Romania

02.04.2014

• arrived in bucharest - talked with rob - finally got wifi to find hotel address - Rob's friend, Mihaela, met him - they were in TESOL program together in Sofia - they decided cab was too much $ and would take me to my hostel 
• train into town center - found a place for breakfast - spring rolls were so small - ate some of her pizza
• walked through the streets - beautiful buildings paired next to communist buildings - river covered in concrete 
• arrived at hostel - beautiful and friendly - posted in my room on the comp for a bit to do research - bed at window facing French consulate - 
• got ready - asked staff for help with planning - off for the day - tried to buy event tickets - no go - walked up to restaurant, Omivore's Dillema - great soup and grilled fish - talked with waiter for a long time and he joined me for a while - I thanked him by breaking a glass while we talked - so tired from bus ride - think I might see him for film festival on Friday - we'll see - new friends are always a guess for seeing them again
• walked to peasant museum - great exhibits - shows like art - discusses cultural artifacts like poetry, with curiosity, with meaning - missing some context - found it in the political basement!
• walked a long way through tree lined streets - consulates for other countries - Olympic training stadium - around to Gallaria IX - Gallery 9 - political art - talked to artists and caretakers - 
• walk home - relax for a bit - cold today - walk to store - home to eat dinner - chat with geographers

03.04.2041

• Up very early for yet another tour – enough time to say hello to Kevin – picked up by van and we collected the rest of our passengers – guide talked for 2 hour ride out to our first destination – history of Romania from 14^th century onward through the fall of the Communist regime – so knowledgeable with visual aids! Never dull
• Arrived at our first destination, ______, in the city of ______ - monestary – built with walls so Ottomans could not see church – Orthodox service in new church -
• Next stop down the road to ______ - beautiful mountain views with sun illuminating the thin spaces of cloud – misty – enter castle – grand – first castle built with electricity – King from Germany brought to defeat Ottoman rule – theater with Klimt – grand but somehow still cozy – not my preferred style of home – royal family drama
• Drive onward into Transylvania – mountains and rivers and green valleys still barren from winter’s chill – drive into city or Bran – Dracula’s castle – on a large hill – very windy – tour the spaces – real history of Dracula – down to shop in markets – bought cheese
• Drive into Brasov – German settlement – lunch – traditional foods including _____ - ______ for dessert – group includes one woman from the United States who has been working abroad for 12 years, now living in Oman – man from Kuwait – woman from England who is a translator here for a conference – man from inner city Baltimore – motley crew – somewhat heated conversation about social policies
• Tour of Brasov – narrowest road in E. Europe – black church – watch towers – old city gates with royal entrance – walk through town to square – radio station there for national music awards
• Long drive back to town – sleeping a bit on the way – arrived home and walked with ____ to Lutheran Church to check out jazz festival tickets – she stayed – I went to get tickets for a different activity tomorrow, got groceries, and went home to eat and rest – talked with folk in hostel, mostly Ori who is from Israel – bed way too late

04.04.2014

• Up for chat with Kevin – lingered a bit and then got ready – picked up some snacks and walked down to _______ square – breakfast in old building
• Walk to center of square to clock – free walking tour – history in context of the buildings and monuments – view of Parliament – river which is covered – old hotel which was not torn down (where I had breakfast) - road longer than Champs Elyses – old church/monastery which was moved on train tracks – French architecture – first brewery and beer house – covered street – up to old palace and cultural building – met people from a variety of places – woman living in Antwerp, Belgium who invited me to visit –
• Walk down to Chocolat to get macaroons so I can send Tracy more photos – truffle
• Walk to Parliament building – more history – contemporary art museum – social and political – archives section – exhibit of one artist about self-doubt – rooftop café – bookstore from art collective – bought screen prints – workshop about screenprinting for political action
• Fast walk back toward home just in time to use the ticket I bought last night to the International Film Festival NexT – Romanian short films – Q&A after which was not a Q&A
• Had to leave to get a small snack before the start of tonight’s performance back at the Lutheran Church – was between performances but able to sneak up to the loft and find a window seat to enjoy the _____, piano and clarinet – moment of realizing what my life is – intermission then next performance – UK composer, Romanian vocals and violinists – 40 minute piece telling the creation story from an ancient Roman poem
• Walk to store and then home – chatted with folk around hostel – ended up in a very heated conversation about social policy, economic principles – great talk and nice to talk