My circumstances were in such a way that I had  to be in quite a few  places in the world. I hope you noticed that I said to “be” and not to “visit” or “travel.” I was lucky enough to live in many places in the world which allowed me to gain a slightly different knowledge of them compared to what is obtained through a classic trip, in which there is a checklist with what “must be seen or visited” in a certain location.

In fact, instead of traveling or visiting, I like much more the term exploration , even when it comes to a punctual meeting with a certain place.

Lots of my exploring trips took place in the mountains. And there were a lot of trails that I walked in the Alps, Fuji and other Japanese mountains, the Pyrenees, or the French Massif Central. In all these mountain expeditions, however, there was one thing in common. This common point is called “Făgăraș Mountains”. These are the mountains where I made my first trips with the tent or walking non-stop for days , regardless of the weather, between huts and shelters, when, filled by youth, I could only dream of the paths that I finally reached years later through different life experiences. Everytime I prepared myself for a certain mountain or when reaching the top of it I admired its incredible views, my thoughts had one thing in common, Făgăraș. Although the times changed over the years, it was as if the Făgăraș were with me, accompanying me everywhere. Bacon, cans, sweet biscuits, heavy backpacks with metal frame, always overused paper maps, heavy boots and oversized tents carried on my back, have always been with me on any other path I have ever reached.

The re-joining,  over the years, with Făgăraș mountains was fantastic. Despite the natural greatness I had discovered,

Caltun Lake in Fagaras Mountains, Romania.

none of them had the  vibe of the first trip attempts in my native Făgăraș. And I rediscovered its intact beauty, as if it was defying the passing of the years with a superhuman persistence that, through memories, became a part of my inner self.

This time, the heavy tent was replaced by a camera, tripod and lenses that helped me display a more precise form to my memory, a source of energy and inspiration in exploring other worlds.

The starting point is also the world of Călțun Lake at the foot of Negoiu peak.