Sunday, August 22, 2010

In Sibiu

Work ended yesterday so I immediately took off for someplace a bit nicer. After a few insane hours driving, I ended up in Sibiu in Transylvania. This is a very nice town to be in and I’ve enjoyed my time here. Tomorrow I fight the traffic back to Bucharest for my flight home on Tuesday (which is quite a bit earlier than originally planned). I’ll leave you with a few more thoughts/observations I’ve had while in Romania.
  • I really have no idea how women can walk around in high heels in Europe – especially someplace like Romania where cobblestones tend to be even more uneven than usual. And the cobblestones are often better than the beat-up pavement and gravel you get elsewhere.

  • Meek Romanian drivers are more aggressive than the most aggressive American drivers.

  • There are no meek Romanian drivers.

  • Driving in Romania is a really bad idea.

  • Many of the best places to visit in Romania are much more easily accessed by driving.

  • …?...

  • Men’s fashion in Europe will never make sense to me.

  • After spending so much time in Bucharest and the south of Romania, Transylvania is very pleasantly cool.

  • With club names like Envy and such Romania sometimes feels like it is stuck in the ‘80s.

  • I actually enjoy that a pop radio station cannot go more than 20 minutes without playing a Madonna song.

  • Observing an awkward double date needs no translation.
  • Never be in a hurry in Romania…trust me.

  • Can anyone argue more passionately than Romanians?

  • I will never get used to horse carts on the roads.

  • I really wish I had gotten a picture of the complicated maneuver or one horse cart passing another.

  • Driving through the Carpathian Mountains/Transylvanian Alps was awesome.

  • My Lonely Planet guide to Romania feels incomplete. I really wish that Rick Steves had a travel guide to Romania.

  • It’s strange just how often traditional Romanian food and traditional American food match up (especially Southern food).

  • Travelling alone is both empowering and lonely.

  • It’s absolutely criminal that nutella isn’t more popular in the US.

  • Drinking at an outdoor café is one of life’s greatest pleasures (at least when the weather is nice).

  • Arriving in Sibiu on a Saturday night in August without a hotel reservation (and needing a parking space) is not a good idea.

  • More people should be visiting Romania (but not so many as to make it yet another generic European destination).

  • Romanians really need to learn that smoking is bad for them…and the people around them…especially children.

  • Some Romanian beer is quite nice. So why do so many Romanian cafés feature bad German/Austrian/Danish beer instead?

  • Ice cream in Romania isn't as nice as it is in other part of Europe (especially Italy)

13 comments:

Ellestra said...

When I came to live in US half a year ago and noticed that Nutella and Milka chocolate is classified as fancy foreign food I first LOLed and then got very, very sad.

clau2002 said...

I have lived in USA(PA&NJ)for eight long years and I couldnt wait for the day Icame back to Europe.Whenever americans are forced by their job duties to get out from the septic bubble that has become USA due to FDA they get shocked that people do live normal lives without the need of dozens of pills to regulate their disorders.In fact they find out that outside the good old USA people dont have disorders.From your post I found out that in USA there are drivers.The only ones I have ever seen there were called pilots and they were on race tracks.

clau2002 said...

While americans are aware smoking is bad they have no problems drinking gallons of all kind of sinthetic beverages as long as FDA tells them they are good for you.No mater that you keep geting fatter with every gallon you drink,if you feel sick you get a FDA approved pill and then another pill to counter the effects of the first pill.Also had no idea that the stuff they sell in groceries in USA is called food.For me was a strugle to find anything close to the eatable standard.

clau2002 said...

The average woman in Europe does not weight two hundred pounds so they have no problem wearing shoes designed for women not for men.I dont know what traditional food you found it similarin USA and southern part of Romania(Iwas raised there)...Could be somewhere close to New Orleans traditional food?French or spanish influence?Our italian cousins do argue more then us romanians.

Neth said...

Well, I can't argue that US has some terrible eating and drinking habits, but at least they they aren't as intrusive as smoking (and not as deadly either). Fresh, unprocessed food would be a good thing for all Americans to eat more of.

I found quite a bit of fried meats in Romania, which is similar to the American south (and side dishes like polenta - grits in the US and potatoes farily similar as well. I also noticed a lot of similarity in some of the sauces. Of course pasta and pizza are pretty universal these days.

Neth said...

oh, and it took me a while to get the joke about American drivers, but I did find it quite funny when it finally came to me (I think I deserve a break on it taking a while on account that I was up at 3am to catch my flight.

warhammer imperial guard said...

Wow.. This is great! I can say that this is the first time I visited the site and I found out that this blog was interesting to read. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience in Romania.. I definitely visit here more often.

clau2002 said...

Neth,as long as people who have never smoked develop lung cancer and heavy smokers live to be eighty years old and still smoke I would argue that while smoking might kill you,processed foods and beverages full of chemicals will not only kill you but will condemn you to a permanent tortureous medicine dependent lifestyle before you finaly die.In fact it transforms you in a guineea pig for the big pharma companies.

Neth said...

we'll have to disagree on this one. After watching several of my relatives die slow, horrible deaths due to their smoking habits I simply cannot be so blithe about it.

Linda said...

Ive been following your travels with interest Ken. I agree with you about solo travel.

I was amazed to read that nutella isn't eaten that much in the US. My sons eat over half a kilo of it a fortnight.

Neth said...

-Linda

It's hard when you can't really share your experiences travelling.

Yep, nutella is rather uncommon in the US. That's probably a good thing since I'd eat at least as much as your son (if my wife left me any that is).

Linda said...

That is the down side of travelling alone. The upside is that you choose what to see and do and how much time you want to spend on any one thing.

I can't eat nutella doe to the dairy content but both my boys sure are addicted.

Victor Stanciu said...

Heh, I'm a Romanian, and I agree with every item on that list :)

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