U.K. Hooray!

I will write this in english, doing so because it is about an english trip and britain feeling.

I was in England from the 3rd till the 12th of October with the core of four friends with which I previously visited Rome, and another group of five that joined us. Long live low cost companies, this time Wizz Air was the one to fly us to Liverpool.

We arrived there around 8:30 pm at John Lennon airport. We had a nice and causy welcome from one of the airports employees, which adviced us that “London is shaite” and we should spend more time in Liverpool We arrived at International Inn Hostel by bus (double-deck, driving on the left – it took some time to get along with this). Nice place, especially if you want to eat as much as you want things like peanut butter (Pitt was right in Meet Joe Black), marmalades, etc and placed right in the center of the city.

In the morning we were on the road to London, with Megabus. We arrived there in about five hours, and entered the seven million habitants capital city smoothly, not like in case of bloody Bucharest. Nice English houses with similar architectural and chromatic style (like in all England that I saw), double-decked buses, the famous taxis and people from all over the world.

We camped at Hostel 639, not the five stars conditions but a good place to stay when you want to pay something like ten pounds per night and eat free breakfast. It is a nice atmosphere city, the gents and ladies are well dressed, many of them wearing suits, despite what is said they are kind people – with English humor, and they know how to spend free time. A lot of pubs, you can not smoke any under roof, so it is interesting to see the suit dressed men and women drinking beer outside the pubs, with their briefcases on the pavement while having a smoke. It is expensive to drink in a pub (London is in the top five expensive cities) but it worths. And when you are short on money there is always Sainsbury’s or other supermarkets. Tip: you can ask a lady on a bike which way to the first supermarket and she will guide you for sure English girls are not at all as ugly as ones would tell and they, men too, kind of enjoy walking in slippers or bare foot (when party time is on) despite the weather. The city transportation is very well organized so you can get almost everywhere without any problems, by bus or by tube. Oh, and one thing: do mind the gap and mind the messages regarding thieves – they are very good indeed! And don’t count too much on the undercover agents, because they are so undercover that not even the police can find them.

What I can tell you about the museums is that the science museum it is a cool place to visit, Tower of London it is also interesting (you can see the royal jewels). There are dozens, free entrance except those who are related with Royal House. London Eye, in my humble opinion it is a silly thing, to say the least Of course don’t miss Buckingham, Parliament House, Greenwich, London Bridge and all the stuff your feet can take you to visit.

Back in the Beatles city. Less crowded than London, cheaper, not as much tourists, perfect place to feel England better although it is somehow different, Liverpool being a scouse territory. What place could you want to stay when in Liverpool, if not five minutes walk from Anfield Road the home of Liverpool FC, and in the former house of Brian Epstein, manager of Beatles. Very warm place, I recommend it 100%!  Don’t miss a walk near the docks, or a ride aboard the Mersey Ferry across river Mersey. Check out Cavern Club, “the most famous club in the world”, where Brian Epstein was introduced to the Beatles back in 1961. Maybe you are in luck and you will see some Beatles cover band play there, and you will have the opportunity to travel back in time and imagine that you are back in the ’60s and the real Beatles are on stage! It is said that they had several shows per day in this place, people were standing in big lines to get their chance to see them – it seems like you could not hear them because of the ecstatic fans shouting. Also, have a look at the newly built Liverpool Cathedral who looks quite impressive but just looks that way, being rather a cold place, not something you would expect from a church.

One thing I learned there it’s that “time you enjoy wasting it’s not wasted” as John Lennon said, and his words are written on O’Neill’s pub wall, and…

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on 

De-a lungul Romaniei and back!

Nunta la Sighetul Marmatiei, nunta unor prieteni: Catalin si Raluca. Iti sunt prieteni, e departe, suna interesant – normal ca te duci !

Vreau sa mai dorm o noapte acasa, Cristi munceste pana tarziu – nu plecam cu trenul direct care pleaca din Ploiesti pe la 18:00, nici cu cel de Baia Mare care fluiera pe sinele garii de Vest in jurul miezului de noapte. Bun, hotaram sa plecam dimineata pe la 7 cu trenul ce duce pana la Cluj. Cristi adoarme in cada, sun disperat… nimic. Cu 2-3 minute inainte sa plece trenul raspunde – prea tarziu! Tre’ sa ajungem! Idea-mi vine din reflex: “hai sa urmarim trenul pana la Brasov!”

Apare Cristi abia trezit din cada. Zici ca-i monstru (NU adormiti in apa! E o intamplare ce va poate deteriora serios pielea:) )… Cativa litri de motorina, keep on rollin baby! Prima oprire – gara Sinaia – trenul tocmai plecase acum 5 min! Keep on rollin’ again, atentie la radare totusi… cele 15 puncte sunt aproape:) Ajungem in Brasov – e “cea mai proasta intrare a mea in Brasov de cand intru in Brasov” =)) , usor-usor prin traficul dezorganizat ajungem in parcarea magazinului My Place de langa gara. Dau cu spatele sa las pe altcineva sa parcheze, dar cine mai are timp sa se uite in oglinda?! Dau cu spatele in bara de protectie a altei masini. Plastic pe plastic si deci nu se intampla nimic. Finalmente parchez, si alergem spre tren. Linia 4… hai, hai! Uite ca n-a plecat! Inainte sa urc imi dau seama ca portofelul e uitat in masina, se aude fluierul asa ca nu mai e timp. L-am prins!!! Nu mai conteaza nimic – l-am prins fir-ar al naibii! O depasire in minus si-l pierdeam…

Trenul ajunge in Cluj la 15:15, iar busul spre Sighet pleaca la 15:00. Sun la autogara, ii povestesc doamnei treaba, e amuzata si amabila si-mi mai cere informatii ca sa faca cumva sa ne ajute. Pana la urma ne da solutia: un microbuz spre Borsa care pleca la 15:30. Suficient timp! O sun pe fiica mea din Cluj, Cosmina, care o sa ne astepte la gara si-o sa ne calauzeasca spre autogara unde ajungem de indata cu taxiul. Foarte tare! Oamenii sunt faini in Ardeal si fac lucruri simple care te topesc ca pe-o inghetata lasata la bronzat.

Soferul microbuzului ne spune ca e posibil sa prinda din urma busul spre Sighet. Ar fi ceva… dar nu se intampla. Ne lasa la 50 si ceva de km de destinatie, in Sacel. Mergem putin pe jos pana ne ia o masina cu care rulam mult mai repede. Cu aproximativ 1km inainte sa ajungem la intersectia unde trebuia sa faca stanga ocazia noastra, prindem din urma rata de Sighet, o depasim, oprim, semnalam, si ne urcam!

Ajungem in Sighet cand se terminase ceremonia religioasa si dam aparat in nas cu insurateii. A urmat o schimbare in haine de gala – adica o pereche de pantaloni lungi eu, si o camasa Cristi, mancare, mai multe feluri de mancare si bineinteles mancare. A da, si palinca. Deh… ca la nunta! Apoi narghilea, somn in pozitii care mai de care si apoi iar mancare.

Drumul inapoi incomparabil mai plicticos, direct pana in Brasov de unde am recuperat masina si portofelul… Cristi, Oana si eu ne intalnim in zori de zi cu Sinziana in Cimpina. Asa se termina o calatorie de aproximativ 1200 km, facuta cu scopul precis de a… manca

Choo-choo! Sfor-snorrr!

Trebuie sa povestesc despre prima mea experienta in vagonul de dormit, fapt ce s-a petrecut incepand cu zorii zilei de joi 15 martie, si cand spun zori ma refer la noapte in toata regula: 00:30.

Trebuie sa ajung la Arad pentru ca o contabila “fasneata” (oare a cata?…) a formatat un calculator fara sa (se) intrebe ce-i cu el. Aflu din gara ca nu se poata lua de la casa si biletul pentru dormit, acesta fiind eliberat (sau negociat…) cu personalul din tren. Ma duc glont la usa vagonului, oamenii imi spun ca au locuri si ca suplimentul costa 80 de lei. Negandindu-ma la o asa suma, ma umplu de ganduri de pace, aidoma celor pe care le-a avut Hitler fata de evrei, pentru ca portofelul meu nu era pe-atat de dotat, iar posibilitatea de a petrece 10 ore in fund, noaptea, mi se arata drept-n fata! Dar, pentru ca suntem la “noi” si variante se gasesc, domnul cu care dialogasem il intreaba pe colegul daca mai are locuri la clasa a 2-a. Bineinteles ca sunt, asa ca primesc un compartiment in schimbul unei sume injumatatite fata de cea initiala.

Formidabil, arata bine, sunt singur, primesc apa, periuta de dinti si pasta, plus alte chestii gen hotel din partea casei. Setez caldura la maxim, trag oblonul la geam, inchid usa si ma oftic putin ca nu am si laptopul sa-l conectez la priza din dotarea compartimentului si sa vad un film ruland pe sine. Imi iau inca o perna de la patul de deasupra, inca o patura si dorm regeste pana aproape de Arad!

Cu putin timp inainte de ajunge bate la usa si unul dintre cei doi responsabili de vagon, pentru a se asigura ca sunt pregatit sa cobor.

Aceeasi poveste si la intoarcere, totul cu un iz occidental – poate mai putin faptul ca poti negocia romaneste un pret :p. Una peste alta, pentru cine pleaca la drum lung cu trenul recomand cu toata convingerea sa foloseasca vagoanele de dormit din trenurile rapide internationale. Cred ca este foarte interesant daca te acompaniaza si o “Otilie” (enigmatica, bineinteles), pentru ca e un mediu nemaipomenit sa tot spui bancul cu doctorul: what’s UP doc?!

Tot din ciclul hai-hui, astazi am fost intr-o promenada pe ruta Ploiesti-Cheia-Brasov-Valea Prahovei-Ploiesti. Am oprit la cineva dupa Valeni, si am fost foarte placut impresionat de ospitalitatea oamenilor pe care eu nu ii cunoasteam. Am degustat (mint, am baut cu simtul raspunderii!) tuica curata de Valeni, am dat noroc cu o iapa ) si mi-am adus aminte de ce spunea Nicolae Steindhard, anume ca disparitia satului va duce la stergerea unei mari parti a identitatii noastre nationale, si a spiritului romanesc.