Archive for the ‘Romania’ Category

Manastirea Sf. Ilie

May 9, 2008

… very old monastery blabla…

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next post: after our trip to Italia bella!!! my wife is going to join. will be fun, as we go to visit Alex’ best friend, Ogl (a fine guy who due to a series of coincidences lives in a teeeeeerrible place, with nothing but nature around his villa/pool and with a tasteless view on the Lago, poor soul… I can hardly imagine his suffering… ok, enough!!!) and out of my borderless wisdom and experience, I know that Alex will not be useable/visible these days, so I will spend some nice and quiet time with my wife,overlooking Lago di Garda and maybe making a short trip to Verona… well, might be not so quiet after all… however, some nice time.

Hauzesti (Anti’s estate :) )

May 9, 2008

On Saturday my cousin, Anti, decided to take us to see his little house some 40km from Lugoj. He renovated it the whole last year and used to say that it is small, but quiet and surounded by some trees… well, it turned out to be big, surrounded by forests and mountains (not very high but still) and it is not as quiet as expected as all kind of birds were on their singing mood… :) as he told us what he changed and built I was deeply impressed, my little cousin… :) I wonder how many years passed since I said this sentence for the first time???  However, I am very proud of him! and not only for this… he is such a warm hearted and giving person…

less proud I am about his “loosing” us in the forest… in the meanwhile I think he did it on purpose… we went to see a mountain spring and got lost on the way… please see the dangers we faced… but Ursus saved our moods and we joyfully jumped over all obstacles :)

(Ursus- Romanian beer… to see in everyones hand, sure not mine… I am still veery holy… )

 

Palatul Corvinilor

May 5, 2008

It is a relic of the Hunyadi dynasty. In the 14th century, the castle was given to a Vlach knyaz Serb, or Sorb by the German-Roman emperor and king of Hungary Zsigmond as severance, restored between 1446 and 1453 by John Hunyadi. It was built in Gothic style, but has Baroque and Renaissance architectural elements. It features tall and strong defence towers, an interior yard and a drawbridge.

Built in the 14th century, on the place of an old fortification, on a rock below which flows the small river Zlasti, the castle is a large building, with tall and diversely coloured roofs, towers, windows and balconies adorned with carvings in stone.

Being one of the most important properties of Iancu de Hunedoara, the castle was transformed during his ruling. It became a sumptuous home, not only a strategically enforced point. With the passing of the years, the masters of the castle had modified its look, adding towers, halls and guest rooms. The gallery and the keep- the last defence tower (called “Ne boisa” = Do not be afraid), which remained unchanged from Iancu de Hunedoara’s time, and the Capistrano Tower (named after the famous monk from the castle court) are some of the most significant parts of the construction. Other significant parts of the building are the Knights’ Hall, the Club Tower, the White bastion, which served as a food storage room, and the Diet Hall, on whose walls medallions are painted (among them there are the portraits of Matei Basarab, ruler from Wallachia, and Vasile Lupu, ruler of Moldavia). In the wing of the castle called the Mantle, a painting can be seen which portrays the legend of the raven from which the name of the descendants of Iancu de Hunedoara, Corvini came.

In the castle yard, near the chapel built also during Iancu de Hunerdoara’s ruling, is a well 30 meters deep. The legend says that this fountain was dug by three Turkish prisoners to whom liberty was promised if they reached water. After 15 years they completed the well, but the ruler dead at that time could not keep his promise. His wife decided the destiny of the prisoniers. They have been executed. It is said that the inscription on a wall of the well means “apa ai, dar inima n-ai”, which translated into English means: “you have water but no heart”. Specialists, however, have translated the inscription as “he who wrote this inscription is Hasan, who lives as slave of the giaours, in the fortress near the church”.

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on the last picture, Alex and my cousin Meri. She was my dearest friend during my whole childhood and remained one of my most treasures memories. We were like “pech und schwefel”. I am not sure what changed now, as we are adults?! I suppose only the fact that we have some wrinkles (not many) and different hair colour. in the last 3 years she visited me several times. she was my X-mas last year, for which I will remain eternaly endebted to her. I wish she wouldn’t live that far… Meri and her brother Anti are my closest family.

 

Lugoj Details

May 5, 2008

some details on Lugoj… I have more, but they mean something only to me… I will not bore you with pictures and memories from my childhoooooooood :)