Scari de bloc in Militari

The entrance in apartment buildings in Western Bucharest







Ferentari, July 2017

Ferentari at sunset, on a stormy Tuesday in July.


Berlin, July 2017


I went on this Berlin trip with Robert and Liina. We arrived at noon, last day of June, and we had a beer at the airport. The streets in Neukölln, where we stayed for ten days, were filled with the smell of linden trees, which was unexpected and beautiful. In Bucharest, linden trees go into blossom in late-May. I somehow forgot that Berlin is a Northern city, where days last forever in summer. It was so bright at 6pm, like the day was about to start. No glance of afternoon or sunset. The light was still strong and vibrating at 9pm, and I felt like I was high. My plan was to visit some of Berlin’s lakes. I first went to Krumme Lanke, with Robert, then to Müggelsee and Plötzensee by myself, and to Liepnitzsee with Liina and Zveti. The water was a bit cold, but somehow it’s really rewarding to swim in a cold water, surrounded by forests. And when you get out of the water, you feel strong and free. I didn’t get very nostalgic to see Berlin again, except for when I went to the Botanical Garden. It was late in the afternoon, and it was the most beautiful light and smell, golden and mild, with so many perfumes. As I was resting near some lavanda flowers, a fox showed up. It made me really happy to see her, so I followed her a bit, and took some pictures of her. A woman working at the Botanical Garden told me that there is a family of five foxes living there. It was almost closing time, so I had to leave. I came across another employee, preparing to leave. He had a beer in his hands, like everybody in Berlin.