Matt and John arrived,

safely yesterday evening. And they like the accommodation. We'll have a later start today as yesterday I arrived home almost at...midnight.

Visit of Matt and John

The visit of Matt and John, reporters, will start today. I have prepared it, accommodation is ready, people are aware of it, the car is running... The repairing of the car will take place when this visit is over.
The weather is slighly better, we now have  -15 C (compared to  -30C), and we have snow.
I must tell that I am glad for the winter tyres, otherwise I don't know how it would be this visit, knowing that their accommodation is on a hill as well, and the roads are full of snow and ice.

The future Brasov - Cormarnic Motorway

This is a part of Brasov - Bucharest motorway, hopefully will be finalized in 2014.
The Comarnic-Brasov motorway section will be inaugurated in four years, that is in January 2014, and the operation, construction, financing and design costs amount to 4.8 billion euros, declared on Monday Dana Galben, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure concessions director, upon signing the concession agreement with the Vinci and Aktor companies.
The procedures for this agreement started in 2003, meanwhile a tender for this 4.7 billion euro concession, the first of this high scale and with an impressive value, having been annulled.
The discussions between the representatives of the Ministry of Transport and the Vinci-Aktor consortium regarding the agreement's conclusion came to a standstill at the end of last year, because of the constructor's claims, which would have exceeded the initial offer, declared winning. The failure of the negotiations could have led to an at least two-year postponing of the works starting date. According to the initial agenda, the works should start in the summer of 2010, the road section being finalized until 2014.
The Vinci-Aktor consortium should design, finance and build the Comarnic-Brasov motorway, and manage the 55-kilometre section for a 30-year period in exchange for a fee, paid by the users starting from the fifth year of the concession.
The consortium will concede the Comarnic-Brasov motorway at a construction price of 1.57 billion euros. Starting with the fifth year of the concession period, over a 26-year time span, the Romanian State will carry out availability payments to the concession holder, with a value of 180 million euros per year, which amounts to a value of 4.7 billion euros.
The fee paid by users starting with the fifth year of concession, after the opening of the motorway, will be 1.75 euro/axletree/100 kilometres, which means that in order to go through the 55-kilometre section, approximately five euros per year will be paid for a car.
At the end of the 30-year concession period, the Comarnic-Brasov road-section falls under the property of the State, which is met with two alternatives: either to concede it again, or to manage it.

This is Siberia

-31 C were the temperature this morning in Brasov! Probably -32C was in Mina 1 Mai. So I don't believe in global warming, I think this is Siberia!

It happened

Late Friday afteroon while parking normally by the road another driver hit the car, while slipped probably because was speeding. He admitted his fault and his insurance will cover the reparations, but in the meanwhile it's just the hassle for me to go and resolve it.

Frozen Romania

-24 C  was the temperature this morning in Brasov. The coldest was in Miercurea Ciuc, about 90Km-s north from Brasov, where it was -29.5 C! This weather will last about 3 more days.

Frozen week end

Probably we shall have a very cold week end. This morning we had -18 C in Brasov. According to the weather forcast temperatures will drop below -20 C.

Preparing the visit of Matt and John

Had conversations with hospital staff and with Dr. Grigoriu manager, and Dr. Cristina Iordache responsible doctor.

Head nurse's mother dies

The mother of the head nurse died, and the funerals are today at noon. The head nurse will be off duty for a few days.

Accommodation

Found a proper accommodation for the visit of Matt and John, which is in the centre of Brasov, in good location, for good price which includes bedroom, bathroom, and own kitchen too. Good that I have now the winter tyres for the car, as the place is up on a hill, and in winter time without having winter tyres is very difficult to go up there. But the problem is solved.

New Year - cold

The new year started with cold weather, snow and frost in mornings, which is...normal for this period.