The Duom

If by chance you get to Milan, Italy please follow Dante’s pathway (Via Dante) and be sure you’re not gonna end up in Inferno this time. At the end of your journey you will be facing a beautiful Gothic cathedral for which took five centuries to complete, the famous Duom of Milan.

The cathedral was built in a number of contrasting styles and the reactions to it have ranged from admiration to disfavor.

In my guidebook the writers even included a quote from a letter Oscar Wilde wrote to his mother while visiting Milan in 1875: “The Cathedral is an awful failure. Outside the design is monstrous and inartistic. The over-elaborated details stuck high up where no one can see them; everything is vile in it”. But since “The portrait of Dorian Gray” disappointed me, I didn’t trust his rude words about the Duom. No sir, what you see in the middle of the piazza is an interesting, curious and impressive structure.

The statues, the sculptures are full with life and feelings. Sometimes I do not know if they guard the cathedral or if they are trapped in the walls without any chance of freeing themselves.

Enough with my romantic enthusiasm. All you need to know is that the roof is open to public and this allows you to have some amazing close-ups of the marmorean embroideries and the both frightening and lovely Gargui which otherwise would be unappreciated.

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Agonie si extaz

Dupa ce am petrecut 2 saptamani cu Michelangelo, aproape zi de zi in agonie sau pe culmile extazului, am fost foarte trista ca povestea si opera noastra a luat sfarsit. Nimeni n-a iubit marmura mai mult ca noi si nu i-a daruit suflet, dragoste si viata din noi.

In diminetile racoroase de toamna, in autobuzul spre birou, il sculptam impreuna pe David, faceam schite pentru Pieta sau mergeam sa discutam cu Papii despre noul nostru proiect iar serile, ah, serile pictam Capela Sixtina, ne gandeam la Contessina sau la Vittoria.

Irving Stone chiar m-a prins cum nici o alta scriere din ultima vreme nu mi-a adus atata bucurie. Agonie si Extaz este o carte remarcabila, dedicata unui artist extraordinar.

Este foarte emotionant sa traiesti si sa urmaresti cum se deruleaza viata lui Michelangelo Buonarroti, plina de creativitate, furie, dragoste, putere si motivatie pentru a duce la bun sfarsit ceea ce iubeste.

O viata intreaga este dedicata desenului, picturii, sculpturii si arhitecturii, mereu descoperind lucruri noi despre ceea ce poti face si cum poti aduce elemente dintr-o arta pentru a face lucruri minunate intr-o alta.

Felul in care poti crea oameni si vietati din marmura, cum poti face sa pulseze caldura, viata si dragostea intr-o constructie inghetata mi se pare remarcabil.

Si dupa ce am vazut cu ochii mei Pieta Rondanini a lui Michelangelo, aflata in Muzeul Castelului Sforzesco din  Milano, plus toti oamenii impietriti ce spirjina si decoreaza cladirile renasterii,  picturile si tapiseriile de dimensiuni extraordinare, imi dau seama ca artistii renasterii au trait, au mancat, au baut si-au respirat arta.

Donatello, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Francesco Granacci si sponsori  precum Lorenzo de Medici sau papa Iulius al II-lea sunt figuri importante a doua secole (XV-XVI) de istorie, religie si arta reuniti intr-o singura poveste despre spiritul uman si eterna cautare a frumosului si perfectiunii.

Cred ca n-am invatat nimic mai pretios in ultima vreme despre mine si despre ceilalti, ca ceea ce am desprins din paginile astea: sa ramai increzator si fidel scopurilor tale, sa-ti pastrezi pasiunea si daruirea chiar daca o lume intreaga iti este impotriva. Exista cicluri si ce nu te omoara chiar te face mai puternic pentru ca, universul chiar conspira la indeplinirea planurilor tale iar uneori nici nu-ti dai seama de cat de importanta va fi contributia ta la bunul mers al lucrurilor.

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Russian puppy

Churches, bridges, statues, castles and fruits are always welcome but have you ever got a puppy in the mail-box? Not an ordinary one but a Russian puppy?

I did.

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Autumn in West Virginia

I was looking for the summer together with Chris Rea when all of a sudden summer was here and didn’t wanted to leave anymore.

Now thanks to Julie autumn came and took her place.

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Finland always surprising

Cards from Finland are always a nice surprise, they always show me something worthwhile going to see with my own eyes. And I truly hope I’ll get there someday soon.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying these:

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Scotland

I always thought Scoltland would be a beautiful place for sightseeing and also for peace and relaxation. Looks like I was wright.

Top left  – Loch Fyne, Argyll

Bottom left – Loch Momond

Full right – Loch Tummel, Perthshire

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The Grand Canyon

This is the Grand Canyon in the morning before a snowstorm someday in November of 2005 by Oscar G. Moreno.

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Espagna – Malorca

Jose took me to Malorca on a Friday night.

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Where have I been lately

Thank you for being Sunday, for raining and finally having some time to bring this Stardust back to Earth. My new and first job ever (if being a student is not a real job) is taking over my life and I don’t like it at all (this fact, not the job).

My whole day to day schedule is different from the one I had for the past 23 years of my life and I’m trying my best to adjust and keep the same priorities as always;

This means I’m reading my books and listen to music on the bus to and from work and sometimes in the evening, I’m writings my cards only on Sundays and exceptionally during the week if I have private swaps, I watch my tv series only after I have a bunch of  episodes so I can have them one after another and all this because my spare time left is used for nothing more beautiful and true than Sleep. Yes, sleeping is a blessing.

The only thing I miss is creating jewelry and collages. I have no inspiration lately for none of this. Ahhhh….

Now, moving to the important things, here’s some cards I received lately but didn’t got the chance to post ’cause my camera broke down and I needed to buy another one. Enjoy the ones above.

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Tattoo

Ca tot povesteam mai demult despre Michelangelo Electric, iaca-ta-ma intrata pe mana unui Michelangelo brasovean.

Pasiunea mea pentru arta tatuajului a capatat contur in sfarsit si pe corpul propriu, dupa ce in ultimii 4 ani mi-am tot spus ca la un moment dat voi face si pasul acesta cand voi gasi ceva care sa ma inspire si sa ma multumeasca suficient incat sa-l port cu mine tot restul vietii.

Si cum designul a fost ales, a urmat cautarea artistului.

Am vrut sa fie din Brasov si sa-mi placa nu numai tehnica si talentul ci si locul in care-si desfasoara activitatea.

Astfel din doua saloane bine cunoscute am ales EliTattooStudio.

Recunosc, faptul ca si-au renovat si site-ul si salonul in intervalul in care eu cautam sa ma redescopar a contat mult.

Asa am ajuns ca intr-o dimineata de sambata sa-mi las pielea pe mana lui Gabi Tomescu, fotograf profesionist de obiecte motorizate aflate in miscare si artist tatuator.

Intreaga experienta a fost peste asteptari: o locatie faina, ceva piscaturi (nici vorba de durere), o mana usoara (cam ca a dentistului meu) si sfaturi practice de ingrijire a “artwork”-ului.

Daca va ganditi vreodata sa va pictati inima si sa va pictati sufletul iar Brasovul e in drumul vostru, ii puteti face o vizita lui Gabi. Sunt sigura ca va fi pe placul vostru.


P.S. Si cu asta am taiat si primul lucru de pe bucket list-ul pe care l-am facut de curand.

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Nurnberg – Germany

I’m starting today with Nurnberg ’cause reminds me of my recent trip to Sighisoara and Rasnov Citadel.  Bjom, the person who send it to me, is wondering why people in Romania have such long addresses. One main reason can be that some of us live in blocks of flats and we have a number for the street, one for the block, another one for the flat and so on.

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