Buc to Galatz
2 things surprised me:
1) How nice everyone is in cities outside of Bucharest. Less yelling, less honking, and super polite taxi drivers. They actually give you your rest. (Wow!)
2) Strada Construtorilor is so flowered and pretty I didn’t recognize it.
Have something to say about this post? Contact me.Between the cities
I took an 8-hour bus ride today from Varna to Sofia and it was my best experience in Bulgaria. The rolling mountains, the rock formations and the fairytale sunset are all testaments to Bulgaria’s natural beauty. But the cities – no thank you. I was initially enthralled with Varna. After all, it’s probably Bulgaria’s nicest city. But things slowly turned sour – paying 10 lev for a 2km taxi, the rudeness and under-the-breath cursing from the folks at the train station and the bus station. (Fun fact, in Bulgaria there is a luggage limit for trains. Not an official one. Just whatever they feel like imposing at the moment.) This made me miss Romanian trains pretty badly.
Bulgaria has another 10 years to go before being a serious tourist destination (not just beaches). Customer Service, and honesty need to improve to the degree they have in Romania. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Romania is a fantastic tourist destination for foreigners that speak English. There are several nice museums, great nature, and cool people that speak English and will help you (sincerely) in most cities. I can barely understand Bulgarian and the lack of sincerity is ridiculous. Today I had a taxi drive me around in a circle, literally, and charge me around 2-3 times as much as he should have. I wish I knew someone with a cabin or village home in Bulgaria – that would be a worthwhile trip. Or maybe a roadtrip through the “hippie trails”.
Speaking of worthwhile, the last thing I want to see is the Belogradchik Rocks. Hopefully I’ll catch a bus north in the morning and maybe after I’ll go straight back into Romania. I’m not sure if I want to do the rest of the Balkans. After all, Bulgaria was reported by Lonely planet to be “cheap” and a must-see with a thriving hospitality culture. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, so I’m unsure if I want to trust Lonely Planet anymore for destination choices.
Sofia smells like industry. I haven’t seen one pretty thing since I’ve entered the city. Oh well, live and learn.
Have something to say about this post? Contact me.Day 1 Constanta
I spent my first day looking at the Archeology museum and walking around. At the end of the day my feet were sore. Hopefully I can see the beach today. The weather has been great. I love the smell of the black sea. I’ll post pictures soon. :)
Have something to say about this post? Contact me.Femme Fetale First Impression
Full Disclosure: This is coming from a Britney Fan
Trouble For Me – I like this song, definitely something I’d like to hear while dancing. Reminds me of Circus. Good start. Dig the lyrics.
Trip To Your Heart – sounds like remixed 80s Britney – the bad kind.
Gasoline – Production value seems shoddy. Like it was thrown together the night before album release or something. I can forgive the lyrics but not the sound.
Criminal – Actually like the effort with the folky sounding intro/outro. It’s a good try for a ballad, but it’s forgettable.
Up n’ Down – The non-chorus music has decent lyrics. ( 20 out of 10 ) but something about it doesn’t fit. Kind of sad about this album so far.
He About To Lose Me – Yes, yes, finally a decent ballad. Not perfect, but there’s something authentic about it.
Selfish – Forgettable at first glance, but a solid club tune.
Don’t Keep Me Waiting – Weird mix of styles, all of which sound bad. Couldn’t finish the song.
Till the World Ends – Love this. Favorite so far. First song off this album that I think is a perfect 10. This was the 2nd single off the album, I think it could’ve even been the leading single.
Hold it Against Me - The lead single. I was never crazy about this song. It was the only song I heard before listening to this album in full. I hated the video so that might color my opinion. I don’t like it, the lyrics sound like they were picked out via dartboard. The production value is high, and I like her voice. But it lacks what “He About to Lose Me” has, a touch of authenticity.
Inside Out - I actually really like the lyrics. I think it’s too slow, though.
I Wanna Go – 3rd single. I like, almost love. Parts of it actually remind me of Girls Generation.
How I Roll - Cute. Not a dance song, but cute, in a sort of elementary profane way.
Beautiful – Flu? Vegetables? What? Other than that, fun dance song.
Seal It With A Kiss - I like this as a dance song. I think it could’ve been produced better, I don’t like the hats/scratches or whatever that sounds.
Big Fat Bass - This is a good “strange” mix. Sounds like Europop. I think it’s single material. THERE’S A KICK DRUM.
Have something to say about this post? Contact me.So far? Circus is still my favorite album, can still put that on shuffle/repeat and I’m good. The darker subject matter and the experimental sound fits her much better. Femme Fatale doesn’t have alot of memorable songs, nor is it easy listening, overall, a bit too dumb for Britney, which results in an annoying album. The end of my list are the songs I’ll probably listen to again.
And the dollar jumps up a smidge:
So, wait another day, or pull out money today?
Have something to say about this post? Contact me.Pizza Foccacia .. Pizza Capelo, Vegetariana … wait, what is this?
Apparently scribbling “Libertate” on a pizza in Romania constitutes a type of pizza.
HSN Technibond rips off Links of London
HSN’s “Tassel” Pendant is questionably similar to the Jewelry Design House Links of London’s Raindance Pendant.
They made a few minor changes, HSN’s replica has varied tassles and the pendant head is smaller, but the similarity is striking.
While I usually don’t mind replicas, what I do mind is the price tag: $149.00
Have something to say about this post? Contact me.I had a dream I was making and selling crepes on a small boat (the Crepecraft) that would float through a canal with lots of little adorable houses on it. Lime jam and whipped cream, anyone?
It’s been really gloomy lately – rain, rain, lots of rain, visiting the US embassy, hailstorms, etc. I’ve been staying inside more: Watching movies. Making crepes.
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