February 2010

Art world swoons over Romania’s homeless genius

by Craig Turp February 28, 2010 Media

 It all looks like a load of rubbish to us, but then we never understood contemporary art. Sticking bits of paper on to other bits of paper hardly requires any talent. (So it is probably no wonder that the ‘no talent required’ part of the art world has gone loopy over this fellow). Still, good [...]

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Nesimtit de bun simt

by Craig Turp February 25, 2010 Bucharest

 (OR: Can you buy ashtrays in Bucharest?) We live on the ground floor of a small Bucharest block. It has four floors in all, and while it’s not in the most salubrious or sought-after parts of the city, we’re happy here. The neighbours are by and large fine. No noise (you can hear a pin [...]

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Photo Opportunity

by Craig Turp February 24, 2010 Romania

 Dear Bucharest Life I read the other day that the Minister of Tourism, Elena Udrea, is to invest €850,000 of her ministry’s money on new road signs to help tourists find Romania’s major tourist hotspots. As I am sure that the Romanian seaside will be one of those tourist hotspots to benefit from the improvement [...]

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Dupa Revoluţiei (After the Revolution)

by Craig Turp February 22, 2010 Bucharest

  A week or two ago we finally found the time to sit and watch Dupa Revolutiei, a film by Laurentiu Calciu that captures the mood on Bucharest’s streets in the immediate aftermath of 1989′s revolution. The film very loosely tells the story of the first six months of 1990, from the announcement on February [...]

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Bucharest’s best mici

by Craig Turp February 18, 2010 Bucharest

 We have decided to find out – once and for all – the answer to a question we are often asked, but rarely have the answer to: Where can I find Bucharest’s best mici?. Mici? Yes, mici, you know: Romania’s culinary gift to the world, tasty-as-hell pork, beef and mutton meatballs usually presented in the [...]

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Elena gets the blues

by Craig Turp February 17, 2010 Romania

 She certainly is back with a real bang this week, our lovely Tourism and Regional Development Minister, the incomparable Elena Udrea. Following on from her ‘homes for the poor for the rich‘ programme, launched yesterday, we discover today that she is moving into the world of jazz and blues. Nice. From this investigative blogger – [...]

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Romania’s wealthy to be allowed to buy homes built for Romania’s poor. On the cheap.

by Craig Turp February 16, 2010 Bucharest

 We hadn’t heard much from Elena Udrea – everyone’s favourite blonda mondena of a Tourism & Regional Development Minister – recently, so we were delighted to see her back in the groove this morning with the announcement that she plans to sell off highly desirable, government-built social housing (ANL) for rock-bottom prices to tenants. Many [...]

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