This map of SE Europe has plotted Thessaloniki
– and the country to the north of us correctly named as FYROM as, here in Greece, Macedonia
refers to the administrative area or county of which Thessaloniki is the capital
city. Why am I showing you this? Well, just to let you get a handle on where
Romania is in relation to us and to where Iasi
lies: to the north of Bucharest, near the borders of Moldova and Ukraine.
Romania, with around 20 million inhabitants, is the 7th
most populated member of the European Union. A member since 2007, it still
retains its currency of the leu.
Interestingly enough, Adorra, Kosovo, Montenegro, Monaco, San Marino and the
Vatican are not EU members, but officially use the euro.
I recently flew from Bucharest to Iasi (pronounced 'yashee), which is the largest city in E Romania and known as the
Moldavian capital. It is home to the oldest university in the country and
boasts 5 public universities. With its museums, Opera House and cultural
centres, it is referred to as Romania’s Cultural Capital.
Here you
can see the inside of one of the state cultural centres – just look at that
marble stair case and these doors which look as if they could be the entrances
to great Greek or Egyptian royal tombs. Instead, part of the premises is used
for the British Council for teaching
purposes. Which is where I come in: I’m here on an assessment trip.
Work
over, I head for a restaurant in the same block as my hotel. The first picture
shows the place was empty so I had complete choice of tables and … that a glass
of wine was high on my list of priorities! With Romanian being a Romance
language, it’s fairly easy to guess what some things mean. On this menu,
however, something seemed to have been
added in translation. I read that carp in
brine was crap in saramura – and was glad that I’m not heavily into fish,
anyway! My schnitzel with a pepper mushroom sauce and the ubiquitos chip, was
delicious! To keep me company, the staff put on some music: the accordion
played at a frenzied pace, accompanied by a croaky male voice, redolent of
Karakiozi shadow theatre or Punch and Judy shows.
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This is my impressive
hotel, the Grand Hotel Traian, which
I never actually managed to see in daylight! Tired after a long day, I take a
shot of my salubrious bed-chamber …… and
a quick selfie!
It’s only on leaving Iasi that I see the sun
rise and have an uneventful TAROM flight
from Bucharest on which we were served snacks and free drinks – including
alcoholic ones – doesn’t that just put British
Airways’ cabin service to shame?
Just before
touch-down at our local Macedonia airport, I manage to take a shot of our
house. Well, it’s there, somewhere south of Peristera – if you know where to
look for it.
Home, sweet home!
