“All goodness is prerequisite on a full belly; no man knows what hunger will make him do”

I went into the city centre this evening on a shopping trip, but as Bono would say “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”. I took the opportunity to check out the Transylvanian Restaurant in Henrietta Street. It was closed. They must have found out I was coming, lol. Not surprising really as all my Romanian contacts were also silent today. Maybe it is a holiday I don’t know about. Having resigned myself to no mamaliga, ciorba, or even sarmale, I ambled down Capel Street, passed myriads of Asian themed restaurants and one Turkish one, finally arriving at Ristorante Romano. I rang the bell and went in.
The Restorante Romano is not a great place to eat. It has nostalgic value as it is the first restaurant I ever went to. Compared to the prices in other restaurants in Dublin, it has bargin basement value. The food , however, is more Sloppy Joe than Cordon Bleu. The bill came to 25 Euro for soup, salmon with vegetables, and (just to keep the healthy aspect at bay) a banana split, all washed down with orange juice.
I had not been here for over 5 years. The first time I went was about 22 years ago. Back then it had an all Irish staff, then it changed to Italian workers and now it is Philippine waiters who welcome diners. Its main attraction is the relaxing quietness, mostly due to the lack of customers. When the restaurant was first opened, bicycle racing such as the Tour de France was very popular, and the walls are generously decorated with photographs of the Irish heroes of that era along with their Italian counterparts. We could do with some heroes now, all I see on the TV news are villains in fancy suits.
Good night and thanks for taking time to read this.

A Friend

A Friend
is someone that everyone needs,
A Friend
is someone you tell everything.
A Friend
is someone who always listens.
A Friend
is someone you never lie to.
A Friend
is someone who is always there.
A Friend,
is someone who tells you what you need to be told.
A Friend,
never lets you down.

Dacă tăceai filosof rămâneai

It pretty much sums up a lot about me. The times I should stay silent I usually speak. I have to admit i find it a bit weird here. I thought I would be posting much more but things get in the way and I find that weeks pass by and I have not posted. It is very depressing everywhere at the moment. Every country is lamenting the economic disaster. The politicians are blamed for not seeing it coming and doing something about it. The bankers are blamed for being greedy. Millions are losing their jobs and factories are vanishing faster than snuf at a wake.At the end of it all we are still the same people. And the only people to get us through this is ourselves. I have a fear. I fear that some people will look for scapegoats, look for someone to "blame". That is always the easy option because if we really want to see who carries the greatest responsability , we need only look in the mirror.

Good people and beautiful country

I will go back there and see it again. It is beautiful;

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=mYuZVyYyksw

Some videos of Retezat National Park;

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=mYuZVyYyksw

Three years ago I was looking forward to a trip to Romania, little realising that I was embarking on a journey that would eventually lead to a profound change in my life.
Noapte buna.