I was in Romania for three nights, each at a different hotel.

The bleak view from the airport hotel

The stunning view from the conference hotel in the mountains

The city view from the hotel in the centre of Bucharest

It's a country I haven't got to grips with. The horses and carts were familiar from rural Poland, as were the women in headscarves. The younger generation with fast cars and flash clothes was understandable and the boards explaining EU investments heartening. The ancient crumbling buildings of Bucharest were in more extreme need of care than anything in Warsaw and the enormity of the communist blocks was far more crushing. Ceauşescu's palace was ridiculous but the mountains were beautiful. It was a very interesting way to spend a couple of days.