On the 1st of December, we celebrate the National Day of Romania. Why the country has chosen this particular day, you can learn here. On this day, we all celebrate, express joy, and very publicly so. We are, after all, people of Latin hot blood, with all the good and the less good this lot of genes entail.
This day caught up with me in the city of Jassy, some 120 kms north from my home town (Bacau). A much larger city, the capital of my province, Moldova. A city that made history, a city that takes this day much more personal, if you will. A great city to be in at any given time, but when the national celebrations such as this one happen, that is when Jassy is at its best. And this has to be seen to be believed.
Nikon F3 – Nikkor 105/2.5
The parade, awaited by everyone, grown ups and children, started with a few platoons of the local garrison, in their best military attire, with martial faces on and all. A very small affair, long are the days when such parades were taking hours to watch. Nowadays, due to the nearby war and expenses kept to a minimum, only a handful of military vehicles (absent in Jassy), F16 flights (absent as well here), and more than a few platoons are to be seen in the provincial cities across Romania. The main parade takes place in Bucharest, and that has it all. Oh well.
All photographs were shot with Nikon F3, with Nikkor 50/2 and 105/2.5, on Ilford HP5 400.