Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Over the last decades cinemas have been facing a lot of concentration. Smaller ones are often lost and instead people visit larger multiplex movie theaters with the most modern technology, good catering, and most comfortable seats. But something gets lost if cinema would only mean multiplex cinemas. Fortunately, in Kassel smaller cinemas remained and one of them is the Gloria at the Ständeplatz, close to the city center.
Continue reading “Gloria”
Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and currently the most eastern part of the European Union. In fact, it is incredibly close to states like Syria or Lebanon. It is known as the island of Aphrodite (or Venus) and it has an interesting history. The whole island is part of the EU, but it is a divided island with an occupied Turkish northern part. Cyprus is a good place for a summer holiday, and it seems to be to the Russians what Mallorca means to the Germans. And it is a place for relaxation which can already be seen in the local philosophy of life: sigá, sigá; always slowly, always relaxed.
Continue reading “Sigá, sigá”
One of the biggest monuments of Λευκωσία is the Liberty Monument erected in 1973. It honors the EOKA fighting against British colonialism and occupation of Cyprus. EOKA stands for Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston, the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters. It was a military organisation fighting for Cypriot independence and for long time it was seen as a right-wing, nationalist organization. Today their work for independence is accepted and it has its fair part in Cypriot history.
Continue reading “EOKA”
Λευκωσία is the last divided capital in Europe. When you’re walking through the city, you’ll find barriers made from oil barrels, roadblocks, barb wire and (bored) guards along a no-man’s-land leading from the east to the west of the city. This area is protected by UN forces and even as you’re not allowed to do photographs you can get close to the border pretty easy. It is bizarre to see the empty and deteriorating buildings in the heart of the city.
Continue reading “Green line”
When driving a car in Cyprus you can learn something about history: the island was once a colony of the British Empire! And there are even still today two British naval bases that belong to United Kingdom. For you this means mostly one thing: to drive on the left side of the road. Typically, this switch inside your head is easy, you just need to remember to give way to cars coming from the right when entering roundabouts. What always happens to me is that I try to enter the car on the front passenger side. Always good for a laugh…
Continue reading “Ghostrider”
Romania isn’t the typical tourist destination for western Europeans. In their heads the country is associated with poverty, migration, and crime – only Bram Stoker and his vampire tale are linked to Romania with the same intensity. In reality, it is a country full of friendly people making the best of their situation. A country in development with a coast at the Black Sea, a country with vast forests (housing the biggest population of brown bears in Europe) and a long history between the east and the west.
Continue reading “Gateway to the orient”
If you want to visit the Black Sea from București, then Constanța (in earlier days Tomis) is your port of choice. A comfortable train runs multiple times each day from the Gara de Nord to the shore. It was founded by Greeks in the 7th century BCE. Roman emperor Constantine the Great named the city after his sister Constantiana.
Continue reading “Constanța”
When you’re discovering ancient buildings (like the Palatul Republicii at București) you will come across the coat of arms of Romania. It shows a golden aquila holding a Christian cross, a crown, a mace and a sword. It is colored in the national colors of Romania: blue, yellow and red. But you can also find other animals on it like dolphins. Wait, what?
Continue reading “Two dolphins and three eagles”
The Romanian language is part of the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Even if as a foreigner you might not be able to understand what people are saying it isn’t hard to read signs. Some knowledge of Italian or Latin will help a lot. Until the year 1862 the Cyrillic alphabet was used, then starting in Transsylvania, the Latin alphabet was introduced – enhanced with the five special letters ă, â, î, ș and ț.
Continue reading “Alo!”
București has a good mix of public transport options: the metro, trolleybuses, buses, tramways. The easiest way is to use the metro system consisting of four lines: M1 (yellow), M2 (blue), M3 (red), M4 (green). Just choose the right line and the correct direction (final stop) and you’re ready to go. It gets a bit confusing with stations like Dristor 1 and 2 (which are not remarkably close to each other) but it’s the fastest and simplest way.
Continue reading “Local transport”