I moved my blog to have more space since I am almost out here.

http://christina.alecse.net/

This is from our trip to Istanbul. We went because Cristian got lasic eye surgery which turned out great! Istanbul was an amazing city full of tourists. I have never seen so many nationalities in one place as here. It was extremely hot but the Bosphorus strait and Sea of Marmara gave off a constant breeze. We stayed in the Taksim - Boyoglu neighborhood near Taksim square. We were amazed how expensive it was to visit the monuments and to buy souvenirs. The prices were way more than in Romania which we didn't think would be the case. Even in the Grand Bazaar, the prices were exorbitant and we didn't try to barter with the sellers. We both hate having to deal with hagglers or haggling ourselves. I would love to go back to Turkey and explore other parts of the country.

Sultanahmet is the heart of Old Istanbul on the site of the old Byzantine settlement and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has many of the city's most famous sites, including Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.

Aya Sofya was originally built as a church by the Byzantines and was later converted by the Ottomans into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul. Now it is a museum. The dome took over 1000 years to build. The dome was ruined many times due to earthquakes and fires. The current building was built between 532 and 537 after the first two churches were destroyed.

One of the minarets was built from red brick while the other three were built from white marble. They are build with different masses to counterweight the building. They say this is one of the earliest seismic engineering efforts in the world.When the church was converted into a mosque, most of the mosaics were cemented over due to Islam's ban on representational imagery. The Deesis Mosaic is from 1261 and was commissioned to mark the end of 57 years of Roman Catholic use and the return to the Orthodox faith. Christ is in the center with the Virgin Mary on the left and John the Baptist on the right begging Christ for humanity on Judgement Day.The Empress Zoe Mosaic is from the 11th century with Christ is in the custom blue Byzantine robe and Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe on each side of him. They are holding a purse and scrolls as symbols of donations they made to the church. Previous heads were scraped off and replaced by the present ones. It is thought so because perhaps the earlier mosaic showed one of Zoe's first two husbands or her adopted son or that the heads were of a previous emperor and empress.The Mosaics of the Comnenos date from 1122. Emperor John II Komnenos is on the left and Empress Eirene is on the right with blond hair, rosy cheeks and gray eyes depicting her Hungarian descent.The biggest scaffolding I have ever seen.The Blue Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 and is nicknamed after the blue tiles inside. Sultan Ahmed I set out to build the mosque that would rival and surpass Aya Sofya. The interior is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles in more than 50 different tulip designs. There are also more than 200 stained glass windows. They say that ostrich eggs are on the chandeliers which are meant to avoid cobwebs by repelling spiders. I don't know why this would work but they also do it in Romania.The Blue Mosque is one of two in Turkey to have six minarets.The Hippodrome is in front of the Blue Mosque. It is the place where chariot races took place and was the center of Byzantium's life for over 1000 years and of Ottoman life for another 400 years. It is the site where countless political and military dramas were carried out and where in 1909 riots caused the downfall of Abdul Hamit II and the rewriting of the Ottoman Constitution. The Obelisk of Theodosis was carved out of granite in Egypt around 1500 BC. Topkapi Palace was the residence of Ottoman sultans for almost four centuries. The palace was built in 1453 and a long line of sultans lived here until the 19th century when Mahmut II was the last sultan to occupy the palace. His successors preferred to live in European style palaces such as Dolmabahce which they built on the banks of the Bosphorus. The Harem was closed when we were there which was annoying because they didn't tell us that when we waited in line for hours to buy tickets.

The Great Imperial GateCircumcision Room where the sultans' sons would rest after their painful rite of passage to manhood. It was the best room.The Palace KitchensThe kitchens were full of only some of the 12,000 pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.The Imperial Treasury houses gold, silver and crazy huge jewels. There was an uncut emerald weighing over 3 kg. Photos were absolutely not allowed. The Spoonmaker's Diamond is an 86 carat rock that was found in a garbage dump and bought by a street person for three spoons. Then he sold it to a jeweler who realized it was real and the world's fifth largest. When Sultan Mehmet II heard, he demanded it be given to him and made into a turban pin.Beautiful TilesView from the PalaceThis building was outside the exit of the palace.The Basilica Cistern was part of an ancient aqueduct. It was built in 532 and is an enormous water storage tank constructed by Emperor Justinian. It is 70 meters wide and 140 meters long and its roof is supported by 336 columns.Columns from ruined buildings were reused in the construction. Water was pumped from a reservoir near the Black Sea and delivered to the cistern through nearly 20 kilometers of aqueducts. It could store over 21 million gallons of water which was enough to support part of the city during sieges. It gradually became a dumping ground for corpses. Now it is full of huge coy fish.There are Medusa heads supporting two of the columns. One head is on its side and the other is upside down and people can only speculate why they are turned the way they are.Tomb of Sultan II Bayezid who was the eigth Ottoman Sultan.The tomb was so beautiful, had 15 windows and the name of Allah written all around the dome.The Grand Bazaar is a labyrinth medieval shopping mall with about 4500 shops together with mosques, banks, police stations, restaurants and workshops. I hate feeling so hassled in places like this but it is a spectacular place although a complete tourist trap. It was a winding maze of colorful shops.The Cevahir Bedesteni or jewlery warehouse is the original core of the bazaar dating from the 15th century.SpicesTurkish Delight or Rahat in Romanian which also means shit.A juice seller. He carried the metal pot on his back and bends over to pour sour cherry juice into a small cup. It was yummy!Kitties Kitties Everywhere!The Turkish were surprisingly nice to the millions of adorable cats. A delightful surprise after witnessing the horrible way the Romanians treat them.Would you like some vintage postcards or a cat?Perhaps vintage books and a kitty.Maybe recordsCemeteriesThe Nuruosmaniye Camii (camii means mosque) was built by Mahmut I and his successor Osman III between 1748-55. The name means The Light of Osman.Taksim Square is where we stayed because it was near the eye clinic. It was very nice and right next to a main bus station. The Republic Monument was created by an Italian sculptor and finished in 1928. The two main sculptures show Ataturk as the leader during the War of Independence and as founder of the Turkish Republic.Istiklal Caddesi (Beyoglu Street) is a pedestrian road that stretches 2.5 km from Taksim Square to Tunel Square. It is full of shops, tea houses and hookah lounges. There were so many people walking through here on a daily basis that it was hard to move.Every side street led to an amazing adventure.Sweet ShopAn old fashioned tram runs the length of the street and travels to Tunel, the second oldest subway line in the world after London.I loved these lamps. They were so pretty but way overpriced.Dolmabahce Palace is right on the water front and was built between 1843-56 as a home for some of the last Ottoman sultans. Ataturk died here in 1938 and all of the clocks are stopped at 9:05am at the time of his death. The name means The Filled Garden.The Gate of SultanThe palace stretches for 600 meters along the Bosphorus shore. The land under the church was built up over the water by filling in the sea. It is said that 14 tons of gold and 40 tons of silver were used for the decoration.The ornate four story clock tower was built between 1809 and 1894.Eminonu is the area right by the Galata Bridge at the point where the Golden Horn runs into the Bosphorus. The Yeni Cami (New Mosque) is actually 400 years old. It is also called the Pigeon Mosque because they are everywhere! You can buy bird food from the street sellers all around the square. The Spice Bazaar entrance was also right next to the Mosque. There was a fast food stand at the entrance with the yummiest sandwich rolls! I thought it was the most beautiful mosque in Istanbul. It was amazing and bright.The Golden Horn and Bosphorus were FULL of jelly fish. There were millions around the boats next to the New Mosque below, where they were making fish sandwiches. They were very tasty but full of bones. Cristian can eat fish like that with no problem but I have to take every single bone out. His mom laughs at me because it takes me an hour to eat a piece of fish when they are done in 10 minutes. I don't know how they can actually stand still to make the fish because the boats were rocking back and forth violently.The Bosphorus Strait, between the Black and Maramara Seas, divides Europe from Asia. On the shore of European Istanbul, it is further divided by the Golden Horn River into Old Istanbul in the south and Beyoglu in the north. We took the TurYol boat cruise three times because it was inexpensive and had awesome views. We even saw a pod of dolphins going from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. That was amazing!!Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian sideThere were huge mansions all along the straitSome not yet redoneBefore the Bosphorus Bridge was constructed in 1973, the only way to travel between the European and Asian parts of the city was by boat.Rumeli Hisari Fortress was built in 1452 in only four months by Mehmet for the planned siege of Byzantine Constantinople.Ciragan Palace from 1861. The original palace burnt down and was rebuilt into a luxury hotel.Buyuk Mecidiye Camii - from 1854We took a day trip to the less exciting Asian side to Uskudar. Hairy ArmsKiz Kulesi - Maiden's Tower - In ancient times, the tower was a toll booth where they would close off the Bosphorus with a chain between sides. The legend of the tower is that a maiden would die by a snake bite so her concerned father put her in the tower but a fruit seller came to the island and sold her a basket of fruit with a snake in it and she died.Bunny Fortune TellersRoasted Chestnuts. So good!Bread PastryFish SandwichesGalata Tower is neighborhood Beyoglu's oldest landmark. It was first built as the Tower of Christ in 1348. In the 17th century, a bird man flew from the top to the Asian side. Then it was a prison, observatory and fire lookout before it caught fire itself in 1835.In 1967 it was restored. It had the best views of the city at 66 meters tall and on a hill. View of Galata BridgeView of the Golden Horn and Topkapi PalaceTrain StationCharcoal for the hookahTiny old lady recyclingWe stumbled upon a music video. The girls were jumping all over the old cars with high heels. Grandpa would have had a heart attack to witness this!Fishing on the Galata Bridge. Under the bridge, there are dozens of terraces with hookahs and food. It was really nice and breezy.The fish market was right near the bridge. Cats were everywhere sneaking off with the fish. More cats sleeping in a fishing net.We ate lunch next to the fish market and the fish was really good. They grilled it.Miniaturk - We saw every important Turkish monument here in one day! Everything was mini and cute. There were 105 models done in 1/25th scale. There were lizards everywhere!! They were all over the buildings, going in and out of the windows and climbing on the mini people. It was really funny.Aspendos TheaterDivrigi Great MosqueBasilica CisternEgyptian Obelisk and Blue MosqueBlue MosqueAya SofyaMount Nemrut RuinsMardinSumela MonasteryTemple of Artemis

Cristian and I went to Maramureș a few weeks ago and it was hands down the most beautiful place in Romania. Everything is nicer there. The people are extremely hard working, the teens don't yell random crap at you, the garbage was actually in the garbage bins, there are hardly any stray dogs, even the mosquito bites were almost itch free!! The scenery was amazing with rolling hills, valleys and mountains. Maramureș is famous for its wooden churches and even has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Baia Mare- This is the capital of Maramureș and it was first documented in 1329. Baia Mare, which means Big Mine, developed as a gold mining town in the 14th century. Baia Mare gained notoriety during Ceausescu's regime as home to two metallurgic factories which released more than five billion cubic meters of residual gases into the atmosphere each year, smothering the town with a permanent sulfur powder smog. In the early 90s, a new smoke stack was built in an attempt to alleviate air pollution. The town had another problem in 2000, when a poisonous spill from the gold mine caused one of Europe's worst environmental disasters. A dam burst, causing cyanide contaminated water to leak, contaminating the rivers and affecting six neighboring countries. The mine has since reopened despite protests.

Turnul Stefan - is a 14th century gothic tower.

WWI Romanian Soldier's Monument

Space for Rent...If you are brave

Cathedral of Holy Trinity

Hotel Mara where we stayed

This is a HUGE church being built near the hotel

Views from our balconyHUGE bug with pinchers and all. These bugs were smacking into the buildings in the center and falling all over the place as well as flying cockroaches. It made for an interesting yet freakishly scary night walk.

Imaging this falling on your head. It was so hot out but I had to keep my hoody on in fear.

Amazing views in Maramures

The people here work in the fields. They walk miles each day back and forth with their tools.

They wear these hand made baskets like backpacks. The old people here are so hard working and tough.

Storks were everywhere. If they make a nest in front of your house you are blessed.

Maramures is famous for intricately carved gates. Most gates have a symbol of the sign: birth and fertility, a rope: a belt to keep the family/community together, grapes: prosperity and teeth of the wolf: courage.

This sign says: "If you knew a begger made 5000 lei (about 2000$) a month would you give them more money?" Begging is a huge problem in Romania with the Rroma population. The grocery stores have shopping carts that you put 50 cents in to unlock and then get your coin back when you are done. The beggers thrive at these stores and harrass you to no end to get your cart. This store Plus recently stopped using coins because it was getting dangerous. The sign is even sponsored by the government and children's NGOs.

This is when I got us lost. The GPS doesnt recognize a lot of streets here because they are so small so I thought this tiny dirt road was the right direction. Boy was I wrong. At least we got to see the sheep.

A pig!!

A tree decorated with pots and pans means that there is a girl available for marriage living there. There were a lot of these.

Baia Sprie - is a small mining town with copper, lead and zinc. Political prisoners died in the mine during the communist purges in 1950-1956. During this time, an estimated 180,000 people were interned in hard labor camps. St. Peters church was built by Vasile Lucaciu, a parish priest. It is modeled after St. Peters in Rome.

Bârsana Monastery - is one of the most beautiful ones in Romania that I have seen. It was created in post-Communist years on the site of the UNESCO church abandoned in 1790. Its 180 feet spire church is reputedly the tallest wooden structure in Europe. No power tools or metal nails were used in the construction.

The nuns have small deer fenced in that they rescued from the streets after car accidents.

Cupșeni - We came to this small village because they were having a traditional festival. The kids were all in traditional costumes. It was so amazingly cute!The outfits are traditional for Maramures. They are different in each region and town in the country.

They packed so many kids on the stage for the first show. First, they sang and then the danced which was really funny because there wasn't enough room for all of them. They were smacking into each other the whole time. The little girl on the far right even stopped half way through to fix her tights without success so she lifted up her whole dress to fix them as the crowd laughed really hard. It was so cute and she had no idea she was showing us her butt.

The kids came with money and all the little boys bought plastic guns. They were shooting plastic pellets all over the place....especially on a Rroma man who was selling crap. A bit sad. Kids should never be able to play with guns.These are the traditional ginger cookie-cakes that you can buy at any festival. They are really yummy and cheap.

Poor Kid

The village was really nice

Most of the towns here were all building huge new cement churches. I don't know why they let the old ones go to ruin.

Peștera cu Oase - Bone Cave. This cave was carved in Jurassic limestone and is named after the discovery of fossil remains of a cave bear. It was supposed to be 800 meters from the road but was waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy farther than that! We had to hike almost on a straight up incline and turned around before reaching the cave. It was really scary and we were afraid there were bears.

We did get to see many critters which made the journey ok. These were the biggest snails I have ever seen in my life! They were the size of a large fist and we had to watch the ground as we walked. It was a nice hike and we laughed the whole time wondering if we were ever going to make it. Needless to say, neither of us regretted turning around.

Bogdan Vodă - Some of the interior paintings in the church from 1718 were done in the traditional method of painting on linen.Beautiful Wooden Church...Ugly Cement Church

Women are often seen praying outside

Borșa - Ore has been mined here since the 14th century. The area was colonized in 1777 by German miners from Slovakia. The day we were there was a religious holiday so all of the women were wearing traditional outfits.

They were even walking around in the traditional leather shoes.

Women were even at the pub drinking pints of beer which is not usual in Romania. In fact, women in Maramures were drinking in each city we went. It is nice to see because it is a bad stereotype in Romania for women to be out drinking in public with other women.

Cheese. The cheese here is so good and different that in America. It is similar to feta but there are many tastes and textures. They also don't have cheddar.

A house done in wooden shingles. This is also very popular in rural parts of Romania. So pretty.

Desești - The St. Parasceva church was built in 1770 and was struck by lightning in 1925, destroying much of the outer walls and the steeple. It has since been repaired and now has a lightning conductor. The church is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well preserved paintings.There is a legend that says the original church was set ablaze during a Tatar attack in 1717, during which many villagers died trying to save the church. The new church was to be built on a new altar stone but it was erected in several different places and each time fell over. After five attempts, the stone remained upright.

Giulești - is the main village in the Mara Valley. The two stone churches in the village were erected in 1509 and 1888.

Ieud - is a UNESCO site and was built in pine. The interior paintings in the church are some of the best preserved in Maramures. The paintings were made on pieces of textile that were treated with a layer of limewash and then stuck to the wooden logs. Not one corner of the church was left unpainted.

A document from 1391 was found in the attic of the church that is considered the first example of written Romanian.

Mănăstirea - The monastery here was built by monks in 1633. By 1787 just one monk and four servants remained. The roof is one of the few ones in Maramures to have only a single set of eaves. The logs used to build the church are so thick that each wall is only built with 4 massive logs.

Budești - This church dates from 1643 and was built on the site of another church and is also a UNESCO Site. The church has a collection of icons painted on glass and wood dating back to 1766. The prized piece is the 18th century painting of the Last Judgement, preserved in its entirety.The church is famous for being home to the shirt worn by Grigore (my cats name) Pintea Viteazul who was the local Robin Hood from the 17th century. The outlaw was a nobleman by birth who accumulated his wealth by robbing the poor. He was so heartbroken after the death of his simple peasant love and gave away all of his riches. He then stole only from the rich and gave to the poor. In 1701, a reward was offered for him dead or alive and was finally killed in 1703 after being shot by bullets made from a gold coin cut into quarters.

Sat Șugatag - The church dates back to 1642.The cemeteries are populated by many Celtic crosses. Each of these crosses is inscribed in a circle or semicircle and bordered with saw teeth of the wolf.

Săpânța Monastery - is new and still under construction.Funny Little Guy

These were the trees used to build the church.

Săpânța Village lies just 4 kilometers from the border of Ukraine. I was told to carry my passport with me because the border police drive around and check. It didn't happen but we saw them everywhere. Locals are allowed to go back and forth over the border but foreigners are not allowed to cross here. The town is famous for its cemetery, unique for the colorfully painted wooden crosses that adorn the tombstones.

Ive seen these tiled houses in villages around Romania but there were tons here. They are really beautiful and done in all tiles.

This house isn't tile but it is very detailed.

This hat is very traditional in Romania and the men still wear them. I'm not sure why because it doesn't protect from the sun at all and they look really funny.Intricately carved gate. They are making wool yarn.

The creator of the cemetery lived in the village and his house is a museum today. The cemetery apprentices still live and work at the house today carrying on the tradition of the cemetery. The cemetery was the creation of Ioan Stan Patraș who was a simple wood sculptor. In 1935, he started carving crosses to mark the graves in the church cemetery. He painted each cross in blue which is the traditional color of hope and freedom. On top of each, he inscribed a witty poem to the deceased.In the museum, various pictures carved in wood and painted by Patraș are displayed. These include portraits of members of the Executive Committee of the Communist Party, and a portrait of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu carved in honor of Ceaușescu's visit to Săpânța in 1974.This guy was a butcherThis guy died in Paris while rollerblading in the Subway.

A monk calling villagers to prayer

Dumitru Pop, the first apprentice to Pătraș. Prior to his death in 1977, Pătraș designed and painted his own cross, complete with a portrait of himself. In his poem he talks about the cross he bore all his life, working to support his family since his father's death when he was 14 years old.

Seller in the Market of traditional crafts

Military

It is said that this joyful attitude towards death is a legacy of the Dacian people who believed in the immortality of the soul and that death was only a passage to a better life. They did not see death as a tragic end, but as a chance to meet with the supreme God.

Run over by a train

The crosses are made out of oak. The scenes on the crosses bring back to life the villagers and present their main occupation or a relevant aspect of their life, either a virtue or a flaw. There are women spinning wool or weaving rugs, housewives baking bread, men logging wood, musicians playing instruments, butchers chopping lambs, teachers at their desks, alchoholics and many more.

The taxi car didnt have time to stop before it hit the three year old little girl in front of her house.

This one is creepy. It is supposed to be a little girl but she has boobs carved and men looking at her.

This one is a man from the Communist Party with the label of the Party in his hand.

Playing backgammon, a common past time here. The parks are always full of old men playing this and chess.

Vișeau de Sus, where the Mocănița train starts has a strong logging tradition. Wood has been brought down the mountain since the steam train was built in the 1940s. Today, most of the wood comes down the mountain in a diesel locomotive but the Mocanita Steam Train still takes visitors up the mountain to the logging camps. This train is one of the last remaining steam rails still active in Europe and the only one in Romania still used for logging. The journey has unbelievable views of the mountains and villages along the river only accessible by the train. Today, the train is owned and run by a Swiss company. During the journey, several fueling stops are made to collect water from the river for the train.Before the journey, you are also told that the train can fall off the tracks but with the slow speed there is no danger. You just have to wait for them to put it back on. Thankfully we didn't have to go through this.

These bridges are the only way for the villagers to get to their homes from the train and small road.

The villagers were all very happy to wave to the throngs of tourists especially the kids. At the kindergarten all the kids ran to the windows and doors to wave.

Skinny horses. The train had to stop and blare its horn many times for the lazy cows to get off the tracks. It was kinda funny that the cows could care less for the disruption of their day.

There were plenty of waterfalls along the way.

A few years ago, the rail line was destroyed by flooding. Romania is known for river floods so bad they wipe out entire villages. There were passengers on the train at the time and they all had to be rescued by helicopters and brought down the mountain since the tracks were crumpled. This cabin is a result of the flooding.

This was funny. They put an old truck on the train wheels and drove it up the mountain. There were a lot of these trucks carrying loggers to work and back.

Water break. You can see the hose going to the river for water.Cristian in his Michigan sweater

We were really promoting Michigan that day because I had a Detroit sweater on.Attention! Climbing on and off the train while it is in transit is strictly prohibited! I don't know if you can see the little guy with one leg and crutches. haha

At the logging camp waiting for the return trip.

There were a ton of small puddles full of tadpoles. They were at all stages of life which was neat because the ones with legs and tails kept going back and forth between puddles for no reason.

Breathtaking Views

We hardly ever get many pictures of us together.

Conductor who looks like a cartoon character. We were wondering what he was doing. You will see.

He put the log between the passenger wagons and the engine and then the engine pushed us backwards so that we were going the right way. Kinda funny.

We ran this cable over in the process.

We were in the last wagon on the way up but on the way back down we were right behind the engine which was facing backwards. It looked like it was crashing into us.Babei. Old women.

Here are some funny and strange tidbits I've learned (sometimes the hard way) while in Romania.

Keeping animals in your house is a disgusting habit especially if its a black cat with yellow eyes. Keeping a guard dog chained up outside your shack house is acceptable as long as it is only on 2 feet of leash.

You will die if you allow the draft to hit you (even if its a 90 degree draft). Keeping a window open in a room while the door is open is a no no. If you catch a cold it is because, you had your neck exposed, didn't have cotton clogging your ears or you ate or drank something too cold. Every old person that sees your baby is not wearing a hat to cover its ears will pull one out of their pocket and try to forcefully put it on your baby....in the summer time!

Fans are not allowed and air conditioning causes headaches. If you open a window in the sweltering heat of a bus, train or car, you will be screamed at. If you pretend you are going to vomit or make noises to the effect, you will get away with the open window for maybe 5 minutes.

Every woman (infant to 60) is required to wear earrings. You must also wear the thickest and brightest makeup. Eyeshadow is always matched to your shirt (bright purple, green, teal...).

If you give someone flowers, you must always give them in odd numbers. Even numbers signify death and are only given at funerals.

Street names are not known to anyone except taxi drivers and foreigners. Directions are given by landmarks and buildings.

Alcoholism and public intoxication are only mildly frowned upon.

Wearing headphones for your mp3/cell phone are a joke . You look like a damn fool if you are listening to your music privately. This is why you can hear 10 techno/manele songs at any given moment.

Manele music is considered to be only appropriate for low-class, uncouth people or Rroma. Most urban or sophisticated people will say they hate this type of music. Nonetheless, they all have a manele CD stashed away in their car.

Due to communism and having to stand in lines for hours for food, you must hold your ground in line with your elbows ready to go. Old people and men think you are the devil when you tell them you were in front of them in line. No business or doctors offices will ever have sign-up sheets or lanes marking out lines. Being called in an orderly fashion to board a flight means nothing. Whether you are in the first or 26th row of an airplane you better push your way through to get on the plane.

It is not acceptable to tell someone (when asked) that you will not baptise your foreign/mixed religion baby if you ever have one. You will be asked religious questions every day. On the other hand, jokes about nuns, monks and especially priests are considered no problem.

It is perfectly acceptable to point out when someone is gaining weight. You can rub their bellies or ask them why they don't do sports. However, you can not jog or workout outside. You will be chased by rabid dogs and men. When at the one room gyms there will be no open windows, fans or air allowed.

Displaying, bragging or speaking about wealth is rarely seen as tactless. You will be asked how much money you make by everyone you meet especially if you are a foreigner.

City air is unhealthy and people will go to great lengths to get out of the city somewhere even if for a few hours, often to grill meat, drink and most importantly, to get some clean air. All of the garbage they use while on these excursions will be deposited in the mountain scenery for the next person to see and add to.

Each city pays street-sweepers to clean up after the citizens. This in turn means that even though there are garbage bins every 20 feet you still must throw as much garbage on the ground as possible. If you pick up someones trash and hand it back to them they will look at you like an alien.

Generosity arouses suspicion.

All police officers and government employees are considered crooked and corrupt. Calling the police or an ambulance is always a last resort. They will not show up for 3 hours no matter the severity of the matter.

When you see name brand clothing such as Prada, Dolce and Gabanna or Versaci, know that they are always fake no matter who is wearing or selling them. Look closely and they will say Praga, Dolce and Gabania or Verzaci.

If you are going into a store, even just for a bottle of water, always use the handbasket or cart provided. You will be accused of stealing if you do not have one.

You will NEVER get a refund or return on anything you buy.

If you are convinced that some service person or business is trying to sucker you....they are!

If someone can profit from something without outright fraud, they will.

Never ever lean against anything! This means don't lean against a building, a wall, a fence, nothing. Everything is extremely dusty and covered in a unique powder paint that will stain your clothes.

If you are ever interested in angering someone in an instant, say anything kind about Gypsies or show any curiousity or interest in them whatsoever.

Last Saturday we had a 5.3 earthquake here. It was my first one and hopefully the last!! It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on. Living in a cement block, you are forced to listen to people drilling holes at all hours but you cant tell where it is actually coming from because it reverberates through the whole building. So I was wondering what was going on and then the pictures and frames started swinging too. I was so in shock I started yelling to Cristian, who was taking a nap on the couch, to get up. He jumped up so fast and was just staring at the chandelier to see if it was moving. It was done by that point and only lasted about 7 seconds. So far the apartment block that I live in (the biggest in the city) has not had any problems with the earthquakes. It was being built in 1977.

Romania gets about 30 quakes a year but they are all small enough that the normal person cant feel them. The quake zone is in the Vrancea Range of the Carpathian Mountains about 70 miles from here. In 1977, there was a 7.5 quake that killed over 1,500 people, wounded 11,000 and damaged 35,000 buildings throughout Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria. Most of the buildings were built before WWII and were not reinforced. In 1940 there was also a 7.7 quake that caused the same damage. Since 1977 other somewhat large earthquakes have been in 1986 (7.2), 1990 (6.9) and 2004 (5.9).

This is my second time to Paris on my trip with Uncle Denny and Cousin Chris. We stayed at the five star Marriot Rive Gauche near the Montparnasse neighborhood. The hotel was amazing!! The staff kept calling Uncle Dennny a veep for VIP. It was really funny.

Notre DameThe Louvre

Marble Arch at the LouvreJardin des Tuileries outside of the LouvreLuxembourg Gardens

Panthenon

St. Eustache next to Les Halles.

haha

Les Halles

Pigeon's Feast. Sick!!! Europeans are not as disgusted by Pigeons as Americans are.

Theres Chris, the little monkey guy in the middle with a sword!

This is from our Bataboat Cruise.

This is the huge ship that our cruise boat captain turned our boat into. Really scary. There was a school trip of kindergartners on the boat and I screamed and cried more than any of them. lol. The boat hit right behind our seats. Uncle Denny had to yell at Chris and I to get up because we were just staring at it coming. The boat company said we could wait for another boat and go again. I had none of that. We got our money back.

The damage. The funny thing is that Cristian and I went on the same boat company for New Years. I didn't realize it then. Thankfully there were no accidents and I got to see the whole river.Piaza

Pretty building facade.

Uncle Denny thought the recycling bins were neat. We even have some in a few Romanian cities. Sadly, it doesn't mean they actually use them. This restaurant was on the corner from our hotel.

This is the little dog that lives in the restaurant above at night time. This would never happen in America. During the day he runs around outside freely.

Eiffel Tower

Les Invalides- Church Dome finished in 1708. Napoleon Bonaparte is buried here.

This is the memorial to Princess Diana. She died under the overpass that it sits on.

Arc de Triumph

This is one of the busiest intersections in Paris and there are no lines marking the lanes. Very crazy traffic.

Père Lachaise Cemetery- buried here are Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, Jean Baptiste, Jim Morrison and many more famous people. Sacre Coeur in Montmartre

View from Montmartre Hill in front of Sacre Coeur

These pictures are from my trip with Uncle Denny and Cousin Chris to London. We stayed in the five-star Marriott Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in London's West End. Uncle Denny is a VIP so we got an awesome room and free drinks and food whenever we wanted. An amazing hotel after staying in Romania's two-star hotels.Palace of Westminster- The House of Parliament is where the House of Lords and House of Commons meet. The Palace also includes Big Ben and the Victoria Tower. The palace contains around 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles of corridors.In 1834, most of the Palace was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt. During World War II, the Palace was hit 14 times by bombs.

Big Ben- The Clock Tower- is the world's largest four-sided chiming clock and the third largest, free standing clock tower and is 150 years old.

Victoria Tower- This is where the Monarch enters the Palace.

London Eye- is 443 feet and the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe

Thames River

Event Horizon, a large scale public sculpture project by the English artist Anthony Gormley, produced in 2007. It consisted of 31 life size male bodies, 27 constructed of fiberglass and four of cast iron. The statues were removed after the project.

HospitalWho wants to go to the Bung Hole?

Picking on Chris

Westminster Abbey is the church of the House of Commons. It is the burial site for Monarchs. Parliament Square. This Abe Lincoln statue from 1920 is a full sized replica of one in Chicago's Lincoln park.

Buckingham Palace- the official home of the British Monarch. The Victoria Memorial statue was created in 1911 and erected in front of the main gates at Buckingham Palace.

This is the play that Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliff plays in nakedTons of Theaters

Notting Hill is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It was featured in one of my favorite movies also called Notting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. I dragged Uncle Denny and Chris here. Chris didn't want anything to do with it. lol.In the Paddington Bear stories, Paddington visits the market everyday.

St. Stephens Crescent

London Beatles Store next to the Sherlock Holmes museum

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Uncle Denny already had his pipe lit. lol.

This is at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. The rooms were used for Winston Churchill starting in 1939 for World War II. Over 100 meetings were held here from 1939 to 1945. The original maps are still in the Map Room and everything was left the same when the building was abandoned after the war.

Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world and has 484,000 square feet.

St. George's ChapelQueen Elizabeth II spends many weekends in this thousand year old fortress.

In 1992, a huge fire ruined 9 of the princely rooms and 70% of the restoration money came from a decision to open the castle for the first time to tourists.

The Round Tower

Elizabeth I left the outbreak of the bubonic plague in London, for Windsor Castle in 1563, there she had gallows erected, ordering anyone visiting from London to be executed. Elizabeth I attempted to avoid the spread of the disease through prohibiting foreign imports and cutting down on public gatherings.

There is a huge doll's house that was a gift for Queen Mary and was built in the 1920's because she was in love with miniature things. It was my favorite part of the castle. The house was based on a large aristocratic mansion.

Stonehenge - The greatest mystery of the prehistoric worldIt is believe to have been erected around 2500 to 3000 BC and is also a burial ground.

Stonehenge evolved in several construction phases spanning at least 1500 years and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stonehenge was produced by a culture with no written language, and many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. This multiplicity of theories, some of them very colorful, is often called the "mystery of Stonehenge." There is also little or no known construction techniques used by the builders.

The Heel Stone- is also called the Friar's Heel or Sunday Stone. A folktale says that the devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland. A Friar argued with him and the Devil threw this stone at him and struck him in the heel. Others say that the stone just heels or leans.

I got this picture offline but it is really beautiful

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage site

Pulteney Bridge from the 18th century

Parade Gardens

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is an Anglican parish church and was built between 1499 and 1616.

Roman Bath- the water bubbles up through the ground and the geothermal energy raises the temperature from 64- 96 degrees Celsius.

The first shrine at the site of the hot springs was built by Celts and was dedicated to the goddess Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva.

The spring is said to have cured a British King, Bladud and his herd of pigs of leprosy by sitting in the warm mud.

Great Bath

Sacred Spring

Artifacts from the museum were found in the sacred spring and believed to have been thrown there as offerings to the goddess.

Gorgon's Head from the Temple Pediment.

On the way to Turkey we had to go through Bulgaria. The drive was very beautiful.My first time to Bulgaria. On the way to Turkey, our bus ride was really fast. However, on the way back we waited at the Turkish/Bulgarian borders on both sides for over 5 hours!!! We had to wait for the fat jerk border guards to search everyone's bags and steal what they wanted. Most of the Romanians on the bus go to Turkey to stock up on cheap crap to sell in Romania so they bring huge bags. After the guards searched the bus on both sides, the driver couldn't fit everything back in so they tried to put boxes under our feet. Cristian took the boxes and slid them back into the aisle. We were not about to suffer because of the greedy store owners. After the ride back to Romania we decided that we would fly wherever we go and pay the extra money. It was a bummer because the ride there was very nice. The bus stewardess even goes up and down the aisle every 30 minutes to offer water, coffee, tea and soda. We even got snacks.

These are the Romanian Carpathian Mountains from the window of the airplane.

Pont Neuf- New Bridge is actually the oldest in Paris. The first stone was laid by Henri III in 1578. The bridge has 12 arches and is actually split into two bridges on either side of the island.

Under the bridge is the Vert Galant (old spark) square. Named after Henri IV who was very busy in the boudoir.

The Louvre from under the bridge in the park on the Ile de la Cite which is a boat shaped island. Notre Dame, St. Chapelle and the Conciergerie are all on the island.

This is a statue of Henri IV inaugurated the Pont Neuf and gave it its name in 1607.

St. Chapelle- is famous for its magnificent stained glass windows and Gothic architecture. It is also called "a gateway to heaven." The windows portray more than 1,000 biblical scenes.

The chapel was built in 1248 by Louis IX to house what was believed to be Christ's Crown of Thorns and fragments of the True Cross. The King paid three times more for the relics than for the entire construction of St. Chapelle.

The lower chapel was used by servants and lower court officials and is very dark. The exquisite upper chapel was reserved for the royal family.

During the Revolution the building was badly damaged and became a warehouse for storing flour. It was renovated a century later.

The Rose Window tells the biblical story of the Apocalypse in 86 panels of stained glass.

Notre Dame- was built on the site of a Roman temple and was commissioned in 1159. It is built with French medieval architecture. The first stone was laid in 1163, marking the start of two centuries of toil by armies of Gothic architects and medieval craftsmen. It witnessed the coronations of Henry VI in 1422 and Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804.

Square Jean XXIII is behind Notre Dame and is a formal garden with a Neo-Gothic fountain opened in 1844.

The West Rose Window depicts the Virgin. The Kings' Gallery underneath features 28 stone images of the kings of Judah.

The spire is 295 feet.

The addition of the spire and gargoyles were carried out in the 19th century.

The Portal of the Virgin is surrounded by kings and saints.

The Conciergerie was the country's main prison during the Revolution. The Conciergerie and St. Chapelle are both surrounded by the Palais de Justice.

The Conciergerie served as a prison from 1391-1914. During the Revolution, the prison was packed with over 4,000 prisoners. It's most celebrated inmate was Marie-Antoinette. She was held in the cell below until her execution in 1793

The Conciergerie has a four-aisled Gothic hall where guards of the royal household once lived.

The building was renovated in the 19th century but still retains its 11th century torture chamber and 14th century clock tower.

The Louvre- was Europe's largest royal palace before it became the world's greatest museum with over 300,000 paintings.

Cristian in the Jardin des Tuileries.

The famous Mona Lisa.

The crazy line to get to the Mona Lisa. I hate crowds!!! The Louvre was so crowded in these small halls. We just went through and quick as we could to see the art we knew about. I really don't like or have the patience for art museums but Cristian wanted to go.

This was a really pretty building on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees.Place de la Concorde- was a swamp until the mid 18th century. The square was known as Place de la Revolution when the guillotine or Black Widow was placed here. On January 21, 1973, Louis XVI was beheaded followed by over 1,300 other victims including Marie-Antoinette. The blood-soaked square was optimistically renamed Place de la Concorde after the Reign of Terror finally came to an end in 1794.

The 3,200 year old Luxor obelisk was presented to King Louis-Phillippe as a gift from the viceroy of Egypt. It is the oldest man-made object in Paris from 1200 B.C.

Eiffel Tower- was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 and was only meant to be a temporary addition to Paris's skyline. It is 319 meters tall and was designed by Gustave Eiffel. It was also the world's tallest building until 1931.

Cristian and I took the elevator up to the first and second levels. The top level was closed because of ice and wind. Once we got to the second level we saw why. It was sooo cold up there that it hurt!! The second level was high up enough. We had sandwiched and cappuccinos on the second level to warm up. There were a ton of pigeons in the restaurant begging. One nibbled off of a french fry right out of my hand. Cristian was disgusted.Twelve golden stars of the European Flag mark the beginning of the French Presidency of the EU, and the whole tower is lit up blue at night. Every hour, on the hour, 20,000 flash bulbs give the tower a sparkly appearance.In 1989 Philippe Petit walked across a tight rope from Trocadero-Palais de Chaillot to the second floor of the tower.

Trocadero Gardens and Palais de Chaillot

We were going to go up this day but for obvious reasons we did not.

Arc de Triomphe- The arc took 30 years to complete! After his greatest victory, the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, Napoleon promised his men they would go home beneath triumphal arches. Disruptions with the architects plans and the demise of Napoleon's power delayed the completion until 1836. We went up at night so not too many views.

On November 11, 1920, the body of an unknown soldier was placed beneath the arch to commemorate the dead of WWI, and the eternal flame is lit every evening. We were there at the time when the old men from the wars came to light the flame with a ceremony. They were wearing their army outfits from the wars.

Champs-Elysees with the ferris wheel at the end.

Tons of seafood at the markets.

St. Germain des Pres- is Paris's oldest church originating in 542 as a basilica to house holy relics. Most of the church was destroyed by a fire in 1794 and then restored.

Mosque

St. Etienne du Mont-houses the shrine of St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris, and the remains of literary figures Racine and Pascal.

Pantheon- When Louis XV recovered from a desperate illness in 1744, he was so grateful to be alive that he conceived a magnificent church to honor St. Genevieve. The church was planned in Neo-Classical style and began in 1746 and was completed in 1790. With the revolution underway, the church was turned into a pantheon- a monument housing the tombs of France's great heroes. The facade is inspired by the Rome Pantheon.

Us being morbid in the Crypt.The interior has four aisles arranged in the shape of a Greek cross from the center where the great dome rises.

Funny Art

These baby faces wrapped around the whole building and said how many minutes old each baby was.

St. Jacques Tower- dating from 1522 is all that remains of a medieval church.

Got Hemorrhoids?

Chateau de Versailles

Grand Trianon- This smaller palace in the gardens of the main Chateau is made of stone and pink marble from 1687. It was built by Louis XVI to escape court life and to enjoy the company of Madame de Maintenon.

Formal Gardens- everything in the garden is symmetrical. The Grand Canal was also built in the park for Louis XIV's boating parties. We had to walk through the gardens to get to the smaller palace and it was freezing!! It started to rain ice while we were in the Chateau and then was snowing when we came out so we were wet and it was slippery. I definitely recommend coming here in the summer time.

The present palace was started in 1668 when it grew around a hunting lodge. The different wings were all added at different times. It was so crowded and people were shoving their way through. They needed way more security than they had and you would think they would know this by now.

All of the rooms were richly decorated with colored marble and stone carvings and velvet and silver furniture.

An artist named Jeff Koons was on display. He is famous for making huge metal sculptures of balloon animals and objects. They were a bit fun. People were taking more pictures of his work than the actual art work of the castle.

Michael Jackson and Bubbles. hahahahaha.

Not sure what this is.

Nobody is getting in!!

Some dude asked if we wanted him to take a picture of us so we said sure. Then he made me take like 5 of him until it turned out right.

New Year's Eve!!!

This is right after

Muie means to suck something bad

Its even worse to drive through when they are headed to the fields. Plus my colleagues drive really fast and honk their horns to get the sheep or cows moving. Sad, although if one gets scared and jumps under your car you have to pay the shepherd for it.

This is where to buy cheese similar to feta in the markets

Cristian took this picture the other day for me. Kitty Hitler. There are always paw prints all over the cars. The cats zoom in on the parking lots and find the warmest cars.

My colleague Alex took this picture through my glasses. You see one of the apartment blocs we redid for Habitat for Humanity. He used to be a photographer for the new paper.

The new one million Euro fountain that the Mayor of Pitesti just had to have. Behind it is the Gallery of Art.

It lights up and plays musicals for 40 minutes every night

These are old postcards of Pitesti. This is the Fish Market

In Trivale Forest

Commerce Building. A very traditional construction of the older buildings

The Meat Market

Sadly only a few buildings are left in Pitesti from these pictures. Ceausescu demolished the rest

Old Lady trying to get on the train. The newer trains are more accessible but not the older cheaper ones

The squirrels here have pointy ears

Linds and Aliyah fighting. Very funny. Linds is finally getting payback for all the times she beat me when we were kids. hehe

Dearborn Public Library

Me and Grandpa and the Lexington Car Show

Aliyah unbelievably knows every name of every car she sees. She took these pictures.

Having some fun in Lexington Harbor

Outhouse Race

Aliyah playing soccer

1971 Water Tunnel Explosion Memorial in Fort Gratiot. Construction of the tunnel project began in 1968 and was completed in 1973. During the first phase of construction, two men lost their lives while working at the site. They along with 22 other men were working to bring clean drinking water to the area.

Shelly, Gram and me

I look like a giant

Aliyah doing hip hop. hahahahah

KittyWitty being fat and sleeping on the furniture. Mom usually has tin foil all over the couch which keeps KittyWitty off of it for a while.

My baby Shoney who is about 20+ now My airplane from Amsterdam to Detroit. Huge

Aliyah and I went to Detroit to explore. It was unbelievably cold.

This was a fountain pouring water

Hard Rock Cafe. We had yummy warm desert after exploring.

This is in the Renaissance Center. They had huge round couches. I had to help Aliyah get up.

Aliyah taking her chances and jumping over the freezing water.

This monument is the International Memorial to the Underground Railroad. The Gateway to Freedom from 2001.

Until Emancipation, Detroit and the Detroit river served as the gateway to freedom for thousands of African Americans escaping enslavement. Detroit was one of the largest terminals of the Underground Railroad. The codename for Detroit's underground railroad was Midnight. At first, Michigan was a destination for freedom seekers, but Canada became a safer sanctuary after slavery was abolished there in 1834.

The Detroit Princess dinner cruise boat

With passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, many runaways left their homes in Detroit and crossed the river to Canada to remain free. Some returned after emancipation in 1863.

Hart Plaza

Monument to Joe Louis from 1986

Soldiers and Sailors Monument

I went to a village today to visit the house of one of the future Habitat for Humanity Homeowners. Ionela lives with her husband, 3 year old daughter and 1 year old twin boys in one room in the house of her mother. Her brother, his wife, 4 year old daughter and 4 month old son also live there. It is very crowded!! They did have a ton of animals though!!

A lot of Romanian Peasants raise Pigeons as a hobby. I'm not sure why though because you don't eat the eggs and they crap everywhere!! He was poohing on me....hence the face. haha.

They had two pigs

A horse that I rode bare-back on. They do not have saddles here. I didn't go far.

Some flea ridden puppies. Sad. There were also a ton of baby peeps that I got to hold.

These donkeys were on a mountain road. There were 9 of them just wandering aimlessly.

They were very friendly. Cristian even touched them and he haaates dirty animals.

I went to the Habitat Construction Manager's house the other day. He has 37 rabbits!!! Last year he only had 3!! All different kinds.

Babies

Huge ears

He also has 2 dogs that he doesn't take very good care of. People in the country side chain the dogs up on very short leashes to bark and scare thieves and wolves away. This one had a puppy last year but it died after a few months. It was sad.

Tiny baby bunny!! Looks more like a groundhog. They were only 15 days old but old enough to be held without the mom eating them. I asked.

So cute!!

I went to Brasov again with some other volunteers. We all just wanted a weekend away and it was one of their birthdays. Amanda, me and Caryn. We were really tired from walking around all day but it was Amanda's Birthday so we did some shot that was on fire and then went home.

The Dracula Express is an old train that travels throughout Transylvania

Jewish Synagogue One of the most narrow streets in Europe

Some old cars in a wedding. Not a normal sight in Romania. Im sure Grandpa will like this picture. It was Saturday so there were a ton of Brides in the center taking pictures.

Some perfect English. No Body Love's me because I am pretty

So we stayed at a guy volunteers apartment and it was soooo disgusting!!!! He had a cat that ran away two weeks before but the litter box was still full in the bathroom. I didnt dare take a shower for 3 days and you couldnt even sit on the toilet. He also invited us to stay and then allowed 3 other random people to stay too that he met online!! This is why I usually only go away with Cristian. Hotels are so much better!!

Ive been obsessed with taking pictures of flowers lately. I love when I get a perfectly clear up-close picture especially with rain drops or bees.

This is an Orthodox Church in the Botanical Gardens of Cluj.You can see the bee's butt hanging outAnother beeIt just rained so the snails were out in force.

Japanese Garden

I would be really happy if I knew the names of all the flowers

The Botanical Garden in Cluj is famous for the water lilies. They began the garden in 1930 and it is over 15 hectares. There are over 600 different varieties of flowers and plants. Me and Cristian

These red bugs were swarming everything!!

Iaşi Botanical Garden is 80 hectares and Romania's largest. It dates from 1856 and they have 21 kilometers of lanes to explore.

Sighişoara is a perfectly preserved medieval town in Transylvania. The medieval citadel is fortified with a 14th-century wall. The 14 towers and 5 artillery bastions were added a century later. Nine towers and 2 bastions remain along the intact city walls, which encircle sloping cobbled streets lined with 16th-century burgher houses and untouched churches. Today the citadel is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Clock Tower is 64 meters tall with base walls as large as 2.35 meters thick. Inside the 1648 clock is a pageant of figurines, each representing a character from the Saxon pantheon: Peace bears an olive branch, Justice has a set of scales and Law wields a sword. The executioner is also present and the drum-player strikes every hour. There are also seven figures , each representing a day of the week.A lot of crafters were inside the citadel in Piaţa Cetăţii (Castle Square). In the Square, markets, craft fairs, public executions and witch trials were held. In 1603, a nobleman was tried in the square in front of 12 judges for high treason. He was found guilty and had his right hand chopped off before being impaled. Settled by the Romans, the town was first documented in 1280. Saxon colonists settled here from the 12th-century onwards. It is still populated by Romanian-born Germans. The building below is the Primaria (City Hall).

The Church of the Dominican Monastery is from the 15th-century. The Gothic church became the Saxons' main Lutheran church in 1556.

The Roman Catholic Church from 1894. The Saxon community also has one more Lutheran Church outside the citadel walls which was used in the 17th-century as an isolation compound for victims of the plague and later leprosy. Many people were taken here and to the "leprosarium" where as many as 38 people died every day.

Fireman's Tower.

Other towers included the Goldsmiths, Tailors, Carpenters, and Tinsmiths. They were the only craftsmen to have their guilds and workshops inside the citadel. Together they built eight fountains within the city walls to ensure a continuous flow of water supply during times of siege.

Sighişoara is the birthplace of Vlad Ţepeş (Dracula) so there are a ton of Dracula tourists.

That is Vlad above and below is his birth home. He reportedly lived here from 1431 when he was born until he was 4. The Dracul House is complete with its original river-stone floor and is now a restaurant.

Views from the top of the Clock Tower. I climbed up to the top by some really old creaky stairs.

Cristian is down there in the middle. He climbed to the top the year before and was feeling a bit lazy in the heat to do it again.

Cluj is just as much Hungarian as it is Romanian. It is located in the middle of the country and is a major educational and industrial center. The history of the city goes back to Dacian times. In AD 124, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, Cluj attained municipal status. German merchants arrived in the 12th-century and after the Tartar invasion of 1241, the medieval earthen walls were rebuilt in stone. From 1791 to 1848 and after the union with Hungary in 1867, Cluj served as the capital of Transylvania.

The vast 14th-century St. Michael's Church dominates Piaţa Unirii. The neo-Gothic tower from 1859 is one of its great landmarks. The church is considered to be one of the finest examples Gothic architecture in Romania and was built in four stages. The three naves and vestry were the last to be completed at the end of the 16th-century. The choir vaults, built in the 14th-century, were rebuilt in the 18th-century following a fire. They hold daily services in both Romanian and Hungarian.

At the south of the church is a huge equestrian statue of Matthias Corvinus, the famous Hungarian king, son of Iancu de Hunedoara and ruler of Hungary between 1458 and 1490. The statue was erected in 1902 and is obviously being redone.

Since the early 1990s, the statue has been at the center of controversy, largely due to the efforts of the notoriously anti-Hungarian mayor of Cluj, Gheorghe Funar. Having erased the Hungariae in front of Matthias from the inscription on the statue, Funar later gave the go-ahead for an archaeological dig to take place in front of the statue. In 1997 the National History Museum director called a halt to the excavation works, making it clear that the statue would not be removed or destroyed. The ugly pit continues to to scar the church.

This is the cute bed and breakfast where Cristian and I stayed.To the Little Bear. This sign has been here for about 30 years. It used to be a children's store.

American Hot Dog with Spuds MacKenzie look alike. I didn't eat there.

Inside the Catholic Church

The Angry Doughnut!!

Piaţa Muzeului holds the beautifully decorated Franciscan Church and National Museum. The Museum is from 1859.

The Mayor also caused a lot of trouble by painting all the flag poles and fences the Romanian Flag colors. This is normal in all of Romania to see parks and playgrounds painted Red, Blue and Yellow. I really don't see the problem since it is Romania and not Hungary now.

City Hall

It started to pour so we sat at a terrace and then a beautiful rainbow appeared

Memorandumist Monument, an obelisk topped with a bronze bell, in honor of Transylvania's Memorandumists of 1892. The monument was erected in 1994 following an archaeological dig unearthing remains of what is believed to have been the largest brooch factory in the Roman empire. A treasure trove of 40 different brooches and 8,000 molds was found.

Under Ceausescu, all Hungarian-language newspapers and magazines in Romania were closed down, and official plans to systemise some 8,000 villages, many of them in Transylvania, threatened Romania's Hungarians with cultural assimilation. Since 1989, the rights of the 1.7 million Hungarians have been recognized. There are a lot of problems in Transylvania today between Romanians and Romanian-born Hungarians. Most accounts of ethnic conflicts in Romania published in the West showed justifies concern for the Hungarian Minority, yet tended to ignore the fact that the Romanian majority in Transylvania was subjected to forced "Magyarisation" under Hungarian rule prior to WWI.

Borsec in Hargiţa County is well known for its spas and mineral waters known for their curing properties. It is one of the major bottled water suppliers in Romania. The name of the town originally comes from Hungarian meaning "mineral water chair."

People can go to the fountains to fill up their own bottles to bring home. You can see people carrying bottles of water all over Romania from natural springs coming from the mountains.

These little gazebos each have a different healing property. The water is naturally bubbly and tastes like rotten egg, well-water to me. Cristian drank a lot of it. I just gagged.

Iaşi is the capitol of the Moldavia region in Romania since 1565 and is on the border with Moldova. From 1859, Iasi served as the national capitol until it was replaced by Bucharest in1862. During WWI the seat of the Romanian government was briefly moved back to Iasi. King Ferdinand and Queen Marie also sought refuge here during the war. This illustrious history accounts for the city's great monasteries, tree-lined streets and parks, churches and museums. Iasi is Romania's third largest city.

Monastery

The Monks at this Monastery raise birds. There were so many including pheasants, peacocks and all kinds of chickens. I'm not sure why, but most of them had these red things nailed through their beaks. Sad. Maybe to keep them from staring straight ahead and fighting with the others.

Storyteller Ion Creangă was born in 1837 and became one of Romania's most popular children's writers. He died in 1889. He was renowned for his short stories based on Moldavian folklore. The picture below contains depictions from his stories. We visited his house and museum, which is dedicated to his life and works.

Cute kitty at Ion Creanga's house.

Statue of Ion CreangaCopou Park is famed for being a favorite spot of poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-89).

13m tall Monument of the Lions

Mihai Eminescu

Eminescu allegedly wrote some of his best works beneath his favorite linden tree in this park.Alexndru Ion Cuza UniversityMilitary Building

If there is an earthquake you better get away from this building!!

Monastery

Apartment Bloc next to the Cathedral. If you can see closely it is not finished.

National Theater

Smoking Kills!!!

The Metropolitan Cathedral that was built between 1833 and 1839. Inside the cathedral lies a coffin said to contain the bones of St. Friday.

Huge beautiful Mosaic

The Church of the Three Hierarchs built from 1637-39 is unique for its rich exterior which is covered in a wealth of intricate patterns in stone. The exterior was covered in gold in its original form. The church was built by Prince Vasile Lupu and his family, Prince Alexandru Ion Cuza and Prince Dimitrie Cantemir.

The Catholic Cathedral

National History Museum

The Princely St. Nicholas Church

Giant neo-Gothic Palace of Culture built from 1906-25, formerly the administration seat of the town. The palace was built on the ruins of the old princely court and some remains you can see under the floor. The building has 365 rooms and now includes 4 museums. Infront of the Palace there was a craft fair. This little girl is making traditional pottery.

Traditional wooden bowls

Traditional Pottery from 3 parts of the country

The equestrian statue of Stefan cel Mare from 1883.

Memorial to Iasi's heroes who died in 1989.The first handicap sign Ive seen in RomaniaOur Hotel

Voievodes Statuary. These fantastic, crumbling statues of Moldavia's princes were moved here from the university courtyard in 1960. In pairs stand Moldavia's first prince, Dragos (1352-53) and Alexandru cel Bun (1400-32); Moldavia's greatest prince, Stefan cel Mare (1457-1504), and Mihai Viteazul (1600); Petru Rares (1527-38) and Ion Voda cel Viteaz (1572-74); and Vasile Lupu (1634-53) abd Dimitrie Cantemir (1693).

The crest of Moldova

Piata Unirii. Bronze statue of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza who achieved the union of Wallachia and Moldavia. Wallachia is where I live in the south. The statue marks the spot where the Union Hora (traditional Romanian dance) was danced in 1859 to celebrate the amalgamation.

While Cristian and I were looking at this statue the colorful Roma came from behind begging.

Here is the conversation translated from Romanian:

Roma: Oh I give you wishes, give me money.

Cristian: No

Roma: Oh but I give you and your pregnant wife wishes, now give me a dollar.

Cristian: Thanks, but I'm still not giving you money.

DUMB FATTY!!!! So I have not worn that shirt since and probably never will!! It is one of the ones tight on top and then loose around the stomach. I guess they look like maternity wear.

This is the city where Cristian's father went to High school. It was normal for youth to go away for high school back then. He was from the very south of the country along the Danube River. So we stopped here to look around.

These balconies look like they have little ghosts dancing around.

The funny thing is that the balconies are above a funeral store.

Fun playground for the kids. Lots of medal and missing pieces.

Monastery

This is the oil refinery in Pitesti. Yuck.

These are pictures of the public pool in Pitesti. Its the first time I went because we have heard too many horror stories about the nasty water in the pools in Romania. My friends Livia and her daughter Nicki have been going everyday so Colleen and I decided to try it out. It actually wasn't that bad.

So this girl underneath is putting olive oil on!!! How crazy is that!! Talk about cooking yourself. Thats an expensive brand too!!

Colleen, Nicki and Livia. Colleen lives here with her French husband and they just had their baby on the 5th of August. Liam. Very cute. Im so lucky to have met another American female!! Nicki was born in England and lived there for 8 years until her parents moved here to start a business. Her mom is Romanian and her dad British.

After Romania joined the EU people have been flooding to Western Europe for work. There have been some recent cartoons. Funny!!

This is talking about the free right for movement then the French policeman is telling the Gypsy to move! Romania is getting a lot of flack for the Gypsies.

My mean little Grigore in his favorite chair.

Some graffiti in the Center of Pitesti. It is something in Italian about GO!

Turnu Monastery is between a mountain pass that we have to pass to get to the north of the country. Cristian has never been but it was my second time going. My friend, another volunteer, lives in the village just south so we hiked there.

Theres a monk in the background with a baby. Cute

Candles for the dead

Cave living

Isn't it nice

Kitty ramp into the attic. How sweet. The monks must love kitties!!

Sebeş is a Hungarian word meaning Last and is an important city in medieval Transylvania. The Evangelical Church is perhaps the finest Gothic church in Transylvania.

The original Romanesque basilica was built between 1240 and 1270, with a disproportionately large and grand choir added by 1382, followed by the upper part of the tower in 1664. The choir boasts the best Parleresque statues in Transylvania, as well as a large polychrome altar, dating from 1518.

The cemetery chapel, built in 1400.

Some hook, sword thing we saw while driving

The Fortress of Câlnic was built in the 13th Century and is in a village in Transylvania.

The Gate Tower

The Fortress was originally a noble residence built by Count Chyl de Kelling

Mihai Viteazu the Brave was the first person to unify Romania in 1600.

Views from the Gate Tower

This is the little owl I made. Isn't he cute??!! I have a lot of time on my hands to make fun things. Its better than watching too much tv. I had to sew him by hand because I'm not quite sure how to use the sewing machine although it looks easy. It is manual and you have to pump it with your foot.This is the Catholic Church in my city. Ive never been so I decided to go take a look.

There was a basketball tournament in the center for the youth that McDonald's sponsored.Normal wedding dress. Slutty isnt it??!! Its actually quite pretty but only some chick who doesn't mind her grandfather and male relatives staring at her naughty bits could wear it. Some women love to wear see through shirts with dark bras. They are going through the 80-90's still.

This is a small pub/beer garden that we often go to. They are right next to the center yet still have cheap beer and food. They also have a few live in dogs to play with.

Oh he is soooo sexy!!! I was at a beer garden across the street and could not pass up the opportunity of a pic. The girl with him was a Gypsy with very bright clothes and we could not tell if he was Italian or just a Gypsy who came from there. As you can see he has a very large gold chain and charm on. Yuck!! I think he wants to be Rico Suave.

This was a wedding party walking through the center on the way to the church.

There are a ton of cars for the kids to rent in the center. They can rent them by the minute. You have to watch out or you will get ran into because they are everywhere!!

A neat fountain

I won!!!!! Two times in a row!!! So random.

We had Pitesti Days last week so there was a concert in the center. We also got to see the new fountain that the city hall paid 1 million Euros for. No I'm not kidding!! Elections were on June 1st so all over the country Mayor's made idiotic wasteful projects. The fountain plays music orchestra style and lights up for 2 different half hours each night.

Look at all the phone cameras in the crowd. Just like me, all the Romanians try to take as many pictures of fireworks as they can. haha

These are some friends. "Zorro", his girlfriend Alina, Cristian and Coulter my Peace Corps sitemate. Cristian is the huge guy in the middle, my boyfriend. haha

Cockroaches!!!!!!!!! All the blocs have them in Romania no matter how clean. Everyone just hopes they remain outside. If the bloc administrators don't continuously clean the basements they will start coming into the apartments. This is on the balcony of my French friends. Yummy Popcorn!!! He actually dragged it off and ate it. Actually quite cute yet disgusting.

Another fountain in the center. We have a very nice center.

I went to Bucuresti yesterday with Colleen, an American I met in my city who is also from Michigan!!! I was so excited to meet her. She is married to a French man who works for the Dacia/Renault Car Factory and is having a baby in July. We went to Bucuresti to go to her monthly Dr. appointment at the Euroclinic. After we walked around a bit because the Dr. told her she was gaining too much weight. Too used to working with rich Romanian women who are the size of Aliyah.

This is Pasajul Victoriei Mall. The whole U shape is full of hippie bars where you can smoke Hookah-Nargilas.

Box of Bunnies

Some lady was selling these babies outside of the metro stop for 30 lei each (about 15$). They were so cute!! I could hardly leave them behind. They are probably terrified outside with all the traffic and pedestrian noise. Sad!!

Timisoara is Romania's 4th largest city with a thriving Opera and Theater. Unlike other cities in the country, few Romanians have a bad word to say about it. It is dubbed the "city of flowers" due to the numerous parks surrounding a ring around the center and throughout the entire city. Protests in 1989 ignited country-wide uprisings that eventually toppled Ceauşescu and the communist government. In part due to its proximity to Hungary, Timisoara is one of Romania's most developed cities.

Sing Sing Sing la la laHappy Chicken

Cute garbage can. Romanians have a bad habit of throwing garbage everywhere except in the garbage bins. Mine-as-well teach the kids early. This little girl wanted to go inside and was playing with the bin before her mom could grab her.

This life-size bronze sculpture is the Target Man who represents a skeleton writhing with pain and is a memorial.

Another memorial

Flower Market-the biggest Ive ever seen!! The building was huge.

These are candles hanging up. They make them and use them for funerals and weddings.

These are pine branches with real or fake flowers. They are used during funerals and put on graves and memorials. A friend and I learned that you should not buy one to give to a family when their beloved cat dies. haha. The family loved it though.

Sexy Speedos!!! The add if for obtaining credit from a bank. Odd!!

A random clock that actually works.

The beautiful ceiling in a restaurant.

Yes, Timisoara really was the first city in Europe to have street lights and was also the first European city to introduce horse-drawn trams in 1869.

Timisoara is full of amazing parks. This was a whole spot dedicated to metal sculptures. They are so cute!!

Monsters

The entrance to someones house. Beautiful!!

The Great Synagogue

Yucky brown Bega canal. Frenchman Gustave Eiffel, who engineered the Eiffel Tower, built a bridge over the city's Bega canal.

Botanical Garden

View from out Hotel window. You can see the Jewish Synagogue left of the middle.

Hotel Timisoara was in the center right next to the Opera House. It was really nice except for the 20 lei per day parking fee.

Weird Fact: MGM's original Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) was born in Timisoara in 1904 and later stared in Tarzan the Ape Man. He was also an Olympic gold medal winner in swimming and modeled swimwear. Tarzan never declared himself Romanian and left for America in childhood.

Piaţa Unirii is the heart of the old town and is Timişoara's most picturesque square.

The eastern side of the square is dominated by the baroque 1754 Roman Catholic Cathedral. The main altar painting was completed by Michael Angelo Unterberger, director of the Fine Art Academy in Vienna.

The Trinity Column, in the center of the square, was erected by the people of Timisoara at the end of the 18th century in thanks to God for allowing them to survive the plague that hit the town between 1738 and 1739.

The building on the left is the baroque Old Prefecture Palace, which houses an Art Museum.

Entrance to the Museum.

The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral was also built in 1754 and was painted by a local Banat artist. This is the door knocker to the church. Someone painted him some eyebrows and a mustache. hehe

The buildings were built so close.

The entrance to the public FREE toilets. Most public toilets cost money to use.

Memorial spring listing all the names of the people who died in Timisoara during the revolution.

This is the Huniades Palace that was built from 1307-15 by the Hungarian King Carol Robert. The Palace now houses the Banat History Museum.

I am Warrior!!

And who does this sexy guy look like??!!!! Yes...The One and Only Mr. James William Jones!! Oh that bushy mustache and flowing hair makes the heart flutter!!

Don't mess with me!!!!

The Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral is at the end of Piaţa Victoriei. The large cross is made of wood and is a memorial to those who died in 1989. The cathedral was built between 1936 and 1946.

Unique to the church are its electrical bells cast from iron imported from Indonesia.

The windows and tiles above look like faces.

It was very odd to see this sign on the side of the church because it is from the most extreme Orthodox believers almost cult-like.

There is a collection of 16th to 19th century religious icons on wood and glass in the basement of the church.

This is on the church to signify the disappearance of a teenager during the revolution.

View from the Opera House

Outside of Berlin, I have never seen so much graffiti until coming to Timisoara!!

It was everywhere...including historical buildings.

People can order these stensils online and then they spray paint them all over!!Some are cute

Some are just odd

Eat yourself.

Manele is the a form of music. Most normal people do not like it.

Piaţa Victoriei- It was in this square that thousands of demonstraters gathered on December 16th, 1989 following the siege of Lazlo Tokes house. On December 17th tanks rolled into the Square and fired on the crowd. By 20th December the 100,000 strong crowd had taken over some tanks, and the army retreated. The bloodshed then spilled over into Bucureşti.

National Theater and Opera House. There is a memorial directly in front of the Opera House that reads "So you, who pass by this building, will dedicate a thought for free Romania."

Pigeons Galore!!! Timisoara was full of pigeons. Police officers even stood around the main gatherings of them to watch the people interacting with the birds. It was a bit crazy.

This little boy was trying to catch a bird.

Finally!! He brought it over to his friend where they were allowing only a select few birds eat the food. They were even petting them. It was really cute. They were shooing the other birds away too. It is nice because the little boy is a gypsy so it is nice to see them playing together because you often don't see a Romanian interacting with a Gypsy.

Piaţa Libertăţii- This square is built on top of 17th century Turkish baths. It was here that the leader of the 1514 peasant revolt, Gheorghe Doja, was tortured before being executed. Doja's peasant army, after an initial victory, was quickly squashed, captured and killed. Legend has it that upon Doja's public execution, his followers were forced to eat parts of his mutilated body as a appetizer before their own executions.

More birds. There is a net trying to keep them out but the birds ripped it apart.

There is a bird that got caught in the net here and died. Sad.

This is the memorial for the peasant revolt.

Yummy lets eat with the birds.