Back home in Timisoara

Back home, and back to the blog! (Tony on his Krakow Birthday; more Krakow pictures coming soon.)

More Sibiu colors

I took these in the eveninng.

Sibiu is in the mountains, and the air is remarkably clear.

It really is an extraordinary place.

Sibiu Sparkles

We went back to Sibiu this week. We first went there in 2002, when Debra had a Fulbright. But this was our first visit since the city was refurbished. It was the European Cultural Capital in 2007, and all the attention has really made the city shine. This is the Piata Mare, the big square.

Many old houses in Sibiu have these very distinctive attic windows. They call them the "eyes of Sibiu."

A tiled roof that's part of the Evangelical Church.

And here's Strada Balcescu, leading up to Piata Mare. We had such a great time, and I have so many wonderful pictures of Sibiu. I'll try to do another Sibiu post before we leave this Sunday for Krakow.

(By the way, none of these pictures have been photoshopped. These gorgeous colors are "real"--or at least as real as my digital camera recorded.)

Spring comes (for real) to Romania

The fountain has begun to spray water.

Things are beginning to bloom.

A sort of Easter Market has spring up in the Piata Victoriei.

And terasas (outdoor cafes and restaurants) are everywhere.

Student Symposium at the University of the West

This week, the students at the University (mostly the M.A. students in English) gave a symposium in which they presented their work and generously invited us to give plenary papers.

(Tony, getting ready to deliver a paper on American poetry.)

(Debra making a point about something or other; picture by Andre.)

And to top it all off, the students prepared this gorgeous and delicious lunch for all of us. Romanian conferences showcase hospitality like no other place I've ever been.

Ustroi are us

They may look like onions or scallions, but they are actually little baby garlics. Ustroi!

This is one of the biggest treats we remembered from our first visit to Romania, and we've been eagerly waiting for them to appear in the market. They cost about $.30 a bunch (that's 30 cents) and are pretty much unattainable at home.

I sliced them thin, sauteed in olive oil, put them over pasta, and sprinkled a little parmesan. Absolutely delicious.

What are you looking at?

I have been going for walks, wandering neighborhoods, scrutinizing buildings, and taking pictures. Several times people have stopped and asked me "what are you looking at?" (Or at least I think this what they asked me; I don't really speak Romanian.) A good friend also recently asked me "why are you so interested in architecture?" And I didn't really know how to answer him. So I'm embarking on a project in which I'm trying to figure out what I'm looking at and why whatever it is that I'm looking at is so appealing (actually at present so fascinating).