Grocery Shopping

Going to the grocery store has been an experience from the get go! We started with the small market just below my apartment, we progressed to the more trendy, NIC, and I have now graduated to the larger, mass produced stored named Kaufland. With this progression, I have been forced to learn more. Here are a few interesting tidbits about grocery shopping in Bucharest!

Upon entering the store, you, like in America, may get a basket or cart. However, at the Kaufland, picking up a basket/cart is easier said then done! You must insert a coin into the cart which allows you to unlock it from the string of other carts. Unlocking it requires button pushing and the use of a metal key I still have yet to master. Carts are not taken and left in the parking lot, they are returned, by the consumer, to the cart corral and chained in again for the next user.

We have all heard about the large farmer's markets in Europe. Indeed they do exist; however the closest one to me is almost two miles away. Thus, purchasing fruit at the store is necessary at times. At all stores, fruit and vegetables are weighed and individually marked before going to the checkout stand. Some places have isolated weighing stations while others require a trip to the meat counter. Not weighing your fruit/vegetable before paying can cause quite a stir and ultimately omit the item from your purchases (I know this from experience; I didn't make it home with my bananas one day)!

Finally, the checkout process is slightly different. From previous experiences, in America, I had always assumed having your groceries bagged was a part of the buying process. As they say, you should never assume because it makes an .........I'm sure you know how the phrase goes. Grocery baggers do not exist here. A person is in charge of bagging all of their own purchases. In order to bag the items you purchased, you will also need bags! I have discovered that although stores provide small, almost transparent bags, if you want one that will last longer than the trip to the parking lot, you must purchase them! Many of the grocery stores have more sturdy carrying contraptions located at the checkout stand.

Happy Shopping!

The Black Sea

My exploration of Romania continued yesterday when I traveled with four other ladies to the Black Sea in the southern part of Romania. We were unable to go swimming as it was a bit chilly. We did wade up and down the coast, and it was lovely. The sea itself was not too gorgeous. It was a cloudy green color and trash was ubiquitous as you walked. There were some washed up seashells and lots of restaurants to choose from. I did see a few topless women and almost everyone, regardless of age, shape and size, wore a bikini!

Traveling by Bus

We had our first experience with the local bus this past week! In our attempt to see the countryside, we decided to travel about 25 miles from the city to a town called Snagov where a beautiful monastery supposedly exists. We took a taxi to the bus station, or so we thought. It turned out to be the wrong place but do to the kindness of strangers, we eventually discovered our destination amid a bunch of trees in a park. With the assistance of about three non-English speaking Romanians, we bought our go/return tickets to Snagov. (Just as a side note, these tickets are not checked by anyone, that we have seen. You simply insert them into a plastic, white contraption mounted on the bus poles and manually punch them. It appears it is almost like the honor system in using them) We waited at our stop for roughly 45 minutes and then quickly boarded the bus as seats are a cherished possession on these things. The 25 mile journey took us about an hour and with the help of two non-Englishers, we once again found our next location. Unfortunately, our dropping spot was simply a spot in the road with hardly any markings. A green bench sitting by a landmark was our landmark for our return journey. Looking around a bit we eventually found a bus station with no attendant and a handwritten schedule not containing the bus number given to us earlier. Shortening this story up a bit, I will say we explored the area a bit, never finding the monastery. We did, however, locate about four bars, one closed restaurant and a mini-mart. At this point, we thought it best to cut our losses, find some snacks and wait for the returning bus. According to the handwritten schedule, we would be people watching for at least two hours. We resigned ourselves for the long wait when, at the bend in the road, a bus suddenly appeared. Not wanting to miss a traveling opportunity, we jumped aboard! By chance alone, we ended up back at our starting point, the bus station in the trees!

A picture to go with the previously published post

Here is a picture of King Carol's

castle in Sinaia...postcard like isn't it?

Sinaia, Brasov and Bran

When Romania is mentioned, different images are created for different individuals. My idea of Romania included vast amounts of trees, small villas with scarf covered women milling around and lots of farm animals. Arriving in Bucharest shattered these pictures; however, traveling to Sinaia, Brasov and Bran restored them a bit!

My mother, two teachers from the U.K. and myself took a day trip to these three small towns. Through a travel agent, recommended by a fellow teacher, we arranged for a driver to escort us to these locations. As an added bonus, we were treated to an English speaking recording which gave a brief history on each area. Each town had either a historical palace or significant role in Romania's history.

First, let me please paint a picture for you. What Romanian consider the mountains, we would consider large hills! As we traveled on many winding roads we slowly entered tree covered areas. Not pine trees as we find in our mountains, but lush, green trees that would be gorgeous in fall and miserable-looking in winter. The roads were a typical two lane highway, although yellow lines were missing in many spots, and drivers passed regardless of oncoming traffic. (Drivers here are absolutely crazy. We have already been in one taxi accident and come close two other times!)

Our first stop was Sinaia where old-school Romanians, as we might call them, first appeared. There were men leading cows with halters, women in scarves, handstacked hay piles and farmers moving loads with horses and carts! It was here that I first thought, "maybe I will like it!" This type of scene was very common on the rest of our tour. I would also like to add, there were cows everywhere: on the highway, ditches, lawns, everywhere! We decided it must be a fence out area just like in Wyoming! Sinaia was the home of King Carol, and his very decadent palace. Going in, we were required to wear booties over our shoes and were given an English speaking guide. This palace had rooms decorated for several different countries like Turkey, Arabia, etc. It also had extensive wood carvings and handmade glass flowers in almost every room, many which were gifts from mechants, etc. Like any castle, it also had a hidden door in the library!

Our next stop was Brasov. When first entering this city, the most visited in Romania, we were baffled as to why so many people would recommend going. However, at the heart of the city was a true treasure. A once walled-in town, the older part of this city, has beautiful architecture! Its small, colorful buildings were quite European and cobblestone streets added to the charm. There is a distinctive difference between the old town and the new developments. The old town no longer allows vehicles on the streets and was a favorite location for weddings. I think we saw about 12 brides!

The last stop was Bran. This was the supposed home of Count Dracula; however, we learned that he actually only slept there a few nights. Here we visited a palace, much less glamorous, that featured several floors, small staircases and open balconies. It was a major tourist attraction and thus was surrounded by vendors outside the palace gates.

My recommendation to all of you, should you come to Romania, please go on this tour! It was fantastic!

Bucharest

The city itself might be what one would consider a diamond in the rough! Although there are several hidden treasures, they are not apparent to the casual eye! Upon arrival, I was a bit deflated and disappointed at the lack of European beauty; however, my perspective is slowly changing. The block my apartment is on is a little shabby and very much under construction. My apartment building is a worn looking gray cement, and there are not flowery balconies or tuscan colors. Walking into the entrance leaves a very sterile feeling but it quickly warms as you enter into the actual apartment. If you venture past my now humble abode, you will quickly discover a more clean, warm portion of the city. The main streets, like any city, have boutiques as well as closed store fronts. One might find a high end clothing store next to an abandoned bakery. I will attempt to attach photographs once I learn how to!

International Travel

The flights over here were great and quite an experience in comparison to domestic travel! We were showered with food, hot towels and a very friendly flying staff. Unlike domestic travel, with meals we were given real silverware. We had drink service constantly and were continually treated to free beverages. The beverages available varied from water to cognac! It should be noted we even received a sandwhich, candybar and drink on an hour a half flight! We were also treated to two movies: one quite appropriate for children and the other made me blush at times! Flights from Germany were a bit more formal and they were quite thorough in their inspection of our bags. Once reaching Bucharest, formality was thrown out the window. We arrived with all of our baggage and walked through customs with no delays. I shall definitely look forward to traveling through Europe in the future.