Short history of half-marathons

The Roma-Ostia Half-Marathon sparked my curiosity about the race distance's history, which traces its origins back to the marathon, rooted in the legend of Pheidippides. The modern marathon debuted in the 1896 Olympics, with the official distance set at 42,195 meters during the 1908 Olympics. The half-marathon's history is less clear, beginning in the 1960s, gaining popularity after being included in the 1992 World Athletics Road Running Championships. With over 2 million participants in 2019, the half-marathon's appeal continues to grow.

Remembering George Enescu: Stories of Humanity and Art

George Enescu, a Romanian musical genius born in 1881, was a composer, conductor, and violinist. Known for his exceptional talent and teaching, he inspired many, including Yehudi Menuhin. Enescu's profound humanity shone through his acts of kindness during difficult times, enriching the lives of those around him while promoting Romanian culture.

Summer traditions from Krakow

Krakow, Poland's top tourist spot, hosts fascinating events in June. The Great Dragon Weekend features a dragon-themed parade and puppet show. Wianki, a midsummer festival, involves rituals like wreath-making, water activities, and bonfires. The Lajkonik Parade honors a 700-year-old tradition with music and medieval costumes. These unique traditions make Krakow a must-visit in June.

Revolution songs from the previous century

The post discusses songs from the 20th century that have marked different revolutionary and wartime periods. Selected based on their composition date and correspondent historical events, the author curates a list of contemporary songs from periods such as the 1905 Russian uprising, the Mexican Revolution, the Spanish Revolution and the democratic fights of the late century. This subjective selection showcases interesting and motivational music from significant periods, refusing to incline towards any specific political side.

Notes on Romanian language history

This is a different post from the ones I wrote until now. If you are interested in the history of languages, please continue reading.I will try to explain how the Romanian language and culture could survive for centuries. Although it wasn't the official language in any country that is now part of Romania, no schools … Continue reading Notes on Romanian language history →

Trail of the Eagle’s Nests

This post will cover some spectacular tourist attractions close to Krakow. This is also a page of Poland's history that resembles, in certain ways, what happens during the last months in Ukraine. The castles on the Trail of the Eagle's Nests are located in the Polish Jura mountains, North of Krakow, and they can be … Continue reading Trail of the Eagle’s Nests →

Don’t look up

Early in January, during a road trip, I visited the charming medieval city of Torun. Among the attractions of the old city center is the house where the scientist Nicolaus Copernicus was born. The house is a museum dedicated to the memory of the astronomer for many years. Torun - birth house of Nicolaus Copernicus … Continue reading Don’t look up →

INFJ explained

As mentioned in a previous post, my Myers-Briggs type is INFJ. The initials come from Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging. Everyone agrees that this is the rarest psychological profile in the world (around 1-2% of the population) with women twice more than men. There is also an agreement on the fact that humans with this profile … Continue reading INFJ explained →

Spring in Krakow

Pablo Neruda once said that "you can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming". Today, March 5th, beginning of spring, my intention is not to cut flowers but to write about something nice. One thing that came to my mind was to mention the beautiful and interesting things I see in … Continue reading Spring in Krakow →

I had a dream in Washington D.C.

Two years ago, on a trip to East Coast, I visited Washington D.C. The US capital has many museums and plenty of tourist attractions. It is really an interesting city. It was the place in the US in which I learned most things. Like all the visitors, I took a picture in front of the … Continue reading I had a dream in Washington D.C. →