Tomsk, Siberia

Tomsk may not ring a bell for quite a few Trans-Siberian travellers, and it is a pity. While not on the main Trans-Siberian line, it is a simple "detour" well worth doing, esp in autumn when the city is graced by the autumn foliage.

Billed as a university city, it hosts quite a few of these academic institutions. But interestingly, its main attraction is its 'wooden-lace' architecture - old timber houses that decorate various parts of the city. Some of these have been restored, but a number of them seems to be rooted in the past and amazingly, a couple of them seems to be inhabited as well. However, the city exude a young and vibrant feel (thanks to the universities?), and the streets are lined with cafes with Wifi etc.

What I like about Tomsk though, is how the city is planned out. Aside from monuments and statues found in almost any other Russian city, many parts of the streets are tree-lined, and even part of the tram line goes through a canopy of trees! Strolling seems to be the city's main pasttime, and I think Tomsk is the city I've seen with the most number of couples and families pushing baby strollers!! Furthermore, the Tom river is just besides the main street, and provides another venue for a wonderful stroll! To top it off, in end September, the autumn foliage makes the whole experience even sweeter!

And really, after hours and/or days of eating and sleeping on a train, a brief stay in Tomsk does wonders to your soul...

Merry Cemetery

While Maramureş is considered as rural Romania, it boasts a tourist attraction well-known throughout the country. Strange as it may sound, this star attraction is a cemetery.



Merry Cemetery is situated in the village of Săpânţa, just kilometres south of Ukraine. Interestingly, this cemetery celebrates death with humour, and life with the simplicity of a single picture. Founded by a wood sculptor, who started carving wooden crosses for the tombstones in the old church cemetery in 1930s. He painted them blue (the colour of hope of freedom) and inscribed humorous or witty epitaphs for the dead. The tradition was carried on by his apprentice, and now, there are hundreds of such crosses. Unfortunately, I could not understand the Romanian epitaphs, and so could not appreciate the humour. However, each tombstone is also painted a picture that depicts the life of the decreased, and wandering through the cemetery, you could almost imagine yourself walking through the traditional community of the past.



Besides the tombstones, the church in the cemetery have been refurbished, and the frescoes inside them are certainly worth seeing. We got to Săpânţa by a rented car, but if you are alone, there are buses to-and-fro from the nearest town Sighetu Marmaţiei. You may not feel "merry" visiting the cemetery, but I think it is still worth a visit!