Timisoara 05/12/12

Well it rained all day in Timisoara and I did go out taking photos in the square and surrounding neighbouhoods. Also I decided to stay around the hotel and take photos of the cool art all over the place. So tomorrow I will leave for Sofia Bulgaria, a 10 hour or more drive through Transylvania and reaching the Bulgarian border late night. Checking the Google map plots, I see a lot of S turn roads ahead. Blimey!

Incidentally, Romania is really still somewhat backward, yes the city centre of Timisoara looks nice but go half a mile in any direction and you think you are bang in the middle of a WW II war film with Nazis just round the corner. Cold, dark, damp, reconstruction and revamping of the buildings remain a huge challenge for Romania's future. There is however business going on here with manufacturing, like in Bulgaria, as an alternative to doing business in China. I found the hotel predominately occupied with avant garde business people and a lot of business conferences in process, whilst my stay here. So someone is accepting the 21st Century challenge to push Romania into that century. I also found the people quite friendly to me at least. However since I cam to Europe, I have had so many people staring at me in wonderment, with my mobile phone magnetically attached to my coat shoulder. They can't figure out what in hell is going on, but are too shy to aks. I have had some people in Italy and Switzerland ask me how does my phone stay there; my instant answer is magic, magnetic magic. Maybe I should start making them as a product.

 I love street art

 Some art in the hotel

 Part of the huge hotel lobby

 Waitin' for the lift

 The little deli where I bought my milk and freeze dried coffee

 The public library, the only place where you can buy stmaps for posting and also newspapers

 Le Hotel Timisoara

 The underground

 Lee Cooper British shop

 More hotel art

 The bar area where I do me cappuccinos

 And more hotel art

 I did say a lot of art, now didn't I?

 Entrance to the hotel restaurant

 Golum

 An art supply shop

 I had lunch here today, the restaurant Loyd

 Obviously the rapping stage

 Lunch creamed chicken with polenta, it tasted better than it looked, but it ain't the Holbrook Diner.

 The hotel limo service, Alan take note, there's room for you here mate

 Romanian currency, called lire

 This part of the bill is transparent, the bills feel like they are made from plastic

 Havin' a quick look out me room

 Poor shivering pigeons

 An article on the stray dogs being rescued by two Dutch women, great ladies for their work here

 Bar sculpture, this lad looks plunked big time

 I guess you could call it blood money. LOL

 My heart hurts when I see these poor dogs

 I bought this at the Xmas village, it's a Romanian donut of sorts

 I keep telling you, there's a lot of art here

OK, I'm off to kip because tomorrow is a a long long drive to Sofia and I need the rest.

Cheers all,

David