Dead Ceausescu’s

Walking round, we saw a poster for a music night at a place called Control, across the road from our hotel. Our plan was to have another break and head there.

There are so many things I have seen or found out about, but I keep forgetting to add. In the Village Museum, I think I read about King Charles, or maybe it was somewhere else. Apparently, he is interested in the biodiversity of Transylvania as well as the architecture. He owns several properties in Transylvania, has done them up, and they are now holiday lets, through a company called Cox and King’s, an unfortunate name. They start the trio at the Grand Bucharest Hotel before heading off there. Out of pure devilment I really wanted there to be a seedy link between him and Ceausescu, but unfortunately not, he didn’t buy them until early 2000s. That said  Ceausescu was knighted by the Queen, which even writing it seems a bit crazy. His was the first state visit by a Communist head of state to the UK, and Ceaușescu was given a knighthood by the Queen, which was revoked on the day before his death in 1989. That all seems so, so tacky.

As we are in the university area there are quite a few trendy places. Control was great, very friendly and lively. Not a massive venue, but an added bonus was the sort of cubicle down one side,so I managed to get a very comfortable spot to watch the bands.

I was very happy, I wouldn’t have been able to stand.

I absolutely loved the Dead Ceausescu’s, on bandcamp they are described as being  dynamic Punk /Hardcore, Political Satire, Disorder and Chaos, with audio interludes, video projections and golden age hymns! Fantastic! I really wanted to dance. They had a young singer come on with them, she sang a very dynamic version of Bondage Up Yours. I spoke with her later. It was only her second time on stage, she looked happy and relieved.

Pete got a t shirt.

Seeing great live music is just so enlivening. I know that about 99% of the audience was younger, but why be constrained.

The next band was good but definitely not as good as the first one. Although the band were from New York, the lead singer and founding member was from Decvon. Trying to convince record labels in the US that ska could be the next thing, after numerous knock backs, he set up his own label.

After another long lie in, we had planned a day of culture.

Firstly, we went to the National Museum of Romanian History.

It is a truly enormous building, but surprisingly sparse inside. It should have cost 20 lei but was charged 5 lei each. Adult persons with medium or light handicaps are charged 5 lei. To be honest, Pete looked very ill, too, as he has a bad cold.

On the first floor, there was a children’s museum, full to the brim of very scary looking toys.

It was interesting to see in the toy museum two cabinets full of books and toys linked to Nadia Comaneci. I think she was the best-known gymnast in the world, her performance at the 1976 Montreal Olympics cementing her as the very best, her skill and artistry unsurpassed.

 A few weeks before the Revolution,  Nadia, with a group of other gymnasts, defected to the USA. Mostly on foot and at night, travelling through Hungary and Austria, going to the American Embassy, before flying to America. Having spent over 6 hours a day training since 6, under surveillance, and having seen what life could be like, the choice was to flee. At the time, she thought that she would never see her family again, but due to the revolution, this did not play out.

This seemingly small display in the museum belies its huge significance. The American President Richard Nixon visited Romania in August 1969. It was a historic moment as never before had an American president visited a socialist state. The visit was a huge success for Nicolae Ceaușescu and hugely enhanced his standing on the international arena. The visit was also a consequence of Romania’s decision not to invade Czechoslovakia in 1968. 

The rock fragments in the collection of the National History Museum of Romania are embedded in a celluloid globe and were gathered by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during their famous Apollo 11 mission. They are accompanied by a small Romanian flag that the U.S. astronauts carried to the Moon and back. Both objects are attached to a wooden socket on which two goodwill messages are engraved: „Presented to the people of the Socialist Republic of Romania by Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America” and „This flag of your nation was carried to the Moon and back by Apollo 11, and this fragment of the Moon’s surface was brought to Earth by the crew of that first manned lunar landing.”

There were lots of Roman artefacts. Brutal wars resulted in the Romans taking over what was called Dacia. The name Romania comes from the Latin word “Romanus” which means “citizen of the Roman Empire.

We had another long break, sipping fresh lemonade and mint. Then, we  headed to the National Art Gallery of Romania.

               

It was huge. Looking at it, I knew I couldn’t walk around the entirety.

Inside, it was massive, and not only that but steep marble steps, which filled me with dread. Since my second fall, I have been filled with anxiety about falling over again.

So… I asked if there was a lift. This became a bit of a farce and made me feel pretty awful. Non-smilimg staff took me to the different levels of the gallery in the lifts. You couldn’t go alone. It became a complete performance , which left me feeling more disabled than I temporarily am. Not to cast aspersions, but sitting in a gallery all day must be pretty boring, I would have thought that I would have been a welcome diversion.

Hotel bound, another break, watching another terrible film, Vampire  Lovers.

Tomorrow is Transylvania, so this silliness can end?