2024 Middle Aged Wing Spreading

  As we quickly draw to a close on this trip, just a few final thoughts.  Third time consecutively away for New Year and first time woken up after a decent sleep and with no ill effects (illness or drink related) Travelling on New Years Day home I think is the way forward, keeps you honest on New Years Eve and compresses the trip time into a perfect package. Already developing a shortlist for next year, to put to the family vote, east europe, west europe, south europe destinations all under consideration. Long Haul for 3 days, maybe ten years ago, not anymore. The briefest of final walks for fresh air on a crisp Romanian morning. How lovely for the first stroll of the new year to be new, fresh, exciting and different. Hopefully sets the tone for the year ahead, exploration and travel to the fore. No time for running today, which will be to the fore, but a token 16 minutes in the gym on the bike just to get something on strava! Not much open but a quick coffee and muffin, sit a...

  Not a rushed start to the day after a late night, but plans in place to get a bit done on New Years Eve.  Plans as ever not as firm as they could be, which does leave a bit of room for both manoeuvre and mishap when it comes to finding places to eat. A bit of a wander to grab a quick breakfast was a little uncertain, but in the end we were able to grab pastry and coffee and sit in one of these little outdoor pods that line the streets out here. They were still pumping Xmas music in to them too, a very festive pavement breakfast. Quick turn around to the next point of interest,catching the Universitate Metro up to Herastrau Park, a beautifully appointed expanse of the rural amid the concrete.  The place to run I was told so did an obligatory 5K up and down the avenues and mini boulevards of the park. It was very close to the Bucharest Arc de Triumph and I had a photo with Charles de Gaulle at the end.  The inter war period apparently saw a lot of construction of Buc...