Entries Tagged as 'Open Road stories'

Some become monks, some just need a bike and a road

Some folks need to go to mountains and become monks to meet their destiny and understand the meaning of life. They need to separate themselves from the family and their possessions to be closer to God.

Some, just need a bike and the open road:

Trip to Corabia

Trip to Corabia

Trip to Corabia

Trip to Corabia

You just wake up on a Saturday morning and check the window to see if it’s a biking day. And it is. You grab something to eat. You dress up and go to the gas station to fill in. Then you open the map and decide where you would like to go today.

You pick a road that is far away from the crowd, and before you know it, you are heading out of town. You meet with other bikers on the way, but that doesn’t matter, because you take biking trips personal. So personal that you don’t want to share with anyone else. After an hour, you take the country roads and suddenly you are the … king of the road. Hill after hill, tree after tree you just keep on going - you don’t know yet what’s the final destination. There is nobody telling you where to stop, where to turn or what road to take.

After a while you stop to take a leak, and suddenly you realize it’s completely silent. Some birds in the distance. It’s spring and it feels warm like spring, it smells like spring. And there is nobody on the road with you -  you got everything for yourself, you don’t need to share this experience with anybody.

You get back on the bike, the four-in-line sounds like music. You start slowly and go hill after hill. You feel that’s the true meaning of the life - a bike and an open road. You think about your destiny and about things that matter to you in life. You just met God.

Trip to Nereju - like going back 100 years!

Well, truth to be said, I enjoy my new freedom (I’m separated) in a bikish style! Already put around 2500 KMs on my CBF600 this year and more to come as riding season just started.

And to continue with memories from my childhood yesterday I went to Nereju - it’s a very small village hidden in the mountains. It’s so hidden that it’s like going back 100 years - you will see why. Last time I’ve been to Nereju with my Grandparents about 20 years or so. Glad to see nothing was changed this time.

Here we go. First, the map.

You have to go to Focsani and then head West to Odobesti then some more. Both Focsani and Odobesti are very famous for the excellent wines - it’s a sunny place. (I’m very pissed of that I can’t find any good sites to show you the wines. I should do something about this… Lot’s of Romanian treasures don’t get enough exposure and that’s sad).

And now some pictures:

Trip to Nereju

Trip to Nereju

In case you are wondering, here is how a typical Romanian village looks like:

Trip to Nereju

Well, now, if you go to Nereju (or any other far away village) things look like this:

Trip to Nereju

Trip to Nereju

Trip to Nereju

Trip to Nereju

I think it’s hard to experience anything like this anywhere else in Europe! Real traditional life and you can smell cattle! Off-road experience? To the max! (well turns to be somehow painful on a street bike)

There is only one way to show you how much fun I had. Any biker will know that these are the signs of a good ride:

Trip to Nereju

Tulips Festival in Pitesti, Romania

This weekend I’ve been to the Tulips Festival in Pitesti, Romania. Back in ‘72 the Town Hall decided to plant a lot of tulips in all the public spaces and this is how the Festival started.

I’ve been to the festival several times some 20 years ago with my parents (God I’m already old!) and you have to imagine that back in those days (before democracy) the festival was really special because the florist would bring special plants there which we could hardly see somewhere else. The festival also signifies the start of the spring that’s why my childhood memories were so nice.

So on Sunday I went there, hoping it will bring back memories. I took some pictures:

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009

I have to say that now, these look quite normal and most of the people could do more or less the same in their backyards. But back in the days, this was awesome. Now, I’ve realized something else. Where are the Tulips? WTF!

Glad to see that the Town Hall at least kept the traditions and the public spaces where looking like this:

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009

Anyway, I actually did find something to be mentioned: at the third floor, local schools where exhibiting things manufactured by the children - and in some cases the money from the sales went to help the orphans schools and homes:

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009

By the way, did you know how the traditional Romanian wear is?

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009

And some handmade dishes and stuff:

Festivalul Lalelelor 2009