Intrebare

Cu talpile goale
Arse de soare
Si sarutate
De valuri care acopera forma pasilor
Nelasand in urma nici ganduri, nici sperante,
Cu vantul la ureche
Soptindu-mi despre iluzorii castele de nisip
Si despre vesnicii indragostiti,
Cu luna-n par
Si mana stransa-n mana ta,
Nu-ti cer nimic.
Nici dragostea eterna,
Nici juramintele desarte...
Am doar o intrebare:
Vrei sa ne plimbam intr-o zi pana la capatul marii?

Chocolate, anyone?

On via Amanti no. 9, in Verona, you'll find a piece of Italian gastronomy that exceeds your expectations in terms of chocolate. 

Pistachios of Sicilia, almonds of Avola, hazelnuts of Piemonte and cocoa powder, all natural ingredients blended with passion by the sophisticated CIOCCOLATO ITALIANO, will spoil your mornings. They offer you to choose between six natural creams: Almond cream, Gianduja cream, Cacao cream (their chocolate version without milk), Pistachio cream, Hazelnut cream and Vegan cream (their chocolate version without milk and without sugar made by Piemonte hazelnuts, cocoa powder 35%, cocoa butter, rice starch, Stevia natural sweetener and soy lecithin). No fat added, no artificial flavoring, gluten free, oil free and no preservatives added! You can try all chocolate creams for free in the shop to decide which one you like the most. My favorite were Almond cream and Cacao cream. 

They sell 45, 200 or 400 grams jars (4,50 euro/jar, 10,50 euro/jar and 14,90 euro/jar) or you can choose between two flavor packs of 45 grams (10 euros), five flavor packs of 45 grams (22 euro), five flavor boxes of 200 grams (55 euros) or an insanely amount of five flavor boxes of 300 grams (75 euros).  

I kiss you all, and don't forget: "a balanced diet is chocolate in both hands". :)

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma

   "My point is this: never do anything because you have to. The only reason to do something is because you want to and because you know it is the right thing for you to do."

   "Spotting the pot of tea I had left on the table next to him, he started to pour into my waiting cup. He poured until the cup was full - but then he kept on pouring! Tea starting to trickle down the sides of the cup and into the saucer, then onto my wife's prizedPersian rug. At first I watched silently. Then I couldn't take it anymore.

    Julian, what are you doing? My cup is overfloating. No matter how hard you try, no more will go in! I yelled impatiently.

   He looked at me for a long moment. Please don't take this the wrong way. I really respect you, John. I always have. However, just like this cup, you seem to be full of your own ideas. And how can any more go in...until you first empty your cup?"  

   "Take a guess how many times the average four-year-old laughs in a day.

    Who knows?

   I do, three hundred. Now guess how many times the average adult in our society laughs in the course of a day.

    Fifty? I tried.

   Try fifteen, Julian said, smiling in satisfaction. You see my point? Laughing is medicine for the soul. Even if you don't feel like it, look in the mirror and laugh for a couple of minutes. You can't help but feel fantastic. William James said "We don't laugh because we are happy. We are happy because we laugh.""

Charming wind.

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can travel far away on the wind gusts. 

Nulle part ailleurs...

Name: Nulle part ailleurs (Bed and Breakfast)

Where: France, Provence, in the heart of Luberon

Village: Ménerbes

When: 15, June - 15, August (lavender bloom season)

Breakfast included: local products - seasonal fruits such as apricots, strawberries, melon and jam of apricots, plums, cherries, lavender honey is a must (absolutely delicious!), mini pastries, baguette, organic milk and yogurt, coffee, organic tea 

Facilities: amazing outdoor swimming pool, garden, terrace, BBQ, internet (you will not use it), shared kitchen, parking, Ayurvedic massage (you have to book an appointment)  

Bonus: PIANO (you can actually play the piano in the cosy library) 

Fact: children cannot be accommodated at the hotel but I can understand why; no offence for families that have and want to travel with children but this is a place one step away from heaven, you'll enjoy every single moment of tranquility, you'll enjoy reading your book in peace or listening to the sounds of cicadas, you'll dream with your eyes wide open, at night you'll look at the stars, you'll make love and drink wine...

The scent of Lavender, Provence

I've been in Provence for a long weekend and even if my body is back home, my mind and my heart are still there, dancing in the purple lavender fields, inhaling the scent, rolling over in the grass and learning the art of living...

This region has so much to offer and it is hard to describe everything and not forget something: lavender fields, apricot orchards, olive groves, vineyards on hillsides, cedar forests, regional parks, mountains, the most charming villages in France, truffles (80% of France national production), tons of butterflies and cicadas, Cavaillon melon, Carpentras strawberries and cherries and fine rose wine and so on... It is the garden of Eden! And on top of that visual image created here, Provence is about sounds and scents and feelings. It is a place where all your senses, even the numbest, will wake up and giggle.

    Place de l'Étang, Cucuron

    Ochre cliffs in Roussillon (The Ochre Trail)

    Abbaye de Senanque

If you want too see and smell the purple fields, you have to know that lavender starts blooming in June in the lower and warmer places and it goes until the end of August in the higher places when it's harvest time. I was surprised to hear that there are 150 species of lavender in the world. In Provence, all the beauty around comes from only two species: fine lavender and lavandin. The essential oil from the first is used to obtain luxury perfumes and in aromatherapy and the oil extracted from the second is used in common perfumes such as in soap or other household products. If you want to learn more about lavender, you could pay a visit to one of the many distilleries there (Les Agnels).
There are many itineraries in the lavender area in Provence and you can choose to see them by car, by motorcycle or by bike, whatever suits you. The area is also a paradise for walkers, cyclists and climbers. More information at Routes de la lavande or you can stop to any information office in the villages.
For beautiful scenery of lavender I can recommend you this itinerary: Sault - Aurel - Ferrassieres - Revest du Bion - Banon - Simiane la Rotonde - St Cristol. No matter what vehicle you drive, I can assure you that you'll stop very often on your way to constantly inhale the perfume and rediscover the delights of blossoming lavender... just relaaaax! Provence gives you this chance to have all the time that you need for yourself.

Sault, Manosque, Menerbes are beautiful villages.  However, Gordes and Roussilon built into the sides of the mountain range, only 40 km away from Avignon and about 80 km from Marseille airport (if you want to start your journey from the south), stole my heart. The ochre and stone facades bathing in the sun, the light blue, white or purple shutters, the narrow paved streets, the fountain and the church are all telling you the story of their history and their ancestors...

With its endless charm, small bistros and plazas and tranquil farmhouses that surrounded the village, it's no wonder that Gordes was just the perfect natural setting for films. Ridley Scott movie, A good year with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard was filmed here... and a lot of other great movies were born in this beautiful area called Vaucluse, in south of France (The Horseman on the Roof, Surviving Picasso, Swimming Pool, Jean de Florette or Manon de Sources).

What a wonderful world!