Not in the third world anymore, baby

It's been a bad week for Romanians. First off, the villagers of Glod, from south-west Romania, discover that they have unwittingly doubled for Kazakhs in the new Borat movie. Then, that adorable spitfire Naomi Campbell accuses her maid, Gaby Gibson, of being a "stupid" Romanian and hurls the insult, "You're not in the third world anymore." In light of this I feel I must come to the defense of Romania, a beautiful country I discovered last year, where the wine is cheap, the food terrible, the countryside feudal, the trains always late, the toilet facilities challenging - in fact, one of the most enchanting places I've visited in a long while. Bucharest, in particular, still has the shabby glamour of yesteryear with dusty shops, Communist-era beauty parlours, cobblestone streets, crumbling medieval basilicas and bullet-ridden public buildings. I love it! Go before the country's entry into the EU turns it into one big Vuitton/Armani/Chanel outlet. And stay at the lovely Hotel Capsa, in the centre of town, a favourite of the king. Above, a bridal shop in Bucharest. (There are many.)