Home never felt better!

In a way it’s hard to be so far away from your home or better said from your land. If I were to call something home, I think home is where your heart is. But let’s stick to home as my land. On the other side, I got used to living in another country, 3 years until now and I still cannot get it how time can be so deceitful. Just a way of saying…  Anyways, even if I got used to living in another country, I still miss my closest friends. I still miss some things in Romania which I don’t have in Vienna such as food. Diversity of biscuits for instance. I know, it’s funny! But the simplest biscuits they can sell are Butterkekse (butter biscuits) which are too sweet for my taste.

And as I was saying, home never felt better! I could say I don’t know why, but I know very well why. Though my staying was short and to the point, I felt that I spent quality time with my closest people. Three days home, far away from the madding crowd and I managed to take some photos of the Romanian landcapes in a beautiful light of sunset.

I love sunsets! For dinner of course.

Then I jumped in the train to visit my friends and to also play with this pal, Thomas. Who by the way filled my three days of joy and energy and….yes reminded me once again of how much I wish a dog. A dog… only mine.

He is drooling over my food, I know! Over anyone’s food! It doesn’t matter what you have in your hand. His eyes ask like a beggar, but I swear he’s one of the cutest ‘ beggars’. And of course in order to get that ‘some’ which you have in your hand, he performs this trick ‘little human’ but in Romanian it sounds nicer.

He cute hmm?! 🙂

We took selfies every morning until my departure. His face is probably saying “Not a selfie again!” But that’s life when humans love you too much!

And every morning we were the stars. Well, he is more than me, but the limelight is a tough thing. You have to be competitive and we both know what that means. Our personal agent was his mommy, I mean my friend. You can look for her on facebook: @LauraTeodora.ro. Interesting recipes, humor and energy in writing and she cooks good. You’ll like her!

And one picture more because I know you can’t get enough of us. This is actually my favourite picture with him this time because I was trying to get a selfie and he was smelling my hair! Too much cuteness and emotion in one shot 🙂

My friend, Laurici as I call her and me, their guest

Next days I met quick with some other friends. Below in the picture, Elena is a good friend of mine whom I hadn’t seen for years. Sometimes life makes it impossible to meet some dear people but very, very happy we could finally meet! And I’ll never forget that because of you I’m listening to Coldplay.

The below picture is saved and inserted just the way it was posted in Instastories. What better way to end this post with a picture with the best boss ever and one of the best friends? It’s always and always a joy to meet you everytime I am back in Romania. Because I always get the necessary dose of energy from the people who are dearest to me. After all, among other things, we are also shaped by the people in our lives.

P.S.: I miss you, Thomas! Took plenty of selfies with you to have what to browse through when I feel sad. 🙂

Vienna – tourist in the city where I live

Vienna is the city where you need to live in if you like big cities, crowds, mix of cultures, events etc. Big cities? Real drainers of energy, some would say, but it certainly depends on what best suits you. As for myself, big cities charge me with some sort of energy that keeps me alive. I feel alive when I am surrounded by movement,  I love to learn about new cultures even if it’s just about tasting food. And I also believe that living in a big city, even if it’s for some time, offers you another kind of openness towards people, cultures, everything which is different.

Do you know that Vienna is listed as the most liveable city in the world for the quality of life? Even more, the city has been voted as ‘the best city’ for the eighth time in a row. So if you want to check it by yourself, here I have some sources for you to clear up the air: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/The-worlds-most-liveable-cities/vienna/

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/23/vienna-named-worlds-top-city-for-quality-of-life

Better now? Well…I do think the same. For some time, I think, I’ll be a tourist in the city where I live. There is so much to see, so many places to go, visit, photograph that only the thought if it gets me excited. So, in my two free days I had last week, I went to some important attractions in Vienna. This post is going to be about photos and city views from my angle. I am not a professional, but I did my best and I’ll do the same in the future posts. I just hope I’ll bring another view of the city  and catch your attention.

First place I went to was Schönbrunn Palace. I had been before, but it’s always a delight to have a walk in the gardens of the palace. It was a really hot day, but that was no impediment for me.

I like to photograph old gates from palaces or buildings, just like this one. Those minutes from the moment I observe it and until I press the shutter button, take  me back in time and my imagination catches wings.

If I could go back for a day with a time machine….

Ended up with Schönbrunn, went to Belvedere Palace. This was actually my first time at Belvedere Palace. The palace has three parts which can be visited, but I actually visited only one: Upper Belvedere. Upper Belvedere, Lower Belvedere and Winterpalais Belvedere is waiting for you with lots of paintings, sculptures from different periods such as romanticism, baroque and early 19. century etc. You just need to have the time and patience to see all these. And most of what you’ll see is explained with an audio guide.

Austrian flag flattering in the wind

I took some photos of these two paintings I liked most. And I’m leaving you to contemplate these. Oh…and while I am writing this, I am listening to Vienna – Billy Joel. Some good years back I was listening to this song and now it’s back on my mind 🙂

 

 

 

 

Lima, Peru – second part of my travel

One week since I got back from Lima and I still have plenty to write. But I have been lazy lately. No excuses accepted! When you know you have something to do, it’s always good to start once what you have to do. Time passing is not a solution for sure. You should scold me, but I know that some of you can’t wait for those lovely photos. Photos which indirectly carry you away in those places where you have never been, places of which you have always dreamt or maybe they are already checked on your travel notebook. Unlike some other people who travel a lot, I’ve traveled only a bit but I know that bit of traveling belongs to me. For a lifetime! It’s mine because imaginary I have left my footsteps there and I have also taken a piece of that place with me. And I do hope that I am showing it to you as best as I can via photos and writing. And I do plan to travel even more. Because this is something which I feel it makes me richer and better in so many ways. So no more beating about the bush and I will continue this blog post with the rest of the photos from Lima. We had three full days in Lima and on the second one, we decided to visit Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Antropologia e Historia del Peru (National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History of Peru). Between you and me, after some time in a museum, I get bored but this one totally captivated my attention. I have not taken photos of everything because in some rooms photos are not allowed or photos with flash are not allowed and rooms are too dark, but I hope that what I have may raise your interest.

The interior yard of the museum with flowers

Gold tweezers

Important to know about the Paracas culture is that they lived in Ica Region of Peru and had plenty of knowledge about irrigation and water management as well as textile arts. I regret not taking more photos of the rooms or objects where I could but if you feel you want to know more, here is a link of the museum where you can find pictures of the museums’s heritage: http://sistemas2.cultura.gob.pe/pyBienes/index.jsp?txtdenominacion=&selectmuseo=22&selectcategoria=&btnBuscar=ok.

“This is not your country/Because you know its boundaries/Nor because of the common language/Nor because you know the names of the dead/This is your country/Because if you had to do it/You would choose it again/To build your dreams here.” – a poem by Marco Martos

Battle field

Como en las telenovelas (as in telenovelas)

After the visit at the museum, we strolled a bit close to city centre called Plaza de Armas. But we had to leave the place quickly as a concert was taking place and they closed the area.

Another important highlight of Lima is Huaca Pucllana ruins. When in Lima, go visit them. They are an important part of Lima culture and heritage. So what’s the story of this Huaca Pucllana ? Shortly, these ruins are located in Miraflores, a district in central Lima. For your information, Miraflores is the district to stay for your safety and your fun activities. You can also walk in the evening, there are lots of people on the street. Yes, Lima is lovely, but not all districts are safe and surely you don’t wanna risk your safety or belongings. Coming back to the ruins, Huaca Pucllana ruins look like a pyramid and it’s a sacred place. It seems it served for religious ceremonies and as an administrative centre. Sacrifices were made in extreme conditions such as floods or earthquakes and young women were sacrificed with their approval. A pre-Inca civilization lived here. Huaca Pucllana ruins started to be protected around the 1980’s. Because the ruins were not protected until really late, a brick factory used bricks from the ruins as raw material to produce modern ones.

Our guide in English

What really holds the bricks together is a combination of clay, straw and shredded shells helped by the fact that rain is in a small percentage per year.

Moving further and bringing you the best pictures, this is one of the best cakes ever eaten if not the best. When I think of it, it makes my mouth water. Name of it: Cinco leches al estilo de Sandra (5 types of milk in Sandra’s style). If only I could order it in Europe!

Right after this delicious cake, I took this picture. I loved the tree, the hedge with the pink flowers and the house behind me.

Another tree in Lima’s style

And right after a short walk, we headed for some Inca markets. Colour, diversity and always something to buy! If you let me alone in such a market, I promise I’ll sleep there and in the morning you’ll find me still there hahaha! I liked a lot all of their clothing and souvenirs. But pay attention to alpaca sweaters and baby alpaca sweaters! Because not all of them are pure alpaca. But that’s another story I promise to mention in the next post.

So, what would you choose from here?

That was pretty much all about Lima! The most important I could take of it. Of course, three days were not sufficient, but it was the best vacation for me until now. But wait, there’s more!! No, no, writing is not finished here. Until next post, warm hugs, a great week and anytime you have the chance, travel as often as you can! Life is adventure!

Mi primer dia en Lima/My first day in Lima

Lima, me encantaste mucho! I liked you a lot, Lima! And if I were to have the chance  again, I would come without thinking too much! Full of life, sunny, crowded, touristic, you eat a lot of papas y arroz (potatoes and rice served at the same time), tasty fruits, alpaca stuff, lots of handicraft work, friendly people and there is more. This is how I would describe it. If someone had told me some time ago that I would visit Peru, I would never have believed him. But I am beyond happy to have had the opportunity. Peru is a country to which you can’t say ‘no’. I’m telling you, put it on your travel notebook because Peru has a rich culture and unique history. It has places to visit, lots actually such as archeological sites. It has geographic diversity, the peruvian coast, highlands and jungle. I haven’t seen everything, but what I liked most were the terraced mountains. As top tourist attractions, Machu Picchu is on the first place, but once you are in Peru, you’ll discover there are other sites worth your visit, your money and your attention. You will not get bored, if you love travelling and are interested in exploring other cultures.

And returning back to my first day in Lima, the first thing we did was a walk close to the Pacific Ocean. It was a sunny day and quite hot. The ocean, the palm trees, the waves, the highway along the coast and one or two people paragliding delighted our sights.

Hello, Pacific Ocean! Nice to meet you!

Paragliding on the Pacific shore

Peruvian art on the walls

The palm trees and the beautifully colourful walls make the best of this picture!

Hear the sound. Pacific Ocean waves.

The peruvian cuisine is based mainly on corn, potatoes and rice, but it contains also a mixture of dishes from the neighbouring countries. I would say food was really good, though too much potatoes and rice served at the same time.

Enjoying some crispy chicken tacos along with some rice and beans

And back to the Pacific Ocean

First date with Pacific Ocean

These were the highlights of my first day in Lima, but the best of this trip is yet to come via photos. Keep an eye on it!

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Denzel Washington’s theatrical performance gave me the thrills

Lately I have been given much thought about whether to write or not about my favourite movies or about movies I’d watch a second time. No more yes/no thoughts and challenge was accepted. I am great lover of movies and TV series and I believe I can make some pretty good recommendations. Plus a different viewpoint might help you in finding movies whose subject may inspire you or make you get the message beyond the characters and their interpretation or maybe reflect upon different concepts of life. You choose it. I’ll just write about what impressed me in the movie or how it made me feel. Shortly, the impact it had upon me depending on the film.

So, walking that talk into the deeper meanings of film, here is a good movie to start with: Fences. Truth be told, Denzel Wanshington is one of my favourite actors. I watched almost all of his movies and some of them I’d watch them again. Why?! Because he was so good-looking in his 20s and 30s. Smokin’ hot, to be noted. You can take it as you want but I cannot leave out his good looks. Apart from this, what’s more important is that he’s an incredible actor. I mean, his performance in a movie is memorable and really gets in the skin of the character. Fences whose subject did not thrill me at all when reading about it on IMDB, tells the story of an African-American, a working-class man and father who does his best to support his family. The course of events takes place in the 1950’s when African-Americans still faced high discrimination.

Following the first scenes of the movie, we’ve got the image of Troy Maxson (main character’s name), a hard-working man and father, coming home with his best friend, after ending their shift. They open a bottle of gin and Troy is telling jokes and stories. His wife and his best friend are happily engaged in the conversation. The picture of husband and wife, getting along with each other so well gave me the impression that everything ran smoothly in their marriage. Step by step, the viewer will soon understand and come to terms with the main character’s convictions and opinions. It saddens you from some points of view, but without a doubt, a man’s evolution in life depends to a high extent on society, education, values etc.. To be more specific, Troy tries to convince his son that work and not football is the right way to live his life. Their relationship is not a normal one. It’s not one that encourages the wishes and visions of his boy. With every disagreement they have, their relationship climbs down on a descending path with no possible way of reconciliation. Maxson’s personality is aggressive, impulsive, domineering. But I’m not revealing any more of it, you might want to watch it if you like the psychological genre.

In many moments, while watching the movie, I had the impression that in fact I was at a theater play. An awesome feeling! Too bad that I couldn’t ask for an autograph. A bit later, I was to find out that the film is actually based on a play written by August Wilson, an African-American playwright, winner of Pulitzer and Tony Awards. A few more words about Washington’s performance: deeply touching, powerful and every scene of the film is played with pathos and naturalness. Absolutely brilliant from the very first moment he begins until his last reply! I could not do otherwise but warmly recommend it! Will there be a second time to watch it? Definitely!

Here are some pictures from memorable scenes in Fences:

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Peleș Castle is a Must See!

Romania is beautiful and Peleș Castle should be in your next visits! And I am not saying it just because it’s my country, but because its architectural style and interior is pretty amazing with more than 10 types of wood and even more. Though one could say its chambers gather a mixture of styles, the castle boasts a collection of arms and armour with over 4000 pieces, stained glass, furniture, gold, wooden library etc. We paid it a visit  a few days right after New Year’s Eve and we were pretty impressed. And also proud as it was our first visit. Let’s have a look at it on a winter sunny day!

Built for King Carol I and inaugurated in 1883, Peleș Castle is located in Sinaia, a mountain resort and is surrounded by spectacular scenery. A ticket is approximately 7 euro and if you want to take pictures from inside, then you have to pay additionally.

There were people waiting to tour, but it was not crowded. I heard that in the summer it can get pretty full. Make sure to plan ahead the period of the year when you want to drop by a visit. January could be a good month.

Interior yard with beautiful painted walls

Artistic picture before getting in

Another painting on its walls

Then we had a ride with the cable car until 1400 m altitude. Maximum 40 minutes was the least we could stay as it was very cold.

Me trying to befriend any pal dog I meet

Happy, happy because of the snow and ready to make ‘some sort of show’ on snow! 🙂 Unless ice demonstrates me the opposite!

Freezing but still having a picture of the magnificent view behind me

So if you haven’t got your first breath of fresh air this year, you could take it at Peleș Castle! Be ready to get fully equipped because you can also ski or have a sleigh ride!

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Silent Autumn

One more post about autumn and I guess this is the last one. Because winter seems to ask for its righteous place. And I agree because I would love to see some real snow this year. It used to snow so much when I was a kid that the snow layer was knee-high. I miss those winters. But coming back to our last pieces of autumn, about two weeks ago, we had a short trip at Leopoldsteinersee. (See=lake). A sunny day, silent walk in the nature and photography. What could we need more?! The panorama as usual makes you wanna come back. Could you say ‘no’ to such a view?!

That’s right! I guess we are on the same page 🙂

 We were on the shadowy side of the lake and I was a little bit cold at first, so I tried to move myself. Like a ballerina, of course 😛

And jumping around helped us warming up a bit!

I’ll let the following no filter pictures speak for themselves.

Pay attention to how this girl is preparing to take a high jump. Eyes closed and focus on the high jump! That is actually the first step for all our dreams.

Purpose achieved!

The picture below is one of my favourites from this post.

Mountain girls ready to take over every Austrian mountain corner

And the author of this post with sun rays in her hair

I was making fun of the fact that people kept passing by. You know when you want nobody in the background in your picture? Well, it was inevitable to take a photo without people in the background. On weekends, mountain paths in Austria tend to be more crowded than in town.

The photographer capturing the silence of autumn in immortal pictures

Have I brought nature into your mind & soul? I do hope so! 🙂

Yellooooow, won’t you tell me your name!

Ring a bell at the title? That’s right! That song from The Doors. But I made a word pun because that is what really came up to my mind when I downloaded the following photos from the camera.

This year autumn came with most amazing colours or probably I paid it just a little bit more attention. Relaxation and joy for nature came in one weekend when we took an unplanned trip. And the unplanned trips are usually the best. As they say, travelling makes you richer. Our destination: Open Air Museum Stübing (Österreichisches Freilichtmuseum Stübing).

The Open Air Museum Stübing is one of the ten big central open air museums in Europe. The museum preserves and protects natural cultural heritage. It shows and depicts peasant life through its houses and objects. And now let me show you!

This is one of the houses which can be found at the Stübing Museum. Many of them have been brought from different regions of Austria.

Autumn colours perfectly integrated in the picture of Stübing Museum

Analyzing the structure of the roof doesn’t seem an easy job.

The girls in a round of running for the camera

And STOP!

And one round back for me! Flying back like a bird!

I told him to have a sit on the prettiest flower he liked.

Wandering about from house to house and feeling the freedom of nature

Yellow delighting my eyes as never before

Truth be told, the landscape takes your breath away. But anywhere in Austria, the fabulous scenery makes you want to see some more. And there are plenty of places to go, relax and enjoy. You just need to check it down on your list of places to go.

Behind me there was a pretty restaurant. I didn’t check it out, but apparently the food smelt pretty good. We were really thankful for the fine autumn weather.

And while sometimes I might terrorize my boyfriend with asking lots & lots of photos, I am really grateful for the wonderful photos he takes. These posts would not be so complete without his help. 🙂

There were also means of having fun for kids and adults. As a result, boyfriend on stilts. 🙂

As I proclaimed myself the girl who loves autumn, I dearly invite you to take a walk more often in autumn. It’s rewarding, I’m telling you!

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