1 Decembrie - La Multi Ani, Romania! / December, 1 - Happy Birthday, Romania!

Tudor Gheorghe is a well known Romanian folk ballad singer, who sings his own compositions. This ballad, entitled "There, Is My Country" is nicely illustrated by images from Romania. I found this the best way to illustrate the moment. Enjoy!

La multi ani, romani!

Refugiu de toamna / Autumn Retreat

Autumn is here again! I can't complain: it's the end of October and we still have warm days, like in summer, but brisk mornings and cool nights. My refuge not far from home (85 km) offers now the whole beauty of autumn colors. The last weekend was sunny, so we went there to pick up the last grapes.

Toamna e din nou aici! Nu ma pot plange: desi e sfarsit de octombrie zilele sunt inca calde ca si vara, cu dimineti "proaspete" si nopti racoroase. Refugiul meu nu departe de casa (85 km) ofera acum intreaga frumusete a culorilor toamnei. Ultimul weekend a fost insorit, asa ca am fost acolo sa culegem ultimii struguri.

 ultimii trandafiri

 in fundul gradinii, Rhus typhina

 fructe de Pyracantha

 Asterul de toamna, stelute

 Euonymus alatus

 Anemone hupehensis, anemone "japoneze"

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, vita canadiana

Ilustrate din Apuseni 10. Valea Iarba Rea / Postcards from the Apuseni Mountains 10. The Bad Grass Valley

In the Apuseni Mountains, in the Garda de Sus village, there is a place called Bad Grass Valley. I like a lot to walk here, and I asked from where this unjust name came from?! The villagers said that the name came from the plants growing here, which are not eaten by the animals! May be, but for a tourist this place is enchanting. Judge for yourself!

Before I enter the valley, I always admire the flowers from this house. Then passing near a storage, I enter the valley which looks like a real botanical garden for me. What's your opinion?

In Apuseni, in Garda de Sus, exista un loc numit Valea Iarba Rea. Imi place mult sa ma plimb pe acolo si de aceea am intrebat de ce s-a dat locului un nume atat de nemeritat. Satenii spun ca numele s-ar trage de la plantele care cresc pe acolo si care nu sunt pe placul vitelor! Asa o fi, dar pentru un turist ele sunt o incantare a ochiului, dupa cum singuri puteti judeca.

Inainte de a intra pe drumul forestier, admir intotdeauna florile de la aceasta casa:

Apoi, trecand pe langa o magazie, intru pe vale.

pe Valea Iarba Rea

Ce parere aveti? Nu vi se pare o adevarata gradina botanica?

Ilustrate din Apuseni 9. Manastirea Lupsa / Postcards from the Apuseni Mountains 9. Lupsha Monastery

Nearer to Campeni, at only 14 km, there is another monastery, called Lupsha, after the name of the village were it was erected the first wooden little church, on 1429.

When I visited here some years ago, there was a painting on the outside wall, under the roof, on the western side of the church. Now it is painted in white. I couldn’t enter, so I only took a couple of photos through the door.

The first restauration took place on 1975, then a new church and lodgings for the monks were added. The new church is not finished yet: the inner wall paintings are still to be added. The stone wall encircling the monastery is new.

 
Mai aproape de Campeni, la doar 14 km se afla Manastirea Lupsa.  Zidul de piatra care o inconjoara este nou.

intrarea la Manastirea Lupsa

Daca patrunzi in curte, la umbra molizilor se odihneste vechea biserica din lemn a manastirii, construita in 1429. 

Acum cativa ani, cand am vizitat-o prima data, pe aripa sa vestica, sub acoperis, era pictata.

Acum insa este toata zugravita in alb. Nu am putut intra inauntru, asa ca am fotografiat printr-o mica deschidere a usii, peretii pictati din interior.

Prima restaurare a avut loc in 1975. Apoi, s-a construit o biserica noua si un adapost pentru calugarii care traiesc si muncesc aici. Biserica urmeaza sa fie pictata in interior, nu este inca gata.

 biserica noua, cu turn traditional