Petes-Pix: Capitals of Eastern Europe - Day 14

My Books

"Pinotage: Behind the Legends of South Africa's own wine" is available on the ibookstore

Learn more about my new book telling all about Pinotage and read sample pages at
pinotagebook.weebly.com

A I Perold's
A Treatise
on Viticulture
A I Perold (1880-1941) was South Africa's first Professor of Viticulture and Oenology. He dedicated himself to improving the quality of grapes for wine, brandy and the table. He studied wine and brandy production in Europe, imported more than 60 varieties to the Cape and bred new ones. Perold said this book “is intended to serve both the student and the practical grape-grower. There are in it technical passages that will appeal more to the student, e.g. the chapters dealing with the biology of the vine, its external and internal morphology, the theory of grafting. My remarks on the practice of viticulture, such as those dealing with the propagation, manuring and pruning of the vine, the production of table grapes for export, will, it is hoped, assist the practical grape-grower as well as the student.” This is a newly typeset reprint, not a photocopy. Text on the 712 pages have been aligned to match the original pagination so any external references to pages in the Treatise will be valid in this edition
Available in paperback and hardback editions. 712 pages

A Year in Paarl
with
A I Perold

Dr Perolds report on his Paarl experiments 1915 - 1916 reprinted with glossary, introduction and brief biography. Fascinating historical document on viticulture for wine and table grapes, wine and brandy making.

05 July 2025

Capitals of Eastern Europe - Day 14 - Bucharest

Day 14 – Saturday 5 July 2025- Bucharest

Ceaușescu spoke to the crowd from the balcony above three arched entrances with flags

After breakfast we left the boat and boarded the waiting coaches. The journey took three hours, including a comfort break. We didn’t go to our hotel, we had stops at the old communist party building where dictator Ceaușescu gave his last speech before a helicopter whisked him away from an angry crowd.

We stopped at his immense Parliament Palace building then we had a walking tour of Bucharest old town, followed by lunch at Hanu' lui Manuc restaurant https://hanumanucrestaurant.ro/en/

The lunch was excellent; the group was in a large upper floor room. The place claims to be the oldest inn in Europe. There was a chunky vegetable and meat soup, followed by cubes of tender venison in a thick tasty red pepper sauce with potato wedges, then what was said to be Tarte Tatin, but was flaky pastry filled with apple. Tables had bread, carafes of red & white wine, carafes of chilled water and a selection of canned soft drinks and juices. Draft beer from the bar was delivered on request. As decanters emptied they were replaced.

A group of entertainers in traditional costumes paraded, and danced between tables.

After a leisurely lunch we were taken to our hotel, J W Marriott Grand https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/buhro-jw-marriott-bucharest-grand-hotel/overview/ where we’d spend three nights instead of the scheduled two.

Viking handled it very well. The Viking desk beside reception was clearly marked and there were many people wearing Viking’s bright red polo shirts. Before we got to the desk we were approached by one who asked our name and then we were given an envelope with our room key and shown to the lifts. Our bags were already in the room.

We went out for dinner at nearby Restaurant Allucinante https://allucinante.ro/ that had been praised in a Trip Advisor review and found several tables occupied by others from the cruise who’d been recommended there by the hotel.

We chose to sit outside, with views of the gigantic white and gold National Cathedral. Meal was freshly cooked and it and the wine were excellent.