Time for Reflection

I have been asked by many how it feels to be home......

There truly is not a single answer for this question. Naturally I have been delighted to return to a land I know and love! Being in close proximity of family is a definite plus and there are some comforts (which you rely upon unknowingly) that I am pleased to take part in. Such things as soft brown sugar, full size kitchen trash cans, readily available mailboxes, wide open spaces, controlled and organized traffic and silence are all amenities I whole-heartedly welcome!

I have told many that my overseas experience does indeed have a bit of a surreal glow. When I first arrived home, all my surroundings and people were familiar. I had not traveled to any location where this phenomenon had happened in over a year. Coming back to a place where I knew what to expect, where to expect it or when made me feel as if I had never left. I very easily fell into the ol' familiar routine of being a country girl, a family girl and a Wyoming girl. (It should be noted that I am proud of all of these statuses, grateful for owning them!) Being with those you love and are loved by can be replaced by no location, experience or plane ticket.

Acknowledging the above, I feel quite comfortable saying there are aspects of life abroad that I truly miss! While in Romania I received a token box which stated, "Awaking in an unknown place is one of the most pleasant sensations possible." I cannot deny this expression. There is a certain level of adventure and anticipation which cannot be achieved when on familiar ground. Seeing parts of the world did not shorten my travel list; rather it lengthened it! I now know there is a plethora of experiences waiting to be had! Meeting new people of varying backgrounds and experiences is an easier feat when abroad as well as taking part in their culture.

Not to be overly abrupt, but I feel there is a lesson in my endless ramblings! I suppose location has very little to do with happiness! It is an experience, which can add to surface level happiness but cannot create it. Whether home or abroad, I will always miss something and be grateful for it when I return! During this time of Thanksgiving I am grateful for not only my experience overseas but also the ability to return home. I regret neither going or returning; I'm simply excited I have been able to do both!

As with anything, I love pictures. This last post is accompanied with photos since my return!




~Aahhh, my own belongings! I shall not take for granted having my personal possessions! A dining room....such a luxury!



~Caught with a friend...it could be worse ;-)



~I believe the quote, "A picture is worth a thousand words" is appropriate here.



~Camping...even with rain, I missed this sort of adventure!



~A family photo! Rounding up the troops for this split second memory takes more effort than one would expect!

Thank you for reading! I appreciate your support as well as your ability to trudge through my writing!

Luvs and Hugs,
Ali

Farewell to Romania

One final thought......It has been one heck of a ride!

I will be departing this fine country in less than seven hours and must say I do so with a few pangs of sadness. Don't get me wrong, there are no regrets, but I do mourn the loss of my European experience just a bit.

Romania, specifically Bucharest, has managed to get under my skin! Although not always an enjoyable city, it does have a buzz which will be hard to find in any other location. I began my time here disliking this place; however, as I depart I've discovered dislike can turn to acceptance, which in turn grows into contentment and finally appreciation for all its quirkiness.

I have only a few more stories to share. In order to build your anticipation and longing for this fantastic blog, you will have to wait until I have a more reliable Internet connection and have slept off the jet-lag!

One more run!

In one of my final Romanian adventures, I participated in our healthy schools DHL Marathon. Now before you think of me as an ultra runner, I must explain that it was a team marathon. It was broken into six parts. I ran just a bit more than 4 miles. The marathon actually raised money for two different charities in Romania and our team was sponsored by my school.

It should be noted that there were two teams, a male and female team. On another high note, our girl team lead the boys by about 15 minutes until the very last leg of the race where we were finally over-taken! It was a lovely day in the mountains!

Taking Advantage.....

I have become painfully aware that my time in Romania is limited. I only have ten more school days and twenty two days left abroad! As cliche as it sounds, I simply don't know where the time has gone.

Since time flies when you're having fun, I've decided to take full advantage of my free moments. My last few Saturdays have been filled with school related activities. I've participated in our School Fair and a Sports Day. These lovely days have reminded me of my own childhood where I competed in cake walks and egg/spoon races. These were the events I eagerly lead! From the photo you'll find that I managed to find a bouncy castle during the day as well. Age is just a number, right?!?

My next adventure was one I'd been on before, but always enjoyable to revisit. I went with a group of friends to see some of the finer sights in Romania including Sinaia, Brasov and Bran. Whilst doing some shopping, my friend, Sarah, and I stumbled upon some most interesting coats. Truthfully they were amongst the most homely garments I've found. It should also be noted that wearing fur in extreme heat and humidity just doesn't sit well. This was my coat of choice, the one I found most appalling! It's always good to document these moments ;-)

A Walk through Bucharest

As my time in Bucharest quickly diminishes, I've realized I need to document some of the sights. Here are some photos I took while strolling today!

Changes

"I'm a bit nervous you are coming home a different person." This was a sentence taken from an email one of my closest friends recently sent me. Although only a few words, it made me step back and reflect....

Am I a different person???? Well, I suppose the answer is yes and no!

Yes-
I've had to cut the apron strings a bit, or at least one of them, to strike out in an new country. Don't get me wrong, I still need a weekly dose of parental guidance and affection!

I no longer fear traveling in any capacity. Once you've bribed officials, legally crossing a border seems like small potatoes!

I've learned a new school curriculum, KINDA!! There hasn't been a large amount of training or guidance, but it's stretched me!

I eat more fruit and veggies than before (Who would have thought I'd like zucchini or cauliflower/broccoli casserole???)

I've been a minority.

I've witnessed and been somewhat emerged into a new culture; liking some aspects of it and finding other parts less than appealing.

I crave the adrenaline of traveling a bit more. I can see how it is addictive and do worry I will feel a bit deprived when I come home.

I listen to different types of music, including European techno.

I spell some words differently. Darn that British influence :-)

No-
I still love to bake! Sugar....one of my favorite things.

I miss all of my close friends and family~some things never change.

I prefer my small town setting to the large city.

I love the mountains and having accessibility to them.

I still believe in God, probably more so now.

I hold onto my family values, including marriage, drinking, etc. with a bit of a stronger grasp.

I appear American in my style, sporting sweatshirts, jeans, baseball caps and sandals on occasion.

These were just a few my thoughts, off the cuff. In any capacity, we change regardless of our setting. We adapt and react to what happens to us. This blog entry is a bit more philosophical than usual, but I thought I would just throw it out there................

A Journey to Remember

I've had my last big adventure and oh what an adventure it was! In the British system we have the luxury of a two week holiday in the spring. Naturally I decided to take full advantage of this time off. My friend Karine, the French teacher at our school, is moving to the middle east next year. In order to do so, she needed to take home some important items including rabbits. So, we rented a car and headed across Europe to her home in France.

Our journey there took 30 hours of straight driving and took us through Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; Munich, Germany and finally into France. We didn't make many stops on this portion of the trip because of our loaded car. We did take the time to go into Vienna and see the grand buildings of the city.

After 17 hours, nourishment was needed!

Upon arriving in France we visited a large amount of people and places. Our first stop was Reims, France, a region where authentic champagne is made. While there we went on a champagne house tour, visited a 1000 year old Basilica and Catherdral which is actually taller than Notre Dame. We then headed South to Karine's hometown which is a small village near Le Mans. It was here than I experienced true French lifestyle including eating two large meals a day complete with apperatif sessions and dessert. In her village there were approximately 800 people and one out of two people all have their own wine cellars! It was during this time that I actually learned a little bit of French as her parents only speak French. After spending a week of eating, shopping and bonding with friends, we began our return journey.

Our roadtrip continued from France to Switzerland, down to Italy, following the coast through Slovenia and down Croatia. We then cut across Bosnia, Serbia, through the tip of Bulgaria and ended in Romania.

The Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps were gorgeous! The drive through them was a real treat and although much of the snow had melted, there were still covered portions. We took about three and a half hours to make it through the mountain range and we landed in Italy. When we finally arrived in Venice, we had to look for parking. This was a challenge and pricey endeavor simply because Venice is a walking city. We ended up finding a garage that charged 22 Euros for 0 to 12 hours. Venice is unique city. There is a plethora of gondolas. When we first entered into the Piazza Roma, the city's charm is not obvious; however, once you find the center you immediately get hooked. It was a place where one could easily get lost, be alone on one street and lost in a crowd in another. The buildings were colourful and closely located together. Once away from the water, it was a struggle to find any landmarks or street signs. It was here that I saw the Rialto bridge and St. Marco's Cathedral.

Our next day was spent driving along the Adriatic Sea Coast in Croatia. The drive was quite curvaceous but incredibly pleasant. Where the first part of our trip was spent with rain, the sun shined for us on this day. It was at the end of our Croatia experience that the exploration really began to get interesting!

We drove through Split, Croatia with the intention of entering Bosnia from a connecting road. After traveling on some rather questionable roads, we finally arrived at the border control. All went well untl we were asked for our green card. The green card is the international proof of insurance which is on a green piece of paper. We were told we would have to go back or wait until 7:00 a.m. the next morning to buy one. We opted for the legal choice of finding an alternate route and headed back down the coast towards Dubrovnik when we were once again stopped by customs and border control. Apparently we had found Bosnia again! As you can imagine we were feeling a bit of trepidation when the man just waved us through, without even asking for passports. At this point we once again changed game plans and took an off-the-beaten-path road that took us throughthe desolate and rocky Bosnian countryside. Deciding we were utterly exhausted we stopped about 25 kilometers from Sarajevo, the Capital of Bosnia, where we slep in a less than glamorous hotel where the heat was lacking and the man at the desk pocketed the money and simply sent us on our way.

In the morning we had the pleasure of a Bosnian bus blaring traditional music, waking us at 6:30 a.m. This serenade lasted about an hour! Bosnia is an overtly poor country but it's natural beauty is breathtaking! The majority of our day was spent cruising on winding roads through lush green hills and mountainsides. We were treated to the sight of many Bosnian's picnicking and taking advantage of warm temperatures and the bank holiday. We were also quite suprised by the prominent presence of police officers, which could be found about every thirty minutes or in any new town. Having enjoyed our excursion in Bosnia we were ready to enter Serbia. This was a task easier said than done!

The first border crossing in Serbia was called Bajina Basta where we were denied entry due to our lack of green card. However, this border control officers directed us to another border crossing where we were told we would be able to purchase the required document. Using our fantastic negotiation skills we worked our way back into Bosnia (without the greencard) and headed to the next crossing option. It was here tha we waited almost an hour for our document, approximately 125 Euros, and then were told it couldn't be done due to the May 1st bank holiday. A bit frustrated, we were once again sent to yet another border crossing to try our luck. As we turned around to re-enter Bosnia, we were recognized by the officers. We explained we needed a green card for Serbia and but were unable to obtain it. Somewhere in the course of conversation our absence of a Bosnian greencard became known and a new challenge was present! We were pulled over and very kindly directed and actually lead to a small bar to purchase an illegal Bosnian greencard. The payment was 25 Euros, which was really quite cheap in comparison to our Serbian paper. We took our fake document back to the Bosnian patrol man, who politely looked over them, and headed to our next post.

It took us roughly an hour and half to find our next possibility but were able to travel through some flatter portions of the country. It was here, at our third crossing, that we actually purchased legitimate Serbian car insurance for 125 Euros. It was here that we stopped for some hamburgers which were slightly greasy, sausage tasting and didn't come with a bun. It took us roughly 5 hours of driving to cross Serbia where the roads were less than stellar but fairly flat. It was here that saw the first and only bit of irrigation (since coming to Romania) for crops! Unlike Bosnia, Serbia had what appeared to be a larger agricultural base and many fields present.

Fields in Serbia

Through it all, it must be said that both the Bosnians and Serbians were warm and friendly. We were always greeted with smiles and patience, and they were more than willing to help two lost foreigners!

At around 1 in the morning we finally found the Bulgarian border. It was here that we had to go through 7 stations to get into the country but luckily were only charged nine Euros for the privilege. Our time in Bulgaria as we drove only for about an hour before coming to the Romania border control. Now, it must be said that we figured we would be back in Bucharest by around 6 a.m. These plans took a drastic turn when we realized we had to take a ferry to cross to Romania! We waited in the car until 6:00 a.m. before taking the ferry across and then driving four hours back to home sweet home Bucharest!

On the ferry to Romania

What a trip!

Cluj

It occurred to me that I have failed to share some of the sights of Romania. Bucharest is unlike the remainder of the country and does not present a truly good picture. I had the good fortune of traveling to a town in northern Romania called Cluj. Like many of the other places in Romania, the people are friendly, the architecture beautiful and life a bit more relaxing. The cost of living is also significantly lower. Below you will find some photos from the recent journey I made with a group of friends from the British School of Bucharest. Our adventure included trips to the Botanical Gardens, games of Uno, Bowling and lots of wandering!

Paris

Oh, Paris! I was told by many that Paris was a city not only known for love but one that a person could indeed fall in love with. The archeticture was beautiful and plentiful, museums readily available, coffee shops every three hundred feet and shopping was always an option. That said, I grew very fond of this well-known location but found "love" to be a bit elusive!

It is a popular rumor that the French are often rude and unfriendly with foreigners. I fortunately found this not to be true, on most occassions. Whether this was because I maintained company with French natives or stuck to popular tourist locations, I cannot say. As would be expected the food was fantastic and by no means healthy! I was treated to cheese fondue, bread and cheese for breakfast, croissants, sandwiches on bagettes and an unlikely Mexican meal! All of these lovely experiences came with a cost; Paris is not cheap, and I can see how artists become "starving" if they try to prosper there.

My greatest find in Paris was not in a building or a tasty treat (shocking, I know) but actually in the company I kept. I travelled to France, among a large group, with my friend Karine. She is our French teacher and a native of Southern France. Her sister lives in Paris and has been there for eight years. As would be expected, Karine's return brought out friends from all regions. It was with this group I felt a truly foreign experience occurred!

Karine always says that my American roots shine through not only in my dress, food preferences and looks but also in my mannerisms, values and life views. I never really understood this assessment until this weekend! Below you will find a table comparing my Americanism with those of my French counterparts:

Me

• Eat cereal, eggs, bacon, pancakes for breakfast
• Discuss sex with close friends
• Values marriage
• Takes about an hour to eat
• Concerned with maintaining a schedule
• Considers bossiness rude
• Does not worry about being with a group
• Uses deodorant sticks
• Uses curling irons
• Most speak only English
• Modest with nudity
• Waves and smiles at different people
• Shakes hands when introduced

French

• Eat bread and cheese for breakfast
• Discusses sex with anyone at anytime
• Sees marriage as unecessary
• Takes at least 2 and a half hours to eat
• Often late and unconcerned about time
• Considers giving orders "fair enough"
• Sprays perfume under arms to prevent odor
• Uses blowdryer and round brush, if anything, to fix hair
• most speak English plus their native tongue
• Could run around naked without a care
• Keeps distance until formally introduced
• Kisses cheeks when introduced
• Group oriented
  
  The most interesting differnce I found was with social behavior. What I found unacceptable such as being late and telling at native Parisan where to go was not considered appauling in any capcity by the French. Rather leaving a group dinner early, failing to add to a conversation or being inflexible with time was considered inexcusable.
  
  In any capacity, I found the French refreshingly honest and pleasant to be with. I will return to France and my newly made friends in about three weeks. I very much look forward to this!

Another New Experience

Romania, specifically Bucharest, has offered a large number of new experience opportunities. On Friday, I not only had the opportunity, but also the reality, of taking part in my first car accident. It should be noted I had a clean record, 10 years worth, without a ticket or collision before my most recent learning experience.

Allow me to first set the scene: I was wearing gym clothes after attempting to maintain some small degree of health by sweating for a few minutes at my gym club. I had dropped off friends and was driving the usual path home. As I was in the car alone, I started the music and was enjoying the classic Time After Time.

I arrived at a chaotic square about called Piata Dorobanti. This square has three incoming traffic roads and two outgoing paths. I had stopped, at my yield sign and allowed about five cars to go. It was at this time I noticed the green lights ahead of me as well as the cars going forward. I decided this was my chance to venture on...I was only about three mintues from home! Unfortunately as I ventured forward, so did a black Mitsubishi which was driving perpendicular to me. As you have probably predicted, I smushed her driver's side door.

God's amazing grace was with me and my friend, Johnathon, happened to walk by. He immediately hopped into the car and accompanied for the remainder of the journey!

This incident was really the least painful of all. After a winding trip, about thirty minutes long, we finally arrived at a police station. It was then I realized I couldn't find my driver's license and urgently took a taxi home to retrieve it. I returned to the station to find my poor counterparts sitting at a table, with two forms awaiting completion, and a number 165. It was then they told me we were on number 133. "Oh my" was my only thought!

After a four and a half hour wait, which by Romanian standards is quite short, we were called into a separate room. By this time my friends, Lyndsey and Simon, had arrived. Simon, a native of Romania, acted as translator which was needed for all paperwork and police communication.

In the end, I was fined 60 American dollars and received a two month license suspension. Apparently license suspension, especially with foreigners, is not uncommon. They granted me a fifteen day driving permit until the suspension takes place. The suspension included the physical possession of my license which I will be able to pick up in two months from another unknown building.

As my mother said, "This is just another Romanian experience!"

Martisor and Woman's Day

March is a fabulous month to be a woman in Romania. There are two specific holidays, one week apart, which honor women.

Before continuing to read, I must make a confession. I attempted to type my own explanation of Martisor and realized it was lacking. So, being the teacher that I am, I decided to use my resources and google it! The following is an explanation of Martisor, one which is better than I could have ever conjured up.....

Mărţişor (Romanian: little March) is the traditional celebration of the beginning of the spring (and until 1701 of the New Year) in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria on 1 March.

The day's name is the diminutive of March (in Romanian Martie), and thus means something like "little" or "dear March". Nowadays, men offer women a talisman object also called Mărţişor, consisting of a jewel or a small decoration like a flower, an animal or a heart, tied to a red and white string. However, giving a little nickel tied to a red and white string is an old custom and was originally designated for both men and women. It was believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be powerful and healthy for the year to come.

The decoration is a symbol of the coming spring. A woman wears it pinned to her blouse on this day and up to two weeks after. Occasionally, women also give such gifts to men. In some parts of Romania such as Moldova or Bukovina the symbol of spring was a gold or silver medal which was worn around the neck. After wearing the coin for twelve days, they bought sweet cheese with the medal, because it was believed that their faces would remain beautiful and white the entire year.

The other day, which is more widely known, is Woman's Day! This takes place on March 8th. This is like the Mother's Day of the world. Once again, women reap the rewards of carrying the xy chromosone. On this day, I received flowers as did many others! Could it really get any better????

Journey to Egypt

I hate to admit it, but I had to look up the exact location of Egypt before I departed for the trip. Cairo was not what I expected and my experience could be greatly summarized by a fellow traveler's comment, "I'm glad I came, but I won't come back!"

Cairo had beautiful mosques and sandstone buildings along side crumbling brick structures. The sheer size of the city was astounding. It could take hours to travel from one end to another, with light traffic. On a positive note the streets are wide and spacious. Like Bucharest, driving is a bit hairy, and the horn is used often and without hesitation.

The history this part of the world can offer cannot be measured. In the span of a few days I was able to see and bring to life what weeks in a classroom fails to do.

As most of you know, riding the camel was an all-time life highlight. Although it may seem everyday to those in that part of the world, the only other camels I had seen were in zoos and on a farm outside of Colorado. My camel's name was Mickey Mouse although I also met a Snoopy. The camel was tall and his gait was slow. Even at a trot, it wasn't a fast journey. Much to my surprise, riding him was not as rough as I would have expected, although riding a horse would be my preferred form of transportation.

One of the most fascinating museums I've attended was the Egyptian Antiquities Museum. It housed tombs, mummies, mummified animals, tools and a wealth of other artifacts. By far I was most fascinated with not only the hair on the bodies of thousand year old dead men but also by the fact that they mummified animals like monkeys, crocodiles and even fruit! It by all means was more intriguing than the typical painting or sculpture (at least to my uneducated eye)!

Equally interesting was the layout of what might be considered the old downtown. What I would have considered a space appropriate to be a modest storage unit, was indeed a variety of shops in Cairo. Hundreds of small rolling doors opened from early in the morning to late at night to reveal shops of all mediums including bakeries, cell phone providers, shoe shining stops, cafes, spice stores and knick knack stands. The majority of these spots were occupied by men, men lingering with no real place to go and sipping tea. Women were not often seen being stationary in any one spot let alone resting in a vendor's place of business.

Attire there varied from traditional coverings to modern day fashion. As would be expected, most women wore head scarves; however, these women might wear skirts or jeans. Clothing was more form fitted than I would have anticipated but unlike in America or England, cleavage was not seen nor were bare arms. I did not see a single pair of shorts, other than on tourists and skirts touched the ground. Although sparse, occasionally women were completely covered in black Niqab and Hijab, even wearing gloves. I discovered that when women are covered in this way, children often look at shoes to find their mothers. Interesting, no???

Romanian Tidbits...Part One

When traveling outside of your own comfort zone, you will inevitably bump into cultural differences. I am not referring to those obvious differences such as varying cuisine, unique wardrobe choices or language barriers. The cultural differences I have in mind are those which surface only after submersion, in a new habitat, occurs. Here are some of the cultural tidbits I found after living in Romania for a few months........

I spend a large majority of my time on the floor. Not only because I am a first grade teacher but because I have limited seating in my home. I often sit with my students on our carpet or the tile if there is no room. This ritual never seemed problematic until one chilly day in December. I was seated, pretzel style, with my bum on the tile and my legs on the carpet. My teaching assistant came to me, whilst I was talking to my young pupils, and said, "Ms. Loeper, you need to sit on the carpet. Please move." Seeing as I am the youngest of three children, I regularly do what I'm told without question. I scooted up and forgot about the incident. However, that was not the end of my reprimand. I was later running around, on the tile, without shoes and another teaching assistant approached she. She, rather agressively, asked me, "Don't you want to have children?" As you can imagine, I was slightly confused. I replied with, "Of course Iwould like children one day. Why?" Her answer was this, "You will not be able to have children if you continue to walk around without shoes or sit on cold surfaces. The cold will make you infertile." Not wanting to be insulting (or risk the chance of infertility) I quickly doned my pair of indoor shoes. After further investigation I learned that the common belief, among both those young and old here, is that coldness can seep into you and cause infections as well as ruin your eggs. This is not limited to women alone; men can get kidney infections!

Somewhat attached to this belief is a belief about the 'current.' The current, as you would assume, refers to a flow of air. In Romania the 'current' is the source of much illness and despair! It is believed that if a person falls victim to the flow of the 'current,' they will, without doubt, end up with a cold as well as a variety of infections. To illustrate this point, I will use a story from my classroom. The women who cleaned our classrooms often left doors and windows open in an effort to make wet surfaces dry with greater speed. Following one of these days I received an email from a concerned parent. The parent stated that his child had a slight eye infection, and he was aware that the door had been open at some point in the day. He stated that he believed the cold air, sweeping through our room had caused the infection. He politely requested that we keep all doors and windows shut, for the health of his daughter. The 'current' had struck again!

One final tidbit, for the time being, concerns the use of slippers. As you now know, cold feet are simply not permitted in this society! When visiting the home of a native Romanian, or those that have been here a long period of time, you will immediately be offered a pair of slippers. The refusual of these slippers is not only an insult but unfathomable. I, adapting to my surroundings, now have three pairs of slippers; one for me, two for guests!

Stay tuned for future tidbits!

My New Home Away from Home

The Primary Building a.k.a. The Yellow Building

Our new educational facilities have been likened to the grounds of Harry Potter's school! There are grand staircases, glistening chandeliers and fabric covered walls. The buildings are quite breathtaking both inside and out and offer a variety of outdoor activities. There are tennis courts with basketball hoops, known as a pitch by my British Counterparts, outdoor swimming pools and a wealth of trees. Like so many things in Romania, this setting is A-typical when thinking of a new school.

In contrast to the romantic picture created above, my classroom is quite standard, at least in some ways! I have been given the old swimming pool changing room!!! It, unlike many of it's neighboring rooms, does not have fabric covered walls or dangling lights. Rather we have brown paint and fluorescent squares! Unfortunately it is a bit small; however, the close setting creates a very cozy environment! We are located right next to the cafeteria, once the swimming pool, which offers the benefit of never being far from food!

There are some interesting logistics at the school. There are fences all around, and you can only enter using a swipe card. Parents are restricted to a small area, far from our main building, and have been invited into the school only once. We are allotted a certain amount of paper monthly as well as erasers, known as rubbers, and other basics. All classrooms have interactive whiteboards which unfortunately do not interact! All students are required to wear "indoor shoes," meaning that students have two pairs: one strictly for outside and one strictly for inside. This action was required to help preserve the carpet. One more detail..... handicap accessibility is not important; there are no ramps or consideration for such things.

This school year has been memorable to say the least!

Snow Snow Everywhere!!!!

When we returned from our adventures in Hungary, Chels and I walked into a winter wonderland! Literally we walked in it because the train could not pull up to the platform, therefore, we trampled through about two feet of untouched snow! This weather, although beautiful and romantic, was a bit problematic!

The problems began when trying to find our car, Sam, amongst the drifts. Only by chance and memory could we remember where we had roughly parked. After some digging we indeed found our blue automobile and the correct license plate. Unfortunately, Sam was so covered and barricaded that we took the metro home.

From home, we formulated an action plan! We needed a shovel. Sadly, I did not have one. This feeling of inadequacy was new as I had a shovel in my Wyoming car, a shovel in my apartment and probably ten more at home on the ranch! We peered into some of the local shops but had no luck.

I decided to seek advice from a more experienced Bucharestian, my neighbor Ina. I asked if she had a shovel which we might borrow. No she did not, but she did have contacts!!!! After three phone calls, she had found me not only a shovel but a shoveler! To make a long story short, after a twenty minute subway ride, a ten minute walk in the snow, three more phone calls to Ina and our shoveler, a ride in a van, a broom, a homemade shovel and 70 Ron, our car was set free!

Although it has dirtied several floors, created some traffic accidents and cut down walking areas, the snow has created a magical blanket on Bucharest that not only brightens it's gray buildings but creates a feeling of newness. With this white cover, it is hard not to enjoy soup and hot chocolate, snowmen making and ice skating is a must!

Christmas Travels!!

View of Florence from Boboli Gardens

As so many do, I was traveling over this Christmas season. During a three week vacation, I was able to see Ireland, Italy and Hungary. My friend Chelsea was able to come on two of these trips! My travels began in Ireland, headed south to Italy and then Northwest to Budapest, Hungary. As I have already shared my Ireland experience, I will begin with "Italia."


At the risk of sounding cliche, the phrase, "When in Rome..." was uttered often during our five day adventure there! Rome was, hands down, a favorite in my book of travels! Upon arriving at our hostel, Chelsea and I were immediately tempted to wander about the city. Our efforts were greatly rewarded when we were treated to the amazing architecture, old and new, that was peppered allover the city! The structures were impressive not only for their massive size but also their detailed designs. Much like the structures of Rome, the people there were amazing and friendly. Chels and I were frequently stopped, mostly by men, and told, "bella, bella." The service was refreshing and warm, with a variety of complimentary items from the menus. Rome was also quite enticing due to the great history and museums available. As some would predict the Sistine Chapel was well worth the hour and 45 minute wait in line. The Colosseum, likewise, was a terrific and worthwhile excursion. The lines were once again incredibly long and the ruins of the old gladiator stomping grounds have quite a story if told properly. A guided tour of this tourist attraction was well worth the Euros!

Line waiting to go to Vatican City

Chels and Ali overlooking Florence

The countryside of Italy
Florence was charming in an entirely different capacity. Although a large city of 600,000 it held a much more quaint feel. The architecture was once again breathtaking, but the sidewalks seemed smaller, the distance between destinations shorter and the buildings a bit smaller. One particularly attractive feature was the formidable sized open air market. The leather market is world renowned and has been in existence for decades. I myself, quite unexpectedly, purchased a leather jacket from the streets of Florence. Florence also houses the magnificent and admired Statue of David; it was once again not disappointing. A definite highlight included visiting the Boboli Gardens and for an art enthusiast the Uffizi Gallery is fantastic. It was here that we had one of our most enjoyable Italian meals! I should mention that although cream sauces are available, there is NO alfredo! Most of the sauces and dishes are much oilier. Regardless of our enjoyment of this city, we were ready and eager to return to Rome!

On a whim of sorts, Chels and I decided to take our adventure to Budapest, Hungary! We did so by riding a train for fifteen hours there and back. We decided to pamper ourselves and get a sleeping car! Travel by train is an experience all it's own. Our cabin was what one would picture for a ship. We had three bunks per room which were spaced only far apart enough to hunch in! Our first cabin, what we would later consider luxurious, had a mirror, plug in and more than adequate heating. This was in comparison to our second cabin, on a 40 year old train, where the bunk beds were closer together, there was no heating, no plug ins and we had snow in our room when we awoke in the morning!

Outside of Train Number 2

I'm eating Langos and wiping grease on my hat

Buda from the Pest side

Budapest was equally as charming as Florence. The buildings were colorful, close together and had neo-gothic architecture. Unlike some of the other European countries I've been to, the language there was completely unrelated to English, Spanish or Romanian. Likewise, their metro system was one I've not been to where at some stops you are on the honor system and at others guards protect the entrance and ask for tickets. Budapest is divided into two parts: Buda and Pest. The Buda side fulfills the romantic soul while the Pest area is more for the young and adventurous. Here we enjoyed large meat and vegetable markets as well as some traditional food such as Langos and Hungarian Goulash.

Although it is always nice to see new places, there is something comforting about returning to the old!