Balkans_2018...You Only Live Once!

[Zuckerbaron]

Oh yeah, let's see something from the Balkan.
I'm in.
Story of the old diesel and this remarkable balkan gigolo makes me curious!

[Hytram]

waiting

[glitch]

HMMMM...maybe I shouldn't have jumped the gun on this...





14.5hours in a sardine-can and the odd leg-cramp later...
(to be honest, the Qatar-A380 has some more generous legroom than most others. While they score on space, they drop the ball on the food )

Doha Airport is like Singapore used to be 30 years ago...BIG, SPACIOUS, CLEAN, COOL...and most of all, void of crowds. NICE!
I only get 3 laps on the security merry-go-round as they can't figure out what a camera in a backpack looks like.








The pre-booked Maxi-Cab 4.5hrs later in Bucharest bypasses the local Taxi- Mafia via a fixed-price and Trip-Advisor rating....for 1 hour, 19km, Michael Schuhmacher type ride into town.
Our first taste of local traffic....oh maaan!!


Villa Tamara is a somewhat dodgy looking narrow 4 storey building not far from from Bucharest Center and the Old Town.
The shabby externals belay a quirky, clean, internal boasted by only 6 generous rooms over 3 storeys, connected by a white-marbled spiral staircase.
A small inner-city hotel owned and run by a family, all very friendly and helpful.

I feel vindicated to have booked the same place for our last night as well, pheww..

Time to check out the neighbourhood, shake those legs and have a poke around.

Signs of Old Grandeur and Modern Rot everywhere...











Right opposite the ?former? Dept of Justice (hard to judge, some of the Palace-style building seems intact) is a row of eateries offering the usual 9.00-23.00 kitchen-open menus.
Tell that anyone in Oz, bwahaha

All good things start with a complimentary drink...fresh, seasonal wine in this case, something more hardcore usually.










Something more mundane afterwards....another walk + gawk, getting some local Rubels (aka Lei) and a bit of a snooze after checking the luggage to see what one forgot at home.

It's a crying shame to see the rot and decay of all those buildings and their exceptional features and workmanship, some of the woodwork and stucco is just stunning.








Just down the road we stumble across the wholesale flower-market....




























After yet another delayed flight, Goodie finally arrives from Hamburg by around 10pm.
Crew assembled, we're on for a city-day tomorrow... picking up the bikes in the afternoon.

[Sir Francis]

Originally Posted by glitch

14.5hours in a sardine-can and the odd leg-cramp later...

No sardines upstairs on the Qatar flight, even at 6 foot 3 I had so much leg room I couldn't stretch out and touch the seat in front....

[glitch]

...made the return-leg 'justice-served" then