My Favorite Place

I have many favorite places but one that I remember fondly is the inner court of Stavropoleos Monastery, one of the most beautiful old monasteries in Bucharest, Romania. It was built in Brancovan style in 1724 and it's richly ornate with beautifully carved stone and frescoes. The monastery, also known as Stavropoleos Church,  is located in the old centre of the city, crammed in a small space between large buildings. It is just few minutes away from Lipscani street, which in the Middle Ages was the most important commercial street in Bucharest, now full of pedestrian shops, restaurants and outdoor cafes. Within the monastery there is a library and also a collection of old religious objects, many of which are from churches demolished during the communist regime. I used to go there each time I needed to regain my interior balance, to take a break from the stressful days of my life at that time. In the inner court of the monastery there is in the middle a small table with four chairs where you can sit for how long you want and nobody will disturb you. I used to stay on that table for hours, forgetting the passage of time: sometimes lost in my thoughts, other times thinking on some ideas for my projects... I remember one sunny afternoon when I went there: it was hot and I could hear only the bees buzz around the old ivy that climbs half way the pillars, and a nun was sitting at the table putting dried flowers in small pots to decorate the rooms. That peaceful image and the beautiful location left indelible marks in my mind. Bucharest has it's share of big-city noise and the inner court of Stavropoleos Monastery was my favorite place to escape.