Recap

I've been having trouble with my laptop so I had a period where I couldn't use it, and then R fixed it, moved out all my photos and so I couldn't upload any on the blog and made me postpone posts.
 But now, we hope I'm good. I'm going to need it on my trip.

I finally caved in and bought a smart phone. It's the Motorola Moto G, the g spot as me and R call it. It's fairly new, came out a month ago and I can't find a proper case for it. I'm a bit ashamed to say I like it a lot. I'm just getting used to it, it's weird having internet all the time, wherever you go...
I chose it because it's the cheapest phone, but still very good. So, being the cheapskate that I am...I went for it. And have no regrets.

This cold weather we've been having has been a downer. I hope we manage to get to Hamak before it gets even colder. But people seem to don't want to go there. I bet it's beautiful this time of the year.

I got green-light to prepare for a year in Portugal, with the Erasmus program. If all the paperwork gets through and the rest of the things go well, I should be departing in a weeks' time. I am stressed and excited and nervous about an eventual plane crash. I hope I don't die on my way there. Also, not when I'll be back for Christmas in a couple of months. Then when I land there I can start stressing out about the rest of the things I have to do there. Like not fail my courses there.

Beyond stressing out about Portugal, I've been reading, watching movies, doing a bit of cooking, just the slightest bit... I've been watching a lot of Parks and Recreation episodes, they are so good. Re-watching one of my favorite movies ever: No Impact Man. I've mentioned this in a post a while ago. And it never gets old, or boring. I love it.

R's birthday is coming up this week and I plan to bake a few cookies for him to take to work and I can get on with that.  

 {Halloween decorations I found while thrift shopping - to dry out}

 {this and this recipe}

 {hot chocolate at Jassyro}

 {good girl talks + missing Nadia}

Long time no see

Hey, guys. I've been really lazy, with everything. So now I'm behind with stuff, as usual.

What is with this weather? It's like we're in December. Where are the sunny fall days?
I haven't been up to much lately, but we did get away last weekend to my hometown.

{R's gift from the guys/he loved it and abused it}

{zoo visiting - sad}

{man oh man}

{R's gift from the gals -book + sweet t-shirt}

{second night}

{wake-up view}

{Sucevita monastery + bad weather}

{Restaurant National - they had the special and it was great}

The trip was great and we had fun. I'm glad we did it. But it was kind of short and the weather didn't cooperate and we kind of ran out of money. Maybe a longer stay next time.

P.s. These photos gave me such a hard time when uploading.

Seen lately

{Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus '13}

 {Sleeping Beauty '11}

 {The East '13}

 {Take this Waltz '11}

 {2 days in NY '12}

{2 days in Paris '07}

Vacationing

{card / espresso}

{lozana}

{some great beach walks}

{dawn}

{sunrise - almost}

{finally}

{coffee I}

 {orange campari - not my cup of tea}

 {beach / mangalia}

 {m, architecture I}

  {m, architecture II}

  {m, architecture III}

 {IV}

 {V}

 {VI}

{VII}

 {corn - ridiculously expensive / a rip off}

 {coffee II/ Corsa yard}

 {loads of fast food stands everywhere}

 {Corsa - very bird friendly}

{Costinesti - long train station platform - with a view}

We've been back home for a couple of days now. The one week trip five day trip/ vacation to the sea side went well enough.

I just have a couple of notes on that:

* the beaches are crazy dirty/ there's trash everywhere you look

*the people are pretty annoying and uneducated/ loud and rude

 *our accommodation was not that amazing, I don't wanna sound like a cry baby, but I would not pay money for a week in our room. not even for a night. R kept reminding me not to have such high expectations, since it's free, and that we should enjoy it. The room was dark and felt a bit unsafe so we kind of kept the light on , a few times, while gone in the evenings. I hated our bedding. God, it was the worst. I know for a fact that the rooms had mismatched bedding, so I figured they could easily go through some second hand stores and get decent bedding, like seriously. Something with cotton. It felt like you were sleeping directly onto the mattress and then you had to cover yourself at night with this teensy one layer sheet and if would get really cold at night, you could cover yourself with the dusty old blanket they had in the closet. Disgusting. About this blanket thing; they had the same thing at Coroana 

in Brasov. We went there two years ago, late October, I think, and had the fortune to try out one of their rooms. Good space, great bathrooms, decent view. We're definitely going back there soon.

But still, the bedding. Although it was cotton and smelled way better (at Coroana), you still get the blanket. 

Oh well, maybe I'm too pretentious. Well, after the Coroana experience, having the Corsa experience was like a step down for me...

But all in all it was good. We got used to it after the first days.

We had those cards and the food isn't great there, so we  I spent most of my credit on coffee, cause they had an espresso machine and water and soda/ loads of plastic bottles--( which made it a very non-eco vacation and made me feel plenty of guilty/ but I did not find our bathroom water in any way drinkable, so we had no other choice) and on the occasional dessert/ ice cream.

We spent almost two days in Mangalia, which is at a  20 minute train ride away from Costinesti, were the beaches are better, way better. 

But there's really nothing to do there. So a week is really the perfect amount of time you want to spend at the seaside. Well, that's my opinion.