My city

At the initiative of my online quilting group (although very very late), I'm posting pics of my favourite places in my city. It took me so long to publish this post because I wanted to take my own pictures, of things as I see them, and I had to wait a while for a sunny day. After all, that's how they always appear to me: sunny!

In order of their distance from my home, you can admire:

The county library, only a corner of a really beautiful building called The Palace of Culture. You can find out more about it here.

I love it here. Sometimes it happens that I come out with a backpack full of books and all the intellectual enthusiasm I can muster, and I hear choir music from the upper stories, where they have rehearsals. It feels like that moment in cartoons when the heavens open over someone, light shines and he hears godly music. How can you not embrace the divine nature of books in such a moment? ;D

Tranzit: the place where we drink beer, eat pizza the size of a small town roudabout, gossip, make and listen to confessions, make and break relationships, and fight over the pears that fall from the tree in the middle of the outdoor area.

My house. Ever since I was 16, I used to sit on a bench with my friend, staring at the attic of this house for ages. We wanted to move there "when we grew up". We're all grown now, and we're still dreaming of one day living there. I looked at it so many times I already feel it's mine.
Art & Hobby- the only craft shop in town. I could live there too.

The fortress, of course. Well, one of the towers. (my uni is right behind it)

The university where I was informed, inspired and annoyed for 6 years:

The way home, along one of the fortress walls. The way I followed for 6 years, after each session of being informed, inspired or annoyed:

The Teleki Library. You can read more about it here. (or at least look at the pictures)
That owl over the gate fascinated me when I was a child. I used to stare at it every time I walked past.

And, after a complete tour, home sweet home, where it's always cozy and tiny and messy and comforting:

Happy Birthday, Daryl!

The funniest, sexiest, most intelligent man I know...

...is not who I want to talk about in this post. This post is just to say happy birthday to Daryl.

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.

Summer

It's summer.
The grape vine threatens to soon conceal my entrance way (it has reached the door since I took the pictures),
the lilies are showing off,
the driveway peonies smell lovely,
and the dog continues to be an idiot.
And I still love living here. And I still love living.

Happy Birthday, Paul!

As a present, your own favourite thing!

Same valley, different perspective

It seems we can't get enough of this place. There are still so many nooks and crannies to explore, and each rock, village or valley renders itself to a different activity. This time it was rock climbing, which I tried for the first time:

The pics make me look way professional, don't they? It took a significant amount of huffing and puffing, a couple of bruises, two grazed knees, a bump on my head and a good serving of giggles from the people at the bottom until I (sort of) made it to the top. My arms and legs still hurt. But it was so much fun, I'm definitely going to do it again.

Well-worn, dusty and very shaky hands:
Another swing to add to the survey (NZ swings continue to be the best by far). Behind me, sneak preview for Jocke:
I know, I know, those bloody shoes again! But I can't help it; wherever there's height, there will be a shoe pic.
The batteries in my camera ran out rather early in our trip, so I don't get to show you the most beautiful part, namely Saturday night's full moon illuminating the ruins. I won't even attempt to describe what I thought only existed in romantic painting and victorian novels. Some things are better just felt and unshown.

Oh, and one more thing! It's summer! :D

Happy Birthday, Laura!

Congratulations on becoming all mature and grown-up! As a present... your favourite thing :D