Europe Diary Day 21 - Spies and laundry 26 November, 2009 One more battle and then the tour is done. 

However there are spies about and this morning a number of suspicious looking characters from the Romania Rugby Federation (they don’t use the word union in this corner of the world) with video cameras in hand were politely and firmly told to cease filming. They were threatened with the wrath of team physiotherapist Cathy Wong if they persisted in filming, and that seemed to do the trick as cameras were hurriedly put away. 

The weather remains the same – dry, cool and pleasant. 

We’ve encountered an interesting conundrum on our stay in Romania in that we are, for the first time on this tour, required to do our own laundry. It’s a conundrum because there are no laundry facilities available to us – not even a scrubbing brush! 

In the end I just threw my clothes under a scolding hot shower for about a minute, rinsed them and hung them in the wardrobe – worked a treat, the clothes were dry by midday. 

All I have to do now is work out a way of ironing them with no iron. 

Well Sam Domoni is proving to be a multi talented individual. Not only does the big guy coach, he massages, delivers powerful sermons, plays the piano like a classical pianist and cooks a pretty mean curry all in one afternoon. 

In fact Sam and half the management took over the hotel kitchen this evening as they cooked up a Fijian feast much to the amusement of the hotel’s head chef. Chicken curry, roti and a variety of salad on the side was enough to tempt even the most lugubrious palate out of hiding. 

The occasion was actually the birthday celebration of five members of our touring party who were all celebrating their birthday on or around this day – physio Cathy Wong, those two wild Serea (jaina!) villagers Nasoni Roko and Waisale Vatuvoka, hooker and team spokesperson Vereniki Sauturaga and technical adviser Mike Brewer. 

As you can imagine at these events there was great mirth when each of them had to give a birthday speech, however Vereniki’s reference to mummy Cathy and daddy Mike (Brewer) was what really brought the house down. 

At the devotion Naca gave a moving sermon on the need for the team to stay strong and unified. 

Tomorrow is a rest day for the players and a trip around Bucharest has been organized including a possible visit to Count Dracula’s castle who, contrary to the legend we all know, was actually a Christian king whom the Romanians of today adore! 

It’s funny how stories get turned around like that, I suppose it all depends on who’s telling the tale. 

Take care all. 

Moce mada.