A very personal view of Bucharest, Romania

I had no time to explore this city. But what I saw did not encourage me to linger.  

Stuck in traffic jam during rush hours at Bucharest

First, the traffic was horrendous during rush hours, not unlike other major cities. But this one is quite special in Central Europe. At major traffic junctions, there were policemen on duty, as add ons to traffic lights. This might be what one would call belt and braces. There seemed to be little lane discipline: drivers cutting each other from left and right. There were a number of taxi drivers who thought they were the reincarnation of Ayrton Senna, taking almost death-defying maneuvours, but with such lightheartedness. These taxi rides were adventures on their own. Most taxis were Dacias, and many had seen better days. One had paint peeling off which was quite a picture because I had not seen such a phenomenon before. Rust, yes, paint peeling off, no. I was forewarned that I should have small change but in a hurry on the first day I forgot to get change for a 50 leu note, and eventually had to get change from a delivery man in order to pay the taxi driver. He was quite annoyed at my insistence and was hoping that I would part with the 50 leu note for a 26 leu fare.

Overhead cables

On the way to lunch, I spotted this bunch of overhead cables. This is quite hilarious because this sort of thing would give the health and safety obsessives in the UK an instant heart attack. But no one batted an eyelid. I felt disrespectful to my host for taking this picture with my iPhone, but I could not resist anything unusual.

The JW Marriot Hotel, Burcharest

Thankfully the hotel was a haven of peace and quiet. At the lobby there were posh shops but no customers. The shop assistants looked exceedingly bored.

At the end of the day, my hosts made me feel welcomed. And that, I suppose, is the single most redeeming feature of this visit. Maybe better luck next time.

Passing through Warsaw

A rare event for me to be travelling with a colleague. This time, from Bucharest to Warsaw. It's a short journey, just under 2 hours, but the Embraer EMB-175 was surprisingly generous with leg room. Some glum stewardess served us a chocolate biscuit and a cup of water. Note: the same items were served on a 3 hour flight from Warsaw to London Heathrow, and when I enquired about a cup of tea, I was directed to the on board menu. Ho hum. By that time I had got rid of all my zloty, so decided to sleep instead. I guess not having to pay for the water was a significant improvement on, for example, a flight from London Heathrow to Dublin on board a BMI flight. On that flight, BMI charged €2.50 for a bottle of water. 

Since this is LOT and not British Airways, I was able to take photos on approach to the Frederic Chopin airport. It was very liberating without being told to do this and that or not to do this and that by flight attendants patrolling the aisles during take off or landing. Unfortunately I was not able to identify the landscape.

Aerial view on approach to Frederic Chopin Airport, Warsaw

Alas, there was no time to enjoy the city. It was airport - hotel - office - hotel, the eternal loop. But from the hotel at Aleje Jerozolimskie, the skyline at night was fabulous.

Skyline at Al. Jerozolimskie, Warsaw

Skyline at Al. Jerozolimskie, Warsaw

Random images from my iPhone

As I was clearing out images from my iPhone, I've picked up a number of images that I took this year with my iPhone instead of my camera. The quality of the images leaves a lot to be desired, but they record a fleeting moment of "Ah" and fun.

The Lindholmspiren Business Park, Goteborg, Sweden
All high tech, modern shapes, glass and chrome

A restaurant at Zagreb, Croatia
Meat and more meat....

Prawns with garlic oil at the
Van Der Valk Hotel, Glize Rijen, Netherlands
Eating here changed my impression of food at the Netherlands -
for the better...

One variety of such cheeky smoothies
On the shelf at a cafe at Kista Business Park, Stockholm

Don't blink!
Giant eye lashes attached to a small car ,
at a supermarket near home, Surrey

Saltram House, Plymouth

This is a magnificent Georgian house, not too far from Plymouth harbour. Inside, treasures abound.

Saltram House, seen from grounds at the back of the mansion
The front is covered by scaffolding

Chinese wall paper

Room after room on the upper floor, the walls are covered by Chinese wall paper. This is something I have not seen ever in my life, not in Hong Kong, nor in any of the cities that I have visited in China. Imagine walls and walls of Chinese paintings depicting everyday life - it was simply delightful. However, the Chinese objects d'art were disappointing - most of them rather coarse and unrefined. But for me, the Chinese wall paper alone is well worth the visit. 

The Saloon designed by Robert Adams

Another grand gesture comes in the form of the Saloon designed by Robert Adams. From the ceiling to the carpets, from the chairs to the chandelier, every detail oozes elegance and sophistication. One can imagine the opulence when the room is flooded with a shade more sunlight in the summer.

The ceiling in the Music Room

And then there is this magnificent brass writing desk with exquisite inlays. As a piece of antique, it is priceless. I stood in front of this piece of art, in awe for some time. 

The magnificent brass desk

Outside, cyclamens were in bloom; they lined the path leading to the park lands at the back of the house. I always thought cyclamens were house plants, how ignorant of me, and here in the wild, they look  delicate and fragile.

Cyclamens carpeting the parklands, Saltram House.

Gidleigh Park, North Devon

October, and it was wet and windy. The single lane track from Chagford to Gidleigh Park has the occasional passing places for cars. It sounds romantic but unless you have a 4x4, it can't be in the depth of winter when Dartmoor is covered by snow. But that's the pessimistic view. The heart-thumping journey was worth it.

Gidleigh Park is the home of 2-Michelin star chef Michael Caines. Here, he has carefully crafted an institution that pampers his guests with exquisite food as well as indulgent service. Nothing is any trouble and the guests preferences are carefully noted and taken care of. For someone like me who does not like butter in my food (except cakes and desserts), the restaurant has gone to great lengths to remove any traces of butter from the dishes. The result was nothing short of spectacular. Every course was a picture on a plate, a feast for the eyes, and a gluttony for the stomach. The hotel combines luxury with a relaxed atmosphere, quite an achievement. We are definitely coming back.

Gidleigh Park, North Devon
A truly five star experience

One of the lounges at Gidleigh Park

The Dartmoor landscape
View from Gidleigh Park

Perhaps the only fly in the ointment was the hotel wifi. But one is not supposed to work during a luxury weekend break, especially when a storm was brewing. At the end, I gave up work and tried to relax. Still, we had to cut short the weekend to make another trip to Amsterdam, where more work beckoned.

Chagford, North Devon

Chagford is a market town before one travels to Gidleigh Park. Someone or some committee has taken great pains to produce a brochure on shopping at Chagford. It took me less than 30 minutes to visit all the shops. The clothes shops in this part of the world seem to stock a lot of "new age" apparel, and since it was autumn, the colours were drab, sombre, and uninviting. I could not imagine wearing any of the clothes to the farmers' market, let alone to work. But I did come away with a waterproof hat, which was incredibly good value at less than £25.