We touched down in Doha and spent an hour or so in the airport. It felt like we had been transported to another world, a parallel universe of facade and filthy amounts of wealth.

it is considered the best airport in the world. Everything was bigger, brighter and over the top! Harrods, Hermes, Louis Vuitton… the list goes on. Scratch beneath the surface and as with much of Qatar’s construction, it was built by a substantial amount of slave labour. Then, on the other hand, there are 16 prayer rooms to choose from.    

Interestingly, there is a large Kaws sculpture called ‘Small Lie’ nestled in between Harrods and a cavier and saffron shop.

The ‘ rainforest’ provides respite from all the glitz. 22 thousand plants, with twinkling lights, walkways, and no birds but birdsong aplenty.

The souvenir shops were reassuredly tacky and on the way back I certainly had my eye on a number of things.

The next flight to Incheon airport, Korea, was just under 9 hours. Lots of lovely food, another paneer curry and passionfruit pudding. The time seemed to go very quickly. As we passed over  Dubai we saw The Palm lit up.

When I was having 4o wink, Pete saw the northern Himalayas, which was exciting. 

Touch down to leaving the airport was very speedy and organised, which was very appreciated. 

Before rushing off I felt it was important to take stock before our next leg of the journey. The purple sweet potato iced drink helped to gather my thoughts! 

We got the bus towards our Air B and B. Passing iconic silohouettes of the Seoul skyline, having some of the tallest buidings in the world. Bridges criss crossing the Han river. 

Reassuringly, the bus driver was not averse to honking his horn, bus drivers of the world united! In fact, there does seem to be a lot of honking of horns, doing away with any preconceived ideas that Koreans are always laid back.

We didn’t feel particularly tired, but we made a number of errors finding where we were staying, which wasn’t great as the heat even in the evening was searing.

Finally, before a divorce was on the cards, we found where we should be, down a small side path. There was another place with the same name, five floors up with no lift!

It’s always hard to guage from photos what it would be like, but it was bigger than I expected, with a shower, so strong it didn’t pull any punches! To power through, we went out almost immediately. 

We are close to the famous Myeongdong market, still open late into the night and stretching across several streets.

It was so lively, and very unexpected, with one stall after another selling moth-watering dishes, and others that turned my stomach. Lots of fried chicken, lobster, live octopus…..which we obviously didn’t have. 

We had cheese sticks, and I tried to see how far I could stretch the cheese string, very long as it turned out! Processed cheese was introduced to Korea during the Korean War, influenced by US military bases. From not really having much cheese in their diets. the consumption of cheese has significantly grown in Korea, as the introduction of foods like pizza has become a popular staple.

We then had a more tradtional dish of ttekobokki. Long, fat cylinder shaped rice cakes, in a spicy chilli paste. Much, much hotter than the  ones I have had in the UK, although my experience has been scant. In 2017 this dish made it’s way into North Korea and restaurants started serving it, but by 2024 it had been banned as it represents South Korean cuisine. 

I can’t wait to go to the market again as the atmosphere was brilliant!

Heading home, we stopped at a pojangmacha, a traditional Korean bar serving ‘delicious’snacks, such as chicken feet and chicken gizzards. The cold  beer went down very easily, with the complimentary popcorn.

And so we headed home, marvelling at how near our place was and how  easy it was to find!   

       

So starts another  ‘blog’! What started as a way to keep my mum in the loop when we travelled to Japan, has snowballed into  a travel tradition. Initally I did have feelings that perhaps it was all a tad self indulgent, but as time has gone by it is something that makes me very happy, and the positivity that people have shared with me, underlines the fact that it brings a little joy into their lives too! Albeit many from the sharing of some of the catastrophes and scrapes we tend to get involved in.  Well…… they make a good story!

The journey has started, staggered over several days. Starting in Scarborough, followed by Salford, then Runcorn and finally Manchester Airport. In the true spirit of our jaunts, we have arrived hours and hours too early.  But  this enures that any evantuality is disappated and we are here in the departure lounge, in one piece and relaxed.

On route I caught a glimpse of my hair and in a moment of vanity decided I needed it cutting urgently, as it looked a bit like a white Brillo pad, with a similar texture. So between our various stops I found a hairdresser that could fit me in. I certainly  was a fish out of water there, that said I dd get a great hair cut. 

Their website was strewn with photos of their talents, which expanded into ‘cosmetic’ procedures, big lips and bigger eyebrows!

 It was a bit of an odd experience. I thought I was seeing things but I certainly wasn’t.  She would stop cutting for a moment, stand back, brush her hair, and then start brushing mine with the same brush! Then she did the same with the comb. She had got extensions the previous week, and I think that she was still in the thrall of how her hair looked. Again and again, she would look wistfully in the mirror, brushing and combing her hair, while regaling me with her tales of her recent trip to Amsterdam. Punctuating her tales, realising I was still there, with a cheery, ‘you ok babe.’ It cost ten pound – so despite the obvious health issues, it was at least cheap.

Stayed at my Mum’s house the night before, made a big packed lunch. Why did you make so many sandwiches, exclaimed Pete…..well…because we had barely left my mum’s house before Pete was making a substantial dint in it!

I love airport lounges, a sense of expectations of good times ahead. Glitzy shops and the opportunity to lather myself with several different perfumes. 

Having arrived so early we decided to sit outside. Within minutes a three people had plonked themselves behind us. Two women and a man. No idea what the man, Tim and the woman, Angela, sounded like, as their friend (or perhaps she was a complete stranger) talked non-stop, loudly, without a break. Oh Tim she wailed, you can’t wear your Speedo’s when we are away, your arse looks like a ten year old boys! Borrow my knickers, they would be better for you. Angela, you can’t wear long dresses at night, get your legs out, get a mini dress or better still some little shorts from one of those designer shops. 

Without a breath, she continued, as I chomped on my cheese and pickle sandwich. Lip flllers, thats what you want Angela, wouldn’t she look great Tim, not waiting for an answer before launching into another monlogue. Itemising all the things she had packed, false eyelashes, eyelash glue, on and on…

When we passed later, they were gone. Perhaps Angela and Tim  had decided to run to the hills and not have a week with her in Greece.

Getting through was  very quick. We are way too early but someone in the security let us through. Are you nervous she asked in a concerned manner. No, I just want to go to Duty Free and try as many perfumes as humanly possible, before inducing an asthma attack. Ah, her face seemed to say…. we have a bit of a nutter here. Go through, but it’s the Fast Track lane, nodding quickly, she said it’s fine. Either she was terriby kind or thought I was a bit special. Whatever, the quickest time through security, EVER!                       

We leave Romania, I am taking with me fantastic memories as well as Pete’s cold.

They say travel broadens the mind,for me, it just raises more questions about the place. Petruc said that Romania will need another 10 to 15 years to recover from the impact of communism. I hope that means improved roads and housing, not a wholesale leap in consumerism.

At the moment, it still retains a feeling of difference without the looming impact of multinationals. I hope it gets to the point it needs to get to without eschewing what makes it special!

The hotel – a bit we we only found on the last day.

We also, one the last day, tried out the famous Capsa Casa Cafe.

Our tour guide was Petru, our driver Nicki. Petru had amazing English. He came across as a foppish mid-thirties posh boy from down South England. There was no sense of a Romanian accent. It was quite perplexing. I think others on the coach wondered, too.

During the trip, he told us that he had been taught by an anglophile teacher in year 6. The only homework set was to watch English films,  Zulu, Lawrence of Arabia, etc. But then the expectation was that the class would have to act out their favourite scene to the rest of the class. Her rationale was that she didn’t want another generation speaking English with a stupid Russian accent.’ She definitely was successful in her endeavours to achieve this!

So the day had come for our Halloween trip to Transylvania. I had looked at lots of options, but the easiest way seemed a guided tour. The downside is the prescribed times, etc. Also, putting up with other people….and other people putting up with us!

I had been a bit anxious about finding the right location to meet, I shouldn’t have as there was a mass exodus leaving Bucharest, with a whole plethora of tour operators. We had been advised that the trip would take 12 hours in total, that we couldn’t eat on the coach ( but should bring a packed lunch) that we could only drink water. None of those things transpired to be correct.

Located the coach easily and were second in the queue. The family in front, from England, were discussing where they were going to sit, deciding the back of the coach would be the best option. Hooray, I thought, we could sit at the very front, it would make it all much easier. Turning to Pete, I vocalised this. Getting on the coach, behind said family, to seeing them sitting at the front. It was 7 o’clock in the morning, I was tired, and I had what I felt quite rational feelings. I felt like punching her lights out when she gave us a smug, self -satisfied smile. Aghhhhhh!

Nicki had been a paratrooper in a past life. We were assured that we were in good hands with him. He must have been the shortest paratrooper in Romanian history. He could barely see above the steering wheel. Petru called him the ‘mean green driving machine.”

The drive to our first destination was interesting, and Petru knew everything about everything, and funny in and ironic, sardonic way.

We passed oil fields, which was a bit unexpected.  There are 152 commercial oil and gas fields, most of them onshore but also offshore operations in the shallow waters of the Black Sea, in Romania. During the Second World War, 37% of Germany’ s oil came from Romania, so when they switched sides, it must have really hurt.

Even before this time, their old industry put them ahead of most of the rest of Europe. April 1, 1857, one thousand oil street lamps became active across the city of Bucharest, in a huge display of its modernity, illuminating the cobblestone streets of what many called “the Paris of the Balkans.”

There were lots of delays of the way to Peles Castle. The road, Petru stressed, was not fit for purpose. There should be a motorway, which has been discussed for years. With his deap-pan way, Petru stated that if they had started to construct it using a spoon, it would have been made by now. There are 2 million residents in Bucharest, and 6,000 registered cars, despite the great transport system.

We passed beautiful countryside before finally reaching Peles. On the way, we all had to write our name on a form. In case we were stopped by the police, all seemed to be grouped in threes. Petru said there was a reason for this, one could read, one could write, and the third was there to protect the intellectuals!

We had to stop at a garage because there would be no toilets at Pele, Petru advised us. It was hard to believe this, not knowing if it was his sense of humour or true. It was true!

As we passed through the small villages and countryside, Petru would regale us with anecdotes and stories. He said he had had an idyllic childhood living with his grandparents on their farm, whilst his parents worked in the city, only returning to them when he was school age. He studied art and became a satirical cartoonist. His father didn’t approve and thought he should do something manly, like construction with his teeth!

We arrived at Pele’s Castle nestled in the beautiful autumnal backdrop of Prahova County. Built between 1873-1914, Peles Castle was the summer residence of the first Royal Family of Romania, Carol I, and Elizabeth.

From the outside, it looks like a fairytale castle, turrets, balconies, and sculptures around the periphery. The inside is a riot of different designs and styles across each of the 160 rooms. Utterly over the top, marble from Italy, Murano glass chandeliers, wooden carving throughout.60,000 works of art in total.

The first European castle to be powered by locally produced electricity.

Over 4000 pieces of armoury and weaponry.

Ultimately, it’s quite oppressive. The tour only took in the ground floor, which I was very glad about. That sounds awful. It was beautiful in many ways but very much a sensory overload.

The last Queen, Marie, felt similar, complaining about the lack of natural light. Even Ceausescu didn’t like it, boarding it up. But I feel the setting is the part I loved. I always feel at odds looking at the opulence of times gone by, recognising that everyone else’s would have been pretty dismal.

From here, we travelled to Brasov, a town in Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian mountains. Coming into the town, you pass one brutalist block of flats after the other, typical of most urban areas Petruc informed us. People forcibly moved from the countryside to the urban areas to work in the factories. This process was called Systematization.

Romania has grown, got smaller, grown, etc, with borders changing, and an influx of different colonists. This area was settled by Hungarians, and there is still strong evidence of this history.

The centre of Brasov was beautiful. Although, confusingly, we were given 1 1/2 hours there to eat, despite being asked to take a packed lunch! Incidentally, everyone was munching away in the coach, so very mixed messages.

One of the first things you notice once you are  in Brasov’s old town is the iconic Brasov sign reminiscent of the Hollywood sign,high above the town.

 

Called the Black Church as it had a large fire, which more or less destroyed it. The most important gothic church in the country.

Pete wasn’t well at all. Coughing, sneezing, spluttering, etc, so he went to a pharmacy. The only joy was that the people in front of us in the coach must have wished they had sat elsewhere.

Having eaten a packed lunch already but Petruc mentioned chimney cakes, kurtoskalacs, invented by the Hungarian speaking descended in Transylvania. I was truly excited, as I have seen cooking programmes and YouTube videos about them. Made of sweet yeasty dough, strips are wrapped around a tubular contraction over charcoals like a spit. Dipped in sugar, then turned on the spit at regular intervals. I believe in some areas, they have them at weddings, and the guests take turns turning the crank. Adding melted butter, which caramelises, until crisp.

Worried about missing the coach, we headed back a bit too early,so Pete went for a wander. He has to be more careful, I seem to have become a magnet for toothless men. This one was from Armenia and took a bit too much interest, ogling me with his one eye.

Next stop, Bran Castle, ridiculously busy on the roads. The gates closed at 4, and we literally made in with just a few minutes to spare.

It is very inclusive, even separate camping for vampires!

Rushing to get there on time, the large souvenir market and traditional dancers a blur.

As we were waiting on the slope to get in, we could see the preparations for the weekend long Halloween party. It looked so amazing! A steady techno beat.  A lot of the people waiting or passing us by were in costume,there were some very exceptional ones!

What makes Bran Castle famous…Dracula. Bram Stoker based his book on Vlad the Impaler, who was just as cruel and bloodthirsty as Dracula. Why was he called the Impaler? His signature killing was impaling, a grotesque type of torture. A wooden or metal pole inserted through the vagina or rectum, making sure to avoid internal organs. Then, the bodies raised aloft on the poles, to experience a long excruciating death.

I much preferred Bran Castle, a longer history, plainer inside but quirkier.

In some rooms, they had interesting tableaux. This shows the Iele, female Romanian mythical figures. They were seductresses with magical skills. Appearing at night, dancing naked.

It was time to head back,we had a bit of time looking at bits and pieces on the stalls.

I bought some palinka, a distilled spirit, with Hungarian origins, made with a whole range of fruit. It is supposed to be restorative!

The journey home was even longer. We passed Wednesday’s Castle, where the whole series was filmed.

We arrived back to Bucharest at 9.30, very, very tired!

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?

Last night we went out on the ‘town’. We went to the old town and like carefree teenagers we went to a couple of bars that we had spied earlier in the day. It felt obviously very different from during the day, but there were still the young women outside the restaurants, charming us in. I was glad there wasn’t lots of hard sell, as this road in particular had them popping up in every direction. We declined all advances, we were still quite full from our picnic.

Working from home, I don’t seem to ever dress up, so an opportunity like this is very welcome. My  £1.20 Joanne Hope dress has certainly been a great buy, with pockets, what’s not to love!

The first bar we went to was called Bazaar. I loved the music blaring out, so eclectic, one minute Gloria Gaynor, the next Wham. A buy one get one free night, so a very cheap night. The barmaid looked like Jenna Ortega.

This is what I mean about reviews, this one was damning, Sweet waiter, but just bad food. The food looked like something out of the freezer. The atmosphere were some kind of dark and not very pleasant to eat in. – a one-star review, whilst this was 5 stars and pretty much what we thought: Lovely place. Stopped off to have a drink as it said 2 4 1 beer on a Monday and Tuesday . Sat outside but the inside looked great. Staff inc Gabrielle were great and friendly. Would go again!

It has been lovely, just relaxing and having a good time. After a while we went to another bar, it was grungey and arty. Staying up past 9 o’clock has been a novelty.

Another good sleep, and we were ready for the next day of adventures. We had a long, long lie in, which seemed to annoy the cleaner, who knocked twice at our door. We ate pastries and watched Romanian television. It is pretty bad, but considering they didn’t have colour TV until 1983, they have come a long way. Most of the channels we found were generally people in national costumes singing against a variety of backgrounds. Romanians are proud of their agricultural roots and their relationship with nature, so most backgrounds were in the countryside.

We have walked everywhere since getting here because everything has been in close proximity, but today we were venturing out further afield. The underground is a minute or two away from the hotel.

Two journeys that can be taken at any time costs 6 lei, which is the equivalent of £1. To have a reasonable and reliable transport network in the UK would be fantastic. Our destination was the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, an open-air ethnographic situated in the King Michael I park.

A beautiful park, very autumnal but at odds with the very warm weather.

Dotted along the path were busts on plinths of various famous Romanians and people Romanians admire. So, there was Balzac Mark Twain in a Romanian park.

I’m not certain why they particularly like these two literary figures, but the only connection I could find with Mark Twain and Bucharest is an International Mark Twain school. The first and oldest one in Bucharest, opening in 1995.

Then we came to a memorial that jolted my memory about what Romania had been infamous for, orphanages. This memory was triggered by a memorial for Michael Jackson.

Two years after the revolution, Jackson played to a crowd of over 90,000. He donated money to the orphanages, of which there were many at the time. Visiting orphanages and bringing more scrutiny and awareness. Reading the English language chat rooms here, there has been a lot of debate around the Romanian relationship with Jackson, but the overall feeling is that he did good things, and the focus should be on that. There is even a dedicated Michael Jackson radio station here.

Because of Ceausescu’s stance on anorion and birth control, the numbers of babies and children who could not be looked after escalated in the 80s and 90s. Female factory workers would be checked every three months for potential pregnancies. If they were found to be pregnant, they were monitored. If they didn’t give birth, they were thrown in prison. Overall, it is estimated that over 500,000 children passed through this system. Mistreated, starved of love, warmth, and food in appalling conditions. The grimmest treatment was meted out on disabled children. Mortality rates were high and rarely if ever were they connected to their disability. Investigations found children had been locked in cagesm even eaten by rats. The scale of the abuse was catastrophic.

There have been investigations to try to uncover what happened and to bring those connected to justice. Although it is felt by Romanians that this was a chapter in their history that is best forgotten. But those who experienced the system still bear the scars. One survivor said, “I don’t blame them. A lot of them were not educated to work with disabled children, and it was impossible for so few people to manage so many children. A lot of them had sympathy but would be punished by the meaner, older workers if they tried to help too much.”

Then there was the furore around adoptions. When the world found out the atrocious conditions in the orphanages, the solution seemed to be adoptions. It was an utter free for all. Known collectively as “Ceausescu’s children, they were farmed off to all corners of the globe.

The number of adoptions to families abroad skyrocketed in 1990 and 1991, the first two years after the end of the Ceausescu regime, with more than 10,000 adoptions to foreigners registered by Romanian NGOs. Money changing hands, corruption rife. Now, as adults some have tried to uncover their birth stories, but such were the systems in place, it has proved to be a futile quest

Adoptions out of Romania have now ceased. But I think it was one of the conditions for joining the EU.

So after Pete did some moonwalking around Michael Jackson’s memorial, we carried on with our journey. His moonwalking was very enthusiastic but not that good.

From here, we carried on the museum passing the Arc de Triumphe or Arcul de Triumf in Romanian.

On our way back, there was quite a buzz as someone had been knocked off their bike. Based on how many emergency vehicles there were, it didn’t look good.

It wasn’t the easiest to find the entrance to the museum, but after a few false starts, we managed it.

So far, everyone has been really solicitous and smiley. This changed today, when we bought the tickets from the most stoney faced and miserable woman. I got really flummoxed and proceeded to give a dazzling smile (or so, I thought). She was not going to be won over. Her face remained the same throughout. I have picked up that government funded places have staff that really don’t give a monkey’s, but elsewhere, they are definitely friendlier.

It was time for another rest, I have had lots of them as I am sick of wearing this boot! We headed to the cafe, a building from the Prahova County from the 19th century. All the buildings ha e been moved and saved from across Romania. It was so sunny and warm, we sat outside. The food was in keeping with the ethos of the museum, traditional and tasty.

We had grilled cheese, with rice and salad. Pete felt very nostalgic as  it made him remember a similar meal with Andrew, his brother in Hungary. It was very tasty, washed down with traditional lemon, ginger, and mint tea.

“The creation of the Village Museum is the result of intense and sustained theoretical and field research, of museographic experiments, for over a decade, coordinated by Professor Dimitrie Gusti, founder of the Sociological School in Bucharest.” According to their website. Romania has quite a diverse population and this was reflected in the architecture.

On the edge of the lake, in the middle of a park,it made for a lovely day.

I really liked these masks in the gift shop but they were wildly expensive.

Heading back to the underground, we had another pitstop opposite a massive skate park. Mostly youngsters doing death-defying acrobatics, using scooters. Some of them went really high! Luckily we didn’t see any accidents.

On the way back to our hotel, we went into the very swanky Grand Bucharest Hotel, got the lift to the top floor, and took panoramic photos of Bucharest.

Back to the hotel for another break before going out.

In preparation for our trip to Transylvania, we have watched a number of films back home, continuing the trend here. Not all Dracula related, but vaguely linked.

This one was truly awful. But so bonkers, it was hysterical.

Countess Dracula based on a historical figure who killed girls so that she could maintain her youth. Wonderfully ridiculous!

Theatre of Blood was equally silly, Vincent Price and Diana Rigg, as you have never seen before! Vincent Price, a jaded actor, hunts down critics who have been less than complimentary about his acting. One by one, he kills them, the method matched to a Shakespeare play he had acted in.

During our downtime yesterday, we watched Werner Herzog’s, Nosferatu the Vampyre, from 1979, a remake of the original 1920s film. Filmed simultaneously in German and English. I think the German version must have been better, as the English one was so stilted. This bit was particularly gross, the sucky noises were a bit too graphic. Which reminds me that we keep passing the Bank of Transylvania, which has been a great source of dad jokes!

I can honestly say I was not a fan at all of this film. In one part, there were literally hundreds of rats, which Herzog asked to be painted grey. Herzog was accused of animal cruelty by one of the film’s animal experts. He alleged that the rats used in the film had such poor travelling conditions that they started to eat each other!

This morning, we went to a Carrefour Express and bought our breakfast, as well as things for a picnic.

The plan was to head to the Communism Museum, again thankfully a short distance. It was a tiny museum but we really found it interesting. On the way, we saw our first cats here, but they weren’t very friendly and were completely disinterested. To be honest, I felt a bit crestfallen. We haven’t seen many dogs either, and the ones we have are fluffy and small. A little fact I can share is that there are around 3 -4 million cats in Romaniam, with 48% households having them. So where are they???? Apparently, Romania has the highest capita of pets in Europe,

During the Revolution in December 1989, the protesters made a hole in the flag, taking out the Communist logo in the centre,   This modified flag became one of the symbols of Revolution. It symbolised a new beginning. Defiling the flag in this way was a huge message, as any defacing in the past would have come with consequences.

During the Revolution, a snall number of children were killed, the youngest being 1 month old, Vladimir A, who was shot in his head in his crib.

Romania took a page out of the USSRs rule book, with political prisoners forced into labour. The Black Sea/Dabube built from their labour, subsisting in overcrowded barracks, close to starvation.

Investigations against anti-communists were barbaric, forced to eat their faeces, or their fellow prisoners, pulling out bails as well as putting feral cats under their shirts.

Starting from 1983,you could only buy typewriters with permission from the authorities. You would even then get checked up on periodically. So if the militia did uncover any anti Communist literature, it was easier to trace back.

Teachers and students would have a mandatory term to work, normally in agriculture. It would have been a nightmare for me!

Toys were prescriptive and also equally scary!

Education was also under scrutiny, but in some ways, it is true of all countries. Ceausescu loomed large, his portrait on every classroom wall, in the front of all books.

Abortion and birth control banned. Women had to resort to a number of ways to get rid of unwanted pregnancies,which put their lives in jeopardy. The purpose was to create a new and large Romanian population. Of course, those who had money could use bribes. Those who didn’t have money,  which accounted for most of the population, resulted in mortality. During Ceausescu’s time, Romania had the highest mortality rate for pregnant women. Having more children just meant more mouths to feed and malnutrition was  rife, as well as a host of resultant disabilities.

This is what typical people would wear, I know we are not typical! The coat was so heavy. We got the clothes from what they called ‘grandma’s wardrobe’.

Throughout the whole time, there were shortages. By the 1980s, coffee had more or less disappeared. Forced instead to drink a substitute called Nechezol, which had 1/5 coffee, the rest made up of barleym oats,chickpeas, and chestnuts. I have not seen it in the shops, so it mustn’t have even a goer! Food was rationed throughout.

Romanians were annually entitled to 39 kg of meat, 78 litres of milk and 166 kg of vegetables. Oil and sugar were given once a month, and the ration was one kilogram.

A coffee here where they describe itself as in the top 30 historic restaurants in the world. That seems a big stretch!

Another short walk, after a very long break and a we were near to the Palace of Parliament. The only way to visit is to book the day before. No doubt very interesting, but with a floor area of 365,000 mt squared would have been far too much for me. It is the world’s largest civilian building now, so I think it was a sensible decision. Having been to the Communist Museum, then seeing this, you can see how much the inequality ran deep. 700 architects, between 20,000 and 100,000 people, worked on it. To help cut costs forced labour and soldiers were used.  Rupert Murdoch tried to buy it in 1990 for 1 billion, and he was rejected. Did he want to become the next dictator? I mean why, why, why would he buy it?

I have been interested in what Romanians think of these bygone days. That, in many ways, isn’t that bygone. In a study in May 2022 , only 54% of those interviewed thought the situation during communism had been better than the current one. In September, this number rose to 57%. The expectations after communism were high, and things are not as perhaps some expected. The rich are still rich. Unbelievably, another study found that nearly half of Romanians have a positive view of Ceausescu and believe that life was better with him in power

On the way back to the hotel, we crossed a bridge over the Dambovita River. It is about 150 miles long (250 km) and starts in the Transylvania Alps.

Snacks and games on the hotel. No cheating, we both won one each so no tears before bedtime!

A lovely sleep, very quiet during the night. I could get used to this! The bed could definitely fit a family of 4 or 5. Pacing ourselves for the day ahead. A great bath, too! They even have really soft, comfortable dressing gowns, too. Luxury !

We decided not to have breakfast included, so we could explore lots of other places. Not only cheaper but definitely more interesting.

On a road, a parallel road to our hotel, we found a cafe that looked like a Romanian  ‘institution’. How wrong I was, it was part of a French chain of cafes that have 100s in France and close to 500 worldwide, including Karachi. There is one in London but I haven’t encountered it.

Again, reviews are so polarising. Some were really low.  Demonising the staff and a litany of other misdemeanours. Again, we found it absolutely lovely. Staff were solicitous and friendly. So, I am disregarding any review and will make my own mind about things. Although to be honest that’s what I tend to do, pick first, look later.

Pete had a croque madam with no ham, and I had eggs.

It was truly delicious and very decadent, eggs cooked in butter and even better, a beautifully cooked tasty tomato. It was very filling and reasonably priced. We are truly living the high life!

She asked if we wanted cake afterwards……

The receipts in restaurants are odd here. They have the price of the meal and then three options for a tip, depending on what you think of the service and food. Guide books say it isn’t mandatory, but it feels like it is.

With the determination to take it easy, but also with tremendous hypothetical itchy feet, we headed back to the hotel for another break. As we headed back, the flea market stall holders were setting up. I had really wanted to go to the Market of Memories – the best flea market in Bucharest,renowned across Romania. But 45 minutes on public transport would not be in the spirit of taking it easy. Maybe we may come again….

When we left later, we had a quick peek in the hotel’s chocolate shop. We didn’t fully close the door on the way, the shop assistant said it was too cold to be open. Of course, it had to be closed, but I have to say it is warm here, very warm. If it was this hot in the UK there would be much less clothing, but here lots of scarves and big coats.

When you think where we are, it should be fairly warm. I hadn’t realised that Romania had a partial border with Ukraine either.

The Museum of Bucharest is nearby, so we went there. It reminded me of places I visited in East Berlin and Hungary, functional and austere.

We saw lots of artefacts and also an original portrait of Vlad the Impaler.

Whilst he is considered a great ruler in Romania, his methods of ensuring his power were true to the legends that surround him. E dealt with his enemies cruelly, and those close to him as well.

He would impale men through their anus with a blunted stick, until it crushed through their inner organs and came out of their mouth. Done while they were alive, not all were personally undertaken by him, but thousands were performed under his name.

It’s hard to unpick truth from fiction, but apparently, 20,000 people were impaled in a single day. The roads around the country were littered with these bodies, having from trees discarded. It helped to send out a string message to his enemies.

There was also a video of Nixon visiting Romania in 1969. This cemented Ceausescu’s personal image as a leader who wanted to assert himself on the international arena.

We didn’t take photos inside the museum as it would have cost 20 lei, which realistically was not a lot, but on top of the entrance fee, I felt principle I wouldn’t pay. There were things we could photograph, but in the photo opportunity places, there were ‘guards’, with stony, steely demeanours.

As well as being surprised by people smoking indoors, it was quite an eye-opener to see fur coat shops. This was called elegance and to my mind far from elegant. Perhaps a through back to Soviet times when mink was the dream for some women. This and the large number of Mercedes cars flying around the area are at odds with my image of what Bucharest would be like. It seems very cosmopolitan and wealthy.

On a lighter note, I loved taking this photo opportunity!

On the way back to the hotel, I noticed at first the gold glinting against the clear blue sky.  It was we later found out a Russian Orthodox church, built originally for Russians living in the vicinity. I think we were drawn to it, as the architecture is at odds with the Romanian buildings. Modelled on the Church of the Twelve Apostles in the Moscow Kremlin.

We went in, so different from churches in the UK. only a few places to sit, with a steady influx of people coming and going, kissing the pictures and crossing themselves. Then, a woman with a headscarf, looking very pious and worthy, would scuttle forward and disinfect it.

We saw what I thought was a christening, but it could have been a 40 day blessing. Sitting there, it all played out like a tableau. It was very beautiful. It wasn’t a static event. The priest took the baby to each station of the cross, lifting it up and down. Then, taking it through one door and out of another. The priest wasn’t austere at all, he looked joyous.

An old man sitting next to me smiled. Reaching forward, he said, Bucharest, Romania, loves you! How lovely I thought. Thank you I said smiling and nodding appreciatively. Deep down I knew that there would be more. Opening his mouth wide, cavernous, with a few discoloured stumps scattered. Hospital, he stated, gesturing for money. Sagely, I nodded, I opened my mouth widely to show the awful state of my teeth. It felt like a Top Trumps situation, ultimately I think I won!

And so…for another lie down!

Knowing that things may be slightly different with my mobility issues, I had booked a mid afternoon treat at the oldest restaurant in Bucharest, the Caru’ cu bere. Starting out as a beer wagon, it progressed into renowned restaurant serving Romanian traditional dishes, still serving beer from the original secret recipe.

It was a truly amazing experience!

There was also a string quartet playing.

As expected, very little vegetarian food, but what there was, was very tasty.

Pete had mixed mushroom stew and polenta, I had cheese salad, and we shared this platter. All washed down with their beer. It was all very relaxed.

Arriving at the hotel we were blown away by how historic and amazing it looked. It didn’t look worn or dated. Well…dated in a good way. Prior to arriving, I told them I have a bad feather allergy. It was so refreshing to be told it was all in hand.

Before coming, I had gone on Street View to get my bearings as much as I could. It’s so strange to think of times when I travelled and everything was so hit and miss. It made for exciting escapades! Some memorable whilst some better not remembered. Imagine travelling without a phone, when mapreading was a necessary skill, and miming to locals an art form,

Our room was a deluxe one, a bit different from where we would normally stay. So grand and huge.

An amazing stocked mini bar with all items reasonable priced. So I very well may dip into it. 10 lei is about £1.70. I love it not being Euros!

Inside the room, looking through the windows, we could see a bustling flea market, lining the street below. Pumping soviet era type military music could be heard not far in the distance. It felt palpably exciting.

Being sensible, we had a lie down and relaxed. This holiday will be quite different for us, less frenetic, due to ongoing mobility issues. Maybe it’s not necessarily a bad thing, we won’t need a holiday to recover from the holiday. But I do love that non stop buzz.

Refreshed, we went down to the flea market, but not before Pete took numerous photos of me, flouncing around the hotel. I do have to do a lot of posing for Pete, like a supermodel,in a parallel universe. The display was very opulent, so a super photo opportunity.

The flea market was interesting. I love seeing what treasures I may find. I was lucky and found some super earrings.

They were 15 lei, so £2.55. Not bad! The price on the back was 199 lei so a veritable bargain.

We had found where the music was coming from, opposite a large building, the National Military Circle, a huge imposing building. Built in a neoclassical design on what was a site of a monastery. The inside, which we didn’t go into, was destroyed during German occupation during World War 1. We had no idea what was going on until we later researched it. It did lend itself to photo opportunities. There was, however, a strong militaristic feel, particularly with the music and the addition of soldiers. So it was a bit of a giveaway.

Later, when we stopped for a drink, we found out that this weekend is very important in the country’s calendar. The day they celebrate or remember is actually 25th October, but it carries on longer if it falls around the weekend. It marks the 25th October 1944, which was the day the city of Carei became the last Romanian place to be liberated from German and Hungarian occupation. I guess the Romanian equivalent to Armistice.

I am quite confused about the history of Romania, it has been complex. Pete has been reading a book about it all and has been regaling me with facts that still don’t make it any easier to understand. But the thing is Romania started the war as a neutral country. When France fell, they aligned with Germany, which also coincided with the rise of fascism. Lots happened in between, but by 1944, they ‘swopped’ sides. It’s all very simplistic, but that’s sort of it in a nutshell. I will get hammered by any budding Romanian historians.

It became occupied by Russian and was made a satellite of the USSR in1948.

Realising we hadn’t eaten, we had a wander, a more reasonable wander than normal, to find somewhere to eat. Normally we go round and round in circles, to eventually going to somewhere we saw minutes into the search.

We passed a few interesting places and things. On the one hand, it seems very inclusive, with quite a few Braille signs. But then, on the other hand, some of the pavements are lethal.

We were very good and didn’t have a quick fix of cakes, although very tempting.

Interestingly, Romania was one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian state in 1988. Romania has always supported the Palestinians cause, in the UN. But confusingly, they also recognise the state of Israel. It is a minefield.

Then, we passed the Memorial of Rebirth on Revolution Square. The sky was so blue, and it was very warm.

Before the revolution, it was known as Palace Square. Strange to think that something so momentous happened on my lifetime, the revolution or fall of communism. But then it reminded me of the month I spent in Hungary when it was in the Eastern block. At that time, east Germans could visit, and we got together with a group of them at a resort in Balaton. They talked about a changing tide against communism. Perhaps too loudly and vociferously in a bar we went to. Suddenly, a group of pro Communist Hungarians leapt over and started beating them up. It was truly awful, and a hospital visit resulted, but not for us, thankfully. When we returned to the UK we heard that many had crossed the borders, which had now been open. The floodgates had literally opened, and other Eastern block countries followed suit.

The Romanian revolution was the last of these, and the only one that violently overthrew a government and executed its leader. There are many monuments that remember those who lost their lives. Both Ceausescu and his wife were executed, bringing to an end decades of communism. He was charged with the genocide of 60,000 people, subversion of state power, undermining the national economy,trying  to flee with one billion dollars, etc. He and his wife were killed by firing squad. With his final words being being ‘ we could have been shot without this masquerade.” His was singing the imternationale. Between them, they had 120 bullets found in their bodies later.

This is a famous passageway in Bucharest. It had seen better days, so revamp took place and over 100 umbrellas added. Voila, a tourist attraction. There are photo tours so you can join the instagrammers and snap yourself here.

We went to the Trattoria Colliuseum there. Starved by now! It was good to eat. Strange to see people smoking and vaping inside. All went without incidence beyond me going to the men’s loo.