retiredmartin

March 2025. Iaşi. Romania.

Yes, we’re not in Kaunas now, Tonto.

Iaşi has its share of brutalist housing estates (this one facing the Opera House),

but it’s also packed with gorgeous buildings housing smart shops,

and speakeasies. There’s some money around in Europe’s fastest growing economy.

I always aim to explore the streets of a new city at dawn, while Mrs RM sleeps (she’s blogging till 2am) and only the espresso huts are open. But, Sofia apart, it barely happens when there’s coffee in the hotel room. No coffee at the Continental, so I nip out to bring Mrs RM back an Americano, and then pop in that “pub” attached to the hotel.

Now, here’s a confession. Throughout all of Europe these last couple of years I’ve had nothing but honest, efficient, service and never once been fleeced.

But in Iaşi I’d noted two (2) overcharges of 1 lei (only 17p) on the bus and coffee shop, and wondered if this was the equivalent of the Mancunian “And your own“. But on checking my receipts last night I notice that’s because I’d missed the deposits on plastic bottles and overlooked a recent rise (8p) in tram prices.

And that morning, the matronly lady in The Box refused my attempted payment for that filter coffee, presumably because she took pity on the scruffy bloke with a hilarious attempt to say “Multumescu“.

So there you go, you can feel safe in Iaşi; they even slow down for you at pedestrian crossings.

Fortified by caffeine, I explored the art,

and architecture, on the route to the bus station we’d need later.

And then returned to find Mrs RM ready for flat white and cheesecake at the nearest coffee bar with a swing.

Reader, I saw women drink espresso while sitting on that swing.

We took the bench seating at Gist, as smart as anything in the Northern Quarter, and contemplated how best to while away the morning before the long trip to Moldova.

Blimey, that cheesecake (more Mississippi Mud Pie) was a triumph.

NB I asked ChatGPT for the author of the quote “Early to bed, early to rise, never get drunk, advertise“. Apparently it doesn’t exist.