Blog:
Video interviews with three of Romania's best film directors before they became famous.
Could you survive 2012 without a taste of beer, wine or something stronger?
Wherever there is political power there are lobby groups.
What really impressed me was the high quality of the restoration work.
I first came across Alina Serban on the 8th of April which is International Roma Day.
How To Prepare for An Earthquake
If you know disaster is coming and your government can't help, what can you do?
I first came to Romania in 1986 and it was a horrible experience.
Cycling in Bucharest is safe, as long as you follow some basic rules.
In my experience the cultural, ecological, hiking and biking types tend to love Romania.
rupert's blog
When I was in Montenegro recently I checked into a small guest house and asked if they had internet. “Of course we do” boomed the big cheery lady who runs the place, but when I tried to get online it didn’t work. I asked for help and she went to fetch the Siberian who was living with his wife on the floor below. “He knows English” she cried as she hurried down the frozen stone steps.
A small, alert and friendly young man came in and tried to help me connect. But it still didn’t work, and we ended up on the outside terrace which was the only place (apart from his room) where the wireless signal actually did work. We sat there for hours, despite the rain and cold, and I learned about Siberia. read more…
In my view the best way to travel in Eastern Europe is by train. It is cheap, interesting and relaxing. But why, you might be wondering, would anyone want to travel across the Balkans in the winter, especially such a cold one as this? My mission was to sign a piece of paper in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. The job itself took about 20 minutes, most of which was spent hanging around, but getting there took me two nights on a sleeper train and getting back another two nights. I got the train from Bucharest to Bar, via Belgrade. read more…
Trying to compete with the west when it comes to tourism cannot succeed if the locations and infrastructure are as poor as they are in Romania. Romania’s beaches and ski resorts are promoted abroad even though they cannot possibly compete with what Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia and Hungary have to offer – not to mention France, Spain and Italy. read more…
Five days after Romania joined the EU I visited Bran Castle. I was sadly disappointed by the incredible kitsch on display in the carpark, the ruination of the village by uncontrolled banner advertising and an interior that has been ruined by bad restoration. What was an intriguing fifteenth century castle has been reduced to a centrepiece of the kitsch capital of Romania. The Habsburg’s asking price of 60 million Euro is laughable; they would be lucky if they could get 10% of that over inflated value. read more…