Coca Cola Aniversary

This is my photo tribute to the 125th aniversary of the most popular soft drink of the world. On this ocasion they have issued a special set of three vintage shaped bottles. I think they are very nice. Happy Birthday, Coca Cola!

No Reservations Paris

I simply cannot believe to what amazing heights of knowledge and epicurean artistry have some people arrived to.

Anthony Bourdain rounds up his 100 episode achievement of the show No Reservations with a trip to Paris. Be sure to check out episodes 2 and 3 also. 

Surprise Birthday Cake

Today was my 33rd birthday and my dear wife and 1 month old daughter surprised me with this wonderful cake. The cake is not baked by us, it is store bought.

Holiday greatings

Best thouthgts from uor house for Christmas and New Year!

Good old bad times

I was watching this video and I remembered so well the good old "bad times" when I used to hang around bars drinking, listening to music and feeling sorry for myself because my first love dumped me...years ago. Sweet pain...haven't we all been there.

In less than two weeks I'm getting married and my girl is 3 months pregnant. Thank You God.

Weekend in the mountanis

 Last weekend we decided to go for a 2 day trip in the mountains of Vrancea. So, we went to Lepsa, a splendid mountain resort that is just developing now in Romania. We got some nice mountain air, delightful walks through the Tisita river gorges, good meals at the only resaturant in the area and long, relaxing reading time on the terrace with a view from our room.

Top picture: the view!

Next: wild growing berry.

Middle: lunch of chicken schnitzel with a drizzle of sesame seeds and a baked potato with skin, topped with cream and bacon, chopped.

Last: you can see the desert that we had there, witch is "papanasi" (pronounced "papanashi"). It is a kind of donut with more egg in the doe, served with cream (this was organic, you could taste the difference immediately) and sour cherry jam. Delish!

Espresso illy by the sea

Folks, there are very few things in this world nicer then a fresh brewd cup of "short" (ristretto) espresso illy, savoured at a splendid terrace by the Black Sea, in the evening time, watching the people clearing the beach and listening to soft Julio Iglesias music.

And I did just that today. I was thinking to myself the other day that no matter how poor God will ever decide to make me during this life, I hope He will allow me just enough means to afford a nice cup of espresso by the sea, form time to time. That would make me a lot happier whatever the situation.

P.S.: Oh, I found a GREAT post about how to make the best espresso HERE. (Alexis Kahn)

Geky birthday

This is a 1 orange + 1 grapefruit (red) fresh that I often like to drink in the evening. This evening is no exception, as I stayed all day in the burning sun of Basarabi. This is a wooded area near Constantza. I was there with a bunch of friends for a barbeque celebrating Geky's birthday. everybody say "Happy birthday, Gekyyyy!" His real name is Ali Geihun (highly unusuall name for Romania, but the guy is ethnik "tatar", muslim related to the turk population).
Ok, ok, I guess that now you wanna see some of the pictures from the bbq party we held in the woods, or as the romanians say:"at the green grass!" Here we are:

OK; I've been to Bulgaria, dreaded Bulgaria, for the few days surrownding mayday. That's the 1st of May, for all you meager english speaking romanians.
Aaammmm....a married friend of an unmarried friend said that she's found some special priced tickets for the weekend before 1 may. We staied in Golden Sands Black Sea resort, which is muuuuch more classi than Mamaia, ....(the most coolest romanian seaside resort) that i know only too well, for i live in the city of Constantza, wich is practically joined toghether with Mamaia.
at the price of 55 euro per 3 days in a 4 star hotel we kinda expected to eat instant soop for breakfast. Any way, surprise (or not)! it was 4 stars western standard (that's western European standard, for all you non eastern europeans reading this). That ment lots of good quallity food, of wich every romanian stayng at the Mimosa hotel took 2-5 platefuul per meal!!
The reality of the bulgarian resorts is that i never got to speak a word of the locals language, because they were all so well trained in the art of tending to us guests, that we only used words like hello, how much, thanks, bye! It's a shame. I only know how to halller : ZAGORSKA! (this is a local brand of beer that goes especially well with every specially good food that they served there:-))
That brigs us to the GODZILA restaurant in the center of Varna, where they serve no less than 54 kinds of deliciously assorted sallads (and Zagorska, of course!) A (huuuuuge) sallad, a (huuuuge) Zagorska and a deliciuos slice of cake costs about 5 leva (2-2,5 euro!!). Now, thas what i call hospitallity.
A nice touch of local coluor was added by the stickers on the doors of bars and shops that worned against enterring with dogs and (get this:) guns!! Add to that the incident whitnised directly by me and my friends on a bulgarian (pictouresc) sea side road: a car in front of us literrally lost a wheel at a 100 km/h. The guy was actually lucky to remain allive.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment: