Winter Wonderland

I think there is certainly some irony in the fact that when Amanda returned this week from her holiday time stateside and was bragging about how warm it was in North Carolina, Winston-Salem was receiving several inches of snow!  While we have had had melting temperatures here in Bucharest this past week, last weekend provided some lovely new snow...

I celebrated by going to the opera with friends.  We saw a production of "La Boheme", which was quite enjoyable.  The male lead, Rodolfo, was exceptionally strong and received lots of "Bravo"s at the curtain call.  This was my first visit to the Bucharest National Opera, but it certainly won't be my last.  I took the picture below from my seat, front row center balcony, which cost me all of 25 lei (about $7)!  It is a lovely building.  The second picture is an architectural detail I liked.

And then on Sunday, I was up bright and early to join a Meet-Up (http://www.meetup.com) group for a mountain hike.  The trip was well organized and communicated and we had almost 40 people there (which was too many - we definitely wound up spending a fair amount of time in wait mode).  I had purchased new hiking boots, new snow pants, and even a new backpack for the occasion - all of which I will use again!  I was plenty warm, especially going up hill!

We carpooled to Predeal, about an hour and a half north of Bucharest.  We began the hike by riding a chair lift to the top of one mountain...

And were rewarded with this view at the top:

I am in this group shot - I am the white hat in the center back.  You will have to take my word for it, because I am completely unrecognizable otherwise!

From the location above we walked to a second ski lodge, down and up.  It was fun to pass this horse-drawn sleigh that was there to ferry folks to the chalet.

Notice that I have definitely gotten warm: my hat is off, my mittens are off, my jacket is unzipped, and my scarf is loose!  The temperature throughout the day was below 0 C. (upper 20's F)  But look at the awesome scenery!  And the gorgeous blue sky, sunshiny day!

At the point I took the picture below, I was walking alone - in between sub-groups.  I was enjoying the extreme tranquility.  It was so very quiet.  I loved the play of the sunlight through the trees.

My favorite two parts of the hike were the very beginning - because of the incredible views, repeated below - and the section through the woods which was from the beginning section to the third and final chalet, pictured last.

We then went down the mountain from the third chalet to the base of the ski lift.  Unfortunately this part was often very steep and because of the snow was also slippery.  Some folks had brought snow shovels (plastic things intended for riding on) and went down that way.  Others of us slowly picked our way down with sore feet and knees (at least by the time I finished).

We all gathered then for supper at a restaurant in Predeal and shared stories of the day's adventures, before returning to Bucharest.  I was especially grateful for some folks who provided additional social support, especially at the end.  I have never before done this kind of winter hike and I was definitely slow by the end of the day.  All in all I am very glad I did it and am already looking forward to the next opportunity!

Munich and Salzburg - Part 2 of 2

On Saturday I decided to join a tour going to Salzburg, Austria with the company that sponsors the walking tours - I was that impressed.  Unfortunately I and 3 young women from England waited in vain for someone to show up.  So we simply decided to catch a train and go to Salzburg on our own.  I enjoyed talking with the women, all of whom are house mistresses at a boarding school in the Lakes District and very much enjoyed my time in Salzburg.  Not long after we arrived in the city the girls and I separated realizing that we had different touring interests, but I was glad to have made the connection.  I did wish several times, however, that I had either a guide - as, of course, was the initial plan - or at least a guidebook to let me know more of what I was seeing.  But hey, I've watched "The Sound of Music" umpteen times and I could recognize some of the locations!

The train trip was about an hour and a half.  It was a cold, dreary day - it would have been nice to have continued the sunshine from the day before, but I still managed a couple of shots of passing scenery as we got closer to the Alps...

Walked around the center of town a bit, just getting my bearings... and of course there were more Christmas markets, which no longer attracted my attention.

The best thing I did was to take the cable car up to the fortress on the hill - see it looming above the city in the picture below?

At the top I enjoyed a short concert by these fellows:

It amazes me how many different notes come out of this instrument!

It being lunch time I found the cafe there at the fortress and sat down in front of a window where I had an amazing view - neither my camera nor my photography skills do some things justice! - of the Austrian Alps.

I then spent a couple of hours touring the fortress.  Unfortunately by 3:30 it was too dark to take more pictures, but I had a good time up there and then walked back down to the city. 

Notice, above, what we in Winston-Salem call a Moravian star.  These are common decorations in Bavaria, which is next to the part of the Czech Republic called Bohemia, from where the North Carolina Moravians originated.

Wearing my wool hat, the style of which is all the fashion in Munich and Austria, but definitely not so much back here in Romania.  :-)

I enjoyed the walk down from the fortress - and was glad I'd not tried to walk up as parts were quite steep - and found my way back to the train station.  Back to Munich and glad I had a book with me as there was definitely no outside visibility at this point.

Sunday I did two activities in Munich that are worth recounting briefly and then I returned home to Bucharest.  I needed to get some papers graded and so I found the national library.  It was not only a lovely old building, but it was also a great spot to get some work done.  The reading area was filled with 100's of people, most of whom appeared to be college students, who were absolutely positively quiet!  I cannot imagine being in a library in the US with that many people and having it be so quiet.  When I remarked on this later to one of my German students she replied, "yes, Germans take their studies very seriously."  (The results of which I have often noted both at Pfeiffer and here in Budapest.)

The grand staircase and entrance to the library (I am looking back toward the front door, having already come up the stairs):

I wanted to take an interior shot of the reading room, but I knew it would disturb the studious activities.  Then it was time to climb another tower.  I returned to one of the church towers that had been pointed out on Friday's walking tour and climbed up for the view.  Despite how out of breath I can get on some of these climbs, it is always one of my favorite things to do in a city.

And then there is the trip back down... 

Munich and Salzburg - Part 1 of 2

OK, here is my most recent catch-up post...  In mid-December I accompanied Amanda to Munich where I saw her onto a direct flight back to Charlotte.  I then stayed in the Munich area by myself for a little quiet time.

The first thing I want to take time to say is that I could not have been more impressed with Lufthansa personnel in Munich as they took time to learn a little about Amanda and her personal challenges so that they could then accommodate her on the flight.  While there were tears as she embarked on this long flight alone, I knew that she was in good hands and that she would be successful.  She returns in a few days with her father accompanying her.  I am a little disappointed that she does not get to repeat the challenge and mostly the success of flying independently, especially given what I know about the care she received.

Once I left the airport, I found my hotel, dropped off my suitcase, and then spent some time wandering around... The next morning I joined a free walking tour (http://www.newmunichtours.com/) - I do love having discovered that so many cities have free (tips only) walking tours! - that put some context and history to the wanderings and pictures I took.  Here are a few architectural elements that captured my attention:

Above is our walking group in front of the church with the devil's footprint.  I loved the story here:  As the architect was overseeing the beginning of this particular church, the devil came by to see what was going on. The devil stood in the front door and looked down the nave, unable to see any light from windows.  So the devil thought this was a good thing - "there is no light and so people will turn away from God" - and offered to help the architect complete the building.  So the church was finished in record time.  When the devil came back to see the finished project, he stepped further into the church and noticed that the architect had designed the church so that from the front door the supporting columns blocked the light from the windows, but when one stepped fully into the church one was bathed in light from huge windows.  The architect's idea was that only when one fully entered the church would one receive the "light of God".  The devil was so upset by having been tricked that he stamped his foot really hard and to this day one can see his footprint in the entryway:

Another story I especially liked was also in this same church: During the time of the Nazis, many churches offered to store religious items from synagogues for safe keeping.  When the war was over and Jews were once again able to practice their religion freely, they were grateful to the churches that had helped keep revered items and often made donations to the churches.  This church wanted to provide a reminder to all of the need for respect and tolerance - and so, way up high where my little camera can barely capture it, is a painted menorah:

 

Back to the walking tour and displays, buildings, and features that caught my attention:

And time for another story... The pole above is a symbol of a town or region that depicts all the important products or activities of that town or region.  (This one is also covered in holiday lights, but that is not typically the case.)  Tradition has it that if the pole - which does have a special name that I have forgotten - can be removed without anyone in the town being aware, then it can be held for ransom.  This pole was once  stolen by another city and the mayor of Munich had to provide a party for the entire city before the pole would be returned.

I also spent time that day looking at some of the Christmas markets.  I enjoyed the festive mood and seeing the crafts but the only things I purchased were a wool hat and wool gloves.  The hat I'd bought in Vienna at the end of November and the gloves I had carted with me from the States were no match for the bone-chilling temperatures in Munich!  (continued in Part 2)