Here in Iasi, the technical university and the “physical sciences” university main buildings appear to be separate - with separate entrances. Once you’re inside though, you can see that a long colonnaded hallway connects them - a hallway known as “The Hall of Lost Steps.”

The first time I came to Iasi, I had no idea that there was more to the hallway than I realized. At some point, one of my colleagues asked me, “Have you seen the paintings in the hall?” “What paintings???” “Let’s go back downstairs for a few minutes.”

There are paintings, but they are well-hidden. Along the colonnaded hallway, there are arched niches that contain many strikingly beautiful (and deeply allegorical) paintings.

More below the fold.

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Promoted by Caleb … Why aren’t Sheehan and the like called extremists for protesting but veterans are? GOOD QUESTION!

It’s really too bad that the media won’t cover this video from Midnight Blue.

But hey, it’s probably for the best with him being a “right-wing extremist” (translation-veteran) and all, right?

This diary is cross-posted on The Minority Report.

I’m snowed in up here, so I guess it falls to me to generate the Sunday open thread.

First, some brief cultural upliftenment. Many people are scared off by opera - and it is an acquired taste.

But the most common mistake is to attempt to jump in too deep; it’s better to start with something simpler, like the classic “The Abduction of Figaro”….

Open thread….

Last week, we celebrated the birth anniversaries of Mozart and Schubert.

Today is another celebration, but this one is extra-special - because today we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of yet another giant - Felix Mendelssohn.

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This past Tuesday, we celebrated Mozart’s birthday.

Today we celebrate the birthday of Franz Peter Schubert, who was born on this date in 1797.

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