Ginger folk considered the Devil?

Blimey, you been to Poland? Most of the women are so keen to go ginger they spend fortunes on dye.

And by the way, the health service in Poland is excellent.

Edited by Mapletree (23 Jan 2019 1.22pm)

I once kissed an Icelander, so I now know everything about hot springs.

I have lived and worked in Krakow, Warsaw and Zlin. I never saw anti ginger sentiment but I did see oodles of older ladies with dyed red hair.

Just because there are certain aspects of the cultures common in individual countries that you find objectionable does not mean that those countries are in some way inferior overall. It is oh so easy to pick little nits in each location and then imply that therefore overall the EU countries are unattractive.

Well, I find the behaviour of Brits on holiday has something of a reputation, to give but one example. Therefore all Brits are drunken idiots who don't care about anyone else's feelings.

Interesting, I am just planning a walking holiday in the Transylvania countryside. We are planning to spend a couple of days in Bucharest is it worth a visit? The other place on are agenda is Basov do you know anything about that?

Edited by Badger11 (23 Jan 2019 2.10pm)

Not been to Basov Badger

Bucharest has changed a lot recently. Its original design was beautiful, modelled on Paris with lovely avenues full of grand houses. The Communist regime ruined that and the roads were crumbling when I was first there. It's been rebuilt a lot and has many high rise buildings now. Probably still a good idea to take care and beware of sharp practices.

I also worked in Cluj. The Transylvanian countryside was very beautiful and a lot of it pretty unspoiled and deserted. Some of old Cluj was still intact and there were nice restaurants with gypsy fiddlers, pretty atmospheric. Back then the hotels were pretty horrible and much of the town had been ruined by Communist building and smoke stacks etc. They also charged very different rates for locals and foreigners.

The Romanians were very proud of their food and wine but in truth, back then, it wasn't too great. Recent visits have only been to international hotels so I don't really know now.

Ceaucescu's Palace was incredible, largely empty, not quite finished and absolutely huge. Second largest administrative building in the world, built when the people were going hungry for no good reason. I think you may be able to visit it now, the Parliament is there and it's been brought into proper use.

It used to be amazing how the street kids would appear out of the sewers and somehow speak good English whilst they begged.

We had an apartment on the edge of town, a bit spartan and similar to other Eastern and Central European blocks but functional and with ghosts of past greatness. High ceilings and lovely tiling. Good tram services. Excellent orchestras and public buildings.

Probably still different enough to be an exciting visit but a bit less wild west than when I first went.

Probably it is still best to avoid the street taxis. Ordering them through hotels was always alot safer and - whilst you paid more - you wouldn't get the occasional rip-off merchant trying it on.

I still have some Lei if you want to buy them. Back then we had all sorts of problems changing money and got badly burned. Probably all that is long past.

I have rescinded your previous yellow but next time you call someone a plank it will be a red card.

Let's decide whether to flee to Romania where the health budget runs out by April the second and a banker earns £500 a month, or to Poland where abortion is still illegal and ginger folk considered the devil, both bastions of the EU community, whilst scoffing our cheese and biscuits and £7.99 bottle of oddbins plonk.