The Fragrant Jacaranda Trees of Pretoria

Word goes between the South African students that when the fragrant Jacaranda trees bloom in Pretoria it is time to start studying for the end of year exams…

27/10/202029/04/2022

Time Stands Still in Romania and Taking Kindly to It #Im4Ro

Time Stands Still in Romania, road to Vama Bran Castle

I am telling you, time stands still in Romania – or in any other place in the world, if one was born there. So let’s all take kindly to it.

We have snapshots saved in our mind, of trees in autumn or summer sunsets peeking between traffic, of old buildings and tramway rides, snapshots accompanied by scents and sounds. Lindens in bloom, snow crunching underfoot, hot summer dancing over asphalt, the first tram echoing in rhythm each morning. Easy to remember, yet forgotten until we spot the same place again, hear the same chime, or a scent washes over us, two decades later. Time stands still in the spot where one was born.

A Romanian saying goes like this: eternity was born in a hamlet. And how much truth lies in it…

25/10/202017/10/2021

Kinda Pink and Sunny Bougainvillea

It took almost eighteen years for our kinda pink, kinda magenta, yet (almost) always sunny Bougainvillea to grow from a small plant till it covered an area of approximately nine square meters.

I guess growing a bougainvillea flower (called bracts) is a matter of faith, although it is a drought-tolerant vine. For at least five or seven years after plating it, the bougainvillea was just a brown stick with leaves. But we hoped, forgotten about it, then hoped some more.

24/10/202029/04/2022

Corvin Castle, Kinda Historical Doors #Im4Ro

The solitary Corvin Castle hides many secrets and legends, all guarded by historical doors. If this is your first visit, then do open Corvin Castle’s most ancient door too, and read what stories this kinda old fortress inspires.

22/10/202029/04/2022

Kinda Old, Corvin Castle and a Story #Im4Ro

I discovered this picture I took looking out of the Kinda Old, Corvin Castle, and remembered the question that haunted me, what story do these old stones tell?