I attended 9 a.m. mass at the Roman Catholic cathedral. It was full! And there were three more Sunday services to follow, besides de Saturday evening mass. I brought the camera but forgot the memory card. But you are not missing a thing because this has to be one of the least attractive churches I have ever visited. The priest was probably Italian. He refused to put the communion host in my hand and so I had to swing my tongue out, the way it was done in the dark ages, elsewhere. At the end of the service he made a comment, first in Italian and then in Romanian about reception of the host in the outstretched palm of the hand and it was possibly meant for me. But the meaning escaped me.
I have put three coats of Cetol on the rub rail and deck margin planks. I am still trying to figure out the wiring on the mast head lights. I was all set to go up the mast yesterday but I am starting to have my doubts that the direction of lens is the problem. So, I have to keep doing my process of eliminations after dark.
On the way back from church I found new neighbors at the dock. “Stella Maris” from Kiel, Germany. Wolfgang and Inge. They are on a cruise of the Black Sea, out of the Med, they sailed the North Coast of Turkey and across to Ukraine, Yalta, Sevastopol and the Krim peninsula. And returning to Turkey by way of the Romanian and Bulgarian coast. They circumnavigated, also around the Cape of Good Hope two years before I did. So, for the first time in a couple of years I feel like I am in my kind of company. I spent a couple hours with them in their cockpit and they gave me lots of good information about the areas I consider for my winter’s stay near Marmaris.
Monday:
The large trimaran “Inzula” left this morning for Varna in Bulgaria and I am sure I shall run into them again along the way. My dock neighbor’s friend, who showed me to customs, last Thursday had promised to take me today to the customs office at the container port. He never showed. Constantin, the captain of Marina I, the research vessel, stopped by and he had his nephew take me there. They sent me back to another custom office about 3/4 of the way back to Constanta. They sent me back to the office I was hustled away from last Thursday. They all have these wonderful excuses because they just have never done it before. But I am convinced that it is their duty to stamp my invoices. I gave the last commissar a good piece of my mind. So, the stubborn Flying Dutchman is going to try it one more time in the last EEC country on the way. I’ll head for Varna in Bulgaria tomorrow. A cruise ship was in port the Corinthian II ( I forget to ask for the verse) with mostly American passengers, on their way from Athens.
I will wave good bye to the Romanian shores with some sadness. I have spent nearly 6 months in this country. The people have treated me very generously and kindly and I made many friends here. I’d like some day to see the Northern region, Transylvania.
L’Arrividere and Multo Mesk!
