Elenka and I were sitting in a cafe called the Orient Express with a Romanian guy named Radu when the storm hit . Patio chairs and tables out in front of the place blew every which way. Suddenly, Radu jumped to his feet, ran out the front door and latched onto a frightened young girl and her bunny who were about to be swept away by the gale-force winds. First it was thunder and lightening, then rain, then hail. The bunny pooped.
 
We'd be in the cafe for a while so we went from coffee to beer. Elenka asked Radu - who's a TV producer when he's not shooting the shit with foreigners or saving young women and their pets - about Romania's economy, or more precisely, how people can afford to shop in expensive stores and eat in chic restaurants. Radu replied that two years ago his apartment was worth 250,000 Euros. Today it's valued at 95,000 Euros. As a result of the slide no one is investing in anything, especially the seemingly bottomless pit, real estate. Today, it's spend, spend, spend. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? 
 
Back in our room, the TV news reported that millions of dollars worth of damage had been done by the storm, mostly from tree branches breaking free and hitting cars. Eighty-seven people were injured but there were no fatalities.
 
This morning after breakfast we headed straight for the subway, traveled three stops, got off, and realized we were completely lost. We were studying the subway map when a man approached and asked where we were going. After telling him he offered to take us there. So off we went, following blindly, not afraid. 
 
His name was Cosmin and he had a lot to say . When we arrived at our stop, Cosmin got off with us and it was there, right on a subway platform in Bucharest, where our Romanian history lesson began. 
 
It wasn't just Romania actually. We touched, at least briefly, on several Eastern European nations. Cosmin gave a detailed account of the problems in the former Yugoslavia; how the Eastern Roman Empire, Orthodox Serbs, just didn't make for a good fit with the Western Roman Empire, Roman Catholic Croatians - even though there's little difference between the two. 
 
When he stopped to take a breath I tried to tell him how nice and friendly Romanians are. He began nodding his head in the affirmative, not letting me finish. He explained that in order for his country to survive its people had to become pliable. They had the savage Russians from the east; the ruthless Turks from the south; and rule-making Hapsburgs from the west. Friendly had to be one of their assets, but excellent negotiation skills were a must. 
 
Anyway, Cosmin spent an hour or more with us, then headed off to his job as manager of a bank somewhere.               
 

Now, back to the last entry from Brasov: Elenka and I had been warned of Bucharest's vicious dog packs. We've seen no such thing. The dogs all work solo, look plump and seem happy. I'd also said that Romanians rank right up there with Argentines, Burmese and Filipinos in the genuinely nice people department. After today, they might have a slight lead.