Just a word: The first video by the Ministry of Tourism…you’d have thought that after the Bourdaine disaster, they could have come up with something a little more imaginative. I’ve never seen a country so empty with more sheep than people, come to think of it. Where was the culture (apart from a few monasteries)? Where was the capital with the Ateneum, Stavropoleos, the Muzeul Satului, its parks and beautiful old Brancovânesc houses on Kiseleff? Where were the concerts at Sala Palatului? Zambaccian museum, the National Art gallery? Elena Udrea is really going to have to get her arse in gear if Roumania is ever going to be a serious holiday destination for the international traveller. It has so much to offer. Soooooooooooooooooo much. It troubles me that the Ministry of Tourism couldn’t do better than that.

maybe you won’t believe me, but I’ve been coming to and from Roumania for ten years and lived in Bucharest for one of those. It was the best year of my life. I met the most wonderful people, travelled all over the country, ate my way through every region possible (God, the food is so good), was never ripped off by a taxi-driver, never robbed though I walked around downtown Bucharest at 3h with my bag open tempting fate more than once, never got mugged, never had a single bad thing that happened to me…d’you know why? I think it was coz I decided that it never would. I fell in love with Roumania in 2000, and it has always been good to me. Sure, it has its fair share of negative points, as you say it has a corrupt people at the top, has a lot of shadiness about it, a lot of people are on the take and then more: the medical system is appalling, the salaries dreadful especially when u compare them to what politicians earn and the ex-securitate pensions etc…the destruction of the beautiful houses which in fact destroys culture, history and memory, too…but I love it. I cannot live without my visits to your beautiful country. It has he most gorgeous countryside I have ever seen, the people are wonderful (in no other country do you find such bravery and courage, not such ability to have a party at the drop of a hat!), the history and architecture is so, so rich and incredible, the food, as I’ve mentioned already, is fabulous…I won’t even start on the palinka!!!

Please feel free to roam my website: http://sarahinromania.canalblog.com

I live in Paris, France…and am shortly to leave, all being well, to move across the pond to the US. Completely different to my beloved Roumania. But I go to be with loved ones, not for the country.

please keep writing. Roumania so needs friends, honest opinions, heartfelt views, truth and creativity to help it give its new generation what it deserves: a sense of who they are; from whence they came…and national pride.

Bravo!

I had 2 guys looking like police come up to me and ask for my passport – and I just ran.

Have you ever noticed that while you are in Bucharest, if you take out your camera, you get some scam merchant trying it on?

Tourist Police Scam.

I’m walking down the street and a local comes up and talks to me with some excuse (what is the time is it, where is a good hotel, do you have a light). After a moment or two a second guy in street clothes comes up and flashes an ID card that is passing for Police ID.
“This guy is a known criminal/drug dealer/pimp and blah, blah, blah. Why are you talking to him? Perhaps you exchanged money, let me see your passport and wallet.” He’ll fiddle around with the wallet and papers and then return them to you and apologize for the trouble and wish you a good day.
If you look in your wallet it is empty of all cash and cards.