Transylvanian Beauty II

December 14, 2012 | patriciablaj

The beauty I’d like to share with you today is Brasov’s historical city centre. We’ve visited it during our class road trip around a month ago (I’m slow on posting I know, I know, shame on me). We were a bunch of hungover teens so we didn’t get a guide nor visit anything, we just took long walks and lazed around. Even though Brasov is surrounded by mountains and is supposedly a much colder place than my city, it’s been an amazingly warm day. It was sunny and at noon we even took our jackets off because it was too hot.

Here you can see The Black Church, which is pretty famous. Unfortunately we couldn’t go inside.

What amused me greatly was that on a mountain wrote Brasov, just like Hollywood in America. It’s nowhere near Hollywood’s grandeur, but it’s definitely a very pitoresque city. Iddly, narrow streets that reminded me of Rome, old buildings and I just fell in love with the mountains surrounding the city.

I wasn’t in the mood to dress up so I just wore jeans that day. I’m wearing my favourite shirt though, but still, nothing fancy.

My eternal issue: the zipper went berserk and it kept sliding down so once at ten minutes at most I had to stop and try to zip it back as subtle as possible. At one point I quit trying to be subtle, as you can see.

Thank you very much for reading! Have an amazing Friday night

Transylvanian Beauty

November 24, 2012 | patriciablaj

No, I have not met a hot vampire and convinced him do to an artistic nude photoshoot for me, just to clear out any misunderstandings A few weeks ago I’ve been in a road trip with my class to have some fun before out term papers and we visited a beautiful city called Brasov. On our way we stopped to visit a castle called Peles. Most of my classmates had been there before and said it was boring but I was spazzing (even if I had barely slept three hours the previous night) and my princess complex kicked in so you could only imagine how I was running around with a mad grin plastered to my face, photographing everything in sight. Sadly, it was rather cloudy and the sun was setting by the time we got there so the pictures didn’t turn out as well as I was hoping they would, but they still manage to capture the beauty I want to share with you.

The castle was up on a hill so we had to walk a little, but I didn’t mind. It was one of the last autumn weeks so the forest still looked as if it was on fire. Riveting beauty.

The Castle <3 Unfortunately we couldn’t go inside since it was being renovated but even so, it was worth it. It made me wish I was a princess. Or a maiden. Or a horse, really, anything to live there.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have a lovely day, no matter where or who you are Thank you for reading!

Of fear and beauty

November 20, 2012 | patriciablaj

When talking to friends, a lot of them wonder how come I hate traveling by plane. It’s proven to be the safest mean of transport, it’s fast and almost comfortable after all. I don’t know, to be honest. It just freaks me out, completely. Days before a flight I can’t sleep properly and before embarking I feel like crying and yelling and running back home no matter how exciting the place I’m supposed to go to is. I still can’t believe I resisted 16 hours on the plane when I went to Japan. They’re just shaky and cold and they fly, they fly. I think that’s what bothers me most, that I’m not where I’m supposed to be, that I can’t feel (nor see, for that matter) the earth beneath me. I hate traveling by boat too, so that must be it.

Despite my IhateplanesandI’mnevergettingoverit rant, there is something that makes it worth it. You know, that little special thing or outcome that makes everything we go through and hate it worth it. The sky.

I’ve been obsessed with the sky in as long as I can remember. Secretly, deep within me, a little part is looking forward for that plane trip so I can get lost in the clouds, or admire a sunrise or a sunset up close. There are breathtakingly beautiful views that can be seen from a tiny plane window. And when you’re there, left in awe, all the fear is gone. You’re flying, but you aren’t scared, you’re happy. The fear is gone (only to reappear the next time you’re about to go somewhere by plane :’D)

These I took during my last two plane trips, to Spain and to Crete. I hope you enjoyed <3 Have a nice evening and don’t forget to enjoy some beauty today!

I’ll only stay with you one more night

October 7, 2012 | patriciablaj

And after that one night, I’ll be greeted by the most beautiful sunrise. Or at least I hope so
As some of you know, I’ve been twice to the seaside this summer (the perks of having divorced parents). Mom took us to Palma de Mallorca and dad to Crete.

One of my favourite things at the seaside, except for the sea, obviously, are the sunrises. The sunsets are beautiful too, but I find sunrises a lot more romantic. The way the night turns into day, having to stay up or wake early to see them…it makes it all the more special. So, here we go: A Mallorcan and a Cretan sunrise!

The Cretan sunrise looks a lot more spectacular because I was lucky enough to catch some clouds around the sun, but there were incredibly beautiful sunrises in Mallorca too, but I was too sleepy to run to the beach, so I just enjoyed them wrapped in a blanket on the balcony.

Have you ever been to Crete or Mallorca? Would you like to? Thank you for reading and have an amazing day!

Inside a Japanese supermarket

May 27, 2012 | patriciablaj

Walking around Japan, you can spot convenience stores at every corner, there are so many of them my cousin said once that if a small red dot would mark a conbini on Japan’s map, it would all be red. But have you ever been inside a supermarket?

For I know I have only entered one during my second trip to Japan, out of curiosity. You can find what you need in conbinis most of the time, so there was no need to look for a supermarket. But I thought the way it’s organized is pretty interesting, so I’ll share. In my country all supermarkets are like a gigantic store with everything you need in it, but this one in Sapporo was the other way around! It was made out tens of small, individual shops. A lot of them offer freebies for eventual customers to taste and on of your Japanese friends told us a lot of people just walk around tasting freebies and that’s a meal

So many delicious cakes and crepes and sweets, my tummy is rumbling only as I’m seeing these pictures again ;~;

What are supermarkets in your country like? Have you ever been in one in Japan? Thank you for reading and take care!

Beautiful Japan: Tokyo, oh, Tokyo!

May 10, 2012 | patriciablaj

I’ve missed making a Japan photography post, so here it is! The last pictures taken in Tokyo before heading up north, to Sapporo. Most of the pictures in this post have been taken in Asakusa, Shinjuku and around Ginza, I think. I remember the moments as if it all happened yesterday, but sometimes you can’t quite put a name on a place. Has it ever happened to you?

Make a prayer in the city of sin.

The Asakusa Beer Hall, or casually known, the flying poop (or was it fart?). I was deeply amused when my Japanese friend pointed to it and explained, because I was just wondering inside my head if it would be rude to say what I thought it looks like. It’s supposed to be the burning heart of the Asaki beer, but well, you can see for yourselves.

We took a boat ride and reached the Shinjuku Gyoen (park)

Japan must have some amazingly skilled urban planners because the views are just breathtaking. Everywhere you go, there will be at least one sight you will never be able to forget.

Around Ginza. We were looking for an open restaurant to have some lunch before taking the train to Sapporo (with a brief stop in Aomori)

And a last glance back to the city that stole so many hearts from innocent travelers. I have to admit I didn’t fight much too keep mine, I just… left my heart in Tokyo

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Beautiful Japan: Sapporo, my love

April 23, 2012 | patriciablaj

As the title says, I fell in love with Sapporo. To be honest while traveling north I always kind of missed Tokyo and didn’t look forward to reaching Hokkaido’s biggest city. But oh, when we did! It was love at first sight!

I think I got attached to it because it’s roughly the same size as my hometown, rather small and somehow more welcoming and safe than huge cities such as Tokyo. It’s a lot harder to get lost and a lot easier to find your way around due to it’s street structure (blocks like in New York). All in all a clumsy people (me) friendly city!

In the picture above you can see the back of the Sapporo station. I found the starry clock on the building very beautiful.

If I can remember correctly these pictures were taken in the park close to Sapporo’s City Hall. Look how beautiful the lotuses are!

A really interesting thing about Sapporo is its underground mall. Me and my cousin had to wander a bit before finding it, but when we did I also stumbled upon the first Liz Lisa shop! I bought two beautiful dresses and a jacked and I fell in love with the shop staff’s style. There I discovered gyaru.

Here is the entrance on a typical Japanese shopping street. Narrow, cluttered with all kinds of shops and people, a mess. A beautiful mess, that is.

Thank you for reading! Have a beautiful day <3

Beautiful Japan: Still in Tokyo

April 12, 2012 | patriciablaj

A few of my favourite pictures from around Tokyo. I think the first two are from Tsukiji, Tokyo’s biggest fish market. I remember having lunch in a tiny sushi bar there and obviously having eaten the best sushi of my life. It was a salmon nigiri with melted cheese and onion flambe <3 I’ve just eaten before posting this but I’m hungry again!

The next few are from Asakusa, around the five storied pagoda

Here you can see the Tokyo Sky Tree, which back then was under construction. It will be opening in May, I think.

I was a bit appalled upon seeing the world’s famous ~evil~ sign on a pagoda in Asakusa. But then I decided to look more into it and found out this is the Asian swastika which has nothing to do with the Nazis, it’s been originated in the Indian culture long before Germany even existed. The name swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word svastikah, which meant being fortunate and it’s a symbol for compassion, luck, success and happiness. Pretty far from the feeling we get from seeing it nowadays…

Thank you fro reading! Take care!

Beautiful Japan: A new beginning

March 28, 2012 | patriciablaj

As the title predicts, yes! This is the start of a new series! A series in which I will share with you beautiful pictures and memories from my trips to Japan.

In the beginning I wanted to post about my trips day by day, but they are already more than two years old so, unfortunately, I can’t remember the events well enough in order to relate them. So I decided I’ll share my favourite images in no particular order with tiny insights about the places and my time there.

The picture above is taken on the train, on our way to Tokyo (from the airport). There are still many many small cities separated by rice fields which have these beautiful, slightly traditional houses.

Tokyo – on our way to Tokyo Tower.

There are so many architectural wonders in Tokyo, compared to my tiny city. Each building is different and beautiful in its own way.

This is in Ginza if I remember well, close to where our hotel was. It took us so long to find it and it was noon already, I remember whining as we kept walking on narrow streets, dragging my huge suitcase around.

This is in Asakusa, we were visiting the temple when our Japanese friends pointed to the Sky Tree. It will open in a few months and the Sky Tree will be the highest observation point in Japan.

Around Tokyo~

The troublemaker gang!

Special abilities: complaining about the heat, always hungry, pissing the adults off, wanting to do stuff completely different than planned, sneaking out of hotels at night.

What is the furthest place you’ve ever travelled to? Thank you for reading!

Around Tokyo: Shibuya!

March 17, 2012 | patriciablaj

I don’t think there is anyone who hasn’t heard about Shibuya at least in their lives! The famous crossing, the crazy shopping district, the busiest place in the wold~

I guess I am exaggerating a bit, but I can’t help it! I really love Shibuya. Such a lively, beautiful district~

I remember going in Shibuya for breakfast and eating Udon for the first time in my life. Then we walked aimlessly around the idle streets and snapped pictures of interesting buildings.

Another gem that we found: A temple. Hidden between two concrete buildings, old and new, holy and filthy. Filthy is a little bit rough I guess, but hey~