Artist's Trip to Suceava & Noncoincidence of the Day

Charles on his Suzuki in India

I am staying currently in Caminul Economica at FSEGA, the Faculty of Economics at Babeș-Bolyai University is Cluj-Napoca, Romania.  The Caminul is a modern dormitory in which the Faculty reserves a few rooms for visitors, and I am fortunate to be allowed to stay here as I have another conference to attend early in June.

This morning, I ate a good cold breakfast of Müsli with milk, sliced Romanian salami, and smoked cheese.  But this time, as opposed to my previous stays here, I have not retrieved the large box from Horațius' warehouse containing my "kitchen," and thus I have no way to boil water for coffee.  Dying for a coffee, and not up for spending the time to go to Iulius Mall for an overpriced coffee at Starbucks, I asked the doorman, "Unde este o cafea mai apropre de Economica?"  That was my best attempt at "Where is the nearest coffee?"  He came outside the front door with me, and indicated that I should hang a left at the first street.  Sure enough, there was a cafe (and beer garden) only one city block from the dorm.

On the patio were a young man who looked like a student, and a Romanian fellow of 50 or so.  While I was inside meeting Andrea, the waitress, and ordering "o cafea lunga," a young woman arrived and joined the student, so I sat down at the table with the man, who had waved to welcome me to a chair. We had as much of a conversation as I am able to have in Romanian, but it didn't go far, and he got on his telephone.  Then, the young girl, whom I had heard speaking with the lad in English, got up and left to go do whatever she had to do this Sunday morning.

So, I asked the lad if he wanted another coffee, and he accepted, and I changed to his table.  "Yes, I am a student here," he told me, introducing himself as Charles J.  de B., from Liege, Belgium. But, it turned out that Charles is studying not at UBB, but at the local university of art, studying painting.

Further conversation led to my learning that Charles has been living in many countries, and has visited many more, as his father is a diplomat.  He lived for several years in Mamaroneck, New York.  He and his brother traveled to India once, where they spent several months, and bought two motorcycles, a small Suzuki (above), and a Royal Enfield 350.  He is a biker.

I inquired about Charles' interests in art, and learned that he is a realist, who uses that style interpretatively (if there is such a word).  I told him about my having met Mihai Moroșan, and showed him a couple of my blog posts on Mihai and his work.

Moroșan Fresco at Biserica Putna

A great friend here has offered me a car for the weekend, so on Friday, Charles and I will drive to Suceava to introduce this budding painter to a fresco master of Christian iconography. Along the way, we shall see Voroneț, and perhaps Putna monasteries.

Ever wonder why I love Cluj?

Klaus in Klausenburg

Klaus

When I bought my 1993 BMW 520i back in 2008, I named him Klaus.  There was no special reason, though the name may have been in my mind because years before I had met two of Herr Schmid's Fellbach friends, one named Klaus and one named Claus.  But the reason became clear when I learned that Cluj-Napoca, Romania has a German name: Klausenburg.  Clearly, a non-coincidence.

Twenty year-old engine compartment?

Since that September, Klaus has done faithful service for Shirley and me on our visits to Europe, and occasionally for the Schmid family while staying with them in Fellbach between our trips.  He has starred already in this blog, when he had a missing gas cap cover up in Ocna Sugatag.  But now he has also had a little body work done to remove incipient rust damage, and has fresh oil and a new oil filter, and he is altogether handsome, and feeling fine.

On Friday morning, just two days from now, Klaus and I will again be heading west, back to Fellbach via Timișoara, and Covasinț, Romania, Tatabanya, Hungary, and Krems, Austria.  Klaus has only 119,000 Km on the odometer, roughly one-quarter of the 284,000 miles that Fritz, his older cousin in America, has on him.  I hope to own Klaus for years to come, either here in Europe, or perhaps he will one day emigrate to America!

Starmax.ro Field Session

 Our good friend Horațius Flueraș invited me to join him and his beloved Monica Z. to attend an astronomical field session at the observatory on a hill south of Cluj.  It was a partly cloudy night, but warm, and as it happened, the Moon, Venus and Saturn all appeared on cue, and delivered stunning images in the various telescopes present.

Horațius Flueraș, Ph,D,, is owner of the astronomical equipment firm found at www.starmax.ro, a leading distributor in Romania for telescopes and other equipment for amateur astronomers.  We stayed until it was dark, and saw amazing details on the moon, and a spectacular view of Saturn and its rings.  I was impressed by their clarity.

Normally the grounds of the observatory are kept locked.

A Transilvanian sunset.

Horațius Flueraș, PhD, of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

A variety of telescopes were brought to the event.

Our humble host exits the new amateur astronomers' shed that he helped to build.

Interior elescope mount.  Soon the largest telescope present was mounted here.

Mihai Boaca, a surveying engineer who takes his hobby, astronomy, quite seriously.

Florina at Sunset.

Smaller telescope, but still able to resolve the Moon's craters and mountains.

A 10-inch reflector model.

Our first views were of that half-moon.

Hey!  Who's watching whom?

That is more what we have in mind!

Components aligned in a homemade wooden frame.

The business end.

What is this I see going on?

Oh, Florina, florista frumoasa, picks wildflowers in the field.

This shot I should enter in a contest!

Skywatchers had much to admire, even here on Earth.

Shirl's and my beloved "niece," Monica Z.

 

What is it?  (Noboby was sure.)

Seara frumoasa!  (I just kept shooting.)

Finally, the bouquet was complete!  In her car, I got to hold it!

Andrea, another of Moni's friends.

Florina cu flore și apus de soare.

With flash...

and without.

With moon.

Interior Telescope on its mount.

Noapte bună, prieteni!