Best Wedding Ever

 

 Lately, more and more of the people I know who are of "marriageable age" are very reluctant to do it. Not because my generation has any more commitment issues than the previous ones, but because the traditional way of getting married is becoming unacceptable for most. 

The extreme public exposure, the many embarrassing customs, the extreme pressure of having to do everything just right or else people will talk, the awkwardness of having to kiss over 100 people you don't know are enough to put even the most extroverted among us off a traditional, parent-imposed wedding. Oh, and the religious directives...don't even get me started on those!

Which is why our friends' wedding this weekend was a breath of fresh air. Spontaneous, sketchy, relaxed and very rock'n'roll. An example to follow.

First, there was the civil ceremony. Giggles, jokes, teary-eyed parents, all standard fare.

Then the less-than-standard fare: a live gig with a cover band consisting of 4 insanely talented young guys.

We were thrilled with their skill, they were thrilled at our response. I see a great future for these guys.

Then, in a matter of minutes, it was out of fancy clothes, into the usual gear and off to the mountains, where the party continued until the sun came up. There was gulyas...

 ... there was a camp fire,

...there was plenty of booze...and the rest is history. Which will remain unrecorded. For the sake of our reputations.

However unsteady and light-sensitive we felt the next morning, the glorious autumn sun made it impossible to stay indoors. So off we went on Mr. & Mrs. Coman's first hike as a married couple.

 

It was also little Cody's first hike ever (he did very well, except he didn't see much of the scenery, as he was asleep the whole time).

 Everybody had a whale of a time (or a sheep-dog of a time, to be in keeping with the monsters that attacked us at one point of the hike), and I'm sure that everyone made mental notes of how things will be done at their own weddings, inspired by our friends' choices. This wedding weekend was so relaxed, personalised, fun and original that it has surely become a trend-setter.

Good job, Mircea & Laura! May your life together be nothing but a succession of weekends like this one! And thanks for the pictures :)

Indian Summer in Transylvania

There's something magical about the light in September. It has a unique way of making the usual seem warmer, calmer, more enchanting. It adds a new glowing dimension even to things that were beautiful before.

We've had many such honey-coloured days this September. And last Sunday's spontaneous outing to Cheile Turzii proved to be brilliantly (un)planned on just such a day.

Getting there bright and early, we had the paths all to ourselves while we leisurely walked the length of the gorge. 

Trying to find a nice wall to climb was only a tough job because there are so many! In such beautiful spots! 

But by the time the noisy tourists came and filled the gorge, we were already hanging by our fingertips high above them.

 It was a great day in all respects. But it seems that someone before us wasn't so lucky...
 

 And just to convince you of the magical properties of September's sunlight, here is another gratuitous forest shot:

Turning 30 - The Gory Details - Part 3

Birthday evening, 9PM - Cooked dinner. Edible, but nothing special, which suggests cooking skills don't come with age. However, the ability to enjoy large amounts of red wine does seem to increase with age. The sun is setting in the West, which is a good sign. I don't need glasses for the computer, I can still see just fine. Headache has been replaced with sore jaws, from all the grinning that filled the day.

I'm still breathing.

I might actually survive this!

source

Turning 30 - The Gory Details - Part 2

Birthday afternoon, 12PM - Waiting for the bus to Sighisoara. A random gypsy guy offers us a lift. I hesitate (maturely): what if he's a serial killer? Or a kidnapper? What if he gets us all killed with his reckless driving? P. immediately says yes and drags me to the car. It turns out the guy is a good driver, and good company too, so my display of maturity was misplaced. I make a mental note not to resort to maturity again for some time. As he makes us listen to a loud selection of UB40's greatest hits, I grin at the return of a familiar (and thankfully ageless) feeling: the giggly excitement usually associated with adventure, summer and spontaneity.

We arrive in Sighisoara safely. The giggly excitement continues in the familiar whirl of medieval music, costumes, dances and crafts. I forget my headache and my age. Life is a red candied apple.
I'm still breathing.

Turning 30 - The Gory Details - Part 1

Birthday morning, 9 AM- Woke up and realised I slept backwards (feet on pillow) all night. Flashback:

Coffee tastes the same. Sun seems to have risen from the same place as always. Nothing new seems to hurt, I have no hunchback and no noticeable moles. Slight headache and very dry mouth, but that might be from last night's party rather than age-related. My brain functions seem to be unchanged, albeit slightly affected by the hangover. I'm still breathing. So far so good.

Welcome, Tiny Overlord!

You know the baby I mentioned I was expecting in this post? Well, he's finally here! Ten days late, like any self-respecting Transylvanian, but healthy and very hungry. And so, so loved :)

Yay, I'm an aunt!

Summer research

Licence (to kill?)

Premise 1: Cars suck. They are ugly, bulky and dirty. They break, they screech, they smoke and they kill. They are nothing but an overcomplicated piece of machinery meant for stroking man's vanity. They provide comfort and foster one's laziness at the expense of everything else that lives.

Premise 2: Know thine enemy.

Conclusion:

Another catch-up

Can't believe I haven't posted anything since April! I haven't got a better excuse apart from the beautiful weather which kept me well away from the computer. But now that it's raining, maybe I should put you up to date with what I've been doing. Which isn't much, nor out of the ordinary.

Just a bit of climbing...

... some admiring of the scenery (finally summer! FINALLY!)...
...and of the silly sticky butterflies which seemed to enjoy our sunscreen.

Last but not least, I would like to present to you our latest leisure time muncher: the slackline. It's as fun as it is frustrating, difficult enough to be a challenge, but easy enough to allow you to improve daily. And I sure feel proud when I can stand up there for longer than 5 seconds!

I suppose you'll see more of my slacklining exploits in the near future. So far I only have videos of falling(repeatedly and not so gracefully).

Stay tuned for some big news! Coming soon!

(Special thanks to Radu and Judit for the first two pics)

A Nightmare After Easter