Performanţă majoră a alpinismului românesc!

Pe 19 iulie o echipă cuprinzând 5 temerari alpinişti români a reuşit în premieră naţională să escaladeze vârful Nanga Parbat din Himalaya (8.126 m), pe ruta Schell. Primii patru membri ai echipei au înfipt steagul românesc pe Nanga Parbat fără să folosească măşti de oxigen, iar cel de al cincilea membru al echipei – Bruno Adamcsek – a fost nevoit să se oprească la 7.300 m, din motive medicale. Cucerirea celui de-al nouălea optmiar al lumii s-a realizat pe un traseu care a durat mai bine de o lună de la data plecării din Bucureşti spre Pakistan.

Duminică, 28 iulie, la 12 ore de la revenirea lor în ţară, am întâlnit echipa de alpinişti români în foaierul sălii de concerte Mihail Jora a Radio România, la prima conferinţă de presă susţinută de cei cinci. Echipa formată din Zsolt Török, Teo Vlad, Marius Gane, Aurel Sălăşan şi Bruno Adamcsek, însoţită de managerul proiectului, Eugen Popescu şi de Paul Popescu, manager pentru relaţia cu mass-media, au oferit în exclusivitate detalii şi fotografii din cursul expediţiei.

Potrivit declaraţiei liderului echipei, Zsolt Török, rezultatul expediţiei organizate în anul 2013 pe Nanga Parbat reprezintă „cea mai mare performanţă a alpinismului românesc ţinând cont de dificultatea ascensiunii pe versantul Rupal, de numărul de membri ai echipei care au ajuns în vârf (4 din 5) şi de faptul că nu au fost folosiţi şerpaşi şi nici măşti de oxigen. A fost o expediţie 100% românească, atât ca echipă, cât şi ca management”.

Nanga Parbat, numit şi „Muntele destinului“, este situat în partea vestică a lanţului Himalaya, în Pakistan. Versantul Rupal, pe care au urcat alpiniştii români, este cea mai dificilă rută de escaladare a vârfului Nanga Parbat, cu particularitatea că de la tabăra de bază până în vârf este o diferenţă de peste 4.500 de metri. Dintre cei 200 de alpinişti care au atins acest vârf de-a lungul timpului, mai puţin de 20 au ales să urce pe acest spectaculos versant. Alte două expediţii româneşti anterioare au încercat ascensiunea pe acest versant, dar niciuna dintre ele nu a reuşit să atingă vârful până la echipa condusă de Zsolt Török.

Având ca obiectiv principal ascensiunea unei echipe formată în întregime din alpinişti români pe Nanga Parbat, expediţia care s-a încheiat sâmbătă, 20 iulie 2013, înseamnă o performanţă de maximă importanţă pentru România şi reprezintă un prim pas pentru reintegrarea acesteia printre ţările cu tradiţie în alpinism. Acest proiect a reunit, într-o singură echipă, alpinişti cu performanţe şi experienţă bogată în expediţii la mari altitudini şi a creat o legătură între generaţii diferite de alpinişti români.

Cei cinci alpinişti au primit medalii din partea Radio România, sperăm doar primul semn de recunoaştere a performanţei lor.
Fotografiile din ascensiune aparţin Asociaţiei Expediţiei Nanga Parbat 2013 © 2013 nangaparbat2013.ro

Hard Rock-ul zguduie Bucureştiul!

După noua ediţie a B’estfest Summer Camp, desfăşurată în weekendul 5-7 iulie, în Tunari, finele lunii aduce un alt festival de tradiţie - Rock the City, care va zgudui Bucureştiul, alături de concertele celebrilor Iron Maiden şi Sting.
Anul acesta, Iron Maiden revine la Bucureşti cu un concert în cadrul turneului “Maiden England”, care marchează al treilea capitol din istoria trupei, o călătorie care a început în 2004, cu DVD-ul “The Early Days”, şi a continuat în 2005, cu turneul “Early Days”. Biletele pentru concertul pe care legendara trupa îl va susţine în Piaţa Constituţiei din Bucureşti pe 24 iulie, având ca invitaţi formaţiile Anthrax şi Voodoo Six, au preţuri între 170,40 de lei şi 255,60 lei şi sunt disponibile prin reţeaua Eventim - în magazinele Orange, Vodafone şi Domo, în librăriile Humanitas şi Cărtureşti şi online, pe www.eventim.ro.
Festivalul Rock the City, aflat la cea de-a cincea ediţie, se va desfăşura pe 27 şi 28 iulie, în complexul Romexpo din Capitală. Numele confirmate sunt Rammstein, Bullet for My Valentine, Trivium, Enslaved şi Spineshank.
Dacă trupele cap de afiş ale festivalului, Rammstein şi Bullet for My Valentine, nu mai necesită prezentări fiind aşteptate cu nerăbdare de fani, alte trei dintre cele mai apreciate trupe metal ale momentului, vor susţine recitaluri în premieră la Bucureşti - Trivium, Enslaved şi Spineshank vin la Rock The City 2013.
Trivium, formaţie originară din Florida, SUA, este apreciată în mod special pentru faptul că reuşeşte să imprime melodicitate unor riff-uri de heavy metal puternic, lucru pe care nu multe formaţii metal din zilele noastre mai reuşesc să îl facă. Trupa a fost înfiinţată în anul 2000 în oraşul Orlando, iar după numai şase ani de activitate, a fost invitată să cânte pe aceeaşi scenă
cu Metallica şi Korn.
O altă formaţie care ne va încânta la festivalul bucureştean este Enslaved, o trupă de progressive black metal din Norvegia. Formată în 1991, trupa are 12 albume la activ, cel mai recent dintre
acestea fiind lansat chiar anul trecut.
Nu în ultimul rând, la Rock The City 2013 vine Spineshank, o trupă americană de nu metal, care a vândut peste o jumătate de milion de albume şi a fost nominalizată la Premiile Grammy.
Preţurile biletelor, valabile pentru cele două zile de festival, sunt 143,78 de lei (Normal Circle), 159,75 lei (Silver Circle), 213 lei (Golden Circle) şi 479,25 de lei (VIP). Biletele pentru Rock The City 2013 se distribuie exclusiv prin Reţeaua Eventim – magazinele Germanos, Orange, Vodafone, Domo, librăriile Humanitas şi Cărtureşti şi online pe eventim.ro.
Cântăreţul britanic Sting revine şi el în România, după show-urile susţinute în 2006, 2009 şi 2011, acum în cadrul turneului său “Back To Bass”, concertul fiind programat tot la complexul Romexpo, pe 31 iulie.
Biletele, cu preţuri cuprinse între 140,84 lei şi 479,25 lei, se găsesc la vânzare în reţeaua Eventim - magazinele Germanos, Orange, Vodafone şi Domo, librăriile Humanitas şi Cărtureşti, precum si online, pe eventim.ro.

Concerte - PROGRAM

24 iulie
Iron Maiden


(invitaţi Anthrax şi Voodoo Six)

- Piaţa Constituţiei

27-28 iulie
Rock the City

(Rammstein & Friends )

- complexul Romexpo

31 iulie
Sting

(în deschidere
Mike and the
Mechanics
şi James Walsh)

- complexul Romexpo

Agenţie Qatar Airways în Harrods - Londra

Qatar Airways şi-a deschis agenţia sa de bilete flagship din Londra în renumitul magazin Harrods. Deschiderea din celebrul department store din Knightsbridge London, a fost găzduită de Marwan Koleilat, Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, şi onorată de prezenţa lui Fahad Al-Mushairi, ambasador adjunct al Quatarului.
Londra este una dintre cele mai importante porţi aeriene, au fost de acord cei prezenţi, iar agenţia de bilete din centrul Londrei, de la Harrods, reflectă atât nivelul de servicii oferit de Qatar Airways, dar este şi plasată la îndemâna multor clienţi, în locul frecventat de aceştia.
Agenţia din centrul Londrei oferă rezervări personalizate pentru cele peste 128 de destinaţii de pe şase continente deservite de Qatar Airways.

The Neckar Valley Wine Region

A flourishing urban centre surrounded by forests and vineyards, Stuttgart is also the ideal place for a wine tour. Just a short hop from the main railway station, the vines stretch up across the sunny slopes of the Neckar Valley. You can look back on a long history of wine-making traditions, kept alive on vineyard tours, at numerous wine and vintners' festivals and during the popular Stuttgart Wine Festival. The wine trail is also a fantastic way to explore the hilly vine-clad countryside all around the city – and enjoy some wine tasting along the way.

One of the finest vantage points from which to see the idyllic Neckar valley, the city of Stuttgart and the vast expanse of vineyards is historical Württemberg hill. In the eleventh century it was the site of the ancestral castle of the ruling family of Württemberg. King Wilhelm I had the mausoleum built here in 1820 after the premature death of his beloved wife, the Russian Grand Duchess Katharina.

Roman emperors had planted vineyards across the region back in the third century AD. By the 16th century, Stuttgart was one of the largest winegrowing communities in the Holy Roman Empire. Today locals and visitors to the Stuttgart Region can wander through the vineyards on countless walking trails enjoying the beautiful vineyard scenery, idyllic spots, sensational viewpoints and wayside places of interest.

And one interesting stop is the Stuttgart Viniculture Museum opened in 1979. After extensive renovations, the history of winemaking has been given a fresh new look since September 2012. The result is a contemporary exhibition in historical surroundings. Wines from the Stuttgart region can be sampled at the museum’s vinothek. The wine list offers 20 regional varieties for up to 70 people.

There are few other places in Germany where visitors can experience history as vividly as they can in Esslingen. Half an hour ride from Stuttgart, the town dates back well over a thousand years. Evidence of this long history can be seen in the old quarter with its three town halls, magnificent patrician houses and the oldest row of timber-framed houses in Germany. Esslingen is famous far beyond the region for its long tradition of winemaking. In 1826 this brought Georg Christian Keller to the town, where he founded Germany’s first sekt winery. And if you arrive in Stuttgart and you don’t taste a Kessler sekt, you should come back!

I tasted it and still want to go spend some more days in Stuttgart and surroundings. Nestled in one of the largest wine-producing regions in Germany, this regional capital is an inspiring destination thanks to its superb location, lovely squares, magnificent castles and buildings in a huge variety of architectural styles.

• Shoppers paradise

Stuttgart's restaurants and cafés provide a whole range of gastronomic treats, from spätzle noodles to pinot noir, from corner pubs to award-winning, internationally renowned restaurants. The city's Königstrasse offers more than a kilometer of shopping fun with any number of fashion boutiques, specialist shops, department stores, cafés, restaurants and quiet zones. In Stuttgart's Bohnenviertel, bric-à-brac and antique shops sit amongst charming eateries of all sizes, whilst Calwer Strasse is home to elegant boutiques and a host of restaurants with outdoor terraces. Moreover, in the evenings, Theodor-Heuss-Strasse und the square surrounding the 'Lucky Hans' fountain are particularly recommended, with bars to suit any taste.

Visitors to any of Stuttgart's many festivals will experience for themselves the joie de vivre and hospitality of its residents. After the May Stuttgart Spring Festival, neighboring Bad Canstatt hosts end-September the largest festival in the Swabian region and the second-largest beer festival worldwide – the Cannstatter Wasen. With more than 300 fairground rides and large beer and wine tents, a great time is guaranteed for all!

Stuttgart’s Highlights

A Highlights of Stuttgart tour starts with Europaviertel, with the new city library and Stuttgart 21. The Europaviertel is one of the most important inner city development projects in Europe.

The city library on Mailänder Platz rises to a height of 40 meters. Grey and sober by day, this ‘cube of books’ is transformed by night with blue lighting.

A must stop, Stuttgart State Gallery, is one of the leading art museums in Germany and contains works spanning 700 years. The oldest part, the Old State Gallery, is a three-winged neo-classical building erected for King Wilhelm I of Württemberg between 1838 and 1843. This makes it one of the oldest museum buildings in Germany. Adjoining the Old State Gallery is the annex building, the New State Gallery. Built in 1984 to designs by architect James Stirling, it is a masterpiece of postmodern architecture. The State Gallery contains Old German, Italian and Dutch paintings as well as a section devoted to Swabian Classicism. Pablo Picasso is represented at the gallery with works spanning his entire career. On display are important groups of works from the various stylistic movements (Fauvism, the Brücke and Blauer Reiter groups and Cubism) as well as eye-catching collections by individual artists such as Beckmann, Schlemmer, Beuys, Kiefer and Baselitz.

One of the top cultural attractions in the regional capital of Baden-Württemberg is Stuttgart State Theater – Europe’s largest multi-genre theatre. The Opera House, built in the classical style, is located at the heart of the extensive palace gardens. In the 1950s a conscious choice was made to design the State Parliament building so that it would not compete with the neighboring Opera House.

Schlossplatz square is the most central location in Stuttgart, the very heart of the city. In the middle of the square is the towering Jubilee Column (1841), crowned with a statue of Concordia, the goddess of harmony. It stands in front of the New Palace, built from 1746 to 1807, and combining elements of Baroque, Classicism, Rococo and Empire.

The Stuttgart Art Museum is also a work of art. By night the stone cubes inside the glass cuboid light up, illuminating parts of Schlossplatz square as well. The museum’s collection features more than 15,000 exhibits, from the end of the 18th century to the present day, from Swabian Impressionism to contemporary art. It is also home to the world’s leading Otto Dix collection, comprising around 250 works.

Schillerplatz square was built for Duke Friedrich of Württemberg. Once a venue for prestige occasions, it now hosts the flower market three times a week. At the centre of the square is a statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller, who spent the most important years of his life in Stuttgart and who gives Schillerplatz its name. The Old Palace was the ancestral residence of the first counts and dukes of Württemberg and is today home to the Württemberg State Museum.

Because of its location in a valley basin, Stuttgart has more flights of steps than many other cities. If you want to climb them all, you would have to walk some 20 kilometers! The Galatea Fountain on Eugensplatz square is one of the most magnificent fountains in the city and offers glorious views over Stuttgart.

Stuttgart’s Fernsehturm was the world’s first television tower and it is considered an architectural and aesthetic masterpiece. Built 57 years ago, it is one of the city’s most famous landmarks and most striking cultural monuments. No other vantage point in the city offers such magnificent panoramic views, encompassing the Neckar valley and its vineyards, the Swabian Alb, the Black Forest and the Odenwald region, unfortunately nowadays is closed for visiting.

In Stuttgart, Preceding the Prime Minister!

When it was a fact that Victor Ponta, the Romanian Prime Minister would officially visit Germany, and during his visit he will arrive also in Stuttgart, I thought I could tell him some places not to miss in the capital city of Baden-Württemberg State. My visit preceded his with less than a month. The Stuttgart Region hosted the

 39th GTM Germany Travel Mart 2013. The German National Tourist Board (Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus - DZT) invited and welcomed, from May 5 to 7, more than 610 buyers, tourism professionals and journalists from 42 countries, and more than 350 German providers from the hotel, inbound and transport sectors, as well as local and regional tourism organizations.
I was one of the lucky journalists invited and I had the chance to see Stuttgart, with its Volksfest and gourmet restaurants, its car museums and Wilhelma Gardens, the vibrant nightlife and fantastic exhibitions, Stuttgart full of exciting contrasts. The tours I took in the city and in the region gave me a large perspective about the culture, the wines and the cars from this region.

• Mercedes-Benz and Porsche - dreams on wheels!

As also the Romanian Prime Minister found out, in fact the reason of the visit was this, Stuttgart is home to two of the leading names in the automotive world, Daimler-Benz and Porsche, both not only with factories, but also with spectacular museums in the city. The breathtaking Mercedes-Benz Museum looks back on some of the finest feats from the world of mobility. Nine floors are needed to display a total of more than 1,500 exhibits tracing the history of the brand.

Visitors can learn all about the legendary Porsche at the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen. The exhibition space at this glittering white museum is leaving you breathless.

But it’s much more to visit than the two museums. In the medieval town of Schorndorf is the house where Gottlieb Daimler was born in 1834, and where it all started… Today, the house where he was born, which has been bought and restored by Daimler-Benz AG, serves as a museum and conference venue. Inside is the famous postcard on which Daimler wrote: “From here a star will rise...”, the first mention of the star that would later become the hallmark of Mercedes-Benz.

The Gottlieb Daimler memorial in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart is located in what used to be a greenhouse. This is where Daimler, together with Wilhelm Maybach, transformed his ideas into reality. The models of the engines and tools bring to life the pioneering work of the two inventors.

Sindelfingen is home to Daimler AG’s largest car manufacturing plant. This is where the premium and luxury models are made and during a tour, visitors get to experience at close hand the different stages involved in car production.