Accidentally Wes Anderson in Romania

Image created in chatgtp - a tourist in Romania.....

I am sure you are wondering how I am, now that I am no longer on Instagram.

OK, well maybe not, but I just wish you to know that my withdrawal symptoms are fully resolved, and I enjoyed my holiday with my other half (OH) to Romania all the more for not having to think about taking pictures to let you know that I was travelling. No time wasted making reels, no checking to see if you liked my reel, and no wondering how often it is OK to post about one's holiday.

Which left me more time to relax and enjoy the ride from Belgrade in Serbia to Bucharest in Romania.

Why Romania? Because it was a small group tour which OH felt he could manage while he is waiting for a new knee. Because we would have company along the way, and because the tour leader would worry about logistics, timings and meals, so that we didn't have to.

A tour of towns and cities from West to East, through Transylvania, the home of Dracula. A part of the world that has experienced many cultures, changing borders, communism, extreme hardship, and now relative prosperity as a consequence of joining the EU. A place of multiple religions, churches, castles and medieval citadels. 

For a nature lover and escapist this was a compromise, for as I am sure you can guess I would rather be climbing a mountain or walking a cliff top. 

The Danube, Belgrade, Serbia

First impressions were a little bleak. Our one night in Belgrade found a grey river and a lot of graffiti. But if Andreas Gursky can make over $4,000,000 for a picture of the Rhein, then why not have a go at The Danube. Gursky removed people and a factory from his photograph. I removed nothing from mine. I accept that mine is less abstract and has more weeds.

I do remember Gursky's image ( below) having a big impact on my photographic style when I first encountered it.

Having escaped Belgrade over the border into Romania our little group began our adventure. The border crossing was made more interesting by the presence in our group of a Peruvian, who warned us that he was often pulled aside at border crossings because of his nationality. The rest of us, from UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were intrigued to see how this panned out.

We each walked up to a booth where we were photographed and finger printed. Everyone was allowed back on the bus. So far so good. We moved forward 3 metres, and a luggage inspection began.  Our Peruvian was called off the bus. We waited with baited breath. The border police looked at him and then allowed him back on the bus. We think that they just wanted to see what a PERUVIAN looks like.
I can inform you that he looked like a Peruvian. Dark hair, dark brown eyes and dressed in shades of grey and black. 

We later discovered that he is a writer. And also a gastronome. He had a good appetite and a burning desire to eat bear, venison, boar and papanasi (the famous Romanian cheesy donut covered in jam). He spent a lot of time in cafes drinking coffee and writing. 

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Papanasi dessert

The highlight of most towns, for me, was the colourful buildings.

I immediately found myself thinking of Wes Anderson movies, with their characteristic style and colour palette. I decided to seek out images that could be labelled with the hashtag #accidentallywesanderson, having been to, and enjoyed the exhibition of the same name in London last year. Many of the streets that we visited felt as though they had come straight out of the movie 'Grand Budapest Hotel', one of my favourites of his films.

Wes uses a pastel colour palette and a lot of symmetry. Being on a tour meant remarkably little free time. so my photographic efforts were snatched along the way whilst listening to stories of Vlad the Impaler and the revolution of 1989. which started in the beautiful town of Timisoara.
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The House of the Orthodox Community. Timisoara

The houses in this part of he world have 'eyes' in the rooves. These are for ventilation, to allow sides of cured pork belly to dry in the roof space. The roof space is the perfect temperature for ageing the meat.

​And yes, many houses have burned down over the centuries as a result of this habit. Lard and flames being a heady concoction.

Traditional house, Sibiu, Romania

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One of our tour members was only here to see Dracula's castle, and to get a fridge magnet.

The fact that the author of 'Dracula' never set foot in Romania, and that Bran castle never hosted Vlad the impaler, on whom the character of Dracula is based, doesn't seem to bother either Romanians or foreign tourists. Dracula is a big draw in Transylvania.

This made the castle unbearably busy and my least favourite excursion of the week.

Peles castle, built by King Carol 1 was a bit more manageable, but absurdly over decorated to my taste.

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Peles Castle

typical interior, peles castle

OH was in meat heaven. Romanian food is not ideal for vegans, as most dishes involve pork, cabbage and sausages. But they do make delicious soups, which kept us going until dinner. Please don't try eating tripe soup followed by knuckle of pork in one sitting. You will pay for it later. OH certainly did.

So how did my attempts to create a series in the style of Wes Anderson go? 

I found a few suitable scenes, but not enough to do much with. Wes Anderson stages his sets in elaborate detail. I was unable to avoid cars, people or telephone cables. I didn't have a wide angle lens. I have plenty of excuses. And to be honest, I would rather be photographing nature. 

You can see a few classic scenes in the carousel below. A lot of money has been spent on restoring buildings since the revolution and the joining of the EU.

On another note, Romania is yet another country on my list of countries with NO LITTER. This fills me with sadness for the UK.

Even the cigarette butts are disposed of tidily. And smoking is very popular in Romania.

Tidy disposal of cigarette butts, Peles Castle.

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My happiest moment of the trip was watching the sun rise through a corn field beside a pond in the heart of Transylvania. A momentary connection with nature.

morning sunshine

And the strangest moment was at a roadside service station complete with fireplace and flowers.

petrol service station outside Bucharest

This is a definite contender for the #accidentallywesanderson prize. Perfectly symmetrical and somewhat surreal.

I will settle for real over surreal most days.