Bucharest - 15th and 16th December

The Company Christmas Party took place on Thursday and was accompanied by the first snowfall of the winter. Very cold and misty still and below zero at times.

Saturday was work, shopping and a walk around Kiselef Park in the snow (pictured) before home for more work.

For some variety on Sunday it was work before a walk to the office for some work and then beer and football before going home for more work.

I'm hoping this isn't too much of a trend for the winter! I'll be staying in Bucharest over Christmas and hopefully home for New Year - work permitting obviously!

Bucharest - 8th and 9th December

A cold and foggy weekend in Bucharest, but at least the Christmas lights have gone up.

This is the "electronic tree" at Piata Unirii (for Nev - where we got off the Metro to go to the People's Palace), with an ice rink set up in the middle.

I did lose count of the number of times I fell over and have spent Sunday nursing my injuries. I don't think it helped that having a camera in one pocket meant I had to make sure I fell over on the same knee every time - ouch!

Romania National Day - 1st December 2007

A bright but chilly Saturday morning in Bucharest for Romania National Day. The parade down past the Arc de Triumf drew a big crowd, arriving shortly after 10 it was already very busy. I found a spot with the crowd only two deep a little up the road to get some pictures and benefitted after the event as the military vehicles came round and through the Arc de Triumf again for the video opportunity!

The flags with the eagles all looked very Napoleaonic and the march past included the military services and the various arms of the police and fire brigades.

Sunday was equally bright and chilly for a wander around the centre of Bucharest. Temperature on a clear day is down to 2/3 but the wind chill can be quite a shock especially if you aren't standing in the sunshine.

November 24th & 25th - Back in Bucharest

I'm back and it's cold - but at least I now have my overcoat.

Saturday was interesting as it started with someone unfortunate after effects of Friday nights dinner at a Thai restaurant, really quite unpleasant. Later I ventured out to find the Rail Museum (I'm that far down the list now) and after much wandering around trying to figure out the street numbering I got there. I was glad to get inside out of the cold on a very misty day but it wasn't for long as it was closed. The staff explained "no English" as I asked if it was open and were I guess understandably baffled at my happy response in Romanian that I'm from Wales. My stunning mastery of Romglish meant I could establish that it was supposed to be open and may be open next weekend, although they seemed by no means certain. So off home in the cold via the supermarket.

Sunday proved just as cold but nice and clear as this view across Herastrau lake to the Press Centre shows.

Still pleasant enough for a walk in the sun though and the squirrels were all very busy collecting nuts from the passers by.

November 17th and 18th - Cold in Cardiff, Soggy in Surrey

Home at last, albeit for far too brief a visit.

Very cold arriving at Heathrow (about 3C) it was nice to get home - at least the cat remembered me!

Saturday it was off to Cardiff for the Wales v Republic of Ireland game with Nev and his "kids" - so a nice little run for my car after sitting in the garage for over three months.

It was a reasonable match although both sides were somewhat lacking in the attacking department, Wales were just the better team and deserved the late equaliser from a Jason Koumas penalty.

Sunday was meant to be gardening day but very little got done between the rain and that looks to be the outlook for the rest of the week so it's a "cleanathon" instead.

Back to Bucharest on Thursday with a nice big overcoat and some jumpers!

Bucharest 10th and 11th November

Well I'm still here after a late cancellation of my flight (due to work).

Saturday was work followed by beer and football in the evening.

The weather is rapidly changing from autumn to early winter. Decidedly chilly especially in the wind and it is managing to rain every weekend.

I desperately need a trip home to collect some warmer clothes!

Sunday started cloudy and cold but dry so I set out for a walk around some parks, heading first for Tineretului and then into Carol Park, where the memorial to King Carol stands with a modest First World War memorial in front - the whole thing looking suitably dark and foreboding for Remembrance Day.

The park is quite small and dominated by the monument at one end which stands on a small hill.

The view towards the centre of the city from on the lower dias of the monument is good though with the People's Palace on the left.

Home this week hopefully!

Bucharest 3rd and 4th November

Work, beer and football, work and more beer on Saturday.
Just for a change Sunday was just work then beer and football.
Coming home on Wednesday.

Bucharest 27th and 28th October

More work intervening in things this weekend but I managed to get out on Saturday to the Botanical Gardens. Quite nice but not such a "riot" of autumnal colours a I was hoping for, and its location is now dominated on one side by what looks like an electricity generation station.

The route back towards home took me past the military museum which was far bigger than I'd anticipated.

Items here date from the very earliest finds and includes some magnificent Dacian "ceremonial" armour.

The rest of the museum is the "usual" assortment of weapons through the ages, but with quite a large collection of uniforms from 18th Century onwards.

Behind the main museum building is a "graveyard" of artillery and rockets from the WWII period onwards, and in a separate building various aircraft from the early days of flight up to a fairly modern military helicopter and fighter.

The most interesting exhibit though is a Soyuz capsule with (not surprisingly) very little space inside the spaceship!

Sunday meant more work but the weather was poor anyway, and then off to see the Liverpool v Arsenal game on Sky followed by a trip to the curry house.

One more weekend before the trip home - not too confident on it being good weather though!

Wet and windy Bucharest 20th and 21st October

Work, football, work, beer, work and depression.
Just about sums this weekend up, I did go to the Dubliner in the vain hope of watching a Bluebirds victory on Sky to lift my mood - should have known better really.
So I bought myself a cake to celebrate Trafalgar Day, and that didn't really help either - still home for at least a short break in a couple of weeks.
Hopefully we will get some reasonable weekend weather so I can do some more travelling before then.

Bucharest – Saturday 13th October

Rain forecast again for this weekend so a day in the city with football and rugby in the evening.
This morning’s trip was to the Sutu Palace on Piata Universitate that houses the Bucharest Municipal Museum. The foyer and one of the upstairs rooms currently house a modern “art” exhibition, all the works were the sort of things that would brighten any room (even in complete darkness) but add nothing positive to the atmosphere and quickly leave you with a headache. The museum proper is quite small and houses some interesting artifacts found in the Bucharest area from the Stone Age onwards. There are some very well preserved axe heads. Also of particular interest are the early “charters” of the city, including one for Vlad Tepes. There is also an interesting collection of early photographs of the City.
From here I took a long walk via Piata Unirii to the Bucharest Mall. This is a large converted communist era “warehouse” and is really quite difficult to navigate as it sprawls over a large area. There was a lot of retracing of steps to get round the whole thing although interestingly the stores did include a Debenhams and a M&S – so I was able to buy some new socks!
I just managed to beat the rain home for a very late lunch before watching some football before heading out in the evening to watch the Saes beat the French and make it to the Rugby World Cup Final - at least I now know I won't be neutral next weekend!

Bucharest - Sunday 7th October

Well a month today is the official "return" date, so time to start checking on the details at work.

Today started with the Grand Prix, and a disappointing result for Lewis Hamilton but at least that means an interesting finish to the season.

Outside it was another gloomy looking day and I set off for a further tour of Herastrau Park with fingers crossed and "Plan B" being to head for the Metro if it started raining.

It was a little cool but the park was still fairly busy and I had my first sighting of the Red Squirrel. Probably not much smaller in length terms than the Grey that is so familiar in my garden back home but decidedly slighter in build, and with fantastic "tufty" ears!

I exited the park at the North end of the Herastrau Lake next to the "Free Press Palace", which not surprisingly is home to most of the newspapers and also used to house the state television service. From here I had a walk around the outside of the RomExpo site and back towards home via the athletics stadium and the national rugby stadium. Both "stadiums" are very small and easily missed from the main road.

Home for tea and to prepare for a trip to an Ursus hostelry for the rugby/football in the evening.

Four more weekends to plan, four and a bit weeks to complete at least six months of work!

Bored and depressed in Bucharest - Saturday 6th October

Maybe I'm exaggerating slightly but it just about rhymes. I have hit the missing home "wall", especially the entertainment system and the cat. Things aren't being helped by the dodgy TV at the apartment and difficulties at work.

Adding to the glum atmosphere this week was the weather forecast that said rain everywhere.
Things improved slightly after breakfast as I stumbled across the qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix and was able to see Lewis Hamilton edge a little closer to a record making Championship victory with another pole position. So with a day planned for wandering Bucharest I set off for the Unirea Shopping Centre for a look round (very boring) and then on to find the Radu Voda Monastery. The Monastery dates from 1601 and was moved in 1985 leaving it damaged. Currently it is covered in scaffolding and today it was closed with the restoration work that is scheduled to go on to the end of next year.
At least it wasn't raining although the heavy cloud was in a marked contrast to the rest of the week's bright sunshine.
After some lunch I made for the Maps Museum on Strada London. Really fascinating collection here of original maps from 17th Century onwards although no photography allowed. I got the impression I was the only visitor today as I got a full run down on the maps in reverse Romglish and the changes in the borders through the course of the ebb and flow of the Austro-Hungrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and Tsarist Russia. Very strange to see on many of the maps reference to "Romania" south of Bulgaria, while modern day Romania was still recorded as Wallachia, Transylvania, Moldavia, etc. So I can see some internet research coming on this evening between the football, rugby and Ursus.
More tomorrow - let's hope the rain holds off and the Grand Prix is good.

The House of the People – Sunday 30th September

With Nev and Anthony along we took a trip on the Metro and I made my return to the Casa Poporului.
Having established that the City Guide has the entrance on the wrong side of the building we eventually found our way to the tour entrance (no signs even in Romanian!).
Slightly confusingly the ticket office was closed with a sign saying that the English tour is at every hour – given it was 11:15 this was a little disappointing. Fortunately my mastery of Romglish enabled me to overhear someone saying that the next English tour was at 11:30 – so presumably very hour rather than at every hour!
The ticket office opened at 11:25 and following the scramble for tickets it was time for the security check that took us to 11:45 before the tour party set off.
The scale of the rooms is such that the camera flash is nowhere near adequate to provide a decent picture – making the “camera tax” seem all the more excessive!
Most of the rooms in the “public” areas are now set up to host conferences and business events and the scale is very impressive, particularly with those rooms with high skylighted ceilings.
The tour provides a break half-way round to recover from the stair climbing and eventually gets to the lower level balcony for a view down towards Piata Unirii.
Despite one and a half hours of wandering the building we had probably seen no more than 10% of the inside.
After lunch on Piata Unirii we made our way back on the Metro to pick up the bags so I could drive Nev and Anthony to the airport and get my dose of stress for the day.

The good news is that now I know some postcards have at least got out of Romania, and as long as Nev remembers to post them they should be arriving on the family doormats soon!

Snagov and Steaua – Saturday 29th September

Today started with a say trip to Snagov to see the lake and Vlad Tepes’ tomb in the Monastery. With a pool car courtesy of those lovely people at Aviva I set off with my visitors – elder brother Neville and his son Anthony. Unfortunately the planning hadn’t extended to actually finding a map on the internet and so we set off with all eyes peeled for road signs. The first sign took us off to Snagov village and requests for directions in my Romglish were met with very blank looks indeed. Having driven down a few rough roads to dead ends with no sign of a lake we headed back to the main road to try to find another turning on the assumption that we were nowhere near the lake.
The next turning quickly took us into a large gloomy forest and soon we came across a sign to the “Historical Site – Vlad Tepes”. This sent us into the forest down a very narrow twisting and turning road that eventually emerged near the lake.
We were rowed across to the island by two young locals for the rather exorbitant fee of 100RON, although this was the cost of a “return ticket”!
The monastery in its current form is primarily early 16th century with the richly decorated interior dating from the mid 16th century. Unfortunately there is extensive damage from vandalism although there is a massive restoration project under way that will complete in two to three years time. What murals are still in place are magnificent but the 20EURO camera tax for such a small monastery seemed exorbitant even compared to the cost of the “ferry”.

Now I have learned that sometimes postcards are better and the results for the photo collection can be just as good.

Returning to Bucharest suitably stressed from my first driving experience here lunch is ollowed by some beers with colleagues before setting off for the Dubliner for Wales v Fiji. Suitably depressed after Wales' exit from the Rugby World Cup we headed off to the Stadionul Ghencea for the football - Steaua v Vaslui kicking off at 8:45 is easily the lastest kick-off time I've known.

The first-half is woeful full of long aimless balls, diving and feigning injury. Steaua just about edge it in the "shamming" stakes. The second half sees Steaua dominate for long periods with the only goal of the game coming with a good header from a corner. The game ends controversially as only one minute of the three minutes of time being added on gets played resulting in a "robust exchange of views" between the referee and the Vaslui manager.

So an interesting night out, despite a disappointingly small crowd and a poor game overall it took a while to find a taxi back home but we are back just after 11:30 to plan our day out in Bucharest for Sunday.

Work and pain weekend - 23rd and 24th September

Saturday's expectation was to be working at home with the benefit of a break for the Mighty Bluebirds being on live for the second weekend running and perhaps a stroll to the park for some fresh air and sunshine. Overnight though I suffered a severe leg cramp and never got further than hobbling to the PC to review some documents.
Sunday was more work but at least I was fairly mobile and able to make a trip out for some "muscle relaxant".
At least with my brother visiting next week I'll have to drag myself away from work for some trips out then!

More work and no play! Sunday 17th September

Got up and did some work before going for a coffee with colleagues and then on to the Pensions Office. I learn that dress code is “business suits” for the evening and given that my nearest attire is chinos and a cream jacket I just know I’m going to be getting called “waiter” all night!
A late lunch with colleagues and then home to work (just managed to catch the end of the GP) before setting off again at 7pm for the business dinner and Pensions Launch.

Aviva completed the first pension application at 12:01 am.
Home at 2am – oh well back to work tomorrow (oops – today!!).
The tour will (hopefully) resume next weekend.

Anyone had their postcard yet?

All work and no play? Saturday 16th September

Well work finally intervened in my travel schedule this weekend so the day started with some document reviews at home over breakfast. Still with some shopping to do it means I can check the local shopping at Mario Plaza as it’s closed on Sundays when I’ve been in Bucharest to date (as are the vast majority of shops).
The shops here are very “posh” with prices to match and I have to say it’s a bit of a strange place – maybe it’s the poor coal-miner’s son from the valleys in me! Unfortunately the mission is to secure a yellow tie for Sunday’s Aviva Pensions Launch, in a suitably Aviva compliant yellow, and of course the only suitable one is at the most expensive store! So this clearly calls for more extensive research and I set off around Bucharest seeking alternatives. Two hours later I’m back where I started to buy a horrendously expensive 35 quid tie and on the way home so I can do some more lovely work.
The rest of the day was quite frustrating as I set off to The Dubliner for the Wales v Australia match, arriving in time (I thought) for the start of the match to find Wales trailing 23-10! It dawns on me that the official website carries French times for all games so I am an hour out! Unfortunately I am in time to see Stephen Jones’ howler finish off Welsh hopes and add to the already gloomy atmosphere.
Things got worse as the Chelsea game coincided with the Mighty Bluebirds so it was a quick dash home for the depressing first hour of the game, before the magnificent fightback to grab a point – well done Thommo!
So not such a bad end to the day and at least it’s another day off tomorrow – LOL!

Around Bucharest – Sunday 9th September

Up at my usual time today for breakfast and down to some work before venturing out at 11am for the Natural History Museum. It’s a bright sunny day today albeit with a very cool breeze so it’s a pleasant and familiar walk from home to Piata Victoriei.

In many ways this is a fairly typical museum of this type, but the specimens generally are in exceptional condition and some interesting dioramas have been devised. The fossil section also contains some excellent examples and some very good copies form other collections. Pick of the bunch is the Giant Deer.

I’m home for some lunch and some more work before the Grand Prix which is the now customary procession interspersed with “exciting tactical” pitstops (YAWN) – I really am beginning to wonder why I bother and to think I used to get to 3 or 4 a year!

With the weather still fine there is still time for a walk over to Herastrau Park to spend an hour with a book before heading home to check on the egg-chasers and write up my blog – before some more work!
Did I mention work at all? I’m a bit busy, there is a lot to do here but then if there wasn’t why would I be here!

ENJOY!

Siniai - Saturday 8th September

A shorter trip this week and a relatively late start for the 8:30 train to Siniai at the northern edge of Wallachia – yes I managed to stay out of Transylvania (just).
With the weather cooling I took the precaution of taking a pullover rather than my sun hat along and certainly needed it. In fact as I got off the train I was a little concerned that everyone else seemed to be sporting a nice big anorak!
The plan was to head for the cable car to take a walk in the mountains first (weather permitting), unfortunately with the top of the mountain swathed in mist this was not a sensible proposition. In fact all day it tried very hard to rain although fortunately no more than a few spots actually fell.
Crossing the main road it’s a steep climb up some steps to the park that sits alongside the centre of Siniai. The guidebooks say there is a museum here, there are two hotels a very scruffy local “art” gallery and the casino.
Leaving the far side of the park near a small WWI cemetery it’s another steep stepped climb to Siniai monastery. The monastery complex dates from the 17th Century when the main church and the smaller winter chapel were originally built.

The winter chapel is currently under restoration but has a magnificent fresco at the entrance. Next to the chapel is the mausoleum of Tache Ionescu (a prominent politician during WWI and briefly Prime Minister) that comes with its own relatively modern frescoes.

The complex was extensively expanded in the middle of the 19th century with the building of a new court around the main church including an impressive bell tower.

From here it’s a steady climb up (at least it’s not steps this time) towards Peles Castle through a market lining the path up the mountainside through the woods.

The Castle appears in a clearing as you climb and is certainly a magnificent sight albeit clearly not a “castle” in any meaningful sense of the word. This palace was built at the end of the 19th century for King Carol, and the formal grounds and the larger park are as impressive as the palace itself.

Inside everything is fairly dimly lit to protect both the extensive woodwork in the fabric of the building and the many artworks, not surprisingly flash photography is prohibited and so it wasn’t difficult to decline the “Camera Tax”.

The building is very richly decorated throughout, the hall being particularly impressive lined in wooden paneling that is richly carved with a very ornate oratorio and spiral staircase in two of the corners.
The arms and armour collection is very impressive albeit in no way related to the history of the palace. The tour is only of the lower floors due to the condition of the palace although it is planned to extend the tour to the bedrooms on the last Tuesday of every month from September 2008 – so get it in your diary! The rooms also include a dining room to seat 36, a theatre and several themed lounges. One particularly interesting feature is that the basement houses an electric vacuum pump connected throughout the house for cleaning – they claimed it still works but didn’t say if you could still buy the replacement bags.

The courtyard with frescoes.

A little further up the mountain is Pelisor Palace built at the start of the 20th century for Prince Ferdinand, King Carol’s nephew and adopted heir. This modest “palace” provides some interesting contrasts with the majority of the rooms very simply decorated and a predominance of basic white painted furniture (particularly in the bedrooms) but with a two very richly decorated “Gold” rooms and a rather grand dining room. The same camera conditions as Peles though so no interior shots.

The views across the valley here are great but with the weather not improving it was time to head back to Bucharest. Playing strictly “by the rules” today I came on a single ticket on an “Accelerat”, knowing if the weather truncated my visit that the rail schedule meant I’d be returning on a “Rapid”. So with my ticket bought and my seat reserved I was more than a little baffled when the same train configuration arrived as for my trip out in the morning. This meant that I had traveled more cheaply in first class in the morning than in second class on my way back – but on the same train taking the same amount of time. So maybe I haven’t quite figured out how the railways work here yet!

So today I’m home by 6pm via the supermarket with time to do some work before trying to watch Ingerlund against Israel which is on “free to air” here. Not surprisingly Ingerlund’s turgid football soon sees me fast asleep on the sofa. Fortunately I’m awake just in time to get out to The Dubliner to watch a very disappointing Wales lose to Germany. Also it seems I’m the only Welshman in the village – but at least the Germans bought me a drink!

Around Bucharest – Sunday 2nd September

Today started with memories of India in 2004, to be specific the effects of climbing too many steps up the minaret at the Jama Masjid as this morning my thighs are “revolting” (any ex-girlfriends following this blog need not post comments) in response to the three towers I climbed yesterday.
It’s not a bright start to say the least so I ruled out the trip to the park and instead headed off for a tour of Piata Revolutiei and the Art Museum.
The Piata is home to a memorial to the dead of the 1989 revolution with this rather strange monument that sometimes attracts a rather derogatory local epithet – suffice to day that it is highly descriptive and the park beneath is popular for walking dogs,
Opposite is the Biserica Crutelscu, a Romanian orthodox church built in 1720 that has some magnificent frescoes inside and out.

Unfortunately no photography is allowed inside and it is packed with worshippers on a Sunday morning,

Also nearby is the National Art Museum which is housed in what was formerly the Royal Palace in the 19th century. Making it’s return after a welcome absence was the dreaded “camera tax”, although no flash is allowed making most of the exhibits completely unphotographable anyway due to the low lighting. This is particularly annoying as the older exhibits seem not to have been significantly restored and are uniformly rather dark. Coupled with some poor lighting this makes the exhibition rather disappointing although there are some interesting works in a good condition and showing wonderful vibrant colours. The museum itself is divided into two distinct sections, being European Art in one wing and Romanian Art in another.
The European Art offers an interesting mix of works albeit dominated by religious themes but interesting items include a gilded astronomical clock.

Most of the rooms have rather disappointingly been “museum-ised” and are very bland but the odd room displays traces of the old palace in the roof and wall panels.
The Romanian Art is only “interesting” in terms of its uniformity being entirely based on religious imagery. At least up to the point where I got bored and left it was, although my demeanour wasn’t helped by the “no photography” rule. Having said that some of the recovered wall frescoes and altar screens are quite impressive if highly derivative of so many other similar works.
So home to rest the legs before they strike a deal with my aching feet and some time to get the blog up to date. A coffee later in the afternoon with come colleagues leads to a difficult situation as the question of a “swifty” at the White Horse comes up and so we compromise by trying Dantes. At least at Dantes we can sit outside and the prices are the same as the White Horse but the service is prompt and efficient – so we have a new “local” identified!
It’s a trip to The Dubliner later for some schadenfraude as Chelski lose and then on to The Haveli for a curry. Ordering the”5 star spicy” works a treat and my primitive Hindi gets a work out too!
Finally it’s home to update the blog and get ready for another week’s hard work.

ENJOY!