Berlitz Pocket Guide - Romania

A little book of jokes also known as Berlitz Pocket Guide Romania! Thoroughly recommended if you're into travel hilarious inaccuracies!

I bought a Berlitz Pocket Guide on Romania intending to give it as a Christmas present. I couldn't help but flicking through and what did I find? A fine selection of surprisingly entertaining jokes on Romania. I will, of course, share these jokes with you, but you must be patient: one at a time! For now I think it's only fair we start with one on Constanta (the fondest of my childhood memories - this makes it fair, right?). Constanta, a city on the Black Sea Coast, a place with hot summer days and bitterly windy winters.

Ok, so following the advice in our little book on travel humour, we start off in Ovid's Square - named after the Roman poet Ovid, who was exiled to Mamaia. Picture this:

• around 1BC: first publication of Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love) by the Roman poet Ovid, three books of poetry offering adulterous erotic advice (in fact a satire on didactic poetry);
• the year 8 AD - angry emperor Augustus banishes Ovid to Mamaia - a 20th century seaside resort, Romania's most popular (just so you get a feel for it - the oldest building in Mamaia dates from 1906).

Poor Ovid, Star Trek like teleported from first century AD Rome to modern times Romania. He only wrote erotic poetry, he didn't kill anyone.  It's like saying Shakespeare went on holiday to Ibiza! Cleopatra shopped at Harrods and Moses queued in front of Apple store for the new tablet!

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