| Author |
Message |
    
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 7553
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 72.39.68.9
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 01:52 pm: | 
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I'm going to be offline (well, I might be able to check my e-mail from Internet cafes) for the next four weeks. My wife and her daughters and I leave Wednesday for Romania, where she was born and grew up but hasn't visited in 10 years. I'm told it's something of a beer wasteland, with Tuborg and Stella Artois considered the best they have to offer, but perhaps I might find a real Belgian in the odd cafe. The options are a local plum brandy called tsuica, or the native rather sweet red wine that is diluted with sparkling water.
I'll be at a distinct disadvantage, with only a little knowledge of the language (it is Latin-based with quite a few words in common with Italian). But I figure I can play the inscrutable tourist, and people can always say about me, "What does he know, anyway!"
Perhaps I'll return with some good beer stories, or perhaps I'll just be happy to have the homebrew in my beer fridge and the witbier that I just racked to secondary and will be waiting to be kegged.
Brew on!
(Message edited by BillPierce on July 31, 2007) |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 4670
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.23.59.245
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 02:01 pm: |
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Have a rip snortten, Bill!
--This space is STILL being left intentionally blank.-
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Skotrat
Junior Member
Username: Skotrat
Post Number: 87
Registered: 07-2007
Posted From: 24.60.78.162
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 02:03 pm: |
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Bill,
Have a great time.
Support the HBD
Skotrats Homebrew Site
BrewRats Homebrew Club
Skotrats HomeBrew BBS
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Mike Huss
Senior Member
Username: Mikhu
Post Number: 1717
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 24.123.94.154
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 02:28 pm: |
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Bill, have a great time. I'll think of you while I'm at the Great Taste and you are in the Great Beer Wasteland! |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 2824
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 208.49.148.10
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 03:49 pm: |
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No gypsy beer there? Have a great one! |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 4990
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 63.118.227.254
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 04:15 pm: |
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The options are a local plum brandy called tsuica
Is it similar to Slivovitz? If so, it is likely to be quite ghastly.
I have a hard time believing any European country can be called a beer wasteland, as opposed to, say, Nebraska.  |
Graham Cox
Senior Member
Username: T2driver
Post Number: 1225
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 68.32.253.156
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 04:17 pm: |
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"I'll be at a distinct disadvantage, with only a little knowledge of the language (it is Latin-based with quite a few words in common with Italian). But I figure I can play the inscrutable tourist, and people can always say about me, 'What does he know, anyway!'"
Bill, I have found in my travels that if you smile, are polite, and hold the local currency - that last one is a big one - it generally makes things go very smoothly. 
Watch out for the vampires. Say hello to Vlad for me. |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 4672
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.23.59.245
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 04:29 pm: |
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Learn some common pleasantries and never yell at the locals in English.
--This space is STILL being left intentionally blank.-
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Peter Roman
Senior Member
Username: Lilbordr
Post Number: 1004
Registered: 12-2003
Posted From: 12.2.115.11
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 04:40 pm: |
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Bill,
Don't forget vial of gypsey tears to protect you from AIDS. They work very nice!
Cheers,
Peter 'the kid' Roman |
Joakim Ruud
Advanced Member
Username: Joques
Post Number: 892
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 84.208.70.198
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 04:54 pm: |
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Peter, big difference between Romania and Kazakhstan
Bill, have a nice trip. If your wife grew up behind the iron curtain I guess she can be forgiven for thinking idle hobbies like brewing is a complete waste of time!
For to accuse requires less eloquence, such is man's nature, than to
excuse; and condemnation, than absolution, more resembles justice.
-Hobbes, Leviathan
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Bill Walton
Member
Username: Vladie
Post Number: 194
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 67.187.98.169
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 07:15 pm: |
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The options are a local plum brandy called tsuica
I've had some of this stuff. It is quite nasty in my opinion. Vaguely reminiscent of gasoline without the positive flavors.
Have a great time Bill
BW |
dhacker
Advanced Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 981
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 72.4.22.214
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 09:08 pm: |
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BP
Go in peace . . Be warm and well fed! |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 7554
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 72.39.68.9
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 10:44 pm: |
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Dan and Graham, I already know enough pleasantries to get in trouble. My inlaws spend half the year with us (they are currently in Romania but returning here at the end of next month), and their English is just slightly better than my Romanian. 
Actually, Peter's half right about Borat. The "Kazakh" scenes in the movie were filmed in Romania. I guess Borat isn't welcome in his supposed native land. My wife says the villagers are speaking Romanian, which they didn't even bother to dub. I suppose most people couldn't tell Romanian from Kazakh, even if I would say it sounds like oddly accented Italian from some remote place.
And yes, Romania is home to Europe's largest population of gypsies (or Roma, as they prefer to be called), so Borat's joke about the AIDS cure may be something he picked up while filming there.
As for tsuica, it is indeed similar to slivovitz. I've had both bad and good. Poorly made, it's "hot" and nasty, but the Romanian Orthodox priest here in Hamilton brought some that was made by his brother back in the old country. It was diluted to about 60 proof and was quite smooth. |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 4998
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 63.118.227.254
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 10:49 pm: |
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The best slivovitz I ever had wasn't made commercially, but was brought back by a friend in a plastic water bottle. It was brewed by one of his cousins in Slovenia It, too, was very smooth....but I'll take beer over it anyday.
Skotrat feeds baby dolphins poisoned herring
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robert rulmyr
Advanced Member
Username: Wacobob
Post Number: 940
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 24.155.156.156
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - 10:52 pm: |
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Ah, the things we do for our loved ones. |
Brews and Views Archive 2007 
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