I went to ze market, mon p'tit panier sous le bras..

So today is another beautiful Saturday, temperature in the 25 deg C, not a cloud in the sky. On my way to get an air ticket for an upcoming weekend in Vienna (I’ll tell you about that trip), I ran into the local farmer’s market I told you about earlier. On the way, I could not resist taking yet more doors pictures. I then went to the “Centre Cuturel Francais” where I borrowed a few BDs.
This afternoon I decided to pursue my quest for a salad spinner, and took a cab to the Iulius Mall. Well, It’s the Burlington mall with an Auchan hypermarket, and a Starbucks to boot. I did not find a salad spinner, but I found a thingy to hang my socks to dry (Hey, you said you wanted details;-) ). I put a couple a pictures at the end of this post that actually reflects the dual face of Cluj.
One last comment: I feel that I really need to accurately report what I see, in an unbiased and honest way, so here it is: the women here are beautiful. Many of them could be on fashion magazine’s cover page. Granted, they cannot compete with any of you beautiful ladies following my blog (and I know who you are!), but I had to mention it. On the same topic, I have yet to see an overweight person here, which is kind of strange because they eat a lot of potatoes and fried stuff it seems.
Next week, I am in Helsinki, another beautiful city, but no post until next weekend.
Ciao!
For our French speaking community....

Look at the workmanship on that door! (btw, you can double click on any picture)

Des crepes au fond de la cour!

The farmer's market.

Look at those!

I have no idea what those red berries are.

Atmosphere, atmosphere...

On some walls in Cluj, you can see stencils such as this, a kind of different tag I guess. Many of them are pretty funny.

This picture is to contrast to the next one. Cluj is growing fast, and the gap between the ones who have and the ones who have not is also growing. You can see the most modern cars here, fancy malls and luxury boutiques, and you can find a little old lady on a street corner selling meager flowers and fruits for a few Leis. (I bought her flowers by the way).

The luxurient Stabucks in front of the Iulius Mall. At 10 Leis ($3.30) the tall cappuccino, not everybody here can afford it.

Of salad and drivers...

Here a few disorganized thoughts and impressions:

Food: there are many places for grocery shopping here. I am told there are two supermarkets (Cora and Carrefour !) on the outskirts of the city but they probably look like any wallmarts. Instead, one can found many small shops or farmer markets with local products that come right from the farmers in the area. I already mentioned Muscat grapes that tasted fantastic. Today I bought a salad that just look like the salads you can get in France. I was ready to savor it when I discovered my kitchen does not have a salad spinner. I thought of using Mr Bean method (some of you will know what I am referring too), but eventually I managed…

Restaurants: many restaurants, many styles, from cheap (hey it’s a student city) to moderately expensive. There is a lot of Italian places, pizza and all, but also Hungarian, Austrian, etc.. I’ll write a more detailed entry about restaurants in the future.

Language: seems like most everybody here speaks English. But I also learned that in several of the universities here, like pharmacology, the first few years are taught in French, while the engineering universities will use English during classes. There is a “Centre Culturel Francais” in CLuj with a fairly large mediateque, and regular newsletter about cultural events and happenings.

Driving: Saint Michael is definitely looking after Cluj drivers. There is no other explanation for the fact there are no more people killed, drivers and pedestrian alike, given the way they drive.

Smoking: my only beef with the city so far. I think smoking is officially verboten in public places, but in reality there is a lot of second hand smoking here in cafes, restaurants etc..

Plants: I don’t know why, but there are flowers and green plants everywhere, and people here are meticulously taking care of them. Not to be in rest, I contributed to the cause, and here is my modest contribution (in the background, a traditional ceramic heater used in the past to heat houses).

Pictures, take two.

Today Sunday I was awaken by the chanting coming from the Orthodox church nearby. Below is a picture of my street, with that church in the background.



Another beautiful day, in the 75 Deg and still lots of weddings today. Here are some more pictures from my errands....

Look, swan boats just like at the Boston Public Garden!

A public park, sotto l'allea...

One of the many doors I took pictures of.

The name says it all.

Fancy ironwork.

Another one.

I just love this area. Reminds me so much of Angera. In the back, yet another massive roman catholic church.

Bastionul Croitorilor (TheBastion of the tailors). The bastion of the tailors is a part of the medieval fortress that was built in Cluj in the fifteenth century.

And yet another door.

If you ever need a plastic bucket, we have you covered.

Good luck!

Inside St Michael cathedral.

Pictures!

So it’s Saturday and I took to the city armed with my camera. There are several key landmarks in Cluj. The St. Michael's Church in Unirii Square, built in the 14th century and named after the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Cluj-Napoca is one of them. In front of it, the equestrian statue of Matthias Corvinus, erected in honor of the locally-born king of Hungary is currently under repair. Another major church is the orthodox cathedral (which I can see from my window). Saturday is wedding day and there were weddings all over the city in the multiple churches. On the same big piazza you can find also the National Theatre (UNESCO protected).

It’s difficult to walk in Cluj and not see something to capture on camera as they are many monuments and styles mixing old and new. But what I find most interesting is that it seems like behind every door, there is a courtyard with gardens, apartments, small shops, sometimes cafes and restaurant. To that extent, Cluj reminds me a lot of Italy. I started to take pictures of these doors opening on other worlds, but I will never be able to put all pictures here (who said “thank God”?). I'll post pictures of these doors in a future post.

So without further ado, here are selected pictures of my errands today:


Not sure here if it's Rome thanking Cluj, or the other way around.

Saint Michael Cathedral, named after the saint patron of Cluj. 14th century young!

The Orthodox cathedral.

The fountain and Orthodox church in the background.

The pedestrian area.

The National Theater (and a bride to be).

A small place with outdoor terraces in the student quarter. By the way, I said earlier that I thought there was traffic. The locals warned me that the students start school on Oct 1st, and then there is really more traffic...

The interior of one of the many churches. Absolutely magnificent.

On one of the interior gardens, behind a busy street.

The modern face of Cluj.

Le 91 Gare Montparnasse- Gare du Nord

My lame attempt at composition, but hey I can tell you that at 75cts the lbs, these Muscat grapes taste as good as they look!

And for that matter, where is Romania you may ask?

So maybe, I should have started with the bigger picture: Where in the world is Romania, you may ask? Romania is in Southeastern Europe, surrounded by Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine and borders the Black Sea. Cluj is on the Northwest part, about 2 hrs from the border with Hungary. Cluj lies vertically north of Athens ( a small town in Greece), and at the latitude of Geneva

Population is about 22 Millions . There are many sites that can give you lots of info about this country. Try the official turism office: http://www.romaniatourism.com/

For a bit of history (tanks to the CIA!)
” The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.”

Offical language is Romanian (Duhh!). Quick: what are the five Roman languages? For those of us from French or Italian ascent, the following sign is a piece of gateau:

This weekend, I'll post pictures.

Ciao!

Where is Cluj anyway?

So after a long but uneventful plane trip (the ones we like), I arrived in Cluj. So where is Cluj anyway?
Borrowing from the web: "Cluj-Napoca (Romanian) or Kolozsvár (Hungarian) www.clujnapoca.ro, as capital of historical region Transylvania, is one of the most visited cities in Romania. The city, with 310,243 people, is very pleasant, and it is certainly a great experience for those who want to see urban Transylvanian life at its best. Along with fine dining, excellent cultural activities, a wonderful historical legacy and a great atmosphere, the city will certainly not disappoint those who add it to their travel itinerary."

I was here a few times before, last time in July 2007. The city has changed a bit, a bigger airport (thanks to N.!), some constructions finished, but also more cars, the price to pay for economic success! Weather here is beautiful and expected to be that way for the next 10 days or so: 70 degrees. This contributes to lots of people in the streets, and an atmosphere of Summer is still here. I walked around in the evening, and there are cafes with outdoors terraces, and lots of people chatting and having a good times. Cluj has also many universities, and there are many clubs, bars, music etc.. I am right in the center of Cluj, close to everything, and I don't foresee needing a car except to visit the surrounding area (yes, Dracula castle, but also the many monasteries in the area,some going back to 12th century). People here are very friendly and the city itself is pretty safe.
The office is about 20 minutes away by walk, which I intend to do as much as possible. Locals warned me that the winter can be cold and snowy, but hey, I am from New England, so bring it on!
Next time, I'll post some pictures.
Ciao!

First entry!

Hello out there!

So, to follow up on the steps of my favorite daughter (Ciao Perugia!), I am starting this blog to convey my experience in Cluj, Romania.
I am leaving from Boston, USA to Cluj on Monday Sep 14th, where I will work for my company N. for a few months. I will try to record here my experience with this adventure, and hopefuly make it not too boring. Whoever reads this, don't hesitate to comment or follow me.
So, until next time, I will now start packing.