After a few days' delay, I'm finally connected to the Internet -- by fast cable modem, at that. Here I am in Iasi, a city of several hundred thousand that, until six months ago, I didn't know existed. It's a city built on seven hills, much like Rome, and the University (Alexandru I. Cuza) is on the hill of Copou with a sweeping view of the city. I'm staying in a very comfortable apartment right in the city center -- at Piata Unirii -- about a 15 minute walk from the University. Just around the corner from my apartment is the main city center. It's an odd mix of architecture -- the beautiful 19th century, french Hotel Traian designed by Eiffel on one corner, a boxy mix of concrete communist-era buildings on another.

My first impressions of Romania? An incredibly beautiful country whose people are struggling, with success I think, to overcome years of communist rule. Western influences are everywhere, from the fact that many people speak at least some English to the American music played in every restaurant. There's the old -- old Dacias everywhere, an occasional horse-drawn wagon even in the city, and the new -- a cellphone store on every corner, fast cable internet for me.

Iasi is a sea of students right now. There are several universities here and, I'm told, 100,000 university students when the schools are in session. It seems the majority of the law students are women. Here, law is an undergraduate degree taking four years (with a graduate masters' option taking one year). The faculty have been very helpful. Emanoil Morgizan, who specializes in European community law and conflict of laws, has spent many hours with me already, doing everything from discussing Romanian issues to helping me obtain a cellphone and cable tv. Vlad Radulescu, who is the Dean's associate (the Dean practices law as well as teach), has also taken me around the city and has shown me Iasi's beautiful parks and botanical gardens.

Of course, I must note that I'm wearing pretty much the same clothes in which I arrived. Air France's baggage handlers apparently went on strike the day I came through Paris and didn't bother to ship my luggage on to Bucharest. Until they do, I'll make do but won't have any pictures!

More later