Sunday, December 30, 2012

Ocean Mare

O dată de mult, pare foarte de mult, am fost la ocean. Parcă a fost în altă viaţă dar totuşi îmi aduc perfect aminte de sclipirea apei şi de mirosul vântului, bărcile care ondulau în port şi piratul cel fioros, şi farul.... atâtea amintiri frumoase.

Se făcea că plecasem departe de casă, în Franţa, mai precis în frumosul oraş numit Nantes, mulţumită zânei celei bune numite programul Erasmus. Şi cum eram în Franţa şi cum vremea era frumoasă iar Oceanul atât de aproape, am luat trenul şi am plecat spre oraşul La Rochelle. Cel mai frumos oraş, dacă îl ascultam pe cel care ne-a vândut biletul.

Şi într-adevăr, este un oraş foarte frumos cu un port de agrement şi o zonă pietonală ascunsă după zidurile cetăţii. Legată printr-un pod de oraş este insula Re, paradisul pescarilor şi al agricultorilor în ţinuturi mlăştinoase. Foarte aproape de La Rochelle se afla şi insula fortului Boyard, da, există şi se vizitează.

Eu visez să mă plimb din nou pe străduţele cu piatra cubică, printre casele vechi şi cafenelele ce servesc fructe de mare unde la fiecare colţ de stradă ai impresia că vei da nas în nas cu un pirat. Este locul perfect pentru o plimbare cu bicicletă, pe lângă port, pe podul bătut de vânt, spre insula mlăştinoasă înconjurată de plaje de nisip fin. Dacă stai un pic mai mult vei descoperi mareea.

Vă las cu câteva imagini pline de soare care sper că vă vor încălzi.

Portul de agrement din La Rochelle
Portul de agrement din La Rochelle









Intrarea in port
Portul si orasul vechi

Plaja de pe Ile de Re
Poarta spre orasul La Rochelle

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Spinning Queen, Baby!

I don't want to admit it too publicly so if you ask me I will probably say no, but I am starting to really enjoy this spinning thing. Maybe I will take it outside, too, you know what I mean, like real biking. Remember Josephine? She was good to me, come spring, I might take her out again.

In the mean time, I am pedaling at gyms in Plzen. We go there about once or twice a week and the instructor already knows us, me and the 3 Frenchmen (sometimes more), she calls us Tour de France. I'd find it hilarious if I wasn't dying on my bike. She even knows us by name.

Sometimes we have spinning marathons of 4 hours. This take place on Saturdays at our favorite gym: the owner sometimes spins with us and she always comes at break to give us mandarins and chocolate. The music is fun, sometimes themes such as 80's, 90's or disco and I sing a long, sometimes it's rock and I suffer.

Inline image 1

On Mondays I have the tae bo sessions. That is intense too and I just love punching and kicking the air. I sometimes punch the boyfriend as well, he so likes to play the victim and "complain" but he really loves the attention.

And when I cannot or don't feel like spinning or tae bo, I dance in front of my Wii to the rhythms of the Just Dance game. It's a good substitute to zumba but i need some new songs. I used to go to Zumba quite a lot but I dropped in favor of tae bo but I am still thinking of going back, once or twice, I even bought a groupon. I just don't like going on my own so I do my best to drag a girl friend to zumba but none of them seem to have been hooked. I blame it on the teacher, not showing you the moves before the song starts: we are not all dancing queens.

After all this sport you'd expect me to be fit. Well I am just about as fit as a 31year old, haha, I am only 27. But I do feel better and I have certainly gained considerable muscle, according to my scale. I actually did a test and I have nearly the perfect weight considering  my muscle build but I do have to shed a couple of kilos to have the perfect weight for my bone structure.

So I am waiting for spring now. Real spring, with sun and a bit of warmth, a sweet breeze, flowers. I want spring so I can finally enjoy the clean air and the Saturday morning of sports and shopping for gardening supplies for my balcony garden and generally spinning around like a bee.

*Image from http://www.fitness-husovka.cz

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Romanian Road Trip Day 4&5 Brasov and the Mountains

As I am preparing for a new Romanian road trip in July, I have decided to finish the story of last year's visit, where I left off so here and here for the first parts.

After a quick stop in Brasov, we headed for the mountain resorts of the Prahova Valley, stopping in Busteni, a great spot for winter sports and summer hiking. Accommodation is very easy to find, several of the locals offer rooms in their houses for the weary travelers and you can even enjoy a tuica or plum brandy with these mountain people. That is what we did: we spent the evening eating and drinking local food and in the morning, after a big breakfast, we set out to conquer the mountain.

The clouds were very low so no one believed me about the wonders on the mountain: the Sphynx and the Old Ladies and the Great Cross. There are several ways to get there: 4x4 cars for the lazy and not so eco friendly, hiking for the really really brave ones and the cable car for the patient. We had to wait in line for about an hour before we could hop on  but the passage through the clouds and up to the heights was quite smooth and fun. If you don't care about the scenery, inside is interesting as well: the cable car is an old Italian model that has seen the Alps and the driver has icons of the Virgin.


Up on the Plateau is a cottage with warm meal if you feel like it. If not, just follow the crowds of people going for the sights nearby.


A dog was fast asleep on one of the old ladies. It was a huge Saint Bernard and it was snoring loudly, probably on a break from taking pictures with the tourists.


Down the valley, sheep were grazing. Down there, there are more cottages and a beautiful lake and one can even reach the other resorts. But we decided to take a short trip, about one hour and a half, to the Cross that was still not visible on top of the mountain, nearly 2400m high.


The path is winding but quite easy to take. We meet up with more tourists and more sheep. The clouds were coming and going, sometimes we were inside a milky white cloud, other times we felt like we were sitting at the brim of a crevice.


We stopped near some melting ice, it was the beginning of August, but still there was some dirty snow left. We had some of the local salami, Salam de Sibiu it is called but the Salonta version is better :) and then we continued to the cross. We met with some more tourists and sheep on the way, below is a black sheep and a white one without a head, oops.

 As we neared the cross, the clouds parted for an instant and we could enjoy a nice view. But then they were back and while we were up at the Cross we only had a flitting moment to see the valley below.






And then we went back. The next stop was Bucharest, where we stayed for a few days before going back to CZ. But you've seen quite a lot of pictures from Bucharest so I will not bother you with that and instead I will show you a beautiful manor just close to Bucharest. Next time...

Friday, February 3, 2012

Chartres, Acum 6 Ani

Ma rog, acum 6 ani si vreo 20 de zile dupa cum imi spun informatiile din poze, eram in Franta, Erasmus la Nantes si am decis sa fac o mica plimbare in vacanta dintre semestre. Frig rau, ca si acum, crunt, dar cum toti prietenii erau in vacanta si eu nu, am ales sa plec la drum.

Si am ales foarte bine, am vizitat un orasel simpatic dominat de impunatoarea catedrala Chartres. Catedrala se vede de departe, aflandu-se pe un fel de promontoriu deasupra orasului, terbuie doar sa ridici ochii si o vezi de peste tot. Oraselul in sine e simpatic dar nimic spectaculos, stradute pietonale, cateva atractii de genul o casa acoperita cu bucatele de sticla colorata, un rau cu parcuri pe maluri, dar nu am poze asa ca tebuie sa ma credeti pe cuvant.

Cum va spuneam, se ajunge usor la catedrala, trebuie doar sa ridici ochii. Asa ca de la gara, fara harta, fara nimic, cu fulgii de nea care dansau in jurul meu, am purces spre tinta mea. M-am oprit bineinteles la Oficiul de Turism unde am luat o harta, o brosura cu hosteluri sau hoteluri pentru ca aveam de gand sa raman peste noapte si o brosura cu locuri interesante de vizitat in zona. Interesant este ca Oficiul de Turism se afla pe o strada mai speciala, in sensul ca inclinarea aparenta a strazii nu este cea reala. Apoi am purces spre catedrala.

M-am simtit un pic precum un pelerin, dovada fiind si inscriptia din fata catedralei si pe care am intalnit-o de-a lungul timpului in mai multe locuri de pe traseul pelerinilor si am fotografiat-o aproape de fiecare data.
 
Apoi am intrat in catedrala si am reusit sa obtin o vizita ghidata cu un specialist care s-a ocupat de renovarea superbelor vitralii. Mai jos aveti cateva imagini, rozeta este imensa, nu stiu daca se vede prea bine cat de mare este catedrala, te simti cu adevarat mic pe langa, ghidul ne-a explciat ca asta si este scopul.
Catedrala a fost mereu un loc de atractie, daca acum turismule ste laic, cu sute de ani in urma se chema pelerinaj si lumea se ingramadea sa vada relicvele sfinte. Relicva de aici era o bucata din camasa sfanta a lui Iisus. Cum adapostea una din cele mai importante relicve, numarul de vizitatori era mare, si catedrala trebuia sa fie pe masura, de unde si usile imense.

 Interiorul este si el impozant, detaliile sunt mirifice. Desi imensa, catedrala pare ca se ridica spre cer datorita elegantei sculpturilor gotice.

 Pelerinii moderni sunt atrasi de labirintul de pe podea, probabil ca nu era neaparat o atractie acum cateva sute de ani, dar astazi, multi pelerini il parcurg ca un simbol al calvarului lui Iisus.  Imi amintesc ca in zilele acelea citeam o serie de carti in care un element predominant era un labirint.


Am zabovit un pic in catedrala, dupa vizita, sunt multe simboluri si legende asociate catedralei, din nefericire am uitat multe din ele dar am acasa o carte, scrisa de cel care a fost ghid atunci, si toate sunt explicate foarte frumos. Mai multe informatii gasiti si aici, nu uitati sa faceti o donatie din cand in cand :)

 Cum v-am spus, catedrala este imensa, impozanta, am facut un tur pe afara si mi s-a parut parca si mai mare. In varful acelei cupole verzi este o statuie a Arhanghelului Mihail caer mi-a amintit de Mont St Michel.

La sfarsit am luat pranzul meu improvizat, o salata de ton adusa de la Nantes, in parcul din spatele catedralei, cu vedere spre oras. Pana la urma am decis sa nu raman peste noapte (deh, buget de student), dar tare mi-ar placea sa mai trec pe acolo candva, am vazut multe catedrale si biserici, dar aceasta este unica.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Pornic, o felie de primavara la mare

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.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Romanian Road Trip - Day 2&3 Sibiu

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...

Monday, August 15, 2011

Friday, August 12, 2011

Romanian Road Trip - Day 2 Turda

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.
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