Swans In Winter

We have already set foot in the new year. The door between years has opened and we've been lucky enough to get through. 2024! What does the future hold? Good things? Pleasant surprises? That's what we want and we are ready to forget the experience of the previous years...

In the part of the world where I live, on the edge of Europe, it should be winter not just in the calendar, but in nature. It should have, I don't know if that's the right wording... that's how I lived in these places, until a few years ago, 5-6 years ago. Since then winter is no longer winter, it looks like a mix of autumn and spring. It may seem like I regret that it's not the winters of yesteryear. I don't. I like both the warmer climate and the Mediterranean vegetation that the weather pattern in southern Romania seems to be heading towards.

This warm weather has helped me see what was impossible 5-6 years ago. I saw swans. These beautiful birds used to leave Romania in autumn to spend the winter in Africa. Now, when they noticed the warming and mild winters in Romania, they didn't leave...

I didn't know there were still swans nearby. The nice weather was to blame. It reminded me that very close to Bucharest there is a beautiful castle.

Mogosoaia Castle. It was built by the will of a Roman prince, Constantin Brancoveanu.

It is a castle from another world, over three hundred years ago. It's not just the castle, there are vast gardens around it.

Moreover, there is also a lake bordering these gardens. The lake is home to swans and other waterfowl.

The cold winter will probably be here in a month or so. These birds probably know this, know it, or rather sense it.

I think this is the explanation for the swans' behavior. They are extremely active and in a constant search for food. The warm, shallow water of the lake is full of the tiny creatures that are the food of these birds.

The particularly beautiful weather drew me to this place for a walk. I didn't know the lake was full of swans. It was an extraordinarily nice surprise!

The Mogosoaia Palace, the gardens, and the lake are a place to visit. I am sorry that tourists visiting Bucharest are more interested in terraces, food, and drink. I think they would be better off visiting this place.

There are not many such places near the capital of Romania. I am lucky enough to live on the outskirts of Bucharest, near the Mogosoaia Palace. This helps me to walk and visit this place quite often.

The first photo in this post dedicated first to photography and then to travel is for Qurator's Photo Quest | Your best photo of 2023. An invitation to publish our best photos of the year just ended.