Happy New Year!

Dear Everyone,

I hope you all had a lovely end of the old year and a joyful start to the new. My 2007 ended beautifully with Lidia, Manny, Nick, Rodica and Lidia's mum in Brasov. I've never liked New Year as there are so many loved and lost I miss at this time. But Manny was a star in the food department, Lidia the hostess with the mostest, Rodica full of stories - what a bundle of energy she is - and Nick was his usual distinguished self, even crooning some French songs at the table. He arrived complete with fish scales in his pocket which, I learned, is a tradition to bring luck and wealth at New Year. I guess it's a Transylvanian custom as my friends here in Bucharest have never heard of it.  

Brasov was Fairy Land itself. Manny drove me up to the hills for a peek  - the view of the town buried under its white blanket, with all its tiny lights twinkling below was breath-taking. Just like a Christmas card, except I was a part of it.

Lidia instructed that, on the stroke of midnight precisely, I had to close my eyes and make a wish. So I screwed my eyes up tight and thought of the thing I wanted most when the moment came - I wonder how long it will take to come true, but come true, I know it must....

Lovely dinner, fabulous company, wonderful friends - a great send off to the old year and such a warm and enveloping start to the new.

I left them feeling sad as always, vowing to return as soon as I had another weekend free. I cannot survive long without them and beautiful Brasov. As usual, my train trip back was eventful. A fairly full compartment, I had three rich looking women opposite me clad in fur (ugh) coats and hats. They had heaps of luggage that kept falling off the rack and onto their fur 'toques', resulting in a lot of throwing up of hands and exclamations. Fortunately, they got off at Sinaia leaving me to hope for some peace and quiet (fur-free) so I could finish my book. But no, a couple still remained in the compartment: He was a normal looking bloke, nothing out of the ordinary, in his late fifties early sixties whilst she was dressed from head to toe in pale pink (in winter!). And boy, could she talk. If it had been an Olympic speciality, she'd have won the gold for Romania. Her poor husband clearly wanted to get a bit of shut eye - they'd travelled from Sibiu the same day - but she wouldn't stop gabbling despite his monosyllabic responses. This went on all the way to Ploiesti when finally he blew a fuse. Easy to get why Caragiale liked train trips! Mine are becoming more and more like his short stories. No Bubiko as yet, but I've had quite a few Goe's and certainly Goe family caricatures.

Back in Bucharest, I was literally blown along Bd. Dacia and up str. Polona by a forceful gale.

Mandita called in when I got home, with Pépé at her heels. They looked like a double act, Mandita's scarf matching Pépé's coat perfectly. She came in armed with yet more salata de boeuf, some prajitura and the usual cheese and milk even though I didn't want anymore as I can't eat a kilo of telemea every week!! Her New Year's Eve had been quiet, having turned down an invitation to Snagov. She sat and looked at my photos of Christmas at the creche, my time with Lidia and Manny and became very nostalgic of her own past end of year celebrations. Pépé started sniffing the foot of my bed and seemed to be considering peeing on the rug, so she beat a hasty retreat.

And so that's that. Another year gone. More adventures soon from your correspondent here in Bucharest. Must do some shopping tomorrow and go hoofing around my favourite bits of this fabulous city to lose the kilos I've definitely gained over my marvellous winter holiday both in Sighet and Brasov. Friday, back to work. The weather has taken a turn for the worst, and snow is forecast for the rest of the week. Mariana cheerfully called to say I should find my woolly knickers as it'd be -20° next week. Oh, hurrah.

Keep warm, and til very soon. Once more, a very happy, healthy and safe new year!

Love Sarah xox