A large number of In Your Pocket offices have been reporting an internet phenomenon back to HQ these past few months, one that has led us to take a small step we nevertheless think makes us unique in travel publishing.
Basically, as offices have been doing their research for our bi-monthly guides (remember, only In Your Pocket researches every piece of information in every guide every two months: it is what makes us different, and the most reliable source of information in every market in which we publish guides).
They noticed that an increasing number of venues (especially clubs and live music venues) were eschewing websites in favour of simply creating Facebook Fan Pages.
A good example of this is Mojo, a live music club in Bucharest.
Though they have a website, it doesn’t say very much. Yet their Facebook Fan Page says plenty. Besides a rundown of the bands playing each night, news of special events, photos and a direct line to the hands-on manager, a quick look at the place’s fans also gives you an idea of the kind of crowd you can expect to find there.
There is also instant feedback, with people posting in about what they have or haven’t gotten up to said club.
And Mojo is not alone: for many clubs a website is now a needless worry. They do it all on Facebook.
With that in mind, the minor little step we have taken is to include a venue’s Facebook page (and its Twitter feed – if applicable) in our listings. As far as we know, no other travel publisher is yet doing this (for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that fact that they do not update their information as often as we do).
Expect to see Facebook links popping up in our listings over the next few weeks as we input all the Facebook pages we come across while doing our research.
If you want your club or venue to get a head start, then become a fan of In Your Pocket and send us a link to your venue’s Facebook page.
The regime of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu was toppled exactly 20 years ago. Probably the most visible sign of Ceauşescu’s megalomania is Palatul Parlamentului, Parliament Palace – known universally as Casa Poporului, House of the People – which was unfinished at the time of his execution.
Palatul Parlamentului was built during the darkest days of the Nicolae Ceauşescu regime. Standing 84m above ground level on 12 floors, the building has long been shrouded in mystery, rumour and hyperbole. Originally designed to house almost all the organs of the communist state, it today plays host to the Romanian parliament and a modern, well equipped conference centre, as well as Romanias Museum of Contemporary Art. Much of the building, however, remains unused. Join the official tour of Romania’s most famous building with tour guide Raluca Mitu.
The public tour of the building is thoroughly recommended (it is the only way to see the building, in fact) though the commentary consists of little more than a bored guide reeling off endless superlative statistics. You’ll see plenty of grand staircases, marble-plated halls and conference rooms, while – depending on the mood of the guide – you may also have the chance to go on to the balcony, which offers the defining view of central Bucharest.
We stick to our original choice: Heathrow is to be avoided if at all possible. Having used it a number of times this year we can vouch for the fact that it has not improved.
We would add, however, that we have discovered a truly great airport this year: London City. Small, close to central London (with great transport connections courtesy of the Docklands Light Railway), flights are never delayed and you can turn up just 20 minutes or so before your flight leaves.
For most foreigners over the age of 30, the bloody revolution of December 1989 remains the first thing about Romania that foreigners think of; in Romania’s case, the revolution was televised, and, somehow, it was all done without the help of Facebook and Twitter. Few however remember the equally bloody Mineriada of June 1990: a brutal, three-day long, government-approved riot. The revolution and Mineriada are linked: the latter had its roots in the former; in the downfall of Romania’s communist regime. Yet to this day, 20 years on, the real stories behind both events remain well guarded secrets, and all we have to go on are best guesses.
Here, In Your Pocket Editor-in-chief Craig Turp visits the scene of the revolution: Bucharest’s Piata Revolutiei.
Bucharest In Your Pocket editor, Craig Turp embarks on a video tour of Bucharest ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Romanian revolution of 1989. In these videos, he visits the Old Town (Lipscani), the Russian Church and the National Bank.
Bucharest In Your Pocket editor, Craig Turp embarks on a video tour of Bucharest ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Romanian revolution of 1989. First stop: Piata Universitatii.
Ten stone crosses on the traffic island in the middle of B-dul Nicolae Bălcescu pay homage to those killed during the revolution, while a black cross at number 18 marks the spot where the first victim of the revolution fell in Bucharest. Mihai Gâtlan died here on December 21, 1989, at 17:30. Revolutionaries had gathered here after the earlier protests at the Central Committee building further along the road.
A long night of pointless killing followed, with die hard revolutionaries manning barricades in front of the InterContinental hotel, from where forces loyal to the old regime, as well as conscript soldiers who had little idea what was going on, fired into the crowd as it was forced to disperse shortly before dawn.
Belfast In Your Pocket’s campaign to find a name for the people of Belfast (read about that here: is.gd/4ZEUy and here: is.gd/4ZEVi ) made the television this week.
The marks of four decades of communism have yet to be completely erased from the face of Warsaw. Of these the most apparent is the Palace of Culture and Science. Alex Webber takes a look at this iconic building.
