story telling

Brasov. Doesn't it look like out of our childhood fairytales?

missing snow?

up from Sinaia, 2000 m in altitude, and still there was a springish air, and not too much snow either. nevertheless, it was good for the soul and eyes. i miss winter!

Romano Drom

It's high time to humour Frau Novala and post a little something about the concert we attended in Wien. You can also read about Romano Drom here: http://sodazitron.blogger.de/20061230/.
So, it started kind of funny since one minute after we entered the room the band on the stage stopped playing. My friend was: "This must be the shortest concert I've ever attended! Sigh!". Anyways, we had a good laugh about that and waited - not really patiently - for the rest of the concert to start. Later we realized there was an opening act, some very Sarajevo music, as we dubbed it. Time enough not to pay too much attention - we were expecting Gipsy music, so I guess our stomachs/ears were not in the mood for anything else. When on the verge of getting upset, it started. At first everybody was a little bit shy, but up to the second song already, there were people dancing and jumping around.
This concert was indeed a model for the "beyond language communication", since the band talked to us in Romanes (or, as I stupidly called it, causing Frau Novala to smile, "Gipsy language"). One way or another, we completely understood everything. Their very faces, let alone the music, were talking. And the music... well, Frau Novala, back to your question: how can you describe music?! But one thing is certain: no need for translating the lirics, since the music took us from joy to sorrow, from love to lust to purity, from lonliness to the crowds. But I will stay with the joy, since it is a really long time since I've seen such sincere stage behaviour and uncanny "joie de vivre".
Danke sehr, Frau Novala, for making this possible!

more art

art...

delight.
although I would like to say something about Picasso... but that would mean outraging the entire world :).
otherwise, I had real art-therapy in Wien: MUMOK (GO SEE ERWIN WURM!), Albertina, Belvedere... and many others I missed due to the lack of time.

Christmas snow

before going back to the Vienna photos, a little bit of snow from yesterday, up in the mountains. this is why it is so nice to celebrate Christmas twice: you have a second chance for snow :)!

Srecan Bozic!

Merry Christmas for everybody celebrating it today (me included :) )!
This Christmas tree was in front of the Rathaus.

MUMOK

a must see.

delicious

I was told, and they were right: if in Wien, the Punsch and the Würste are a must :)! never mentioning a thousand other delicacies...

advertising Romania

On my first day in Wien, I was shocked to see this poster. Followed by many many others... Let alone the fact that the city was practically invaded by Romanians...
Frau Novala, this is a reminder for you being invited to visit us!

Wien Westbahnhof

finally there, after 22h trip!

Hungary by train

We were in Hungary for more than 12 h since the train had a HUGE delay (5 hours!!!). The only things I could spot thou were Budapest train station and some icy Hungarian landscapes (very beautiful with the white of snow). My best wishes to Z & Z, our fellow bloggers in Budapest.

et in Vienna ego

FROHES NEUES JAHR!HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Wien: I was there, and it was GREAT!
special thanks goes to:
1. Frau Novala (http://sodazitron.blogger.de/), for being such a nice companion and for bringing Romano Drom to me
2. Annemarie and Johann Ribisch (http://members.aon.at/ribisch/) for being wonderful hosts - fellow bloggers, if in Wien, go stay there! Cheap accomodation, cosy environment, easy reach to center city by public transportation... simply great!
3. last but not least, to S., for joining me, in spite of all troubles.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Dear fellow Bloggers, I wish you a Merry, Merry Christmas, full of light and joy!
And my counting backwards till Wien is now sooooooo nice: only five days left...

on the road

near Ploiesti.

the flare

near Ploiesti.
the eerie surroundings, the heavy smells, the boom of the flare going deep down into my chest, the gloomy glitter of the steel pipes in the pale light of the dusk... don't ask why i like refineries so much!

at dusk

near Ploiesti.

traffic

Ploiesti.

fairy tale land

Ploiesti.

octopus

Ploiesti, Weihnachtsmarkt.

foggy

Ploiesti.

sort of Weihnachtsmarkt

Ploiesti.

winter fairytales

holidays are coming

Ploiesti. Foggy, for more than a week now. Sometimes I have the feeling I live IN a cloud (and this building is not so high, but nevertheless I can't see anything down). Got some nice photos thou; the fog gives them some story-book feeling :).
Wonderful office party last night (season is now officially open). I've been working with these people for almost two years now, and I still love them :).
And of course, still counting: 22 days till in Wien.

scary

S. is teaching me Austrian stuff (hihihihi). But I find this scary: the Krampus day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knecht_Ruprecht).

round

7 AM this morning. woke up and saw this big round moon hanging above the buildings across. freezing cold. i might as well sign this petition.

the race for Vienna (4)

25 days till in Wien.
Just got back to Ploiesti. of course i don' t like it now, although there are some nice lights and a really cute Christmas market (especially for children) in the city center.

yesterday evening we went in the center of Bucharest for a walk and Christmas-lights-watch (such lack of imagination! only blue and yellow this year, for the accession of Romania into EU...). also walk to the Christmas bazaar (fun fun fun). no camera with me :(.

tomorrow i hope for some new photos.

have a nice week, my friends!

the race for Vienna (3)

26 days till in Wien.
After yesterday, I woke up today (really early for a lonely Sunday morning) with a strange mood. At the end of my prolonged weekend in Bucharest (due to the 1st of December) I find myself not wanting to go back to Ploiesti. I think I am coming to an end of my "enjoy the provinces" period. I need crowds, I need excitement, I need my friends, I need the events, and yes (never thought I'm going to say this, but yes) ICH BRAUCH' BUKAREST!
And this "Wien mood" is adding to my feelings.

the race for Vienna (2)

27 days till in Wien.
My "madness" is accelerated by the following:

• http://sodazitron.blogger.de/
• http://www.vien.at/
• http://www.zoomvienna.com/

as well as by: http://vienna.metblogs.com/ .

Moreover, the entire city of Bucharest glows of advertisments for trips to Vienna. Plus, almost no tickets left yesterday, at the CFR agency... (CFR = Caile Ferate Romane, that is the Romanian railroad services).

And all I talk about is Vienna...

I hope you all have a very happy Saturday!

the race for Vienna

no photos for today, some more words than usual thou.
as i already said: 28 days till in Wien. and the race starts: already my mind started running 180 thoughts/h, where to go, what to see, who to meet, and, yes, yes, of course! what to eat!
S. is not going to be with me in Wien (just don't ask why). on one hand this is ok, i want Wien all for myself, as i am sure we are starting, Wien and me, a brand new love story. simillar to what i have with Novi Sad and Belgrade.
today i got the tickets. i chose train this time (yeah, mainly because Austrian Airlines/Tarom are already fully booked, also for the first days of January). on the other hand, i just love trains, and travelling at night. usually, in my journeys to Belgrade, i used to wake up precisely from hour to hour, always at o'clock.
checking today some more things to eat while in Wien (don't be mislead, i am always fed Austrian/Viennese specialities by S.), i found on one of the expats blogs a story about the Viennese cuisine - "Die Wiener Küche". i laughed in front of my computer when i saw that the subject of my harshest disputes with S., the Palatschinken, are given on this site a different origin than i ever thought: while i kept arguing and fighting for the Serbian origin of this wonderful dish, and S. was fighting back in support of the Austrian origin of the Palatschinken, as i was saying, i found out that they are actually... Romanian :)). i have to share this with S., he will be amused...

1st of December

Romania's national day. So, happy celebration everybody! (photo from the internet).
Also, I start counting back: 28 days till in Wien :)). Happy happy happy!

what I love most

crude oil.

blue arrow

the most modern trains in Romania, called "the blue arrow"

escalator

la metrou

to give you a glimpse of the Bucharest subway: the stations and the advertisement (lots of...) on site.

how things look from the Parliament

Bucharest.
for (some) details:
http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?id=10&idl=2

urban sunset

Ploiesti.

a view

I moved to a new home. this is the view now.