Leif Pettersen makes me laugh, so after scanning loads of blogs for information that’s useful but blah, I always read his Killing Batteries one for information that’s useful yes, but hilarious. Check out this post for superlatives from his recent round of updating the Lonely Planet guide to Romania and Moldova . Here’s my favorite part:
Least bang for your buck: the Black Sea Coast, particularly Mamaia, Mangalia and that over-touristed craphole Eforie Nord where crowds, bad food and ludicrously over-priced accommodations leave one in a perpetual, consternated, unsatisfied state. Everyone from the four-star hotels down to the ice cream vendors took the country’s new EU member status as a signal to double prices without the tedious annoyance of adding any value to their products/services. If this keeps up, bloody Tuscany will be a better travel value than Romania’s Black Coast by next summer.
But does anyone really use the Moldova section of that guidebook? Does anyone really go to that country? On purpose?
It was pegged in the Geography of Bliss book as one of the unhappiest places on earth. The author commented that, “Even the name sounds melancholy. Moldooooova. Try it. Notice how your jaw drops reflexively and your shoulders slouch, Eeyore-like.”
“How are you doing today Joe?”
“Not so well. A bit Moldoooova.”
“Sorry to hear it. Cheer up.”
