A violent death for a gentle man

A Romanian poet in Bessarabia died last nigh as a result of a car accident. His name was Grigore Vieru, he was a school-books author, a politician and a fighter for a pro-Romanian attitude in his country. One of those people whose real and only fatherland is the Romanian language. He was a member of honour of our Academy and its candidate for the Nobel Prize for Peace.
He was 7 when the bob-wire was set across his yard, artificially turning friends into enemies. As he said: "As other people dreamed of going into the Cosmic Space, I dreamed all my life to cross the river Prut."
Two more of his quotes:
"I have nothing, Death, against you
I don't even hate you.
No fear, no terror, I feel pity for you,
For you never had a mother, never had sons."
And his own epitaph he had engraved on his tomb: "I am grass. I cannot be simpler than that."

Homage to Eminescu

Eminescu was born exactly 159 years ago today and died on June15th, only 39 years later. He is our most important, romantic and loved poet, the very essence of the Romanian soul, our emblem. I think there is nobody in this country unable to recite at least a few of his verses. One of the reasons for which he is cherished is his perpetual validity. Even now, his words are an answer to our qustions, a mirror to our feelings. Here is the beginning of one of his poems, "Glossa":

Time will come and time will fly,
All is old, but new in kind;
What is right and what is wry
You should ponder in your mind;
Don't be Hope's or Terror's thrall;
Wave-like things like waves shall pass;
Should they urge or should they call,
Keep as cool as ice or glass.

Vreme trece, vreme vine,
Toate-s vechi si noua toate;
Ce e rau si ce e bine
Tu te-ntreaba si socoate;
Nu spera si nu ai teama,
Ce e val, ca valul trece;
De te-ndeamna, de te cheama,
Tu ramai la toate rece.

Every-Day Beauty

I have been a bit unsure about showing these. They might look a bit too shabby.
The Coltea Church was built in 1641 as part of a complex of buildings: a hospital, a drugstore, a watch and firefighters tower, living quarters for the doctors, a school and three smaller chapels. It was a rich monastery surrounded by a wall for a while, but now it's just a small church that's under restauration. It's closed for works, just as it was during the last years before the revolution (that might have saved it from demoltion).
These are just photos from its entrance: the door and an old stove that had been taken out. The stove has to be ancient because it bares the old name of out town: Bucuresci, unused for about a century.
Just some every-day things, common things people use without paying much attention to them. Still, they have such a grace!
I'm sure there are some around you, too. Let's try to find more!

The first photo (and many more of the place if you want) is from here.

Sibiu- memories from a summer trip

Make a Smilebox slideshow

In the streets of Tmisoara

Here are a few more photos from the streets of Timisoara. The first is the old horse-drawn tram, built in Vienna in 1869. And the last is our way home...
Goodbye, beautiful town.

Sarmizegetusa

Here are a few photos from Sarmizegetusa, the biggest and last of the Dacian capitals. Actually, this is Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the capital of the Roman province Dacia.
For those of you who love history, see this.

Orthodox Rite

Photo and information from:
www.aviladigital.com
I’ve just read this news in the newspaper in Ávila. Once again, our town becomes a multicultural place, like in medieval times.
The first orthodox mass in our town was held this week-end in San Juan church,
There were two masses. On Saturday and on Sunday. Orthodox masses usually lasts more than two hours. They were celebrated by priest Laurentiu who will also celebrate in Badajoz, a town in Extremadura.
There will be masses every fortnight in Ávila. On 28th December the first orthodox baptism will be celebrated and on 6th Hanuary, Christ’s baptism will be conmemorated.
According to Eugenia Semenciuc, the chairwoman of the Romanian Immigrants Association “Eminescu”, the bishop in Ávila has promised to allow orthodox celebrations, for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, in San Andrés church, an ancient Romanesque church.
It’s really important for new citizens among us feel they are loved their own way, with their own music, food and religious belief.
I hope this event makes our neighbours happier.