My story - Sidorica Stefan

Happy papy!!!

2012-01-01T17:43:00.000+01:00

December 2011 - a flower was born!Magnolia!

WIP = Work In Progress

2011-05-24T23:44:00.000+02:00

This weekend we start painting the apartment ... quite a challenge!

I wonder if there's a website ... www.painting-for-engineers.com ... should be the same as www.painting-for-dummies.com :-)

London

2011-02-04T13:55:00.000+01:00

Costel

2010-12-31T18:54:00.000+01:00

Download PDF files from Safari to iBooks on iOS ... finally

2010-11-24T22:51:00.000+01:00

What if?

2010-11-06T13:43:00.000+01:00

"In my next life I want to live backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people’s home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby unti...l you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then, Voila! You finish off as an orgasm! I rest my case." (Woody Allen)

Belgium: simple yet complicated

2010-09-22T23:03:00.000+02:00

Summer holiday 2010

2010-08-28T23:16:00.002+02:00


Bruxelles - Salzburg(Austria) - Porec(Croatia) - Timisoara(Romania) - Suceava(Romania) and back to Bruxelles.

Ramet Monastery, who's history starts before 1377.

Dawn of the day. Yep, could get used to this each evening.

The birth place for the famous "Tuica de Soimus" :)

Frumosu "The handsome"

Rarau mountains

Home ... sweet home!

Yammyy ...

Bobitza and Bubulina ... the alarm system of the house ... especially at 2am when the neighobour's dog/cat is in the zone :))

Morning view ... Can I go back?

The evening is not like the morning, no?

Porec ... impressive architecture ... a mix of Italy, Spain ... lovely

I could accept to be exilated on that island!

Morning in Salzburg

Fete de l'Environnment - 2010

2010-06-06T22:25:00.000+02:00

Murphy

2010-05-15T11:37:00.000+02:00

I'm back to Timisoara for this weekend ... the expected summer is not here, it left when I arrived.

Yep, Murphy is again awake!

The morning coffee

2010-03-28T15:26:00.002+02:00

I'm alive and skiing :))

2010-02-15T23:36:00.003+01:00

Last Sunday I decided to finally go deep into the Belgian mountain region :)

Even though the peak hight was somewhere around 650m, the landscape was superb.

Full of snow, plenty of people, hard to find a parking place ... eventually I managed to get outside the car and enjoy the place.

Just as until last summer I thought it's impossible to swim in the North Sea, until this winter I thought it's impossible to ski in Belgium. And again I was wrong. It's true that you cannot compare it to France or Austria, but nevertheless if you wanna have some fun in the weekend, it's worth the road to there.

From Bruxelles to Vielsalm you need aprox 1.5hours (about 150km). Take care that after this hursh winter, the E40 between Bruxelles and Liege is not the smoothest highway ... Daerden knows why :)

This trip represented another premiere for me: I've tried for the first time the ski fond ... the short track - 3 km. I've crashed only 4 times :)

Today I'm feeling like Robocop, I feel all my muscles when I move. But it's worth the pain, it's very nice to do some sport in the nature.

Dar eu cu cine votez?

2009-11-23T22:31:00.000+01:00

Voting for Geoana is voting for those two. NEVER.

Walk in the park

2009-11-02T20:24:00.000+01:00

One week ago I went for a walk in the Bois de la Cambre, a park in south of Bruxelles. From all the parks of the belgian capitale, this one is the most beautiful and probably also the biggest.
Definitely I'll go again if the weather allows me to.

Liège-Guillemins railway station

2009-11-01T16:46:00.001+01:00

This is the new railway station in Liege, called Guillemins. The architecture is impressive, with massive metal arches and everything being covered with glass.

The mind behind this project was Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect (one more reason for me to appreciate the Spanish people and culture :).

I hope that in the coming years the local authorities will be able to give also a fresh look to the surroundings, as today there's a way to big contrast between the modern station and the old and sad buildings nearby.

To control or not to control

2009-10-27T20:19:00.000+01:00

This blog is not a compilation of videos from internet, but the following one should be seen.
I've read often in the media about the big number of surveillance cameras that are installed in London. There were big concerns about individual privacy and people feared that we're moving towards a way-too-controlled society.
In the video below you can see that two guys are harassing a reporter; what they do not know is that the reporter was a black-belt in karate. You can see that the police was following all the action with the help of the video cameras.
My point is that, after you see the video, you will understand that finally all this technology can serve to a good purpose.

Tough BBC Reporter Fights Off Hooligans - Watch more Funny Videos

If you wanna laugh :)

2009-10-26T20:39:00.000+01:00

The clip below is one of the funniest I've ever seen ... it's a good way to pump up the moral :)

Plan incliné de Ronquières

2009-09-11T21:27:00.006+02:00

Back to netlife ...
Last weekend I went to south of Bruxelles to visit something that was on the waiting list: the plan incliné de Ronquières.
This construction is used to carry large boats with weight up to 1350 tones on a 1.4km distance. The vertical difference between the start and finish is about 67meters.
It's quite impressive when you are there, taking into account the size of the construction. In some of the photos below you can see the big observation tower; it was built in 34 days which is amazing (it has a height of 150 meters).
The whole project is estimated between 7 and 10 billion EURO !!! Kind of expensive, no?

Pets in my family

2009-08-04T21:54:00.005+02:00

I've just noticed that it's been some time since my last post; but the problem is that I have no inspiration :(
Let me show you the pets of my family. Maybe not the most interesting subject, but I always smile when I see their faces begging for love and food.
Cause nothing else matters for them: love me, feed me, never leave me (Garfield)

The first beast is Frumosu (aka "The beautiful one"). He's quite old (11 years) and always camera shy.

Here we have a family photo. The dog name is Bobitza, he's around 2 years old. As you can see, he is now taking care of the cat (he was very good friend with the mother of the cat, until she passed away).

I saved for the finish the one called Bubulina. She's lovely!!! A snowball with legs :)

1st of May - Chateau de Grand Bigard (Groot Bijgaarden)

2009-05-01T16:31:00.006+02:00

It's first of May, sunny and holiday. So let's go for a walk.
I've searched on http://www.quefaire.be and among the many events in Belgium, I found this magnificent castle, very close to where I live.
It's called The Castle of Grand Bigard (Groot Bjgaarden in flemish). It's a 14 hectar park full of flowers, as you can see below.

The spanish way of life

2009-04-22T22:21:00.005+02:00

Last week I've been in Spain for the whole week. In the last two years, all my holidays were spent in Romania so it was the moment to make a change.
Spain was since long time on the waiting list; well, it is still on this list cause I love it and I want to go again. And again. And ..
Barcelona ...
How to describe it? Imagine a city like Paris, but with access to the Mediterranean Sea. I love the feeling of space, with all the Ramblas packed with shops / tourists / events.
The most famous is "La Rambla", a 1.2 kilometer-long tree-lined pedestrian mall in the Barri Gòtic, it connects Plaça Catalunya in the center with the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell. This one is full of tourists.
If you want to see a real Spanish rambla, go to Rambla de Poblenou: superb!
What else is that special about Barcelona?
Gaudi and Dali are two names that have had a great impact on this city. The marveolous designs of Gaudi can be seen all over Barca, with the Sagrada Familia as the main piece.
As a tip, since Barcelona is rather expensive when it comes to visiting: Park Gruell, designed by Gaudi is free of charge! This is a must on your list, especially that it gives you an impresive panorama over the city and the sea.
For someone who lives in the north-west side of Europe, a walk on the beach is just like a dream.

Here are some photos, for my eyes to remember :)

1. La Rambla

2. Plaza de Catalunya
This foto is taken from the 9th floor of El Corte Ingles. Here you can find some good restaurants, decently priced, with a great view over the plaza. Also, El Corte Ingles is great for shopping, you can find almost anything for all type of budgets.

3. The Port seen from the Montjuic hill.

4. National Art Museum of Catalonia, situated on the Montjuic hill - view from behind
same place, view in front of the museum
5. Spanish way of enjoying life. Music, dancing ... all this in Bari Gotic

6. Gaudi - Casa Batlló

7. Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera

8. Sagrada Familia ... still under construction (for the next 50 years :)

9. The best place for a morning coffee ... how could you resist to this?
This photo is my current wallpaper on the PC, both at home and at work. And it will remain for long time :)

This is probably my longest post on this blog. And I still have a lot of things to say about Barcelona. If you ever have the chance to visit this city - JUST DO IT (nike :)
Ole!

Bravo!!!!

2009-04-05T20:53:00.002+02:00

The Grand Prix of the 37th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva was awarded unanimously and with the congratulations of the Jury to the Romanian company MBTechnology, for its vehicle baptised ROBOSCAN which is capable of scanning large lorries and trailers with no human intervention. Designed especially for customs controls, it allows the operator to work without coming into contact with the radiation emitted by the scanner.

(http://www.inventions-geneva.ch/cgi-bin/gb-prix.php)

Good weather - be happy!

2009-03-29T22:48:00.002+02:00

This evening I was checking the weather forecast for the next week. I was surprised to notice only nice weather, plenty of sunshine and temperatures of around 18-20 degress Celsius.
I've checked on two other weather websites to make sure I'm not dreaming. And I'm not. At least not yet (it's 22:50 Sunday evening).
I guess that, only after you lived some time in this part of Europe, you begin to really appreciate the nice moments the nature is offering to us.
When I get to see a clear sky with a big round sun fixed on it, I get really happy.
Before moving to Brussels, I thought that good weather is something natural, you find it everywhere. Well, I was wrong!
But enough talking, there's a sunny week coming and I'd better get some rest to be able to enjoy it.

Cologne - Koln

2009-03-12T23:46:00.004+01:00

Welcome to Koln (known as Cologne for the french speaking people).
It's been already some time since this weekend trip was planned and now it was the moment to do it. At around 2 hours driving from Bruxelles, it's an interesting place for a weekend.
What to do/visit in Koln?
Well, first of all, the mighty Dom (the cathedral). It's located right next to the train station and it's impressive. I mean .... it's huge! Both outside and inside. Don't miss a short visit to the underground museum, it displays some interesting artifacts.
Try next the Ludwig Museum (full of Picasso and others like him ... I'm not that much into art stuff); don't miss the free wifi hotspot in the restaurant of the Museum :))
You can also test the famous German sausages (bratwurst ... I guess this is the correct spelling) with a beer at some of the many brasseries in Koln (there's a big and nice one right next to the Dom).
Chocolate Museum ... this is a must. And prepare your blood for an infusion of sugar, cause it's impossible to resist the temptation.
I'm sure there are other interesting places in Koln ... I've had the time only for those above. And if you are searching for a good hotel, here is my suggestion: hotel Santo (one of the best I have ever used). For the record, I did not get any discount for this suggestion! Unfortunately.

What a weekend!!!

2009-03-03T22:30:00.007+01:00

I think this first photo says everything about where we've been last weekend :)

You wanna see Paris from above? There are two "big" options.
The first one is well known: Eiffel Tower. But most of the time you have to wait almost an hour or more to get up.
The second one, and my favorite, is the Montparnasse Tower. The view is breathtaking, as you can see below.

Installing Apache, MySql and PHP on Mac

2009-02-08T22:19:00.004+01:00

I've decided to restart playing with internet. And when you have a 24inch iMac, it's quite nice to do this.
On Mac, Apache is there by default, thanks to Steve. So I've had only to install MySQL and PHP. Easy to say, not so easy to do.
I will not go into all the details with the installation errors I got ... here is the easy way to do it.

Just go to: http://www.mamp.info
MAMP stands for: Macintosh, Apache, Mysql and PHP

From here is should very clear of what you have to do. No more editing httpd.info or writing lot of commands in Terminal.
Just download the package, unzip it and install. It takes 1 minute and it works great.

I've seen the light ... at the end of Belgium, in Oostende :)

2009-02-08T20:17:00.004+01:00

I'm a happy uncle !

2009-01-25T13:39:00.002+01:00

I'm soo happy!!!!
As of today, 25th of January 2009, I'm a proud UNCLE.
Daniel( my big brother) and Oana (his wife) are the happy parents of a tinny princess. This day is the start of a new life: one with sleepless nights:) I'm sure they will enjoy every single moment.
Her name is Antonia.
Multa sanatate, fericire si numai bucurii.
Uncle Doru

Financial crisis. Really?

2009-01-17T19:06:00.002+01:00

I've made the mistake to go shopping today: fruits, legumes, meat and stuff.
It's almost 2 years since I'm in Belgium, but this is the first time I've seen so many people going for shopping in the same day. The car queue was starting on the highway (Brussels Ring) and stretching for at least 1.5 km to the parking of the shops (Cora, Ikea).
I wonder if there is really a financial crisis.
The diesel is cheaper, the food is cheaper, the cars are cheaper, the houses are cheaper.
Even the gas is cheaper. But the pressure is also lower (Putin knows why :).
Basically the purpose of this crisis, as I see it, is just to realign all prices and values. Because we have to admit everything was fu_ed up (sorry for the word, but this is the best one to describe the situation).
I think we need each 25-30 years a crisis like this to bring profits to a normal level and to let people afford to live.

Moonlight and stars

2009-01-10T22:00:00.002+01:00

Piata Unirii - Union Square - Timisoara

2008-12-27T10:48:00.004+01:00

- the Roman-Catholic Cathedral (the Dome) built in 1763, by the Viennese architect Fischer von Erlach Junior, blending classic patterns and baroque decorations

the Baroque Palace (the President’s House), existing since 1733, restored and completed in the following century

Sunday walk in Bruxelles

2008-12-07T19:15:00.005+01:00

Today it was sunny.
I mean really sunny, like never seen before in Bruxelles: a big yellow sun on a big blue sky.
Therefore staying in the house was not an option.
Maybe you wonder what's Bruxelles like in December?
All the streets are packed with tourists, small events everywhere, bars&resto's full: a lot of agitation.
Here are a few photos taken today.

(I know I said "sunny", yet here is the moon :)))

Yep, I'm not the only one looking for the sun.

Windmills in Netherlands

2008-10-19T22:48:00.004+02:00

Yesterday I took some time to visit Kinderdijk, situated at 15 km from Rotterdam.
It's a small village that is famous for its windmills.
Since big part of the Netherlands is situated below the sea level, floods were often centuries ago. In the 13th century they started to dig large canals to regulate the water flow. But this was not enough, therefore a few centuries after they created these windmills that served as water pomp's.
The ones in Kinderdijk were build around 1740 and are still functional!!!

I'm now thinking about the irrigation system built during the communist regime in Romania: how come the dutch people are able the keep their systems for hundreds of years and we destroy everything only in a few years?

October 2008 - Rotterdam

2008-10-19T22:12:00.003+02:00

I've been this weekend in Rotterdam, in Netherlands.
Actually, if you visit Netherlands, you will be surprised by the architecture; from my own point of view is boring. All the houses / buildings look alike; like 300 years ago.
But Rotterdam is something else. You have the impression that each architect had the liberty of playing with the shapes / weights / angles.
Below you can see only a few photos, I assure you that Rotterdam has much more to offer.

1. Walk of fame, near the Maritime Museum. Anyone remember Daniela Silivas? At the 1987 World Championships in Rotterdam, she helped the Romanian team win the team title, defeating the nearly invincible world champion Soviet team for the first time since 1979.

2. View from Erasmus Bridge. Feels like San Francisco at a smaller scale. But what am I saying? I never been to San Francisco :)

3. Same Erasmus Bridge( 808 meters long, 139 meters-high pylon)

4. View from Erasmus Bridge. Notice the almost falling building. As said before, the architects were in charge!!

5. Sunset in Rotterdam (view from the same Erasmus bridge). Please notice on the right the high tower. There's a small rotating platform on top that allows you to get a spectacular view over Rotterdam. I have to try this next time, I'm sure it's worth the effort.

6. A church. I totally forgot what's the story. I guess I can always say that the sky was magnificent (for this part of Europe).

7. The Cube houses. Now that's something interesting. There are 38 houses, all having weird angles for a house. One of them is open for visits ( 2.5 euro). 37 of them are actually inhabited day-by-day.

8. A big building with 3 legs :)

9. Maritime Museum. This is the open air part, with a lot of beautiful ships and harbor machines on display.

10. View from Maritime Museum.

Romanian way of working

2008-10-09T22:58:00.004+02:00

Sweet dreams ... I dream about a man that is doing my job ... and I'm just sleeping.
Life is good to me :o)

My new friends

2008-09-19T21:51:00.002+02:00

I'm not sure why they like me ... maybe because I'm feeding them and scratching .... Hard to say :)

Paradisio Parc - September 2008

2008-09-14T21:00:00.007+02:00

Summer 2008 in Romania

2008-08-27T20:35:00.005+02:00

This is the summer holiday seen through the lenses of my camera. Three weeks of real summer weather, a lot of sun and high temperatures.

Navigon 2110 Max Europe

2008-08-19T22:40:00.005+02:00

Searching for a good GPS? Try this one: Navigon 2110 Max Europe.
I've used already for almost 5000 km and it's excellent. I'm not going now to make a full review, I'm too tired.
Just buy it and use it.

Before / After (check the flower pots)

2008-06-22T20:27:00.004+02:00

Before: 16th of March 2008

After: 21st of June 2008 (3 months after)

I will update this post in 2 weeks.

Update:
21st of July (these photos were shot a week ago: today it's raining and cold, only 12.8 Celsius!!!!)

In the park

2008-06-22T20:16:00.004+02:00

If you go for a walk in the park at Atomium, it's impossible to miss them.Them who? The rabbits, of course. Last week we saw at least 50 in the same place, just eating new fresh grass.
Today they were a little shy. It was full of people, so not so many rabbits visible.
Here are a few of them.

This one is not a rabbit, I think. I'm not sure :)

When things go wrong!

2008-06-01T18:29:00.006+02:00

I wonder what would have been the story if it went only a few meters more!!!
Luckily it didn't and everybody is safe.

Summer 2008 in Bruxelles

2008-05-12T23:21:00.003+02:00

Bruxelles, 26 Celsius, sun, no wind ... the haircut resists :)

Meet Romania

2008-05-04T21:01:00.013+02:00

I've been for one week back home, in Suceava, to visit my family.

Romania is absolutely magnificent; it's like an unpolished diamond.
Just for the record, home means for me:
Suceava, Timisoara and Bruxelles :)

Spring walk in the park - Koeklberg 2008

2008-04-20T20:26:00.002+02:00

Atomium 2008 - Fireworks

2008-04-18T00:36:00.003+02:00

Atomium - 50 years since Expo58 - the fireworks

2008-04-17T23:23:00.004+02:00

Today we went to Atomium to see the fireworks :)
Beatifullllll ... look for yourself.

Seara pe terasa

2008-04-12T21:55:00.003+02:00

Asa se vede cerul de pe terasa seara la 21.00 :) desigur intr-o zi senina.
Camera foto e setata pe nightshot si timpul de expunere este mai lung ... aprox 4 secunde.
Efectul: pare a fi inca ziua :)
Asa arata luna :) e simpatica.
Nu este o stea cazatoare ci doar un avion ratacit in cadru.
Si luna din nou, dar cu alte setari ale camerei foto.

Paris - Eiffel tower

2008-03-30T23:35:00.002+02:00

Et voila!!!
Everybody knows this one. If you ever been to Paris, it's almost impossible to miss it ... it is visible almost from any place.
We were very lucky to have a nice weather, despite the fact that on all weather websites the forecast was not so pleasant (rain , snow ,...).
I guess senior Sarkozy listen my previous request :)

(this is what 18x optical zoom means :)

(this one is taken from the window in the hotel in the evening ... nice view)

Paris - Arc de triumph

2008-03-26T23:12:00.003+01:00

Paris - Champs Elysees

2008-03-26T23:05:00.002+01:00

Wow --- winter in Bruxelles

2008-03-25T10:15:00.001+01:00

When I woke up this morning ... See for yourself what I've seen :))

Paris - Defense

2008-03-24T23:18:00.001+01:00

Paris - March 2008

2008-03-24T23:02:00.004+01:00

I'm not that good with words so I'll let images speak for me. The next posts are dedicated to Paris.

Hello Paris, remember me?

2008-03-18T23:27:00.002+01:00

The next weekend we'll go to Paris for a long weekend.
Senior Sarkozy, make sure the weather is OK ... otherwise ...

Rică - bad to the bone :)

2008-03-16T20:54:00.004+01:00

We tried today to find him a cell mate ... unfortunately, none of the candidates were good enough for him :)
We'll keep searching.

My new office - 18th floor

2008-03-02T22:45:00.004+01:00

Grand Place - Bruxelles - details

2008-03-02T22:28:00.004+01:00

Meet Rică

2008-02-19T22:54:00.002+01:00

This is Rică. Rică is a budgie, or better to say a peruş. Since everything is new for him, he's very quiet; maybe toooo quiet.
I think he needs a female companion since he's lonely the whole day.

Lille France

2008-02-14T21:44:00.001+01:00

Bruxelles Motor Show 2008

2008-01-20T22:44:00.000+01:00

Today I give you the image. Tomorrow I'll explain it.

This is love

2008-01-12T21:02:00.000+01:00

Oradea - Romania

2008-01-12T20:22:00.000+01:00

This is Oradea - Romania.

Super zoom

2008-01-12T20:07:00.000+01:00

That's zoom!!! The pictures were taken on 26th of December 2007, at around 10PM from the window of the apartment.
The differences of the clarity are due to the variation of the exposure time (from 1/500 sec to 1/13 sec).
And all this was done only with the optic zoom (18x). I'll try next time to activate also the digital zoom (5.6x).
So, if you plan to change your photo camera, buy one with 18x zoom (there are already a few very good models at affordable prices)

Olympus SP-560 UltraZoom

Bruxelles by night

2007-12-11T22:37:00.001+01:00

Here are a few shots in Bruxelles to see the lights. It's quite a show!

Of course, Grande Place get all the honors thanks to a magnificent display of colors and music.

18x Optical Zoom!!!

2007-12-07T23:14:00.001+01:00

This is what the new Olympus SP-560 UltraZoom is capable!

Lights in Grande Place - Bruxelles

2007-12-02T19:49:00.000+01:00

This is Grande Place in Bruxelles on 1st of December 2007, the National Day of Romania.
Of course the lights are not for this reason :))
Yet it was superb! The acoustic was breath-taking, the music magnificent.
For next time I will buy a better photo camera to get all the flavor of this square.
For now just enjoy the lights.

Alive and kicking

2007-09-07T20:06:00.000+02:00

Even though I haven't wrote anything lately I'm still here. The fact is that in Belgium is already autumn. In the morning it's rather cold ( 10-11 Celsius ), big part of the leaves from the trees are down ... and it's cloudy.
Maybe that's why I lost the mood to write.

Photo art

2007-08-30T00:29:00.000+02:00

It is said that an image is worth a 1000 words. Maybe it's true.
My friend, Laurent, is passionate about photography. Actually I think he loves photography and you can see this in his photos.
http://www.laurent-delvigne.be

Britains Got Talent

2007-08-30T00:24:00.000+02:00

I spent almost 4 hours last night watching all the performances from Britains Got Talent on www.youtube.com . I have seen some very talented people, and the nice part, is that all of them were just regular people. If you want to relax and just smile, go to YouTube, search for "Britains Got Talent" and enjoy it.

Camping in La Roche en Ardenne

2007-08-19T21:00:00.000+02:00

Going camping is the latest hobby that I have. We have bought a tent and all the equipment from Decathlon and we are campers.
This weekend we decided to go somewhere in the Ardenne's (I have to say that Belgians like to call them mountains, but they are actually hills).
We went to a small municipality called "La Roche", in the province of Luxembourg. It's a rather small place, with some 4.200 inhabitants; but yet it is one of the most visited places in the Ardenne region.
The history of the town is an interesting one: during the World War II, the town was occupied / liberated twice (maybe that's why a big part of city was destroyed at that time. I saw in a museum dedicated to those battles a magnificent Harley-Davidson, used by the

army.
Let me come back to the camping part.
We found a very nice camping called Benelux where everything was clean and green; the camping site is just on the banks of river Ourthe. It is nice to spend the weekend in the nature (of course, the weather here is not perfect), it feels like you're in a vacation.
Check to photos below, because I'm not in the best shape to write long monologues.

It's not moving!!! I wonder why!!!

Luxemburg

2007-08-13T11:04:00.001+02:00

The Grand Ducal Palace, the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, situated in Luxembourg City, the country's capital.

Regensburg - Germany

2007-08-12T23:05:00.000+02:00

On our way back from Romania we made a short stop in Regensburg, Germany. Nice city, very animated at night ... but watch out if you plan to park you car. Even if it says it's for free, you still need to have a parcometer ( a blue paper on which you specify the time you parked your car). Because of this we had to pay 15 euro as a fine.

But if you want to see something really nice, go to Walhalla ( it's like a temple) which can offer you a magnific view over the city.

Home

2007-08-08T16:12:00.001+02:00

This is where I live ... nice area! I just love all the green space.

Where is the sun?

2007-08-08T15:20:00.000+02:00

Starting from today I will try to write all my posts in English (of course this will not happen always, because I'm a lazy person sometimes).
Now I'm at the office and I'm trying to figure it out why I have a headache ... maybe it's the fact that I haven't seen the sun in the last 2-3 days.
This is why people in this country are sometimes depressed; you can see only clouds :(

If anybody has a photo made on a sunny day, please send it to me: dorutu@yahoo.com

Sunt tanar, Doamna

2007-08-05T21:03:00.000+02:00

Dumnezeu sa-l odihneasca in pace!

http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florian_Pitti%C5%9F

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7-7DEtlezg

Back home

2007-07-29T18:10:00.000+02:00

Am ajuns ieri seara inapoi in Romania, dupa un drum de 1700 km si doua zile de condus.
Ce am gasit:
- carute si oameni care mergeau noaptea pe DN6 ( trebuie sa recunosc ca m-am dezobisnuit sa vad oameni pe carosabil, depasiri riscante, viteze de 90 km/h in localitate, etc)
- magazine deschise inclusiv duminica ( asta chiar imi place, mi-as dori sa fie la fel peste tot)
- o temperatura de 30 grade Celsius in casa la ora 23.00

Sper cand ma intorc in Belgia sa fiu negru de la soare, ca probabil va fi singura saptamana de vara pe anul acesta :(

Concediu

2007-07-26T22:29:00.000+02:00

Maine seara incepe un mic concediu de o saptamana. Desigur, va fi un concediu "de lucru", pentru ca lista de taskuri este consistenta.
Partea interesanta este ca voi trece de la 20 grade la 40 grade; sper sa nu mi se prajeasca toti neuronii.
Revin pe 6 august cu impresii/fotografii din calatorie.

This is a Nice place to live

2007-07-24T13:00:00.000+02:00

This is from Wikipedia:
"Nice has a mediterranean climate : the city enjoys mild and sunny weather most of the year."
What can you want more?

The world is full of interesting people!!!!

2007-07-24T10:06:00.000+02:00

A romanian murderer who tried to sue God for his troubled life has had his lawsuit denied - as God has no known address.
Pavel Mircea, who is serving a 20-year sentence, filed a lawsuit in the western town of Timisoara against God for “not protecting me from the Devil”. He claimed he had concluded a contract with God at baptism, but God had not kept his side of the bargain.
“He was supposed to protect me from all evils and instead he gave me to Satan, who encouraged me to kill,” Mircea said.
However, the public prosecutor’s office in Timisoara turned down the case, arguing that God “is not a person in the eyes of the law and does not have a legal residence”.

Source: http://www.sondrak.com/index.php/weblog/here_come_the_judge/

21 iulie - Ziua nationala a Belgiei

2007-07-22T22:56:00.000+02:00

Ieri a fost Ziua nationala a Belgiei: 21 iulie 1830 a fost data la care Leopold I a fost "uns" rege/imparat/voievod ... asta dupa ce si-au capatat independenta in 1830.
Ce a insemnat ziua de ieri pentru belgieni?
Steaguri atarnate pe la balcoane ( nu foarte multe), toate magazinele inchise, ceva spectacole prin zona centrala, un foc de artificii ( asta a fost frumos) in Parc de Bruxelles.
A, si sa nu uit, l-au imbracat pe ala micu de se pisa, Maeneken Pis ( mandria Bruxellului) intr-un costum nou.
Pai in Romania avem de astia peste tot si nici unul nu e ridicat la statutul de monument. De ce nu vin asiaticii sa-i fotografieze pe ai nostri live?

Tot ieri am descoperit la vreo 40 km de Bruxelles, langa Leuven, un foarte simpatic lac de agrement, cu plaja cu nisip, multa verdeata, rate ... si avioane ( pe deasupra lacului trece coridorul de aterizare pentru aeroportul din Zaventem).

Fiind in zona flamanda a Belgiei, totul e scris in flamanda ( deci nu intelegi nimic din ce scrie pe indicatoarele lor). Partea buna e ca toti vorbesc engleza. Daca incepi in franceza stramba din nas, asa ca mai bine incepi direct in engleza.
Ciudata tara!

Crupet, Namur ("Un des plus beaux villages de Wallonie")

2007-07-15T00:11:00.000+02:00

Astazi am decis sa vizitam si partea rurala a Belgiei. Am gasit undeva la 22 km de Namur un mic sat cosiderat a fi unul dintre cele mai frumoase din Wallonia. Si asa si este.

La grotte de Saint-Antoine

L'Eglisse Saint-Martin

Aceasta vaca(sau bou, nu's sigur) arata ca un porc. E plina Belgia de aceasta specia, cu "dos" super-muschiulos.

Namur - 14 iulie 2007

2007-07-14T23:54:00.001+02:00

Astazi am fost in Namur, in sudul Belgiei. Un oras foarte frumos, am avut senzatia ca suntem intr-o statiune. Atractia principala este, de departe, cetatea din Namur ( Citadela). Privelistea este magnifica dar trebuie putina rabdare sa ajungi sus ( asta daca faci greseala sa mergi pe jos).
Am remarcat ca belgienii au o placere nebuna sa se imbrace in costume vechi si sa reconstituie batalii celebre.

Bruxelles vazut din biroul meu

2007-07-14T23:42:00.000+02:00

Iata cum se vede Bruxelles-ul din biroul unde lucrez ( la etajul 22). Privelistea este magnifica, mai ales daca am noroc sa fie si vremea buna.

Biroul meu se afla la ultimul etaj pe care se intinde afisul, pe colt... nice, nu?!!!

Oostende - 8 iulie 2007

2007-07-14T23:33:00.001+02:00

Pe toate site-urile meteo era anuntata vreme superba ... cand am ajuns ... nori!!!
Dar tot am facut plaja vreo jumatate de ora ( plaja la umbra desigur).
Insa indiferent de vreme marea are un farmec aparte.

Nisipul super fin de la Marea Nordului

2007-07-08T12:10:00.000+02:00

Ieri am fost pentru prima oara la plaja, la Dunkerque in Franta. 21-22 grade Celsius, ceva nori la inceput, apa marii rece, vant din cand in cand.
Conditiile nu au fost perfecte, dar totusi am stat la plaja si chiar mi-am schimbat putin si culoarea. Am ajuns sa ma bucur de temperaturi de 22 grade !!! in Romania nici nu visam sa plec la plaja la o asa temperatura.
Azi mergem la plaja la Oostende, aici in Belgia.
Sper sa fie mai fain, cu toate ca si ieri a fost frumos.

Unde e lumina?

2007-07-04T22:39:00.000+02:00

In seara asta am remarcat ca becurile din living sunt de 40W!!! Inteleg sa faci economie la curent, dar nici chiar asa de tare. Imi aduc aminte ca acasa foloseam in mod regulat becuri de 100W ... ce sa spun, imi place lumina. Deci pe lista de cumparaturi va apare si un set de becuri serioase spre bucuria irisului meu.
Probabil ca dupa cateva facturi de curent voi pune iar becurile economicoase, dar vrea sa risc.

Dunkerque - Franta

2007-06-24T00:10:00.000+02:00

Dunkerque - Franta 16 iunie 2007
http://www.dunkerque.fr/

Dunkerque este un oras foarte frumos situat la granita dintre Belgia si Franta, la o ora si 30 minute de Bruxelles. Nu ma lungesc cu vorba, las imaginile sa vorbeasca de la sine.

Vremea de azi

2007-06-22T22:18:00.000+02:00

Cred ca este cazul sa mai si scriu, ca uit alfabetul.
Subiectul de azi e vremea din Belgia. E ciudata.
Cand am ajuns in Belgia in aprilie am prins doua saptamani cu temperaturi de 26-29 grade; foarte cald pentru tara asta.
Pe urma doar nori, vant lejer si uneori ploi scurte.
Azi eram la birou, si ca tot omul, ma mai uit si pe geam ( m-as uita pe pereti, dar nu prea sunt).
Soare, senin, priveliste frumoasa peste Bruxelles ...
Ma satur de atata frumusete si imi continui munca asidua la un tool care face traduceri automate ( Java, Struts, JSP, Oracle ... SF-uri d'astea).
Dupa un sfert de ora ( prea multa munca dauneaza) ma uit iar pe geam ... ce sa vezi, ploua cu galeata, vant, nebunie ... dupa inca un sfert de ora iar soare si stare de relaxare ...
Aici cand iesi din casa nu stii daca tre sa iei umbrela sau nu; preferabil da.

Acum sa nu va inchipuiti ca e tot timpul asa; din contra chiar imi place vremea lor. Temperatura este relativ constanta ( ma refer la variatiile noapte/zi) si am inceput sa ma obisnuiesc cu aceasta "instabilitate". Azi, spre exemplu, au fost 22 de grade; o temperatura foarte buna.

Cred ca singura chestie care poate genera disconfort este umiditatea ridicata, mai ales in zilele cand este f cald. Dar si cu asta te obisnuiesti.
Deci, asadar si prin urmare, este bine. Ma opresc din butonat pe subiectul asta si ma duc la culcare. Sa avem parte de vreme si vremuri bune.

Prin Bruxelles

2007-06-08T23:51:00.001+02:00

Antwerpen sau Anvers

2007-06-08T23:41:00.001+02:00

Prin Bruxelles

2007-06-08T23:31:00.001+02:00

Parc de Cinqantenaire, place Schuman, Atomium ...

Oostende

2007-06-08T23:13:00.000+02:00

Oda neamului

2007-04-26T15:11:00.000+02:00

In delir ne sunt alesii, astazi si-au votat decret,
S-aiba gratis coliva, la cantina si bufet.
Senatori la patru ace, deputati la tzol decent
Au venit cu mic cu mare; e consens in Parlament.

Intr-un gand, intr-o suflare, cu un gest firesc, zglobiu,
Transpartinic isi strang mana peste-un lacuit sicriu.
Nu-i nici planset, si nici jale, dispozitia-i contrara
Caci in racla azi au pus chiar vointa populara.

Inca le mai bate tampla de la proaspatul omor,
Hulpavi mestecand coliva stau cu dosul la popor.
Ei se fac ca alba-i neagra si vorbind de sus zic jos,
Dar cand va veni momentul, vor primi un sut in dos.

Pacientul Romania cere un transplant urgent,
Cancer e, cu metastaze, la organul Parlament.
Mi-este greata de-Antonescu si mi-e scarba de Vadim
Iar Nastase nesimtitul rau ma umple de venin.

Adrian bardu' minune ce cu limba-nflacarat
La sezut, pe Ceausescu, ne da lectii din Senat.
Geoana asta, clapaugul, cere pumni peste mustiuc,
si imensa sila-mi face un guzgan ca Hrebenciuc.

Greu miroase Iliescu a parfumuri de cavou
El pe Nicu Vacaroiu din borhot il scoate nou.
Cand il vad pe Voiculescu, zau ca-mi vine sa vomez
Tremur cand auz de Ponta, nu pot sa ma concentrez,

Matusica de Norica imi cam da fiori de gheata,
Iar pe lelea Buruiana nu suport s-o vad la fata.
N-are mama si nici tata dansatorul de ceardash,
Cand e vorba de ciolane, Marko Bela e geambash.
Popularul de Patriciu tine-n brate-un manechin
imbracat ca prim-ministru... Insa hainele nu-i vin.

Panglicari, borfasi, otrepe, profitori, lingai si hoti
Unde esti tu, Tepes-Doamne? Mi-e lehamite de toti!

Multzam lu' frate-miu, ca de la el am luat aceste inaltatoare versuri.

Bonjour la toata lumea

2007-04-25T18:25:00.000+02:00

Eh, am ajuns in Bruxelles si dupa o saptamana si in fata unui PC. Ce sa spun, e un oras super interesant. E plin de agitatie in timpul zilei, dar seara dupa 10 e pustiu, ca stai si te intrebi unde au disparut toti. Cand mergi pe strada e greu, daca nu imposibil, sa-ti dai seama care e belgian si care nu. E un amestec de natii, culori si culturi.
La tot coltul de strada gasesti tot felul de monumente, reteaua de transport e foarte bine pusa la punct, ... seamana a capitala.
Imi este foarte greu sa scriu acum pentru ca desigur folosesc o tastatura AZERTY, deci jaleee!!!!

Nici nu stiu ce sa va povestesc; in orice caz e fain. Oamenii sunt super amabili, se vorbeste multa flamanda - care e un fel de combinatie intre franceza si olandeza, din care am remarcat.

Creca Funar ar innebuni aici, ca totul e bilingv.

In curand voi incerca sa pun si niste fotografii.
Pana atunci numai de bine si au revoir!

Paris - Eiffel Tower

2007-04-17T08:12:00.000+02:00

The new Citroen C4 Picasso

2007-04-16T23:01:00.000+02:00

This is the new Citroen C4 Picasso. A beauty with four wheels. I loved it from the first moment. It is sexy, safe, has a lot of space, is very comfortable and has everything you need.

Paris - Defense

2007-04-16T22:35:00.000+02:00

Paris - Sacre Coeur

2007-04-16T22:21:00.000+02:00

Check on Wikipedia for more details. I have visited Sacre Coeur on a Sunday and I could hear the chorus singing ... it's breathtaking.

Super tunning

2007-04-15T22:04:00.000+02:00

Check this out .. A Fiat 500 & Porsche