Monday, September 30, 2013

Kia "service"

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The Kia car company markets itself very well with its 7-year guarantee – but my experience of trying to buy one of its cars here in Romania...
Friday, September 27, 2013

My happy days in Hell

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Last week I mentioned Simon Winder whom I knew to be a book editor as well as author of the well-researched and literate Germania and Da...
Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Meanwhile…in the rest of Romania

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I’ve been remiss in not mentioning a couple of events which have been making the headlines here in Romania in the last few weeks. First the...
Monday, September 23, 2013

Harvest treasures

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A day for sensations in the comfort of our cosy stone and wood house in the autumnal mountains – hunkered with a good book in a wicker...
Friday, September 20, 2013

Back to the Habsburgs

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"Our" cow was moved off the high ground last week down to the meadow around Viciu’s house; and this week saw the first snow on...
Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Abolish the news!

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News is a commodity sold on a mass market which despises in-depth assessments but goes for stock clichés and instant opinion.  Where d...
Sunday, September 8, 2013

the poetry of tartan noir

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I keep wanting to like poetry – but generally failing. Bert  Brecht, Norman MacCaig and Marin Sorescu are the main poets who have ever...
Saturday, September 7, 2013

The politics of painting

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Bucharest is a city I would normally avoid in high summer like the plague – but dental issues have forced me to divide what summer I’ve h...