We lucked out with the best tour guide on a free nearly 3 hour walking tour (donations accepted:)) with Razvan (same as our apt. manager:)) which means "bringer of good news" - I'll take that.
Dambovita River and a couple guys fishing - Raz says not too clean! Reminder that you can click on pictures to enlarge.
Beautiful flowers - beautiful day in Bucharest.
Vlad the Impaler - son of someone named Drac and the fantasy "Dracula" was written about this guy who impaled people who didn't agree with him on "pales" which are really tall sharp spines. The more important you were the taller the pale and it went up the rectum through the neck or head and was not to hit any organs so the person could live for a couple days in horrible circumstances. They left them on roadsides to be found as people passed by and they would asked to be killed to stop the agony.
Straveopolos Monastery - beautiful with 7 nuns living there - in Old Town Bucharest. After an early dinner we were lucky enough to be there for Vespers with the nuns singing. It was another life experience.
I guess there have been a lot of photos even with famous people taken in front of this very "real statue" which Raz says is showing his virility. It has created some controversy but does withstand it.
There is a lot of Turkish influence here hence a hookah lounge and someday I am going to try it as it is on my bucket list. There is also Indian, Russian, a whole lot of French and many other countries. It sounds like the religions live peacefully unlike other places. One Catholic church did not have enough money to finish some project and the Muslims donated what they needed. Love it!!!!
An indoor passage and sometimes I really feel like I am in Paris but the language is definitely not French.
Art deco building modeled after New York City.
In Revolution Square and the guide said noone is sure what this tall thing means but he called it an impaled potato. A graffit artist much later had a paintball gun with red paint and they decided to leave it there as many lives and blood were lost in the 1989 "revolution" or whatever you want to call it when the dictator and his wife were executed on a military site on live television and I remember it!!!!
Plastic currency: Raz says the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the EU told Romania to get with the program and start using plastic. They meant allowing credit cards but the national bank here interpreted that as plastic money so they switched the currency from paper to plastic. Can go through the washer, doesn't melt in the heat and won't wear out or fall apart so there is something to be said for "using plastic". And 100 Lei is only about $30USD. Does anyone need a little for "show and tell" at elementary schools?????
Our restaurant for early dinner and not about the food but about the history and beauty of the building.
I had Moldovian stew with polenta, cheese and 4 kinds of meat and it was good. I'm pretty sure it had a lot of Hungarian paprika which I plan to share as souvenirs so be ready people!
This is the place for early dining at 6pm - click on pic and do you think the guy in the background is sleeping? I must say the music was very restful. Add a little Romanian wine at about $3 a glass or less and a missed night of sleep - I could have joined him.
Street entertainment - quite the duo.
X marks the spot of our apartment. Even though it's on a very busy street I have the city girl blood and I like the noise, sirens, etc. There are no bars or nightclubs beneath us so that makes a difference.
Prediction of rain tomorrow but we have a 12 hour Two Castles a Day tour scheduled and one of them is the famous "Dracula's Castle" in Brasov, Romania. Nitey nite - it's 9pm here and 1pm at home so 8 hours later here. We are doing great considering 67 and 71 years old:)
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