IN 1975 I travelled to Romania on a similar trip to the previous year. Once again this was organised by the International Interchange Council. A special diary was kept throughout the trip with trip members contributing to the various days. Below I have transcribed those reports which vary considerably in style. After the original report and in italics come entries from my own diary which gives my own opinion on the holiday.
Sunday 31st August, 1975
Sunday gives us our first daylight impressions of Bucharest. Its wide boulevards contrast with London’s narrow one-way street complexes. The noticeable lack of advertising gives the impression that ads provide much of the colour of our towns and cities. Greenery abounds throughout the city whether it be tree lined boulevards or the blocks of flats which, besides the many flowers boxes, boast extensive creepers. We meet various “traders”. How many times were we asked whether we wanted “change?” Last night it was “Do you want girls?” Wig is offered £10 for his shoes, surely a bargain as after that museum there can’t have been much shoe leather left on them. Oh yes, those museums! In the morning we had a very comprehensive visit to the Museum of History of the People’s Republic of Romania. Within 10 minutes the respectable British party consisting of mainly English, a sprinkle of daffodils, a lassie from Scotland and a Paddy from Ireland were reduced by two. What had happened to the two Geordie girls – had Big Brother got them? It was alright in the end – simply the first of many heaving stomachs. We meandered through discoveries from the Bronze Age and the Greek and Roman periods and, after an hour or two we arrived in the 19th Century. Moldavia and Wallachia unite and are joined in 1918 by Transylvania to form (repeat after me) “The People’s Republic of Romania.” The afternoon sees us back on the coach for a visit to the Museum of the History of the Communist Party. Here a spot of déjà vu re Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania, but in accord with the directive of our glorious leader, we keep smiling throughout a further two hours of study. Most impressive was the lay-out of the museum both in terms of spaciousness and presentation. The History Museum was also noticeably good in this respect. Afterwards a tour of the city with stops at the Military Academy, National Assembly building, Metropolitan Church and the Liberty Park. Off for a quick shin up the monument only to find out it’s not allowed, but we join some Romanians siging to a guitar and join in a chorus of “Kung Fu Fighting – uh!” Back to the coach for a knees up with some of the grubby faced local boys. The obvious language barrier was presenting certain problems, but this could be overcome by sign language, although fairly basic at times. One knew the little local wallops were saying “Got any chewing gum then. How about some Polos – come on you tight fisted lot of British, what about a souvenir?” A few peanuts were soon passed over – much to their delight. Then a quick return to the hotel for dinner. “Chips again” says someone, and this is only Sunday. Most of the party then set out with either Oana or Uncle Eric for a quick bevy and there endeth our first full day in Bucharest City.
Monday 1st August
This being the first day with any industrial 0r economic commitments left a proportion of the group in anticipation and the rest if fear of boredom.
At 9.30 or just after, with some members of the group, we were all loaded into the coach waiting to go to the computer factory, ICI/IRM equivalent. However, this was not to be. BTT's first of two slip-ups was that no permission had been granted for the visit prior to that morning and BTT was frantically trying to obtain this. During this interlude many of the group tried to change sterling into "Monopoly Money" at the Hotel Union, with very little success. After losing the "man from the Ministry" to a BTT meeting we finally started off to our computer factory at 10.30. During the 20 minute coach journey, the computer factory slowly transferred itself, wuth the help of the technically more able members of the group, into a controls factory.
Arrival at the rather new looking factory was rather uneventful, excepting that, on reflection, it was our first meeting with our "tail" in a red Dacia.
Sunday 31st August, 1975
Sunday gives us our first daylight impressions of Bucharest. Its wide boulevards contrast with London’s narrow one-way street complexes. The noticeable lack of advertising gives the impression that ads provide much of the colour of our towns and cities. Greenery abounds throughout the city whether it be tree lined boulevards or the blocks of flats which, besides the many flowers boxes, boast extensive creepers. We meet various “traders”. How many times were we asked whether we wanted “change?” Last night it was “Do you want girls?” Wig is offered £10 for his shoes, surely a bargain as after that museum there can’t have been much shoe leather left on them. Oh yes, those museums! In the morning we had a very comprehensive visit to the Museum of History of the People’s Republic of Romania. Within 10 minutes the respectable British party consisting of mainly English, a sprinkle of daffodils, a lassie from Scotland and a Paddy from Ireland were reduced by two. What had happened to the two Geordie girls – had Big Brother got them? It was alright in the end – simply the first of many heaving stomachs. We meandered through discoveries from the Bronze Age and the Greek and Roman periods and, after an hour or two we arrived in the 19th Century. Moldavia and Wallachia unite and are joined in 1918 by Transylvania to form (repeat after me) “The People’s Republic of Romania.” The afternoon sees us back on the coach for a visit to the Museum of the History of the Communist Party. Here a spot of déjà vu re Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania, but in accord with the directive of our glorious leader, we keep smiling throughout a further two hours of study. Most impressive was the lay-out of the museum both in terms of spaciousness and presentation. The History Museum was also noticeably good in this respect. Afterwards a tour of the city with stops at the Military Academy, National Assembly building, Metropolitan Church and the Liberty Park. Off for a quick shin up the monument only to find out it’s not allowed, but we join some Romanians siging to a guitar and join in a chorus of “Kung Fu Fighting – uh!” Back to the coach for a knees up with some of the grubby faced local boys. The obvious language barrier was presenting certain problems, but this could be overcome by sign language, although fairly basic at times. One knew the little local wallops were saying “Got any chewing gum then. How about some Polos – come on you tight fisted lot of British, what about a souvenir?” A few peanuts were soon passed over – much to their delight. Then a quick return to the hotel for dinner. “Chips again” says someone, and this is only Sunday. Most of the party then set out with either Oana or Uncle Eric for a quick bevy and there endeth our first full day in Bucharest City.
Monday 1st August
This being the first day with any industrial 0r economic commitments left a proportion of the group in anticipation and the rest if fear of boredom.
At 9.30 or just after, with some members of the group, we were all loaded into the coach waiting to go to the computer factory, ICI/IRM equivalent. However, this was not to be. BTT's first of two slip-ups was that no permission had been granted for the visit prior to that morning and BTT was frantically trying to obtain this. During this interlude many of the group tried to change sterling into "Monopoly Money" at the Hotel Union, with very little success. After losing the "man from the Ministry" to a BTT meeting we finally started off to our computer factory at 10.30. During the 20 minute coach journey, the computer factory slowly transferred itself, wuth the help of the technically more able members of the group, into a controls factory.
Arrival at the rather new looking factory was rather uneventful, excepting that, on reflection, it was our first meeting with our "tail" in a red Dacia.