Nicolaescu & Adi

Wednesday, 22nd of August, 2007. A very important day in my agenda, my departure date to Romania. I already looked forward so many months to make this trip ; It wasn?t the first time I went to Romania, I already was there in 2003, during winter time, very cold?temperatures down to minus 20 °C . I joined the national exhibition in Cluj-Napoca in 2003.

I built up some very nice friendships in Romania during the last 7 years, I met great people ; pigeon fanatics, just like me. Isn?t that one of the most beautiful aspects about the pigeon sport ? To be able to go anywhere around the globe and still be able to find pigeon fanciers and feel connected with them?I still remember very well my trip to Australia, wasn?t meant to be a pigeon trip ; but finally I was recognized there by Anthony Dailo, who knew me as founder from PIPA ; this trip ended up in staying in Anthony?s home and finally he guided me around the whole region and showed me so many interesting things?We never talked with each other before, but we had so much in common and we had so many things to talk about?

Well, in 2000, I met through PIPA for the first time, with my ?Romanian brother? Dinu Mihai ( that is the way we call each other because we became such a close friends )?Thanks to Dinu I got to know much about the Romanian pigeon sport and I was able to get in touch with more fanatic pigeon people ; and one of those other fanatics, is the reason of my stay in Romania in 2007, Mr Marcel Nicolaescu, president & CEO of Salrom, one of the biggest companies in Romania, the National Salt Company.

I met for the first time with Mr Nicolaescu last year. Together with Dinu Mihai, we became his advisors in pigeon acquisitions. No pigeon enters the loft of Mr Nicolaescu without the advice of us, which is not so easy, because only the best of the best is good enough!! This is something which characterizes Mr Nicolaescu ; not only in the pigeon sport, but also in business, as well in politics. As president of such an important company, also private investor in other companies, owner of many hectares of land in Romania, one can say that in business life Mr Nicolaescu reached the highest levels.

On political side, Mr Nicolaescu will participate for the European Parliament elections this year and next year for the mayor elections of Bucharest.

Ambitious through and through, hard-working, and also a gentleman?

I was invited by Mr Nicolaescu in Romania for the official opening of his pigeon loft, together with my pigeon colleagues and friends Mr Gerard Koopman and his buddy Mr Marcel Sangers. I think I can also speak for them when I say this was one of the greatest holidays ever. We had a great time together, with our Romanian pigeon friends.

I hope you will enjoy my report about this event?

Nikolaas Gyselbrecht, 30th of August 2007, Knesselare