Tapp's Travels

Now we are steaming back up-river AWAY from the Black Sea.  Today we have a long coach trip BACK to the coast at Constanta.  All coach trips are accompanied by a guide’s commentary.  Today was no exception .  We are hearing similar stories in each country we visit – each with a different personal perspective.  Here is a summary of today’s view.

Romania has a quoted population of 22 million of whom more than 10% live in Bucharest.  But 10 million work overseas (or at least abroad).  But for those that do work in-country things don’t seem to add up.  We have heard several times that the average salary in this part of the world is €1000 – 1100 per month – and this is taxed at 35%. So take home pay would be about €600 – 700 per month.  We are told virtually all Romanians own, or are buying, their own apartment with balcony (glazed-in or otherwise).  Average monthly payments are about €500.  VAT is levied at 25%.  They ALL smoke continuously.  They ALL have smart phones.  Most own cars.  There MUST be a huge black economy in the country!  Either that or the Romanians working in the UK, Germany etc must be sending huge wadges of loot home to family  and friends each month!

Communism was introduced in 1945 after the end of WW2.  The king moved swiftly to Switzerland but failed to get employment of a royal nature.  In fact he worked as pilot and aviation mechanic for several years (for Monarch Airlines, obviously!).  In 1965 Nicolae Ceauşesco was elected as president of the ruling party.  Apparently things started out OK.  There was good employment.  The high-rise apartments had good heating.   There was no significant inflation for 15 years.  There was “good” health care for all.  In 1968, Ceauşescu was the only Soviet bloc leader who openly disapproved of the invasion of Czechoslovakia.  President Nixon visited and even brought him a piece of moon rock!

The country sits on a seismic zone and, as we had heard previously, on 4 March 1977 there was a bad earthquake.  Ceauşescu went to North Korea and was impressed by their immense buildings and their dynastic presidential system.   He fancied the same for himself.  He used the excuse of the earthquake to flatten substantial areas of Bucharest and build his huge palace.

He started cutting off links with western companies. In the 80’s the country had to export most of it’s food, gas and electricity to pay for the dictator’s grandiose life-style.  People had very limited supplies of food and fuel at home.  They had to queue in their cars for petrol for three or four DAYS.  Food (if it was available at all) was severely rationed.  People had an allowance of one kg of sugar and one kg oil per week per family.  There was often no electricity.  So there were no elevators.  People had to climb to their pads on the 15th floor with their two kg of shopping each week.  The apartments were all heated by “area heating” which usually didn’t function.  Often there was no hotwater.  Huge shortages.  Not good.  No wonder they all smoke!

See how long this coach trip was?!  … and we are only half way to our sea-side destination!  I think I’ll skip the account of the fall and fall of the “empire”.

Just to say that elections proper started in 1992.  Nowadays the president is elected for 4 years.  By chance, elections will be held this November.  There are political posters everywhere.  Parliamentarians are elected for a term of five years.  There is absolutely NO SIGN of a Romanexit party!  How refreshing!

Anyway, at Cernavodã we passed a nuclear power station.  This was constructed on the basis of Canadian technology not Russian.  The locals are especially pleased about this bearing in mind the disastrous accident at Chernobyl in 1986.  It produces around 20% of the country’s electricity.  However, they only managed to get two of the five reactors actually working.  Best not to ask why!

Life in Romania is now much better.  Western companies are beginning to bring back foreign investment.  Of course Tesco, Lidl and Aldi are everywhere!  Renault had, in earlier times, cooperated in the national car marque, Dacia.  They were kicked out by the regime but they are now back and have revived the partnership.

For several kilometres we drove alongside two large diameter pipes.  These followed the road but kinked in regular “left, right, right, left” bends every couple of hundred metres.  Much speculation about their purpose was finally ended by the bus driver.  He told us that the pipes transported hot water from the local power station for “area heating” in the nearby towns.  It appears that the power station is fired by eco-fuel.  I think that means it is wood-fired.  The kinks might be to allow for expansion and contraction of the pipes.   Or just to use up excess pipe bends produced by the local factory during the communist era!

Now, looking ahead, what are we expecting at our destination?  Apparently, Constanta is the fourth biggest port in Europe. (REALLY???)  It was named after Constantine the Great and his daughter Constantina. Ovid was exiled here.  It has some wonderful buildings – the most notable of which is the casino.  Sadly, this and many others are just falling to pieces.  OK.  So we’ve arrived in the city

Lots of apartment blocks on the way in but then we came to the real stuff…

And the main square…

… with the statue of Ovid.

But there were lots of falling-down buildings.  Either the owners are not known – or maybe they can’t afford the cost of repairs.

But the large orthodox church is definitely in good condition – and guarded by the priest…

The interior was typically lovely with it’s fabulously decorated iconostage…

… and the icons which get kissed by every visitor to the church.  Actually, not every visitor – since we arrived!

Lots of Roman remains lurked in odd corners almost completely un-protected.  Like the “buildings” behind the church…

And on to the port area and the much talked about casino which really does need a lot of money spending on it.  Maybe Oliver Letwin might like to make a contribution via the EU!

Fabulous location – it could be magnificent.  Maybe.  Apparently this seaside promenade is seething with visitors in the Summer.  Well, I can’t see it myself but we were in town on a Monday in mid October.  The place was generally rather sad with a few highlights.  The beach was deserted.  The sand was a mucky red colour (worse even than the sands of Devon) and very coarse.  The buildings all around ranged from falling down to fallen down.  Not pretty!

Now the port area.  Lots of cranes but no ships.

Maybe it’s size in square kilometres is the fourth largest in Europe – or maybe the main area is further down the beach somewhere.

We spent a happy hour in a port-side cafe

… and then left for our ship, happily with no further commentary.  The captain (well, probably the second captain!) has a long drive tonight back to Rousse in Bulgaria. 

To be continued.