There are places in the world where you go specifically to see a certain monument, building or park that everyone has heard of and that everyone wants to visit.You set your schedule, your expectations, and you set off with everything already predetermined.But there are also those places where you arrive and are surprised.And this is often the beauty of travel.And Bucharest is one of those places.Even for a (adopted) native of Bucharest, who has lived in the city for more than a decade, there are still surprises.One of them is hidden in the side streets in the center of the Capital and is called the Museum of Romanian Records.Among other things, this museum hides the largest collection of corkscrews in the world.The corkscrew is believed to be the heir to a tool previously used for cleaning weapons.The historical encounters between the two do not end here, over the years creators have incorporated corkscrews into firearms, the coil being used as a trigger.There are also firearms that at first glance may make you think of a carefully decorated ring, but in reality they could be used, if necessary, for self-defense.And they, inside, hide a corkscrew.Further on, the history of the corkscrew, such a productpopular and often used today, it is long and not quite linear.The first corkscrew was patented in 1795, but there is no exact date of its appearance, there are indications that go even further back in time, in the 16th century.Historically, not all corks were used to open bottles of wine, but also for bottles of perfume, olive oil, ink or drugs and medicines.In the case of the latter, the corkscrew had a small cup at the end, equivalent to the required dosage."There are also special corkscrews for champagne, only these, unlike the classic ones, stay in the bottle, and the liquor flows through the ends.How?Instead of a spiral, they have a sieve that allows the drink to come out, but keeps the bubbles inside.The champagne cork acts more like a bottle seal.These date back to the time when champagne was seen as a medicine", says Laura Ostroveanu, marketing and PR manager at the Museum of Romanian Records.She is one of the 15 people who are part of the museum team.This private museum opened on Strada Parfumului in Bucharest (it seems to be a happy coincidence the association of the name with the history of the corkscrew) is the initiative of a Romanian entrepreneur, Ion Chirescu, who managed to gather the largest collections of corkscrews, irons and trivets (supports for irons) in the world.The museum can be visited, but with prior appointment.It all started 11 years ago when the collector discovered a set of 13 corkscrews, each different from the others.At that time they were in the portfolio of another collector.Everything started from there, and then he started reading, documenting, searching.There are several hundreds of such corkscrew collectors in the world today."In 2015, we organized a Congress of Corkscrew Collectors in Bucharest that brought together 200 collectors from all over the world.In Romania, according to our data, there is no other high profile collector." The club also known as CCCC (Canadian Corkscrew Collectors Club) is the most important in the field and every year the members meet to sell, buy or exchange different objects.At the same time, they participate on this occasion in a live auction."The corkscrews are purchased from other collectors or from international auctions.There are also exchanges between enthusiasts when duplicates appear." Many of the collectors are elderly people who have no one to leave an inheritance to, so they sell them separately or in segments.So there may be duplicates."There is a team of 15 people who work at this Museum of Romanian Records, some restore the products, others photograph them or participate in international auctions to obtain them", explains Laura Ostroveanu.The restoration process is extremely thorough, and the duration varies depending on how well a product has been maintained, the period it comes from.Today, the collection of corkscrews on Strada Parfumului in Bucharest includes over 30,000 specimens from all categories, whether we're talking about mechanical corkscrews, with corkscrews, multitools with up to 13 functions or the waiter's friend, which also has a decapsulator."In the case of the latter, we also have Romanian models, marked with Borsec, Stirbey or Dealul Zorilor."The corkscrew had two uses in the past.On the one hand it was used to remove dust from the bottle, because some of the best wines in the world are aged.On the other hand, many years ago, there was not the same bottling system as today, and the bottles were sealed with wax, and after it was removed, the waxman came to clean the traces.Originally, corkscrews were the prerogative of the nobility, they being true works of art, carefully crafted and decorated to have an aesthetic purpose, not just a functional one.That is why many are decorated with the seal of the owner.Wine was the drink of the rich, while the masses drank beer.In the museum, the pieces are arranged chronologically, but also by shape, whether we are talking about T-shaped ones, with rack and pinion, or those with wooden handles or special materials.The collection also includes corkscrews in silver, gold, with precious stones or Swarovski.But also pieces with ivory, ebony or bone handles.Oh, and Gucci corkscrews."We have a "best of" section (strategically placed at the end of the visit - ed.), where the most impressive and valuable pieces from the collection are brought together." This includes, for example, corkscrews with statuettes on top, real works of art, whose provenance is not known, however.She only knows that there are few of them.There are also pieces made by plastic artists, but also a collection of ladylegs, made of celluloid.Why ladylegs?Because many ladies, when they open the wine bottle, hold it between their legs.“One of our most valuable corkscrews is made from a leg of the old London Bridge, a metal that has been underwater for 600 years.Incidentally, this message is also inscribed on the corkscrew. Some of the pieces in the collection are unique, others are part of a limited series of 2-3 corkscrews.After you pass the "best of", there is the area known as design improvement, which mainly includes fakes.All the corkscrews in the Museum of Romanian Records collection are different, at least in width or length in the case of similar models.However, there are also differences in the coil or spring.Regarding the spiral, there are 13 different models, the most common of which is the spiral of Archimedes."Some corkscrews have a story behind them or even hide them inside, as is the case with some of the pocket models.They have a small lens (easy to miss - ed.), and if you look through it you will see an old picture.Maybe the previous owner's."There are also key corkscrews, with a double function, on the one hand to lock cellars and cellars, and on the other to open wine bottles.In addition, they were given as a coming-of-age gift, a sign that the recipient had become an adult.Because wine was a product of the nobility for a long time, some gentlemen put their seal on both the wine and the cork, for example."Also with a double function are the sticks, which hide a corkscrew at the end." Because regardless of age, the passion for wine remains.Moreover, both the wine and the cane were previously signs of social status."We also have a collection of corkscrews inspired by Manneken Pis, the most famous statue in Brussels and a symbol of the city." The statue depicts a little boy peeing.The collection is completed with a series of Corkscrews from Great Britain, made to be offered as souvenirs and being inspired by events, personalities or places in the country or in the Commonwealth.Moreover, the collection goes around the world and goes through the entire history of the last more than 300 years in the context in which it came to include more than 30,000 pieces from different periods and from different geographical areas.The collection at the Museum of Romanian Records is the largest in the world, having been certified by Guinness World Records in 2015. "In 2016, we also certified the collections of irons (over 35,000 pieces) and trivets (over 10,000)."Both the corkscrew collection and the iron collection were started more than a decade ago."Furthermore, we have plans to expand our portfolio with Romanian stamps, cameras, samovars and corner flowers."At the same time, Laura Ostroveanu tells that she discovered about 70 other special collections locally and would like to reunite them at the Museum of Romanian Records."Not to take them over, but only to exhibit them." 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