Bucharest, Romania

The drive to Bucharest was long, much longer than it ought to have been, and I eventually turned up at my latest campsite, Casa Alba, way in the north of the city. It is a bit pricey as far as campsites go and soon after I arrived a convoy of Brittish gypsies turned up with long caravans pulled by new pimped out Range Rovers and White BMW X5's. They soon left the campsite looking like a dumping ground, let the kids run riot, and even offered me a dog - matching most other gypsy stereotypes in between too.

As for Bucharest, it is hard to start without mentioning Nicolae Ceausescu. The meglomaniac leader from 1965 until 1989 gave the people ridiculous and expensive side projects instead of sensible infrastructure and this culminated in riots throughout the country after eventual food shortages. One such project is Ceausescu's own colossal Palace Of Parliament which cost a staggering £3billion and is now something of a white elephant in the city.

On 21st December 1989, anti-Ceausescu protesters were run down by tanks in their hundreds outside Piata Universitatii which is now marked by numerous crosses. Four days later (on Christmas Day) Ceausescu was arrested and executed by firing squad.

Another side to the city is the part which seems to think it is Paris. I mean there is Bulevardul Unirii (another Ceausescu project and known as Romania's "Champs-Elysees") which is a huge boulevard leading down from the palace with countless fountains and trees in the centre but surrounded by monotonous grey buildings and often noisy and gridlocked.

Also, there is the Triumphal Arch (Arc De Triumph) in the north of the city, almost a twin of the French original and even a Gard Du Nord and Charles De Gualle Street for good measure. I don't think any of these stand up to their original namesakes though.

On the whole, the city has a few hidden gems but they are well hidden amongst the grey buildings of the city centre where the traffic is loud and general feeling is bleak. One such gem is the Antim Monastery, a little haven in central Bucharest with nice buildings and inside there is lots of chanting and incense burning.

The old town area of Bucherest is a bit nicer with some historical buildings but it's rather small and still drowned out by the neumatic drills which are constantly at work ripping up and replacing the road surfaces while stay dogs tear through the strewn rubbish on the roadside. Instead, my favourite area of the city was peaceful Herastrau Lake and it's quiet surrounding park.

Now I know what you're thinking, I have been in Romania a matter of days now without a sniff of a festival. Well in Bucharest there were two. Firstly, there is the excellent and well reknowned George Enescu Festival which hosts classical and world music every evening for the first 2 weeks of September, while also in the old town was the Festival Centrului Vechi which was a small stage of variety acts including a group of mimes and a Belgian jazz-funk band known as "?" with plenty of other little stalls there too.

"Trio Strad"

"September Quintet"

"Cvartetul Artmusik"

"?"

I left Bucharest (without a dog) and somewhat underwhelmed by the whole place. While other areas of Romania seem like upbeat little friendly places, it seems as if they are held back because the capital is still suppressed under a grey cloud. I hope that changes soon.