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!