This is a booklet issued by Casa de
Traduceri, a translation service based in Bucharest, in November 2017. Along with attractive photographs it contains
short essays bearing a decidedly hisperish slant by staff members and clients,
promoting in equal measure the delights of the city to visitors and the
delights of the company to potential clients.
One contributor likens central Bucharest
to Paris, possessing a lively scene full of people brimming with ideas and
ambition, firmly putting the old rigidities behind them. Bucharest, she asserts, is a city bearing
comparison with capitals such as London, Paris, New York and Prague. ‘Little Paris’ is now the ‘New Berlin’. Another stresses the variety of the
architecture and the hidden gems to be found while wandering around.
A client profile stresses the festivals
devoted to food and drink, and the restaurants and cafes reflect the social
diversity and the influences making up Romanian history. A chef who is interviewed notes how finding
the most interesting restaurants require personal research rather than a
reliance on guides and websites like TripAdvisor, which he claims are for the
lazy.
The nightlife is varied, having grown
spectacularly in the last twenty years in step with the growth of the middle
classes, and it is a safe city. However,
English resident Tom Wilson notes how the nightlife is concentrated in the
centre of the city, with little gentrification in outer districts to support
such ventures. He clearly finds the
post-Communist developments double-edged, with Bucharest’s unique identity
giving way to similarity with other major cities.
Naturally those who enjoy shopping are
well catered for, as are those who seek quieter forms of relaxation in open
spaces. The cultural life is diverse,
both in terms of creativity and consumption, though Romanian literature, while
thriving, has yet to make itself felt internationally. On the downside, the traffic problem is
mentioned more than once, and Wilson refers to governance issues (though other
contributors stress increasing civic involvement). The booklet ends with useful advice for the
visitor.
The publication is described by the
company as a ‘Brand brochure and city guide hybrid. A different approach to a
boring company brochure’, an aim amply fulfilled. This is a worthy tribute to the energy and
excitement of Bucharest, even if the suspicion arises that the energy and
excitement have been hyped to an extent.
Source: Issuu
(This was first published on The Joy of
Mere Words, 1 January 2018)
