The 101st post

Yes, my dear hypothetical readers, I have thus far given you one hundred updates to my hectic, crafty, sunny and tough Transylvanian life! I never thought I would post so regularly, but I have really enjoyed keeping you up to date with my comings and goings. Let's have a virtual drink and toast to the longevity of my travel blog! For he's a jolly good social interaction mediuuuuum....

I'm tired as hell, I don't think I've had one whole hour to myself in the past month. On the upside, it seems that my life is heading into a new and thrilling direction. I'm curious to see how it will go and where it will take me. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted :>

Ok, now I guess it's time for an update to cover my 6 week absence from the world of blogs. The excuse for my absence? A new job (added to my previous 2). Can you guess what it is? Here, I'll give you a clue:
And before I got this new job, I had a month full to the brim with love. I don't know how else to express it better, except that I felt pure joyful love...
...for the people around me
...and the experiences we had together.
For the divine music we listened to...
...and the hungover exhaustion that followed.
For some indescribably beautiful places that are close to my heart...
...and the daydreams they usually bring to life in my overactive imagination.
For the unique beauty you can find on the dark side...
For simple things that never cease to awe me...
...and the liberating, tingling feeling commonly known as "being yourself".

This past period was everything I have ever been known to resonate to. It was fun, it was gothic, it was crazy, it was medieval, it was sunny, it was dark, it was tasty, it was me.

Omg... is it possible that I might actually be happy ?

MedievArtFest again

I have the feeling this blog may be getting predictable; if it's not mountains, it's medieval (sometimes both in one post!). So, be warned! If you're tired of the medieval, go browse some other page. If not, read on and enjoy my joy ;)

Well, if you decided to join in my joy, then come with me to the citadel of Alba, which you have already seen in this post. What brought me here? A medieval festival, of course!

This time I finally had the chance to thoroughly explore the cathedral, which, among other interesting, beautiful or downright weird sights (like 3 architectural styles one on top of another), houses the tomb of Ioan de Hunedoara. He might have looked a bit more comely in life, when he had a nose and all:

There are in excess of 50 nobles, clergymen and other notables buried in various corners of the cathedral.
And now, on to the festival; after all, it's what we're here for, right?
Last year's MedievArtFest has now turned into an itinerant 9-citadel summer tour. Besides my frustration at not being directly involved this time, I hope I will manage to go and see it at most of its locations.

It took some people a while to recognise me in normal clothes, and I realised it was probably the first time in about 10 years that I've attended a medieval fest without wearing the appropriate attire. But after that, there was a bit of hugging and cheek-kissing going on.

Catching up on plans, scripts and general gossip:

The rest (jousting, music, eye-candy knights) you know. So I'll leave you with a new discovery: the band Grafic, popular among the knights mostly due the hotness of its singer, Diana.

*edited to add: the video won't show up, I have no idea why. If you're curious, go here.
*edited to add again: now it works. Weird.

Third stop: Maastricht

You know how it feels when you've had way too much chocolate, and you're a bit queasy etc etc ...? Yeah... too much Jesus this time. Take the maximum number of cathedrals you can possibly imagine in a city of 60,000 inhabitants (and I mean cathedrals, not little neighbourhood churches), add another 10 or so for good measure, multiply that by 5 and you've got Maastricht. They're all so beautiful! However, this overabundance of cathedrals means they have to be repurposed in various ways in order to prevent their falling into ruin. Thus was created one of the coolest things I've ever seen so far:

A dominican church built in 1290 and recently converted into a book store, the largest I've ever been into.
It also houses a cafe, where customers eat at a (how fitting!) cross-shaped table:
Another cathedral had this sign on it. Maybe it's a church during the day and a dance club at night... "exercise your demons with DJ Moses!"

If Gothenburg is the big cake (round and fluffy... with almond icing...) that leaves you full, happy and exhaustingly delighted, Maastricht is the bag of lollies you eat on the couch on a lazy Sunday: a city that even in early spring has the appearance of a resort: colourful crowds, souvenir shops, packed outdoor cafes and lots of noise. Not homely, but fun for a holiday.

It's also the most bike-friendly city I've ever been into: properly marked lanes (that do not end suddenly, like in NZ), separate traffic lights, and drivers that are very protective of bikers. My biggest question remains... how on earth do you find your own bike at the end of the day?!

Being Holland, yes, some streets smell of marijuana. The specialised shops are called "grow shops" and they sell anything from plants to smoking accessories to themed souvenirs.
And just for fun, a collage of various representations of Jesus. My favourite remains the one with the very well defined nipples, hihi.
Stay tuned for fourth and last stop: Dortmund. You'll want popcorn for that one!