Croquette http://mihaisphotos.fotopic.net/ 5 rows en-gb 60 Two stupid cats! http://mihaisphotos.fotopic.net/c859420.html ... these are my two stupid cats, at home in Romania. I miss them a lot :-D Sunday 12 February 2006: ... these are my two stupid cats, at home in Romania. I miss them a lot :-D

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]]> Sun Feb 12 2006 February in Lund / Skåne http://mihaisphotos.fotopic.net/c858817.html Although some snow is still around, it seems we are preparing for spring here: the weekend was rather warm and sunny. Hence, Tinet & I mounted our rusty bikes and went out for a ride. Some 3km South of Lund is the old church of St Råby, constructed around the 13th century (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stora_R%C3%A5by_kyrka) (it is only the belfry that was constructed in the late 17 hundred). The tall pine-trees behind the church harbour a large, mafia-like family of owls that gave us 'the evil eye' while we were walking around the church. Eventually they flew off irritated... and we continued our tour towards the village of Bjällerup, and then back to Lund. The last three pictures feature Berni and Lars, the best cooks in and around Lund. Although they are excellent flat-mates, they pose a constant threat to my keeping in shape! Sunday 12 February 2006: Although some snow is still around, it seems we are preparing for spring here: the weekend was rather warm and sunny. Hence, Tinet & I mounted our rusty bikes and went out for a ride. Some 3km South of Lund is the old church of St R_by, constructed around the 13th century (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stora_R%C3%A5by_kyrka) (it is only the belfry that was constructed in the late 17 hundred). The tall pine-trees behind the church harbour a large, mafia-like family of owls that gave us 'the evil eye' while we were walking around the church. Eventually they flew off irritated... and we continued our tour towards the village of Bj_llerup, and then back to Lund. The last three pictures feature Berni and Lars, the best cooks in and around Lund. Although they are excellent flat-mates, they pose a constant threat to my keeping in shape!

Ready to go! Church of Råby Råby Råby Church of Bjällerup Church of Bjällerup Kanellbullar mmmm! Our garden in Lund

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]]> Sun Feb 12 2006 Söderåsen http://mihaisphotos.fotopic.net/c746874.html Located close to Lund, Söderåsen is one of the most beautiful national parks in Skåne. It is a horst - a block of rock that was trusted up by two steep-angled fault blocks, while the land around it subsided - that has resulted during the past 200 million years, when a series of faults developed in the bedrock of Skåne. The park's impressive landscape is characterised by steep valleys (tallus slopes), edgy rocks (i.e. 'gneiss') and abundant vegetation, which have resulted during at least for ice ages. Despite the predominant broad-leaved forest, even today the park displays many traces of a former tundra climate. The coloration of the forest in autumn in incredible: while the plateau above the fissure valleys is dominated by moss-lichen forest and beech trees, the forest on the slopes include birch, oak, rowan and linden. Since the dead trees are not removed from the forest, a natural ecosystem has specialised in making use of the trunks. For instance, one of the nicest picture features a 'family of white, glowing mushrooms' in a serious pose above a river. Another picture shows a purple mushroom of a kind that I have never seen before. Monday 31 October 2005: Located close to Lund, S_der_sen is one of the most beautiful national parks in Sk_ne. It is a horst - a block of rock that was trusted up by two steep-angled fault blocks, while the land around it subsided - that has resulted during the past 200 million years, when a series of faults developed in the bedrock of Sk_ne. The park's impressive landscape is characterised by steep valleys (tallus slopes), edgy rocks (i.e. 'gneiss') and abundant vegetation, which have resulted during at least for ice ages. Despite the predominant broad-leaved forest, even today the park displays many traces of a former tundra climate. The coloration of the forest in autumn in incredible: while the plateau above the fissure valleys is dominated by moss-lichen forest and beech trees, the forest on the slopes include birch, oak, rowan and linden. Since the dead trees are not removed from the forest, a natural ecosystem has specialised in making use of the trunks. For instance, one of the nicest picture features a 'family of white, glowing mushrooms' in a serious pose above a river. Another picture shows a purple mushroom of a kind that I have never seen before.

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]]> Mon Oct 31 2005 Sofiero & Helsingborg http://mihaisphotos.fotopic.net/c554575.html Sofiero & Helsingborg About 100 years ago Crown Princess Margareta and her husband, Gustaf Adolf, received as a wedding present from Sweden's King Oscar II and Queen Sofia the marvellous Castel 'Sofiero'. So far so good - the two young people were deeply in love and more than happy with their present. But when they arrived at the new residence, the two had a shock: the magnificent Sofiero was but a wreck, with foul, moulding walls, decaying floors and ceilings through which rain poured down on inhabitants. Legend has it that Margareta started to cry in dispair... Today the castle looks different, thank God! Margareta has laid the foundations of a splendid garden - the Sofiero royal garden, which includes more than 500 different types of Rhododendron and over 5000 different species of plants. Even though the Rhododendrons were not in bloom during my visit, I was still impressed by the garden. ---------------------------------- The last eight pictures (see also 'Next', below) are from the city and Castle of Helsingborg. Apparently it was this particular castle that, together with it's 'twin' on the Danish side (the Castle of Helsingor), have inspired Shakespeare to write 'Hamlet'. (Helsinborg / Helsingor / Elsinor). As to the question of wheather there was any Hamlet living in these places - a tourist guide informed me with a broad smile that visitors can find the grave of Hamlet in Helsingor. Yet, don't expect too much: it is the grave of a Great Dane (for sure it has been a brave dog!) that was burried there after Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' became famous. But as I've never been to Helsingor - you'd rather check that out by yourself. Thursday 26 May 2005: Sofiero & Helsingborg About 100 years ago Crown Princess Margareta and her husband, Gustaf Adolf, received as a wedding present from Sweden's King Oscar II and Queen Sofia the marvellous Castel 'Sofiero'. So far so good - the two young people were deeply in love and more than happy with their present. But when they arrived at the new residence, the two had a shock: the magnificent Sofiero was but a wreck, with foul, moulding walls, decaying floors and ceilings through which rain poured down on inhabitants. Legend has it that Margareta started to cry in dispair... Today the castle looks different, thank God! Margareta has laid the foundations of a splendid garden - the Sofiero royal garden, which includes more than 500 different types of Rhododendron and over 5000 different species of plants. Even though the Rhododendrons were not in bloom during my visit, I was still impressed by the garden. ---------------------------------- The last eight pictures (see also 'Next', below) are from the city and Castle of Helsingborg. Apparently it was this particular castle that, together with it's 'twin' on the Danish side (the Castle of Helsingor), have inspired Shakespeare to write 'Hamlet'. (Helsinborg / Helsingor / Elsinor). As to the question of wheather there was any Hamlet living in these places - a tourist guide informed me with a broad smile that visitors can find the grave of Hamlet in Helsingor. Yet, don't expect too much: it is the grave of a Great Dane (for sure it has been a brave dog!) that was burried there after Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' became famous. But as I've never been to Helsingor - you'd rather check that out by yourself.

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]]> Thu May 26 2005 Siberia-2003 http://mihaisphotos.fotopic.net/c403802.html Wellcome to my gallery! Some of the pictures that you see were taken with a 40-years old camera - a Praktica that belongs to my father. Nothing odd about that - if only the lenses would have functioned normally. Unfortunately, most of the time the aperture on my lens was deeply frozen, although we never experienced temperatures below ... -22Celsius! However, the Canon Powershot of my friend, Augustin, was not so picky about the cold, so we were able to return with sufficient photos. This collection contains both Augustin's and my photos. About the trip: For many years my friend and I had dreamt about going to Siberia. What seemed to be a faint dream became reality lin 2003, when we were finally mature and independent enough to embarked on this trip! We took a flight from Bucharest to Moskow, spent two nights in a student dorm with some joung and very friendly Russian students and then we took a Tupolev that flew us to Listvijanka, a little village not far from Irkutsk. Listvijanka is some 5200 km away from Moscow, and a deal further from Bucharest, my hometown. It's still unbelievable how wonderful everything about this trip was! Not only the pristine forests surrounding Listvijanka from three sides and ending at the blue waters of the Baikal, but also our return journey, tacking us back by train through a white, snow-covered Siberia! In Novosibirsk the parks were decorated with ice statues and children were sliding on huge ice-slides. Fire-crackers were ... exploding everywhere next to you, but this is something you get used to if you live in Bucharest. The people we have met were extremely kind and helpful, yet, our English was of little help. All in all, the trip was wonderful and hopefully I will return (soon enough) to see those unspoiled places again. Enjoy the pictures! Tuesday 18 January 2005: Wellcome to my gallery! Some of the pictures that you see were taken with a 40-years old camera - a Praktica that belongs to my father. Nothing odd about that - if only the lenses would have functioned normally. Unfortunately, most of the time the aperture on my lens was deeply frozen, although we never experienced temperatures below ... -22Celsius! However, the Canon Powershot of my friend, Augustin, was not so picky about the cold, so we were able to return with sufficient photos. This collection contains both Augustin's and my photos. About the trip: For many years my friend and I had dreamt about going to Siberia. What seemed to be a faint dream became reality lin 2003, when we were finally mature and independent enough to embarked on this trip! We took a flight from Bucharest to Moskow, spent two nights in a student dorm with some joung and very friendly Russian students and then we took a Tupolev that flew us to Listvijanka, a little village not far from Irkutsk. Listvijanka is some 5200 km away from Moscow, and a deal further from Bucharest, my hometown. It's still unbelievable how wonderful everything about this trip was! Not only the pristine forests surrounding Listvijanka from three sides and ending at the blue waters of the Baikal, but also our return journey, tacking us back by train through a white, snow-covered Siberia! In Novosibirsk the parks were decorated with ice statues and children were sliding on huge ice-slides. Fire-crackers were ... exploding everywhere next to you, but this is something you get used to if you live in Bucharest. The people we have met were extremely kind and helpful, yet, our English was of little help. All in all, the trip was wonderful and hopefully I will return (soon enough) to see those unspoiled places again. Enjoy the pictures!

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