave Bratislava, on Sunday, the Curse decided they had to stay and they found the car locked by the police for wrong parking. One hour later, after paying the fine an releasing the car, they finally leave, only to arrive to late for the last bus to I.D.’s home. Deciding to go to A.R’s house, the two loose one more hour in a traffic jam, thus ending a weekend haunted by the Curse.

Finally, the last event related to the Curse happed in August 2009, when the same couple was returning from a long weekend in Romania, via Vienna. The effects of the Curse on transportation were very obvious, as the two had a one hour delay coming from Bucharest and so missed the bus to Prague.

The Curse was now obvious, as they were forced to board a bus to Bratislava, from where there are more connections to Prague.

Once trapped by the Curse and brought to Bratislava, they had to face the city transport system in order to get to the railway station and lost precious time because of it. Murphy’s Law came into effect once more, and the worst happed: the train had a one hour delay. Once in Prague, the Curse seemed to follow them once more, as I.D. missed her connection and was forced to wait for hours for the next one.

Two before and after pictures of Jiminy Cricket, of JCOBW – Jiminy Cricket Observatory for a Better World(c), waiting for the train in Bratislava. (1) Hopeful that the train will be on time, and (2), after he learns that the train will be delayed, demonstrating the power of the Curse.

The Perfumed Garden

2009-08-22T23:14:00.008+03:00

Vítáme vás, welcome, to my little corner of Paradise. I really love living in this place and as I might be leaving quite soon, I took some souvenir pictures that I will share with you.

The last picture of a door, is my flat. A quaint 30sqm, kitchen corner, shower and toilet, I pay 300 euros a month for it.And of course the ducks, they live in the pond in front of the house and in front of my flat there is another small pond with waterlilies and gold fish. And I just saw a hedgehog. I'll miss this place.

Zelezny Brod or how to make tourism out of nothing at all

2009-08-22T20:52:00.018+03:00

Yet another weekend by myself in Bakov, and yet again I decided not to spend it in Bakov nad Jizerou. I've been planning to visit this glass factory in Zelezny Brod and the town seemed quit interesting from the internet pages and local accounts, so off I go.

Zelezny Brod has a privileged position close to the Cesky Raj and the Giant's mountains and so it's a stop over for many tourists going to the hiking trails of the mountains. The town is associated with glass making, many business have been developed around town, making glass jewellery and other items. You can visit the factories and expositions related to glass making, plus old timber houses kept the same as they were a few hundred years ago.

On my way over I had a glimpse at the Czech Paradise, high mountains with bizarre rock formations, a bit like these in the picture.
It certainly gave me a reason to go back to the region for a hiking trip. There are lots of things to do around here, rafting, mountain biking, and all winter sports you can imagine. There are several towns in the region offering all these facilities in the renowned Czech hospitability and politeness. :-)

Getting back to my day trip, there were lots of signs pointing you to the sights of the town: the 1900's Town Hall/Teather, the town museum, including an old timber house, the glass school with an exhibit of glass work.

But I didn't find what I was looking for, the picturesque town with lots of streets you can wander on, like I was lead to believe. I did find the Small Place, Mala Namesti, which reminded me of pictures I saw of turn of the Century "mahala" in Bucharest. Different style of course, timber houses (again!) and Empire style houses, a typical church (next to a pub).

I also wanted to see the house they had restorated as it had been a few centuries ago, another timber house with objects related to the day to day lives of the first people to have come here, but no success. There was no electricity in that part of town, so all businesses, including my glass factory and the museums, were closed.

But one thing I have to say: these people knew how to sell themselves. They had signs everywhere (rare around these parts), they pointed to the main attractions, had panels telling you the stories behind these so called attractions.

All you actually had to see were timber house after timber house (the flowers on the windows changed) and old, falling down and badly renovated houses. But they advertised all of these and they were proud of the cultural heritage. All without having a very touristy town, selling crappy souvenirs or advertising beds in guest houses.
Maybe a lesson for our own tourism. Don’t get me wrong, I felt cheated of the 4 euro trip I made (4 euros, 2 way ticket), but I still went there, spent a little more than an hour, and had it not been for the electricity, I would have bought some hand crafted, glass jewellery. Ad I'm going back, maybe not to the same town, but in the same area, for my little hiking trip, whenever I decide to take it.

Enjoy the silence

2009-08-21T22:08:00.006+03:00

My new garden chair, or křeslo (just try to say the R with hacek, I dare you).So now we're enjoying the last summer days. I can't believe it's gone so fast, like only yesterday I got on the bus to come here. It was an eventful summer and I'm waiting for a just as eventful autumn.

So hush now and enjoy the last rays of the fading sun. And because you've been good, I'll share with you one of my all time favourites (yeah, I know you didn't expect that):

The city that never sleeps

2009-08-12T12:01:00.002+03:00

I want to spend a week in New York City.

Je veux passer une semaine a New York.

Mnichovo Hradiště or how to follow the impulse

2009-08-09T15:16:00.013+03:00

Remember I told you about me and plans and how they don't aways work out? This Saturday, right after my 25th bday, I decided to finally take the trip to Zelezny Brod, to see the glass factory. Ok, the first bus was my fault: I was still half asleep. But the train, more than one hour later, just didn't show up. So I took the next bus to wherever it was going. Mnichovo Hradiste. A town about 15 minutes from here. Not very adventurous, but after Bratislava and recent events, I don't care much about adventures.

This is the post office. Interesting building and I'm wondering i the people living there work for the post? It was just across the street from the Town Hall, pictured below. There was actually a wedding there an the party followed me around town (I had seen one of the cars in the wedding party, parked right behind my house).

Looking at the signs I found out these people had a castle. Well of course, like the French, they have a castle in every town. So I followed the sigs like brad crumps and saw other pretty things on my way.

Such as this Church. I was wondering if I'll like this style. Before going to Chartres I wasn't found of Gothic, and then all the other Churches and Cathedrals I saw in France, changed my point of view. But I'm having a hard time with Baroque. The inside is pretty, although a bit to elaborated for my taste.

Picture through the links of a fence.

The town seemed nice also, very provincial, but bigger than my Bakov. When I came here, it was suggested I live in Mnichovo Hradiste (of course none of the Czech speakers offered to help me find a place). I prefer Bakov nad Jizerou, at least I'm in the countryside and that's it.

Comming up to the castle on the hill. It had a big garden and a chapel dedicated to St Anne and a lapidarium. I didn't visit the inside of the buildings bcause of lack of time but from the pictures I saw, they were well kept.

I sat on a bench under a tree and eventually fell asleep reading my book. There was a gentle breeze through the leaves and the sounds of the city so far away... I just doazed off. The wedding party followed me, with all the noises; the castle is a favourit for wedding pictures. It has quite a romantic feeling.

Speeking of romantism, this is one of my famous do-it-yourself pictures, in the castle toilet...

Went back to the big square and had a banana milk shake on a terrace, waiting for the bus. The buses work well around here so even a foreigner with very basic Czech, not able to form a bigger phrase, can get around. And the prices are reasonable, so I can take my little weekend trips and take pictures for you guys.

Pupici.

Ioana ma narozeniny

2009-08-08T18:32:00.004+03:00

Adica am aniversare. A fost ziua mea ieri. Am facut un sfert de secol... un sfert de viata daca am noroc (?). Cadouri am primit de mult, Josephine de pilda. Asa ca nu ma mai asteptam la nimic azi. In nici un caz la tot ce am primit :)

Colegii, luati prin surprindere, mi-au luat un buchet de flori si ciocolata.

Si eu, pentru ca aveam ceva bani, mi-am facut de cap intr-un mall. Adica o pereche de pantaloni si alte prostioare. Si mancare chinezeasca. pentru ca e traditia mea, de vreo cativa ani, de ziua mea, mancare chinezeasca.

Iar pe drumul de intoarcere, un asfintit superb, demn de micul print :)

Va multumesc tuturor de urari. Si parintilor mei pentru tot.

And...we're back

2009-08-08T17:56:00.011+03:00

We're back after a short trip to Romania. Very tired and with lots of stuff to tell. Our suitcase had: 8 bottles of wine, 2 liters of Palinca (the really strong one, we actually had to give up a liter), condoms (unharmmed, types we didn't find here, cause yeah, we're like that, depraved), cigarettes (cheaper than in France), and of course lots of memories. It was a great trip back home, and I miss it already.

We've danced, we've introduced the French Rock and Roll to Bucharest (and Bucharest enjoyed it). We've been back in time, through poor villages and castles from another time. We've met with family and friends and laughed a lot.

We went dinosaur haunting in dark and creepy caves.
We wanted to visit Vlad the Impaler but he wasn't at home.

We went for tea at the Peles Castle.

We saw a unique Palace.

And walked the streets of Bucharest on a very hot day, seeing old and new places. And having a beer on the terace of La Motoare.

Ah well, back to our regularly schedueled program...

The lass comes home

2009-07-30T13:34:00.007+03:00

Tomorrow, bright and early, I'm going home. Taking a little detour through Hungary and catching a plane from Vienna, but I'm getting there, for only 4 days. Can't wait to see friends and family. And this little thing.

This is my sweet fluffy friend, Serena. She's actually quite nice, albeit sometimes loud and I miss holding her.

See you guys Saturday.

I (heart) Paris

2009-07-29T10:14:00.055+03:00

You already know I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to planning my travels. The high point of my obsessive-compulsive behaviour came in the summer of 2006 when I went to Paris with my best friend. Below you have proofs of that (the trip and the OCD). If any of you out there are visiting Paris, maybe this can give you some ideas.

Many more pictures under the cut and click to enlarge(it doesn't work yet, but this evening I'll take care of it).

The trip was planned as one last week in France, at the end of my Erasmus year in Nantes (insert sigh here). I had had a wonderful year in Nantes (sigh) and I regretted to leave it but the last week in France was truly awesome.

We found this nice hotel near Montmartre and I came one day earlier (I had booked my tickets one month in advance, got them half price, because I was obsessing). So I had time to do some sight seeing of my own before my best gf came and the rest became history. Montmartre soon became our favorite spot in Paris, we had discovered interesting things, such as the vineyard on the hill and it seemed like we were transported through time.

The weather was crappy. Like London rather than Paris, but we managed to have fun. If you are wondering, yeah, we did about 95% of what was planned. Maybe some extras too. We took so many pictures that our main problems were split into: a) me running out of memory or b) my best friend running out of battery. Luckily we had a way to fix it so now I am looking at almost 2 DVDs almost full of pictures and movies.

We did the usual things when going to Paris: going up the Tower, spending one (long, very long) day in the Louvre (and I love Egyptian art and lots of painting styles and painters, but that was too much for one day). We had our lunch under the tower, on Champ de Mars. We met with gypsies, the usual.

We went to Versailles and Disneyland (Magical, any child, no matter the age, 8 or 80, has to go there at least once). We were goofy, trying on funky hats and buying souvenirs and we went on almost all the rides twice (despite my initial fear and the line of people).

Nothing, no list, no plan, no book, nothing, prepared us for the little unusual discoveries that are ours alone. Like the old man playing violin in Place de Vosges. Or the wonderful colours of the sky while we were taking our ride on the Seine. Or that we would fall inlove with the little Trianon and not Versailles.

There were so many wonderful moments: the ducks on the pond in the Tuilleries or the boats in Luxembourg garden or the colours of the stained glass in Saint Chapelle. But I'll stop at this image of Luxembourg garden under the rain.

My boy being French will not agree with the title and although Paris is to crowded, busy, not necessarily the best place to live, this city was magical for me for some other reasons.

This trip was the embodiment of a dream we've had since high school. It came at the end of a great period in my life, and another one was starting. I will tell you more stories from my Erasmus days, I started with the end but rest assured, I went on lots of trips, and once I get back my photos, I'll take you on a journey with me.

P.S. I didn't forget to write about my boating trip, I still don't have the pics and I guess that's what you're interested in.

I want to ride my bicycle

2009-07-28T14:45:00.006+03:00

Interesting grafitti in Prague. I think some of you may understand my fascination with it. I managed to put a 69 in my Czech phone number. And by the way, I am still riding my bike every day.

The Czech Lands

2009-07-27T11:44:00.011+03:00

This weekend I was in the South of Bohemia, on a boat trip (more about that later, I hope to have some pictures also). En route we passed by some towns and villages. We basically did the Czech countryside (on s'est paume dans la campagne) from Mlada Boleslav to Tynec nad Sazavou, South of Prague.

Below a picture from "Skoda Town", Mlada Boleslav, it looks a bit like a neighbourhood in Bucharest, only more colorful. And you guys were being mean when Vanghelie painted the buildings, here, they are painted and insulated.

From there we went towards Prague. This picture is just to show that they have highways.

We passed by a castel near Prague. These are the Czech Lands : communist buildings and old castels and historical towns. Really, there is more to this country than Prague. It's a shame that all the expats don't know anything else, they all live in Prague or in a big city and don't even try to discover the rest.

That's all for now, but do come back, a story of me on a canoe to follow.

Pour la petite bourgeoisie qui boit du Champagne

2009-07-23T22:56:00.006+03:00

Pentru ca m-a chinuit rau de tot talentul sa fac poze si sa dau indicatii, rezultatul muncii lui, dupa doua sticle de vin spumos in doi (in doua zile, tin sa precizez), figurine din sarma de la dopul sticlei. (Nu va ganditi la altceva)

This is because I got really inspired to take pictures and him to make figurines out of the wire for sparkling wine corks. This is art, people...

Oraseanca din mine

2009-07-22T11:45:00.012+03:00

Stau la tara acum. Ati cam vazut si din poze, am lanuri de grau si de porumb pe drum si din cand in cand ma opresc sa mananc corcoduse la marginea soselei. Dimineata e un cocos care canta, la 5.23 fix, parca e setat (cam tembel, uneori canta pe la miezul noptii). Cainii ma latra din curti cand trec, pe jos sau mai grav cu bicicleta. E liniste in rest, se mai aude uneori un tren, destul de multe masini dar nu deranjant, in nici un caz ca la oras.

Din cand in cand ma duc la oras. Ca azi de pilda, voi lua autobuzul de la marginea soselei, RATA daca preferati. Intr-o ora sunt in centrul Pragai. Mi se face dor de oras, de agitatie, tramvaie, metrou. Dar nu imi dau seama de asta decat cand ajung si intru direct in pielea orasencei care se descurca perfect sa navigheze printre turisti, cu mijloace de transport diferite si stie exact unde vrea sa ajunga.

Imi place Praga, mereu descopar ceva nou, desi m-am obisnuit cu locurile si ma simt chiar ca acasa. Ultima oara, eram pe podul Carol mergand spre castel, cand m-am intors, deasupra orasului vechi aparuse curcubeul iar in fata mea, era iubirea mea. V-am zis, ceva nou apare tot timpul, dar uneori redescopar ceva vechi. Asta e imaginea mea preferata cu podul, si jur ca exact asa arata uneori, spre asfintit. Poza e luata de pe un site cu carti postale, pragueartshop.com.

Revenind la povestea despre oras, se pare ca niste cercetatori care nu prea au ce face cu timpul lor au facut un studiu cam ciudat si cica unii oraseni sunt mai deranjati de zgomotul facut de pasari decat de zgomotul masinilor intr-o intersectie aglomerata.

Aseara stateam in gradina mea, era racoare, se auzeau greierii, cateva pasari de noapte, era perfect. Pe mine nu ma deranjeaza zgomotul naturii sau al pasarilor dar sunt atat de obisnuita cu intersectia aglomerata, cu tramvaiele in miez de noapte, cu agitatia orasului, incat uneori imi lipseste.

Mereu cand ma intorc acasa, redescopar mirosurile, caldura, zgomotele si mi se par unice pentru acel moment, de revenire acasa. Parca si vantul bate altfel, totul spune bine ai venit. Poza este de pe foroblog.ro dar lumina si toata atmosfera imi amintesc de ce simt cand vin acasa.

Sunt curioasa daca in august imi va fi greu acasa, in vacarmul Bucurestilor, fie si pentru 4 zile. M-am cam dezobisnuit de lumina care intra in camera din strada si de zgomotul perpetuu. Dar cu siguranta o sa-mi revin repede, once a city dweller, always a city dweller. Si in plus o sa fiu acasa.

Abia astept sa ma plimb prin oras, sa descoperim orasul impreuna, sa revad locurile mele preferate, prietenii, atmosfera. Ok si poluarea. Aici vad pasari si fluturi peste tot, intr-o zi am vazut iepurasi in camp, nu vezi asa ceva acasa. Dar nu conteaza, e orasul meu si are sarmul sau, diferit de linistea naturii de la tara sau de opulenta Pragai.

Si postul este in romana. Pentru ca mi-e dor.

Meet Josephine

2009-07-14T21:27:00.007+03:00

Everyone, say: Ahoj, Josephino! I've had her for about a month; she's my 2-months-in-advance-don't-break-your-neck-on-it birthday present and I've been riding her to work almost ever since.

Once I got past the initial fear of going downhill, this is quite neat, going to work every day on my little bike. You can say I've got wheels.

She's girlie, but not too girlie, she's second hand, but a good brand and very well kept. And I'm in love with it. So her name is Josephine (my boyfriend's off road is called Francoise, we've decided on really outdated French names). She wasn't named after the Empress but after this song:

I follow the same old route pass the trucks on my way to work, but when I get back, I go through town and do a bit of exploring, so actually it takes me longer to get back home. At least I exercise.

I've got wheels, all I need now are wings and I'll fly...

Update: Plutot une precission: Nomee aussi apres la Josephine de Penelope.

Nympheas

2009-07-08T16:40:00.018+03:00

Look at what I have in my garden. The weekend was warm, so I was able to stay by the pond, listening to the ducks, reading a book. Unfortunately the weather is back to being gloomy and rainy so I don't know how many pretty pictures I'll be able to take while sitting in my garden, so enjoy.

I haven't felt as happy as while I was lounging next to this pond, on the grass, soft wind and a warm light. Time stood still.

This reminded me of another special moment. I have admired Monet's paintings at The Orangerie, the purpose built museum in Paris. I spent hours just admiring the colors of the huge canvases exhibited there. He painted some of these wonders while practically blind. I feel a bit like a painter when I was taking the picture below. I'm really sorry I don't have any bit of talent at painting. Suddenly Monet seems so realistic, though.

The pond in front of my house reminded me of Monet having focused his last 30 years on paintings of water lilies in his garden. He was almost blind towards the end, and I think that it must be soothing for a painter to have not darkness in front, but wonderful images of the sky reflected on a pond of water lilies.

On a culinary trip

2009-07-01T17:02:00.015+03:00

So my hoards of fans have been complaining that I didn't write one word about my last trip to France. That is mainly because I didn't take pictures so I don't have anything to brag about. But I'll improvise.(No, my love life will not make it as a post, it's going very well, thank you for asking)

When I said trip in the title, I might as well have meant the kind of trip a high junkie goes into, because my taste buds where really spoiled last weekend.

It all started Thursday night when I got on the bus for Prague, all dressed up in my best black skirt with a nice halter top and fancy shoes. All ready for a dinner party in a very elegant restaurant in Prague. I'm really sorry I didn't take any pictures, but I promise to get back there some day, because it was worth it. The view from Letna hill is just about one of the most beautiful views in the world. Now, they say Prague is the most romantic city and all, meeting your beloved on St Charles bridge, but I think eating a romantic dinner on top of Letna, by night, is by far better.

So I got there, it's a beautiful pavilion in the middle of a park, with a terrace overlooking the whole city. I sat at a table outside, drank a good Moravian white wine and had a nice conversation with a stranger I'd met at the train stop, who was going to the same place. I felt like in one of the old commercials for Kent cigarettes. Very class.

When the others came, we joined them inside in the nice, Art Nouveau inspired, Bistro. The atmosphere was merry, I had my darling one next to my heart, good company, and we got some beers, some more wine, eventually we ordered. And this is where the gastronomical feast of the weekend begins. I had filet mignon in cognac sauce and for desert, a delicious chocolate mousse with strawberries. I'm very picky when it comes to desert. But this was heaven, an orgasm in every spoonful of chocolate. And the evening ended a little later with an orgasm of a different nature.

I like this picture because of the Laguiole knife on the table, I would have taken the same one.

The next day we left for France, where once again the menu was fabulous: a recipe from Normandy: Coquilles St Jacques with pasta and sauce.

And magnum ice cream for a perfect desert. I'm not going into the details of the weekend: just teasing you with some pictures of food. I don't have pictures of my own, but I searched for some resembling what we had, just to tickle your senses.

Saturday, we had faux filet with endive salad and for desert, a specialty from The Czech republic, after a traditional Armenian family recipe, a honey caked called Marlenka. Delicious, I can't get enough of it. (actually thinking of exporting this to the world, too good to be kept a secret).

To keep in line with the international cuisine theme, the evening was spent in an Alsatian traditional restaurant where we had, what I can only describe as the local pizza, only much better than any pizza. I could live only with this and Marlenka and H&M.

The wine we accompanied our meal with, was of course a local Pinot Gris. And for desert, another of my favorites: pistachio ice cream with real, grilled pistachios.

Ok, by this time, I was quite full; we had tarte flambé with cheese and lard and with Munster cheese and lard, and not just one serving each. So I had only one scoop of pistachio. But it was really divine.

And for the end, Sunday, just before coming back home: Barbecue. This really was a meat eater's feast. chicken, duck, sausages, skewers with meat. Lots of grilled meat.

So now you also know why I've been eating salads and light dishes all week. I have to make up for a weekend where my liver must have suffered (though I made no excesses) but my taste buds had multiple orgasms. And oh Doamne! It was sooo good.

Down the rabbit hole, to Bratislava

2009-06-18T20:06:00.017+03:00

This weekend, it was time to go to Bratislava. Two of our colleagues from the Master’s are there for their internships and because we are trying to visit as many of our mates as possible, we decided to head east.

Our original plan was to take the train or the bus from Prague, about 4hrs trip to Bratislava so it’s quite manageable. The good thing about living in the Czech Republic is that you truly are in the heart of Europe and can easily access several countries from here. And Prague is the hub of transportation in the country; you have frequent busses and trains to all destinations. The down side to Czech transportation is that trains are more often than not late…

This time though it was us who were late (for reasons independent of our will) so we had to change to plan B, taking the car. The high way from Prague to Bratislava is quite bumpy (nothing compared to the so called Romanian highways, but still a bumpy ride). In fact the highway is “affectionately” called the Tankodrom. For one thing, because the Russians could easily use it to bring their tanks here, in case the Czechs decided to rebel again like in '68. The main reason for this nickname is that the road is, bumpy, quite bad pavement, not really a pleasure to drive. To je skoda! It's a pitty. The scenery is really nice. (Didn't take any pictures, to busy driving or doing something else, besides, it's bumpy, doesn't make for clear photos, but take my word on it: Prague-Bratislava is a pretty nice trip. Scenery-wise. And you can visit Austerlitz.)

Once in Bratislava, at about 10 o'clock in the evening, we started looking for our friend's street. And although we had both visited the city before, it wasn't easy. Poor indication and maze-like streets behind the communist buildings in the neighborhood.

We went out that night and I can tell you that there is night life in Bratislava, people going out to clubs and bars, having a drink, dancing. Quite fun. Our friends were telling us that people usually go out of town during the weekends so it may seem deserted. Nevertheless there were things to do. I had a Bloody Mary in a lounge bar near Michalska Brana, the famous rendez-vous place in Bratislava (Picture form last November).

The next day we went to see some Siberian tigers in a reserve about 30 km into the Slovakian countryside. It was in a part of the country with a strong Hungarian minority. The countryside resembled a bit what I already knew from Romanian and Hungarian countrysides so nothing special here, plains, lots of grass, some trees, crops, the works. This is one of the tigers, and us...

In the afternoon, we visited Bratislava. It really is a little city, as it's logo goes: Little big City. When I was here last time, in November, I basically went on foot from the main railway station to the main bus station and I practically saw all there was to see. I did profit from a local guide this time so it was a nice experience.

There were certain places on my list of things to see. I always make up such a list in my head when I go somewhere and I always document myself in advance as to what is interesting to see.

So my list included the Radio building, an upside down pyramid; the big square with Napoleon's statue on a bench. Here you have the pictures to prove that we were there. Les lapins cretins a Bratislava.

Bratislava's old town has been restored and is really a pleasure to visit it. Beautiful houses, restaurants, bars. It's a bit like I'd like Bucharest to be. Maybe in a few years... It has nothing of Prague's grandeur, but you can see an effort in attracting tourists and in keeping them satisfied that the got what they came there for.

There are things to do and see, such as a very interesting exposition on India, Nepal, Tibet and the Himalayas at the National Museum, really well taken care for and interesting.

The city's arhitecture and the some times a bit strange statues that you find in the streets are another attraction point. A good excercise of marketing for municipalities (Bucharest should take notes). I don't think Slovaks particularly like their capital, it does have a small town feel and look, but they have managed to attract tourists here (Twin Cities campaign with Vienna is a good exemple of marketing).

The only thing that could spoil a tourists trip, in a really, really bad way, is the lack of service. Going into pizza places, book stores, at the museum, the staff will not always be very friendly. Even the police are not nice (gave as a ticket for parking in the wrong place, but there aren't many parking places either). The Czechs are know for lousy service, but the Slovaks could posibly be worse.

All in all, Bratislava was a nice gettaway for the weekend and it was a pleasure to see our friends again. Felt a bit like back in Cluny. Looking forward to our next get toghether.

And a last picture in the series: The Silly Rabbits do Bratislava.

At the crossroad: Strasbourg

2009-06-11T22:59:00.015+03:00

Like every weekend, I took a trip (I know I don't write about each and one of them, but trust me, I don't sit around, I'm just a procrastinator so I never get to write about all I want do). The last trip was to Strasbourg to meet up with friends: Russians Ukrainian, Uzbek, a Romanian and our gracious French hosts. A tour of Babel with one common language: French (changes a bit from English being the mother of all tongues). Much fun was had, good food, good wine (Alsatian wines are now my favorites) all in all, good times.

It wasn't suny, still we went out for a visit of the city. There are quite a few things to see and even thought I have visited on different occasions, Strasbourg still manages to surprise me. You can instantly see that it has always been quite a rich part of the world: park, beautiful houses, monuments, a Cathedral that once stood as the highest building in the world.

Strasbourg is a unique place also because of it's history, that of a piece of land that two nations fought over for centuries. An expert eye can tell you only by the architecture that you're not in France, but not in Germany either: Strasbourg has it's own style. And it suits it just fine.

You have the large, central, German-style square and the large, long, almost Haussmann like avenues. And than you see buildings that you won't find in either of these styles.

The young lady climbing a pole will meet a guy right over the boarder between France and Germany.

The Little France reminded me a bit of Amsterdam's canals and riverside cafes, a nice place to stroll around or take a tour in a bateau mouche.

The name of the neighbourhood, one of the oldest and best preserved (a UNESCO Heritage site), is quite a funny story. No, they didn't bring all the French toghether in this strip of land surrounded by water. In fact this was the poor neighbourhood, a sort of Red Quarter with pimps and prostitutes. Of course there were frequent outbreaks of all sort of STD's and because back in the day a sexually transmitted desease was also known as a French desease, the neighbourhood got the name of little France.

Of course, now it's quite expensive and full of tourists, restaurants, cafes, nothing like what it used to be. I think the houses look like ginger bread houses (btw, ginger bread is one of the local specialties, they love it here and it's quite good).

And the Cathedral, Notre Dame de Strasbourg, just one picture of it, but I'll put up more in another post.

There are many strories and legends surrounding this Cathedral. One of them says that the Devil is caught inside and all tourists try to look for it's statue, somewhere on the facade. I dare you to go there and recognize him. The wind is hauling outside the Cathedral, waiting for it's trapped master. The stained glass rosary is also very beautiful and unlike others it doesn't have religious motives but it has to do with the town's wealth and prestige.

And I would have endded this post here, but I have to say a word about the European Union and the buildings related to it. I tried to vote this Sunday, as you know it was election day for the European Parliament (the building is pictured below, see how tiny we are in comparison?).

I didn't manage to vote but I strolled around the neighbourhood where the European buildings are: some old and a bit communist like in style, some new and shinny.

In the posh neighbourhood where all the Consulates are I saw this Art-Nouveau house that reminded me of Barcelona and how much I want to go there and see Gaudi's buildings(apparently the architect on this one also worked with Gaudi).

I really felt like I was in the heart of Europe with all this places and buildings reminding me of placed I visited or want to visit on the old continent. It's a great city, always something to discover. In fact I have more to say on the subject...

Wanderlust

2009-06-10T18:12:00.009+03:00

I've become a wanderer, a gypsy. Europe is my Avenue. My life, exotic. If I tell you my story, you won't believe it. I carry my house with me, everything I treasure is hidden in my heart, and everything else is in a luggage. And I travel light. I'm going far.

My life has become a travel novel. I am the embodiment of globalization and everything that is good about it. Until a few months ago I lived in a water mill. In France. Owned by a Swiss painter of Polish origin, married to an Austrian. And we were 5 to live there: 2 Russians, an Uzbek married to a French woman (she was living in Uzbekistan at the time) and French with his Romanian girlfriend. And it was a pretty good arrangement. Every day we'd go to school in a Harry Potter like environment, in an Abbey where we met at least 5 other nationalities.

And now, I'm in the Czech Republic, I still have the same French boyfriend . I live in another watermill with Czechs and Bulgarians. And I work in a French company; I speak English every day and talk to people from all over Europe, regularly. For me, globalization is just a watermill.

On top of that I'm in a different place every weekend, in France, the Czech Republic, now I'm going to Bratislava. Next? Who knows?

It's what I've always wanted, a life full of excitement, travel, interesting people, good food. And I have it now but all I'm thinking about at this moment is to go home for a few days in August. And make my life simpler. Why can't we be completely satisfied?

On top of all my dreams of going away, I'm homesick. I guess this is a sort of wanderlust as well. And I’m happy with this and grateful for all the things in my life.

Venting

2009-06-09T15:41:00.008+03:00

I have so many projects and plans, I'm almost scared to do anything. And all I do is enter this procrastination loop and seem to never be able to go out. Like now. Writing here instead of doing something else.

The worst thing is that I feel like nothing will happen to make me change. As if no punishment, divine or human will come for this state of mind.

And I should really be more motivated than that, because I have the best motivation in the world to go on. But I just freeze and don't want to do anything. Just stay in blissful happiness. And make everyday a weekend.

Don't worry, I'm not depressed, just lazy. Et de malhumeur. And a bit tired. I just need to snap out of it. Oh and also, I don't seem to find my words today, I have a bit of a hard time expressing myself, and lot of work to do.

Ok, now that I've finished complaining, back to our regularly scheduled program.

A colorful journey - Mary Cassatt

2009-05-25T18:30:00.014+03:00

If you’ve accessed the search engine Google on Friday the 22nd, you have certainly seen the change in the logo, marking the 165th anniversary of Mary Cassatt’s birth. If you haven’t clicked on the logo to learn more, shame on you, you’ve missed a glimpse into a world of tranquility and color, a journey back into childhood and summer holidays.

First of all : I’m a painting buff, so get used to some talk about paintings, after all this is my place, so I write about whatever interests me. I can’t help drooling in front of a beautiful painting and I’ve been known to spend hours in museums just looking at the impressionist masters. There…that's the truth, like it or not, I'll spend more time in a museum than in a shop (with the possible exception of H&M, but that's different).

This being said, I have to mention that my parents’ bookcase holds many treasures. Among those, an art album with American impressionist painters, that’s how I became fascinated with Mary Cassatt’s work. Browsing the glossy pages I came by something spectacular, games of light and colour that really fascinated me. And this little girl, Sarah:

And another image so you can really see what I'm talking about. She often made portaits of her sisters or brothers, their children, people on the street, but also hired models to pose. So there are several versions of the same painting, or the same person at different ages. Sarah certainly had a lot of paintings done of her.

I don't know what became of Sarah, I think she was a niece of Cassatt's. She remaind's me of a picture I saw of my mum at about the same age, and maybe that's where the fascination came from. Other than that, I love the wamth that surrounds the painting, and of course, the little dog. I find the painting typical of Mary Cassatt's style: she had a deep understanding of children and women and these where her subjects of choice, doing normal things.

Cassatt thought marriage was incompatible with her career and despite a long lasting relationship with French painter Degas, she never married or had children. She painted mostly portets and scenes related to every day life, glimpses of quiet, tranquil living, many portaits of women with their children.Cassatt was close to the Impressionist, exhibiting with them and being active in their movement. Her use of colors and light is apparent of such a relationship. Under their inspiration, she took her work outside the workshop, always carrying a sketch book and this can be seen in her painting: snapshots of life.

She was a modern woman, refusing the gender discriminations of her time, she did her best to brake boundaries. It was said she was too outspoken for her own good, although less so with age. When she was unhappy with the learning she received at the Academy, she took it upon herself to improve and study the Old Masters. Cassatt travelled extensively through Europe, considering the only way to succed is to broaden your horizons.

What fascinated me was her use of colors. Although this was one of the things that was criticated during her lifetime, I find that the bright colors and warm tones bring the subjects to life.

All the pictures are from Wikipedia, where you will also find more information on Mary Cassatt and the Impressionists. Also worth a look, the American Impressionists.

La Provence

2009-05-18T15:05:00.006+03:00

When I left France the first time, the only practically unexeplored region was Provence. I had already seen a large part of the West Coast, the Center, Paris and if you count Mont St Michel as being part of Normandy, that was ticked off the list as well. So the only thing of interest left for me to see at that point was La Provence.

Straight out of a Cezanne painting, that's how I imagined it. Tall, scorched with sun - white mountains, fields of wheat colored with red poppies. Van Gogh is one of my favorite painters, it's fields of gold and Cypher trees haunt my dreams. I had to see the lavender fields with my own eyes. La Provence was like an illusive mirage, the opportunity to visit this corner of France never arose.

Until last weekend when I made a (very) long trip for a very good friend's wedding, near Aix-en-Provence. And the pictures that came alive before my eyes were not dissaponting, though different from my imagination.

Let's start at the begining. In Bakov nad Jizerou, where I never imagined I would end up but where I'm spending my weeks for now. We left by car, driving through the Czech Republic and Germany, to France. A 9 hour trip I have nothing interesting to say about, maybe because it's not the first time I take this trip and the novelty of it wore off a while ago. An enjoyable trip every time, nice scenery, good roads most of the way (although the germans keep working on those highways and it gets pretty annoying after a while). It's really a pleasant trip.

Next evening we took a night train to Marseille, the gate to France for so many people (la goutte d'or). And now you're expecting some nice description about it... Well, it's a bit like Bucharest only dirtier and with better scenery, sort of... Marseille has mountains in the back drop. Two views from a friend's flat.

Aix en Provence though, is something special, imposing arhitecture, fountains in every square as the city was a spa in roman times, and loads of tourists. And of course the famous Cours Mirabeau. Wewalked around the down town, sat at a cafe in one of the many squares, listened to music and then we left for the hills around the town.

La Provence... well it was different from what I had imagined, mainly because it rained a lot this year, so everything was green. But the cypher trees were there, and the poppies, and the mountains were sun drenched as ever. And there was the faint smell of lavender in the warm evening air.

Praha + Plzen

2009-05-08T19:56:00.029+03:00

Last weekend was a special one, I visited Prague, for the 3rd time. I think it's one of the few places I've visited more than once or twice, and that's because I liked the city. Despite the many tourists and the fact that you'll have a hard time finding a real, genuine Czech, the city is quite beautiful and fun, there is something for everyone here : museums, boat trips, the castle, beautiful gardens, lots and lots of excellent pubs and restaurants. The weather was fine so people were out biking, strolling, or taking a boat ride on the Vltava.

I've been to Prague for the first time last november when I went on a road trip with some friends and I spent a whole weekend wandering the streets during the day and the pubs during the night. I had a great tourguide, a friend living in Prague, and now I can share some of his little stories and jokes, plus, I'm learning new things every time. So I think, modesty aside, I am a pretty good guide myself.

So, last weekend, we started from the other side of the Fred and Ginger dancing building. I'm not always a fan of contemporary architecture, but this building, that looks like it's being sucked into the eye of a tornado, is quite nice, and not to damaging to the surroundings...or to your eyes.

We continued towards Narodni Divadlo, the national theater, here in a picture from last November. The theater was build as part of the Czech national revival, with everyone contributing. Shortly after construction though, it burned and had to be rebuild, and again, the people gave money. A symbol of the Czechs' love for the theater.

Next to it is the second scene of the theatre, one of the communist buildings that stain the face of Prague. Luckly though, the city was not as plagued by the communist style as much as Bucharest was.

We continued along Charles Bridge. Be careful if you are in Prague in this period as the bridge is under construction and parts of it are closed, making the pedestrian traffic quite difficult. And it's full of tourists. So there are frequent jams and it's hard even to take a picture, not to mention meeting your beloved on the bridge. (With all the people there, you could pass right next to him or her and never know, luckily, mine was next to me) The artists are still there so you can buy little souvenirs.

Mala strana and Kampa are parts of Prague that I really love because of the bars and the fact that sometimes at night they seem deserted and taking a walk in this part of the city is like going back in time. But in a spring weekend, during the day, tourists are everywhere, so be careful for pickpockets and toilet queues.

The Prague Castle is like a city inside a City, very good view of the town and a nice area to stroll around. I don't recommend going to the Golden Street. I've put pictures so that you don't have to. Tourist paradise here, basically you pay money to see some antique stores with watches and other little nothings. The tunnels in the attics have beautiful armors and weapons but still not that interesting. There is a vineyard on the hill, for the passionate and you can stop for a drink or some good food in a restaurant.

Just across the river is Josefov, the Jewish town. It looks like anything but a ghetto, because this side of town, once prone to inundations was rebuilt and has some of the most beautiful and grand houses. You can still see the sinagogues and the Jewish cemetery. The tour of the synagogues and the cemetery is quite expensive and not really worth the while if you don't have a particular interest. So if you want to see the cemetery and not pay for it, there is a trick, a small window in a metal door, right across the street from the back entry of the Rudolfium. You'll certanly see tourists peeking through it. Otherwise, the quarter is interesting if you want to buy souvenirs, Bohemia crystal especially.

Another thing I like about Prague is that all the interesting places are within walking distance. Unlike other cities such as London or Paris, where you have to rely heavely on public transportation, here, you can spare yourselfs a few crowns and buy a beer instead. The public network is quite good, covering most of the town with the metro, also it's cheap, but you can walk just as easily.

Close to Josefov is Staromeska Namesti, with St Cyr Church and the Astronomical Clock, just follow the tourists if you don't know where to look. And if you see people waving an umbrella althought it's sunny outside, just know they are guides, so stay close to them, you might hear interesting stuff.

I'll let you in on a secret, I have a plan to start a mass aplause in front of the astronomical clock by strategicaly placing my friends in the crowd.

For shopping, a very good spot is Wenceslas square, where you have Bata, H&M and the works. From there we went to Karlovo Namesti and then took the car back to Plzen.

Next, Plzen on a Sunday afternoon. The fourth city in the Czech Republic, about an hour West of Prague and the only one liberated by the American Army, in WWII, as I came to learn during the weekend. It's quite nice to stroll around, and I think it's also a nice place to live (I only spend some of my weekends there).

The first visit of Plzen was a bar tour and the next day we almost didn't recognize the surroundings. There was a beer festival in the main town square (duh, they produce 70% of Czech beer here). Some picture, just to give you an idea of the look of a normal Czech town (Prague is by no means normal, rather filled with tourists).

In Plzen you'll have no problem to find real Czechs so you can stop them on the street and talk to them, they do exist outside the capital. And me, a crazy Romanian.

Making plans

2009-05-04T14:57:00.003+03:00

These days all my plans have been useless, whatever I do, the plan changes all the time. So I start to think: do we really need plans to get ahead? Don't get me wrong, I love making plans, I am right now making a shopping list (nothing glamourous, tomorrow's dinner and that summer skirt I want, maybe a dress too).

My latest plan was to go to Liberec this weekend, but the plan was abruptly changed and instead I spent a wonderful weekend in Prague and Plzen. I'm not sorry for it, in fact, I'm quite happy it all turned out like this, I went barhopping in Plzen, showed Prague to a friend, which is always one of my favourite activities, watched a movie, had interesting discussions, ate good food and drank enough to make me cheery. But what I ask myself now is whether it makes any sense to make plans if you don't stick to them?

We get all excited about a plan, or at least I know I do. We make our life around it sometimes, make plans on top of plans, link them to other things in our lives. We spawn a web of plans, all in a desperate effort to give ourselves the illusion we are in control.

And then we get disappointed because we didn't see our plan come true. Our world seems a tiny bit destabilized, abnormal, spinning out of (our) control even. The plan made it look all that better, made us feel in control, masters of our destinies. And the bubble bursts and we are not gods anymore, we don't know exactly were the road takes us.

In some rare cases - like mine, this time - when the changed plan goes better than the original would, we forget things didn't go as we wanted and can end up saying this was what we always really wanted. Anything to keep the appearence of control.

But does it really help us, to have all this control? Life is so full of surprises and twists out of our reach that no matter how well we prepare everything, it will never be 100% sure. I didn't go to Liberec because of events that were independent to my will or power and that I could not have predicted no matter my preparation (maybe a very very wild dream would have imagined that knock on my door close to midnight, that made me go to Plzen in the morning, but I was completely taken by surprise, and it was a nice one).

Isn't it better sometimes to go with the flow? See what happens next and improvise? Sometimes life can be fun like that too, scary, but fun. So Liberec is for another time, I'll make plans for it when the time comes, but I won't be dissapointed if I get another offer.

Control is just an illusion, all we can do is make a plan, don't get to attached to it and hope for the better. And be open to all possibilities.

My destinations

2009-04-27T15:43:00.004+03:00

I am a bit of a day dreamer so as I stay at my office, from time to time my eyes turn towards the window and as I gaze at the distant, almost shadowy mountains, I think of destinations, old and new, nearby or quite far. Almost all the time I'm planning a trip. Right now I have plans for Jablonec, in a few weeks and Bratislava and Hanover when time will permit it. And then I have trips in between, unplanned,but a good surprise, like the one to Strasbourg a few weeks ago.

So where have my day dreams taken me, so far? This is just a list, by no means an exhaustive one, of places I've visited or I'd like to visit.

Countries I've visited: France, United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland.

Countries I'd like to visit: Spain, Portugal, Marocco, Egypt, Turkey, Japan, Iceland, Sweeden, New Zeeland, Russia, Seychelles, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Cuba, Canada. (basically the rest of the known world, but these are just the ones that made the short list).

My philosophy on travel is not to make just a collection of places seen, make a scratch on a wall with my name, I want to get the feeling of the place, get to know the people, feel like more than a tourist. That's why I don't like guided tours, they just take you around, the time to take a picture, tell you an anecdote, but never let you actually breathe in the perfume of the place at your own pace. Which is was I need the most.

And so, I am going to take my own personal tour guide, which is a guide book and my intuition for discovering interesting things and I'll be on my way, towards new adventures.

Stay tunned, pictures to follow to this post.