Cranky Abroad II
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:38 am by CrankyThe Flight
In Philly – a cop on a Sedgeway. Yep, it’s going to be a long, strange trip. Nice helmet, BTW.
Flew Lufthanza on coach. At first, I thought being in aisle “D” was a good thing. Until I found out about aisles “E”, “F” and “G”. I was between a retired gentleman and and an asian who spoke little English – or anything else for that matter.
I also was initially disappointed by not getting a nice fraulein for a flight attendant, but rather Gerhard von Schrudelstuffer.
Turns out the flight was better than I could have hoped for. Except for occasional outbursts of mass death, the Germans really have a knack for hospitality.
Free drinks, a hot meal and free in-flight movie. Wow. Not only that, the retiree turned out to have ten years experience in Romania in the 1970s and plenty of cool stories about being spied on by Commies and being de-briefed with the State department.
The Frankfort airport was the first place I ever touched European soil. OK, not soil – soiled linoleum. The airport was remarkable in its consistiency with every other airport I’ve ever been in.
No, we have nothing like this in the States. The prices are in Euros!
Romania appears to still be considered Europe’s poor cousin. Going to the gate for Bucharest was a descent from Third Class to Third World. Even Lufthansa plays into this. When boarding was announced, I stood up, got in line, when through the gate and found myself on the tarmac in front of a bus.
We loaded onto the bus and cruised across the tarmac.
Yes, go down, way down the runway, pass the cargo warehouse and….. you can’t miss it.
At the plane, the metropolitan nature of Frankfort gave way to a refugee scene from a bad WWII movie. Everybody looked like John Belushi.
But my judging on appearance turned out to be a big mistake. The large boorish, John Belushi sitting next to me was A PHd in something related to optical science. He was flying back from delivering a presentation at a conference in Chicago.
The country is beautiful. It looks like someone superimposed modern life on a rural infrastructure. Towns look similar to the eastern part of the San Joaquin valley in California. In all, it looks like a beautiful place in need of a good powerwashing.
The coolest part is the highways. One and one half lanes of sheer driving adrenilaine. Here, the definition of “defensive driving” is when your driver isconstantly explaining that he really is a safe driver.
Here is the view from the hotel. Note the mix of modern and run-down. Much like parts of Oakland, CA.
Very nice. What the…? What is this?
Egads!!!!
Heh, just messing with you folks. I’m assured that this is not nuclear.
More to come…
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:18 am
Everybody looked like John Belushi.
It could be worse. Everybody could look like Jim Belushi.
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:51 am
Gordon,
This is hilarious!!! You need to travel for al living and write funny posts regarding your adventures!
~Raych
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:30 am
u flew Luftwaffe to Oakland!
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Sure looks like cooling towers to me. That’s the first thing I noticed when I saw the pic. I wonder if it’s Soviet-era. Chernobyl anyone?
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:38 pm
What?! No more Nivas on the finely engineered roads of Bucharest?! Everybody is damn uppity since the fall of the Iron Curtain; everybody driving BMW and Volvo like they’re someone important now. Nice touch wit’ ‘da Priest soundtrack.
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Gordon, Seriously this is sooo funny!! You make me laugh!!
Love you! Deb
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:41 pm
This is a great post Gordon. Hopefully you’ll take time away from running up the company credit cards long enough to do two more follow-ups involving a visit to a restaurant and/or strip club.
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Brian,
Somehow I don’t think that you can find the same quality strip clubs in Romania that you might be able to find in…say…Nashville.
And Cranky, stay away from the family style restaurants in Bucharest…unless you have a hankering for some fried bat wings.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:19 am
NIgel may have a point on that one as the Nashville strip clubs don’t allow you to get within three feet of girls who are over 18.
Thanks, not at all Puritanical Saudi Morality Police-styled Democrats!
Their holes are only sunken in slightly more than, say….the ones you would find in your average San Diego street.
October 4th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
For the easily confused, comment #2 is Gordo’s wife, not actually Gordo.
Unless there’s something he’s not telling us…
October 4th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Now that I delve deeper, he did title the post “Cranky Abroad.”
Cranky.
A.
Broad.
Hm…….
October 5th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Vinnie,
Try to avoid delving deeper. Every time you do that you come up with something I wish I didn’t know.
(I’m just glad I didn’t choose the stall next to Cranky’s at the Sportsman’s Grille)
October 5th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
I’m assured that this is not nuclear.
Of course it’s not. Romania, being part of the coalition of the willing, that is a cooling tower for a nookyular power plant.
Some of the cuise lines recruit heavily in Romania and all the guys I’ve met swear that Romania has the most beautiful women in the world. I’m envious.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:16 am
Nice helmet on the sedgeway-cop in Philly. Can’t be too careful now can we? This rogue cop is out of uniform by not wearing the requisite elbow pads, knee pads, and shin guards. Pussy.