Making Strides in Bucharest
Sunflowers are abundant in Eastern Europe.
Heading from Giurgiu to Bucharest, we passed many industrial complexes, sunflower fields and even a “gypsy palace.” The drive took about an hour. Giurgiu is the nearest port to Bucharest on the Danube. The great river continues east, to the Black Sea, a direct connector to Russia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. It was easy to see that Bucharest had once been an elegant place. The formerly Soviet-ruled city is trying to simultaneously resurrect its former glory while forging ahead into the future.
Soviet style apartment building in Bucharest.
Bucharest was first mentioned as the ”Citadel of Bucuresti“ in 1459 at the time Vlad the Impaler ruled. It is the capital and largest city in Romania with approximately 1.2 million residents (2.8 million in the, urban area). Through the centuries it has been ruled by the Ottomans, Russians, Hapsburgs, and Communists before democratic rule was established. It has seen its share of wars, plagues, earthquakes, and massive civil protest demonstrations, the usual history of an old European city. The greatest devastation in recent times has been at the hands of Allied bombers in WWII and Nicolas Ceausescu, but more on him later. The city is now prospering with a 0.9% unemployment rate.
Staircase inside Romanian Atheneum concert hall.
I’m not sure what street we crossed, but suddenly we were in old Bucharest. It was a mix of modern hotels and buildings, old architectural gems and drab, gray, soviet-era apartment blocks. Our very modern hotel, Radisson Blu, was beautiful and lively with a resort-like ambiance. Lunch was definitely in order, so we headed toward the old town center with a few stops along the way. The first was the Romanian Atheneum, a beautiful 1888 building and a source of national pride. It is the main concert hall in Bucharest.
Half of the string quartet serenading us during lunch at Caru’ cu bere.
A view of the lunch crowd outside at Caru’ cu bere.
As we continued along Calea Victoriei we came upon small urban parks with lakes, food stands, and modern and somewhat disturbing sculptures in large open squares. It wasn’t far to the old town center where a labyrinth of small winding streets with many restaurants, churches, and shops greeted us. Lunch was an outstanding bowl of soup in an old, dark, wood-paneled restaurant, Caru’ cu bere. A string quartet added to the old world coziness of the large restaurant. What a wonderful welcome to Bucharest!
Formal reception room at the People’s Palace in Bucharest.
The afternoon was a whole different story. It was consumed by a visit to “The People’s Palace”, or “Palace of the Parliament”, Nicolas Ceausescu’s showcase project of power. Although it’s called a palace, it never was a home, rather a massive, hulking rectangle. It is the 2nd largest building in the world (the Pentagon is #1) at 3,552,000 square feet. It is 12 stories high, with 3100 rooms. Needless to say, only a smattering of highlights can be visited, wide-angle lenses do not do it justice. Some rooms are so large that looms were set up in them to weave the carpet. There was no other way to install a carpet in there. I could go on, but it is an overwhelming place, a rather sad statement by a dictator using government funds for his own self-aggrandizement. He ruled Romania from 1965 to 1989 when, during the Romanian Revolution, he and his wife were captured by the Army, tried and executed by firing squad on Christmas Day.
View of Bucharest from the balcony of the People’s Palace.
The rumored grave of Vlad the Impaler in Snagov Monastery.
The next day fulfilled our need to confront the most famous of Romanians, Vlad the Impaler. He is said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Luckily when we found his purported tomb, there was no coffin in sight. His black cloak was not to be seen, so I felt safe kneeling on the floor to get a good photo.
Window in the Snagov Monastery, openings are too small for Dracula to escape 🤨.
Getting to his resting place in the Snagov Monastery was a very pleasant drive through the northern part of Bucharest. The streets were lovely with beautiful houses and many parks and walking paths. As we got to the outskirts, it started to look bit more like strip-mall America. The countryside with small, older homes was where we found Snagov Lake and Vlad’s tomb. The small, peaceful monastery was built in the 1400s before Vlad Tepes came to power in Bucharest.
Fishing in Snagov Lake.
To access the monastery we crossed a wooden bridge which led to an island located in Snagov Lake. It was a tranquil spot with people fishing and dogs sleeping in the hot sun. The walls of the monastery were filled with religious icons. Vlad’s tomb was marked by a simple brass plaque on a marble slab in the floor. It was very unassuming, but kind of eerie at the same time.
Mogosoala Palace, built in the Turkish style.
Then we were off to the nearby 18th century Mogosoala Palace. It was originally built in 1700 by a Prince of Wallachia who in turn was beheaded by the Ottomans who converted it to an inn. Eventually, in the 1920s, a Wallachian princess remodeled the entire interior to serve as an international high-society retreat. It is beautiful and the grounds have quiet gardens overlooking a lake. We came upon a gypsy funeral on the way back to the bus, a walking procession following the hearse. The Roma people make up about 3% of the Romanian population.
Roma (gypsy) funeral near Mogosoala Palace.
It was a good way to end our trip through Eastern Europe. A pleasant Middle-Eastern dinner with our traveling companions at Sharkia, and we were off to the airport in the morning.
I would highly recommend a trip to Eastern Europe. It is an engaging part of the world with ancient roots and world-changing history. These countries have seen political upheaval, normalization, rebellion, and resurrection many times over, not easy to comprehend in the US. Why re-live history when you can learn from others, and enjoy a fascinating trip to boot!
