Folks

Well, everything changes but everything stays the same. I am once again back on the open road. Alie has moved in, I am now working at Malvern and not BT. Yet autumn is nearly upon us , so it must be time to travel once again.

The distribution list gets bigger and bigger every year so everybody say hello to everybody else.

The call of Eastern Europe is still ringing in my ears, so here I am. A circular route of Romania Moldova then back into Romania for a total of three weeks.

The usual collection of Personal observations, stories, people, food, sites, sounds and smells will start filling your inbox for the next few weeks.

Eastern European Romania may be, but it certainly feels different to all the other countries bordering it. From the Latin based language to the French influenced architecture, a big surprise, not what you would expect.

Well its Bucharest to start with a beautifully sunny day. The home of the 1989 bloody revolution to overthrow Ceausescu. A point they certainly do not let you forget. Plenty of memorials and bullet marked buildinds in certain parts of the city. However, the gap between the haves and the have nots since that time is also evident.

Transport has been superb so far, planes, buses, metro all running like clockwork and just when you want them to, no hanging around, The standard function of form system means you always get there. Even trying to buy my overnight sleeper ticket to Chisnau in Moldova was easy (20:48 this evening from Gare Du Nord.......there, I told you there was a Latin influence to the languiage). Chip and pin is alive and well at the international ticket window (I.E. 6" square window as normal).

Super sunny day in Bucharest, plenty of walking and photo opportunities as well as numerous historic sites which I enjoyed. Ceausescu may have followed the Stalinist urban concrete planning policy but in amongst it all are centuries old churches, monasteries and the like...... very odd.

As for the food, coffee and beer. Where can I start, plenty of it at rediculously cheap prices and all very tasty. My recommendations at present are the soups and salads, They actaully have some taste to them, no franchise big ping food here..............that is except for KFC, Mc******s and the rest, captialism and all its colour is here.

The appear to be a friendly trustworthy people. On finding my accommodation last night, I rang the doorbell only to find nobody home. No problem, a friendly looking man walked down the street, said in softly spoken perfect English that the family had gone out for the day. I should come back in an hour or two. He then produced a key and let me in to the property. I dumped my bags and then dissapeared for a few hours, for food and beer of course, the cigars have now gone, to be replaced by more coffee.
Always travel without preconceptions or bias and you will be rewarded.

Alie (bless her) is busy working at home while I travel. For which I thank her very very much. However, she has update my website (www.martin-weaver.co.uk) ready for these emails, pictures to follow as usual. You may even want to re-read other previous travel adventures. The list of countries I have visited is at the bottom of the site.....which still amazes my from time to time

Feel free to communicate, ask questions or just catch up. Internet cafes are unbiquitious (thats todays word sorted) so as long as I am not living in a log cabin in the depths of the forest I should still be able to reply and give you updates

Happy travelling

Mart...........................Yes, still out on the open road.............and it feels just as fantastic as ever.