Hotel Europa Iasi

... They told him that we had to go to "central", so we boarded an overcrowded bus, and headed for the 3rd bus station. It is buried in the middle of the market, and buses are parked helter skelter everywhere. I don't think there is such a thing as a "bus station". But, I saw signs in the bus windows advertising Bucharest, so I bought my ticket for a bus to leave shortly, and Andre and I parted company.

We arrange for Monica to give us a tour of the painted monasteries. She is trained as a tour guide. Public transportation to these remote sites is very limited and would take several days to see the top 4. We take a beautiful route through the hills. The monasteries are surrounded by farms. We visit Voronet, Moldovita, Suceavita, Humur. They were built around 1500 with their exterior walls decorated in extensive and ...

... only other person at the hostel is a 60 year old Korean housewife, not what I had expected in a remote area of Romania. Suceava has virtually nothing in historical or cultural stuff to see and no nightlife. The reason to come here is as a launching pad for the painted monasteries.

We find an excellent restaurant just down the street from the hostel. In all, I would say that Romania has actually been the most consistently good food of any country so far. Another surprise.

... br>Good enough for you maybe, but what’ll I eat if I can’t find an exchange house or ATM in the vicinity? It’s a long walk back to the bus station and its exchange facilities.

“Breakfast starts at 7am.”

I’m good. That’ll help a little bit at least. Of course there are exchange facilities and ATM’s galore just around the corner, so I don’t have to fast for long. There ...

It was time to leave Sighet and considering I had plans to cover quite a bit of ground, I headed out early on Sept. 15. As I mentioned before, Sighet is in the northern most reaches of Romania and my plan was to go to Iasi in the eastern part of the country and then continue on to Moldova. Northern Romania doesn't seem to be on any main rail lines and unless you're headed south towards Transylvania or Bucharest, travelling to other parts of the country means taking local trains ...

Iasi is one of the larger cities of Romania. We got here on the heels of an adventurous car road trip of about 400km, which took about 8 hours to do, due to the vagaries of driving on Romanian roads. It is prettier than Bucharest and has a certain provincial charm, though it does not feel at all like a small city. Tavi's godparents live here and it was a pleasure to visit them, as ...

... to explain to British Protestant man how the make the sign of the cross. The instructions are "spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch". Anyway, I'm a quick learner - passed the relics, with my best attempt at Romanian Orthodox sign of the cross out of respect. I declined the kissing part. Afternoon took bus to Suceava, where I'll be spending a few nights. This area has several UNESCO churches. Both the interior and exteriors (the entire exteriors) were ...

... in the name of progress. Some of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in the country are dotted throughout the center, along with what is, in my opinion, probably Romania's most magnificent public building - the vast, neo-Gothic Palace of Culture. In between them all though are some of the nastiest eyesores and most tasteless apartment blocks ever to scar a town center. As a result, it is easy to find examples of incredible beauty within Iasi, but at the ...

... late in Iasi at 11pm after going through beautiful valley although it was dark. Cycled to recommended cheap hotel but it had been updated so not cheap. Went for a cycle round and spotted a hotel sign, went in and still a bit expensive so receptionist said there was a hostel round corner so went there. Put bike in lobby and went to late Italian restaurant, slightly smelly, for a couple of beers and spag bol and then to bed. Friday 20 July Had ...

... ist, denn ihm drohen fuenf bis zehn Jahre, und das hilft ja wirklich niemandem, wenn er sich seine Jugend versaut, zumal die Jungs im Gefaengnis sicher schlimmer sind. Leider jedoch hat er sich nie entschuldigt... waehrend ich das tat. Denn ich wollte hier ja keine Leben zerstoeren, und war halt zur falschen Zeit am falschen Ort. Zumal hier die Verhaeltnisse gestoert sind. Die grossen Jungs, die dem Volk den Wohlstand rauben, bleiben unbelangt. Fuenf Jungs, die ein betrunkenes ...