As the title says, this is our favorite place for great, homemade traditional Romanian food. Opened in 1970, the restaurant is the only one who survived the new times in downtown Cluj Napoca. Over the years this restaurant was the favorite place for many locals and not only. No visit here in the heart of Transylvania is complete without a traditional "Cabbage a la Cluj", refried beans with smoked ribs and of course, the great "Varga Beles" desert, or a macaroni and sweet cheese casserole. Yummi!
*****************************************************************************************
Clujenii nostri isi mai amintesc cu siguranta de renumita "Varzarie". Este locul nostru favorit unde savuram cu placere o mancare romaneasca traditionala. Deschis in 1970 restaurantul central este singurul care a supravietuit din "epoca de aur" si pana azi, ramanand locul favorit al localilor si nu numai. Anul trecut restaurantul a fost renovat si largit in totalitate, iar acum are un aer de bistro parizian foarte atragator. Nici o vizita la Cluj nu este completa fara un pranz aici, la o traditionala "Varza a la Cluj" sau o fasole frecata cu costita afumata, si nu in ultimul rand un "Varga Beles".

First of all, sorry for the quite atmosphere around this blog lately. We promise to come back with more stories and pictures very soon. As many of you know, we spend almost 2 months in Romania in our native city Cluj Napoca. We enjoyed to meet friends and relatives, we shared dinners and long conversations with loved ones, and not at least eat lots of Romanian food. We joined few anti government manifestations, we had great local brewed Ursus beer, cabbage at a famous local landmark restaurant, and saw a great skating show performed by great Russian artists at National Theater. Now, back in Spain we are trying hard to shed those few extra pounds brought back with us .
***************************************************************************************
In primul rand, scuze pentru atmosfera "linistita" din jurul acestui blog in ultimul timp. Promitem sa ne intoarcem foarte curand cu povesti si poze mai multe. Asa cum multi stiti, am petrecut aproape 2 luni in Romania in orasul nostru natal Cluj Napoca. Ne-a placut sa ne intilnim cu prieteni si familie, sa impartim mese si lungi conversatii cu cei dragi, si nu in ultimul rand sa savuram o gramada de mancare traditionala romaneasca. Ne-am alaturat catorva demonstratii antiguvernamentale, am baut bere locala Ursus, am mancat varza "a la Cluj" la traditionala varzarie din centru, si am vazut un spectacol fenomenal de patinaj sustinut de artisti sovietici la Teatrul National. Timpul a trecut repede si iata-ne din nou in Spania incercand din greu sa dam jos cele cateva kg in plus aduse cu noi inapoi acasa

Here we are, closing down of another busy year...."already ?" many of us would ask. It's been a great year, with happy moments and memories, with lots of friends stopping by over the summer, new great recipes tried for the first time, and not at least with countless blessings from life of being together an happy. Thank you for stopping here and see you in 2012!

P.S. We promise to post more in the next year, so don't give up on us and check our blog once in a while.
***********************************************************************
Iata-ne din nou incheind un alt an ocupat...."deja?" multi dintre noi se vor intreba. A fost un an grozav, cu multe momente fericite si amintiri dragi, cu o multime de prieteni care ne-au vizitat peste vara, cu o gramada de retete gatite pentru prima data, si nu in ultimul rand cu bucuria de a fi impreuna si fericiti. Va multumim ca sunteti cu noi aici pe blog si sa ne vedem cu totii in 2012!

P.S. Promitem mai multe posturi la anul, deci nu ne parasiti si mai popositi pe la noi pe blog din cand in cand.

While in the US last month one of us had the chance to visit 9/11 Memorial. 10 years ago, ground zero was a smoking pile of rubble. I will never forget the smell and the sound of that tragic place. Today is a place of serenity, with two sunken pools ringed by bronze plaques engraved with the names of the nearly 3,000 victims. Two 30-foot-deep pits are standing on the exact spots where the World Trade Center's twin towers stood. Water cascades into the two voids, evoking the dust cloud that accompanied the towers' fall. The nearby One World Trade Center,once called the Freedom Tower,it's on its way to becoming the tallest building in the U.S. at 1,776 feet — higher even than the twin towers.
*****************************************************************
In timpul unei vizite in Statele Unite luna trecuta, unul dintre noi a avut ocazia sa viziteze Memorialul 11/9. Acum ceva mai mult de 10 ani, "zona zero" era doar o uriasa gramada fumeganda de moloz. Nu voi uita niciodata mirosul si zgomotul acelui tragic loc. Azi insa, este un loc seren de reculegere, cu doua bazine uriase ingropate si inconjurate de placi de bronz cu numele celor aproate 3.000 de victime. Doua adancituri uriase de peste 9m stau in exact acelasi loc unde cele doua turnuri au stat odata. Cascade de apa cad liber in cele doua abisuri, simbolizand norul de praf care a insotit prabusirea "Gemenilor". Alaturi, "One World Center" (inca in contructie) si odata numit "Turnul Libertatii" este pe cale sa devina cel mai inalta cladire din SUA cu peste 500m inaltime, mai inalt decat au fost odata cele doua turnuri gemene.

World Trade Center in construction

By 2020 the New World Trade Center will look like this:
Pana in 2020 New World Center va arata asa:

Many things have changed around the house in the past few years...And because we are the "Before and After" chapter, this time we are showing you our green house. We have to admit it's our favorite hangout place, spending many days and nights here talking politics around the hot ceramic teracota , surfing the net, reading a book or just snoozing during siesta.
****************************************************************************************
Multe lucruri s-au schimbat in jurul casei in ultimii ani. Si fiindca tot ne aflam la capitolul "Inainte si dupa" de data asta va aratam sera noastra. Trebuie sa recunoastem ca este locul nostru favorit din casa unde petrecem multe zile si nopti discutand politica linga teracota incalzita, butonind computerele, citind sau doar dormind in timpul siestei.

2007 Just a outside storage behind the house.
2007 doar un loc de depozitare in spatele casei

2008 Getting there...
2008 Aproape de final...

2011 Our favorite hangout place
2011 Locul nostru favorit din casa

Our latest acquisition, wood burning teracota.
Ultima noastra achizitie, o teracota pe lemne

This is our mighty mandarin tree. As you can see in the pictures, just few years ago, the tree was just a small "wanna be" mandarin tree. Today, after few years of TLC, it looks much different, isn't it just beautiful? Not to mention the juicy and sweet fruit it bears. Casita facade has changed also, we replaced the rose bushes with lavender, geraniums and English ivy plants. Enjoy the pictures, sure we are going to enjoy the mandarins...
***********************************************************************************
Asta este mandarinul nostru cel vajnic. Acum catva ani, asa cum vedeti in poze, mandarinul nostru era doar un pomisor cu ambitii mari. Azi, dupa catva ani, si dupa atentie si ingrijire din partea noastra pomul nostru fructifer arata total diferit. Asa ca e frumos? Sa nu mai mentionam fructele zemoase si dulci pe care le ofera. Fatada casitei s-a schimbat si ea, am inlocuit trandafirii cu lavanda, muscate si iedera englezeasca. Savurati pozele ca noi vom savura cu siguranta mandarinele...

It is impossible not to get a little depressed when we realized it's already fall here at "El Mirador" and another summer has passed bye so quickly. After a very busy summer with lots of visiting friends, good laughs, tasty diners, funny jokes and hot summer days and nights watching the view from the terrace, it's that time of the year again when it's very quite around here. Plants are loosing their leaves getting ready for the cold season, the singing birds are gone and the surrounding bone dry hills and mountains are waiting patiently for the long rainy days of winter. The must is getting ready to become wine, the pantry is filled with preserves and like allways plenty of work to do around the house.
*******************************************************************************************************
E imposibil sa nu te deprimi un pic cand realizezi ca e deja toamna aici la El Mirador, si ca a mai trecut inca un sezon estival. Dupa o vara extrem de ocupata cu vizitatori, risete pe cinste, cine copioase udate cu vin, glume si bancuri, nopti si zile calduroase privind privelistea de pe terasa, s-a asternut linistea in jur. Plantele au inceput sa-si piarda frunzele, pregatindu-se de iernat, pasarile cantatoare s-au dus iar muntii si dealurile uscate ca iasca asteapta cu rabdare zilele lungi si ploioase de iarna. Mustul se pregateste sa devina vin, camara e plina de conserve, si ca de obicei este suficient de lucru pe langa casa.

Few days ago, together my my dear friends from U.S. M&J spend few hours in the very picturesque village of Comares. We promise to return with more pictures from this very one of the kind place, but until then, here are two great shots taken by my girlfriend Michelle. The story behind these photos is very funny. We were resting on a bench by the only convenience store around, when this friendly calico cat decided to hide and play under my skirt. I asked Michelle to take a shot of the cat and the result was a very colorful one.
********************************************************************************************************
Acum cateva zile,impreuna cu prietenii mei din USA, M&J am petrecut cateva ore in acest sat foarte pitoresc numit Comares. Promitem sa ne intoarcem cu mai multe poze din acest loc unic, dar pana atunci, va oferim doua poze minunate facute de prietena mea Michelle. Povestea e foarte simpatica. Ne odihneam cu totii pe o banca langa singurul magazin alimentar din sat, cand o pisica foarte prietenoasa s-a decis sa se ascunda si sa se joace sub fusta mea. Am rugat-o repede pe Michelle sa faca o poza si rezultatul a fost o poza foarte colorata...

Last week we paid a visit to the "Virgen de la Oliva Cooperativa" nearby Mollina to buy some grape must(from the Latin vinum mustum, “young wine”) is freshly pressed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. As you can see from the pictures, the harvesting was in full process with many local farmers bringing their grapes to the giant processing plant. What a great experience we had and what a great deal we made...65 eurocents/litre. For now the "grape juice" is fermenting and will let you know about the results, sometimes in November.
**********************************************************************************************************
Saptamana trecuta, am facut o vizita Cooperativei "Virgen de la Oliva" langa Mollina sa cumparam must. Dupa cum se poate vedea din poze, campania agricola de cules struguri era in plina desfasurare cu multi fermieri locali aducandu-si recoltele la fabrica uriasa de procesare. Ce experienta grozava am avut si ce afacere grozava am facut...la 65 eurocenti/litru. In momentul de fata "sucul de struguri" bolboroseste in legea lui, si va vom tine la curent cu rezultatele, candva in noiembrie.

We haven't posted for some time pictures of our sleeping cats. It's summer, hot, sunny and more than never our cats are sleepy and lazy. Ah, we have to mention this happens only day time, at night they turn into ferocious hunters.
***************************************************************************************************************
Nu am postat cam de multisor poze cu pisicile noastre dormind. E vara, cald, insorit si mai mult ca niciodata pisicile noastre somnoroase si lenese. Ah, trebuie sa mentionam ca dorm numai in timpul zilei, noaptea devin vantori feroce.

The princess and the pea / Printesa si bobul de mazare

<

As many of you know, we live in country side. We love our life here, our neighbors, friends and not at least the abundance of our vegetable garden. This year with hard work and sweat we asked for the first time the land to be generous with us, and as you can see it has been. Our wise neighbor Antonio, told us one time: "Si cuidas tu tierra, tu tierra te cuida a ti" - "If you take care of your land, the land will take care of you" how right he is!
***********************************************************************************************************
Asa cum majoritatea stiti, traim la tara. Iubim viata noastra aici, vecinii, prietenii si nu in ultimul rand, gradina noastra de legume. Pentru prima data anul acesta cu munca multa si sudoare am rugat glia sa fie generoasa cu noi, si asa cum puteti vedea a fost. Inteleptul nostru vecin Antonio, ne-a spus odata: "Si cuida tu tierra, tu tierra te cuida a ti" sau cu alte cuvinte, "Daca ai grija de pamant, pamintul va avea grija de tine". Si cata dreptate are!

Every year, the village flamenco association "Olla Flamenca" hosts a great concert. This year the artists Juanito Villar and Juan Moneo enlightened us with great passionate music, and the host association with homemade traditional food. We had a great night and we are planning to go next week to the next concert, the 40th edition of "Cante grande de Casabermeja". More information in this link.
*********************************************************************************************
In fiecare an, asociatia de muzica flamenco a satului "Olla Flamenca", este gazda unui concert local. Anul acesta, artistii Juanito Villar si Juan Moneo ne-au incantat cu muzica pasionala si minunata, iar membrii asociatiei cu mancare de casa traditionala. Am avut o parte de o seara minunata, iar saptamana viitoare planuim sa mergem la urmatorul concert de muzica flamenco, a 40-a editie a faimosului "Cante grande de Casabermeja". Mai multe pe acest link

Bretagne oysters

Zucchini casserole / Musaca de dovlecei

Baked Turbot / Calcan la cuptor

...and everyone was happy.....

"The first gatherings of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like a mother about her baby - how could anything so beautiful be mine. And this emotion of wonder filled me for each vegetable as it was gathered every year. There is nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling,
as gathering the vegetables one has grown".
- Alice B. Toklas
Here we are introducing you our vegetable garden.

This year, one of our fig trees decided to overwhelm us with fruit. Few days ago we picked more than 10 lb of fully ripped, sweet and delicious figs. We decided to make a tasty warm pie and absolutely out of this world fig ice cream. As you can see, we weren't the only ones to enjoy this culinary fiesta...
*****************************************************************************************************8
Anul acesta, unul dintre smochinii nostri din curte, ne-a coplesit cu fructe. Acum cateva zile, am cules aproape 10 kg. de smochine delicioase, dulci si coapte la maxim. Ne-am decis sa facem o placinta calda si gustoasa, si inghetata, care a iesit absolut dementiala. Dupa cum veti vedea, nu am fost singurii care au savurat aceasta fiesta culinara.

After keeping the Jeep under the covers all winter long, we finally took it out into the country roads. We mean, "REALLY COUNTRY ROADS". As some of you know, we are very fortunate to live in a middle of a "off road paradise" (besides many other paradises) and for the past few weeks (more exactly in week-ends) we drove picturesque paths, made new friends, and smelled gorgeous plants and flowers. We took many pictures, and it was really hard to choose just few.
********************************************************************************************************
Dupa ce am tinut Jeep-ul sub prelate toata iarna, l-am scos in sfarsit pe drumuri de tara. Adevarate "DRUMURI DE TARA". Asa cum catva dintre voi stiu, suntem extrem de norocosi sa locuim in mijlocul unui paradis "off road" (asta pe langa multe alte paradise) si pentru ultimele cateva saptamani (mai exact in week-end-uri) am strabatut drumuri pitoresti, ne-am facut noi prieteni si am mirosit plante si flori minunate. Am facut o multime de poze si a fost foarte greu sa alegem doar cateva sa vi le aratam.

Our off road best friend and buddy / Prietenul si camaradul nostru de drum

Our village's mascota / Mascota satului nostru

Man made or God made?

Abandoned farm houses / Ferme abandonate

Our village (Can you find our house?)/ Satul nostru (puteti gasi casa noastra?)

We meant country roads, REALLY country roads / Am spus drumuri de tara, ADEVARATE drumuri de tara

We made new friends / Ne-am facut prieteni noi

Some more curious than others / Unii mai curiosi ca altii

PRICELESS / FARA DE PRET

While in Rome last week we discovered by chance this amazing place. "Palazzo del Freddo" (the Cold Palace) first opened in 1880 and claims to be the oldest and largest gelateria in Italy. The shop is worth a visit: the ice cream is still made the traditional way, prices are low and servings are generous, not to mention the exotic flavors and tastes, and many kinds of ice creams offered for sale. As a curiosity, this is the only one store in Rome, while in Korea, the company has 82 (hey cousin from overseas, did you try their goodies yet?)
So, to make the long story short if you are in Rome, please pay a visit to this place, but not in the last day of your visit because we are sure you'll be back for more, like we did. For more info and address,
http://www.palazzodelfreddo.it/
****************************************************************************************************
Aflandu-ne la Roma saptamana trecuta am descoperit acest loc fabulos intamplator. "Palazzo del Freddo" sau tradus "Palatul Frigului" a fost deschis in 1880 si se spune ca ar fi cea mai veche si mare gelateria din Italia. Gelateria merita o vizita fiindca inghetata este facuta in mod traditional, pretul este accesibil, iar portiile generoase sa nu mai mentionam aromele, gustul si nenumeratele feluri de inghetata oferite spre vanzare. Ca si curiozitate, acest magazin este singura local al companiei din Italia, dar in acelasi timp in Coreea sunt 82 (hei varu-meu de peste mari si tari, ai incercat inghetata lor extraodinara?) Sa nu mai lungim vorba deci, daca va aflati in Roma, faceti o vizita locului dar nu in ultima zi de vacanta fiindca va veti reintoarce pentru si mai multa inghetata asa cum am facut-o noi. Pentru mai multe info si adresa, uitati-va aici
http://www.palazzodelfreddo.it/

Variety list / Lista cu varietatile

Waiting on line / La coada

Are you drooling yet? / Salivati deja?

Chestnuts and oranges ice cream / Inghetata de castane si portocale

Pistachio, walnuts ice cream / Inghetata de fistic si nuci

Since moving here to "El Mirador" roses have been the most challenging plants in our garden. We made mistakes, we learned sometimes the hard way (loosing over 20 plants a year ago) but we never gave up the hope that one day will get the roses we always wanted to have. It seems that our persistence has paid off this year, and here are some pictures of some of our GORGEOUS roses.
********************************************************************************************************
De cand ne-am mutat aici la "El Mirador" trandafirii au fost plantele care ne-au pus la incercare rabdarea si talentele de gradinari. Am facut greseli, am invatat luiind drumul mai greu (am pierdut peste 20 de tufe acum un an)dar nu am renuntat la speranta ca intr-o zi vom avea trandafirii pe care ni-i dorim. Se pare ca persistenta si insistenta noatra au dat roade anul acesta iar aici sunt cateva poze cu SUPERBII nostri trandafiri.

RICHELIEU

JULIO IGLESIAS

LOLITA LEMPICKA

GLORIA DEI

PAPA MEILLAND

AUGUSTA LUISE

AVE MARIA

BERLIN

Today, we felt the summer in the air. We took advantage of our new granite stone grill and had a first class lunch, surrounded by our beloved dogs waiting patiently for the leftovers.
*********************************************************************************************
Azi, am simtit vara in aer. Am profitat de noul nostru gril de granit si ne-am gatit un pranz de prima clasa, inconjurati de cateii nostri iubiti, care au asteptat rabdatori resturile pranzului.

Our menu: stone grilled lamb, savory mashed potatoes, curried carrots, cucumber salad with yogurt and of course a bottle of Rioja 2007 Crianza. Everything just divine, believe us.
********************************************************************************************************
Meniul nostru de azi: miel prajit pe piatra, cartofi piure cu ierburi aromate, morcovi in sos de curry, salata de castraveti cu iaurt, si binenteles o sticla de vin Rioja 2007 Crianza. Totul a fost divin, credeti-ne pe cuvant.