Snow is here!

Even at high altitude, snow is something special in Cyprus. But this February was cold and full of rains. So admiring the snow on Troodos became a national hobby.

Same age, different destiny

It is around year 100 BC.

Somewhere in Europe: The Getic-Dacian tribes are reunited under the leadership of Dacian King Burebista. The king fights and plots against the looming danger coming from the Roman Empire. Over the next 38 years Dacia expands herself over a vast territory - the present Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and parts of Serbia. However, in 44 BC Burebista's archenemy, Caesar, is assassinated. The Roman threat apparently gone for good, the need for a strong leader vanishes and Burebista is assassinated himself several months later.

Somewhere in America: A seed comes into the ground. Over the next 2100 years a tree goes up from it. It is a sequoia.

Giant sequoias are the largest living things on earth, and are among the oldest; a tree like Yosemite's Grizzly Giant - a 30-foot-thick monster that's 2,100 years old and stands as tall as a 20-story building - has survived major climate vacillations and vast change to the species with which it shares the forest. This tree lives among the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, near the Wawona region of Yosemite, just inside the southern border of the park.

Love Story

If you are for the first time on the way from Limassol to Paphos (or from Paphos to Limassol) do not take the highway. The old road is more beautiful. One of the famous places is Petra Tou Romiou, the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty... (For sure, after first ride, you’ll never take the highway.)

Dialog and Peace

We need to understand each other, to respect each other, to change a little bit and to find a common path.

If we are not willing to change at all and we want to impose our way of thinking, we’ll not go anywhere in peace.

Listen, understand, communicate, respect!

A question for today

Q> Which is more dangerous science or religion?

A> Science. (Even in the religion's dispute, the people are killed by weapons developed by science.)

January 24th 1859

When Russia was defeated in the Crimean War (1853-1856), this called into question again the fragile European balance. Owing to their strategic position at the mouth of the Danube, as this waterway was becoming increasingly important to European communications, the future political status of the Danube principalities became a concern not only for the surrounding empires - Habsburg, Ottoman and Tsarist Russia - but also for other powers such as France, Prussia, and Britain. Their status became a European issue at the peace Congress in Paris (February-March 1856). Wallachia and Moldavia were still under Ottoman suzerainty and Russian protectorate (strengthened in 1829 by the Adrianople Peace Treaty), but now they were placed under the collective guarantee of the seven powers that signed the Paris peace treaty. These powers decided that local assemblies to be convened to decide on the future organization of the two principalities. The Treaty of Paris also stipulated: the retrocession to Moldavia of Southern Bessarabia, which had been annexed in 1812 by Russia (the Cahul, Bolgrad and Ismail counties); freedom of sailing on the Danube; the establishment of the European Commission of the Danube; the neutral status of the Black Sea.

In 1857 the "Ad-hoc assemblies" convened in Bucharest and Iasi. All social categories participated and these assemblies unanimously decided to unite the two principalities into one single state. French emperor Napoleon III supported this, the Ottoman Empire and Austria were against, so a new conference of the seven protector powers was called in Paris (May-August 1858), where only a few of the Romanians claims were approved. But, at the beginning of 1859, the Romanian people elected, on January 5th in Moldavia and on January 24th, colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza as their unique prince, achieving de facto the union of the two principalities.

The Romanian nation state took on January 24th 1862 the name of Romania and settled its capital in Bucharest. Assisted by Mihail Kogalniceanu, his closest adviser, Alexandru Ioan Cuza initiated a reform program, which contributed to the modernization of the Romanian society and state structures: the law to secularize monastery assets (1863), the land reform, providing for the liberation of the peasants from the burden of feudal duties and the granting of land to them (1864), the Penal Code law, the Civilian Code law (1864), the education law, under which primary school became tuition-free and compulsory (1864), the establishment of universities in Iasi (1860) and Bucharest (1864), etc.

But Cuza’s authoritarian methods earned him many enemies who, in 1866, joined together and forced his abdication. After the abdication of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1866), Carol of Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen, a relative of the royal family of Prussia, who was supported by Napoleon III and Bismark, was proclaimed on May 10, 1866, following a plebiscite, ruling prince of Romania, with the name of Carol I. Under his reign, Romania became independent (1877), a new constitution was passed, and the country had entered a period of great economic development. The bridge over the Danube at Cernavoda (the longest in Europe at the time) was built. Romanian literature and fine arts flourished.

Independence

On January 24, 1859, the historic act of political unity between Moldavia and Wallachia under one single rule, that of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, turned a centuries old dream into real fact. The age of the Union featured a vast and comprehensive reform program relating to institutions, economy, and education. In February 1866, Cuza was obliged to renounce the throne in favor of the German Prince Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

The new Constitution (inspired from the Belgian one of 1831), which was promulgated in 1866 and was in use until 1923, proclaimed Romania a constitutional monarchy. In the next decade the struggle of the Romanians to achieve full state independence was part of the movements that took place with other peoples in the south-east of Europe - Serbs, Hungarians, Montenegrins, Bulgarians, Albanians - to cut off their last ties to the Ottoman Empire.

Within a favorable international framework, on May 9 1877, the Assembly of Deputies, synthesizing the aspirations of the Romanian people, proclaimed independence, with foreign minister Mihail Kogalniceanu making the decision known to the world.

The government led by Ion C. Bratianu decided, upon the Russian request for assistance, to join the Russian forces that were operative in Bulgaria. A Romanian army, under the personal command of Prince Carol I, crossed the Danube and participated in the siege of Pleven; the result was the surrender of the Ottoman army led by Osman Pasha (December 10, 1877).

The San Stefano and Berlin treaties (1878) sanctioned the independence of Romania, later acknowledged by the European powers. These international documents re-established Romania's rights over Dobrogea, which was reunited with Romania.

Once Turkish control had been removed, Romania was able to organize its state administration on a modern basis. On 14/26 March, 1881 , the parliament voted a new form of government, the kingdom, with ruling Prince Carol and his wife - Elisabeth of Wied -, being crowned King and Queen of Romania (10th/22nd May, 1881). The king was given a crown made of steel from cannon seized at Pleven from the Turks. As an independent state, Romania started to foster an economic policy directed toward increasing production. Independent Romania furthered a policy which allowed it to play an important role in the concert of European nations.

The 1878-1914 period was crucial in the history of the Romanians. The economy expanded; politics polarized around two parties - conservative and liberal. In 1883, Romania joined the alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. One of the reasons for this choice can be related to its strained relations with Russia after the decision of the Tsarist government in 1878 to occupy Southern Basarabia.

At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, Romania recorded an outstanding development of culture and science, which matched European standards. It was the time when great scientists like doctors Victor Babes, Gheorghe Marinescu and Constantin Levaditi, chemists Petru Poni and Constantin Istrati, mathematicians Spiru Haret and Traian Lalescu, historians Alexandru D. Xenopol, Dimitrie Onciul and Nicolae Iorga, and linguists Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, Alexandru Cihac, Lazar Saineanu, Sextil Puscariu, came to the fore.

Touch of ocean life

We all (I hope) imagine a world in which the oceans are healthy and people are committed to protec the integrity of Earth’s natural systems, which sustain us all. To help make this vision a reality, Monterey Bay Aquarium creates a program that introduce people to the wonders of the marine world, from Monterey Bay to the vast oceans beyond. The exhibition focus on living exhibits and seeks to maximize opportunities for visitors to encounter, discover and observe ocean life.

The aquarium project was initiated in 1977 by a group of four marine biologists at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove and was opened October 20, 1984 in Hovden Cannery factory. (The cannery closed in 1972. The sardine fishery had collapsed, and the market for canned squid was insufficient to support continued operation of the cannery.)

Almost 300,000 individual plants and animals, approximately 550 species, 1.5 millions liters of water only in one aquarium, 30 centimeters glass thick, 1.8 millions of visitors per year. These are only few figures on this impressive exhibition.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is a real touch of ocean life!

The Winner

Big will not beat the small anymore and fast will not beat the slow. In a changing world, only quality should be the winner.

Rules

Ten rules for making every day a great day:

1. Think that good things will happen.
2. Express gratitude to a loved one.
3. Put your gripes away in a box.
4. Be patient with an annoying person.
5. Do something special for yourself.
6. Reach out to someone who needs comfort.
7. Focus deeply on each moment.
8. Learn from a mistake.
9. Observe a flower or tree you haven't noticed before.
10. SMILE!