Hot here. Around 30ºC again. We aren't complaining. This morning we enjoyed a 'Bucharest Highlights' walking tour with Daniel, a most knowledgeable guide who navigated us through a period from the Middle Ages in an hour and a half, before offering his take on the recent Communist period for a further hour.
Here are a few pictures from this tour. (Captions later, perhaps.)
After rehydration and lunch at a nearby café we joined a 'Palace of Parliament' tour of Ceauşescu's monstrosity. This was another guided tour - only guided visitors are allowed past security that would be of credit to an airport. It's hard to grasp some of the statistics of the building. Our tour of over an hour covered about 6% of the building, which has 1100 rooms, and there was no mention of the underground part of the building that is alleged to match that which is seen above ground.
Here are a few pictures from this most memorable tour of a building that is only surpassed in largesse by the Pentagon.
After a quick shower back at the apartment, which is in a conveniently central location, we wandered along to one of Collett's recommended restaurants, the oldest in Bucharest, Caru' cu bere, for a lovely meal in front of passers-by from the Jehovas Witness convention that was being attended by two girls we met on the train yesterday.
Woke late, tea, then left around 9.15 for our Bucharest Highlights Tour with Daniel at 10am. It started at Piata Sfantul Anton, at the southern end of the Old Town, with around 12 of us.
Some history, then a look at an Ottoman Inn, Hanul lui Manuc, with its interior courtyard. We went into the Old Court Church, opposite, the oldest church in Bucharest with original frescoes. Behind is the ruin of Vladimir the Impaler’s court, from the 15th C, which started renovations in 2018.
The Stavropoleos Monastery has the smallest church in the city but with its four styles, columns and frescoes, is one of the most beautiful. It dates from 1724 and is in its original form.
We learnt about King Carol I, who reigned for nearly 40 years until 1916. He aligned Romania with France and built many Parisian-style buildings, creating a “little Paris of Eastern Europe”.
We sat under a pergola in Piata Revolution, adjacent to which is the communist office building where Ceausescu made his last speech in December 1989 before being removed by helicopter.
We walked through Cismigiu Park, crossed the River Dambovita, crossed Izvor Park, to arrive opposite the Palace of Parliament, the largest building, by volume, in the world. It was built by Ceausescu between 1983 and 1989, being finished after his death (Dec 89), in 2004. There are about 9 floors below ground and 8 floors above. A whole district was levelled to make way for his Civic Centre.
The tour finished opposite here at Piata Constitutiei at 12.30.
Lunch of cold cokes and a panini at Green Cafe, in the shade, was welcome.
Before meeting at 2.15 for our Palace of Parliament tour (we were half an hour early) we sat outside the Biserica Sfantul Spiridon Vechi church.
The tour of the Parliament building involved having passports checked, a screening of bags, and viewing paintings whilst waiting inside.
The tour was just over an hour, from 3.30 to 4.30pm. We went to around 6% of the 1,100 rooms. Almost all the materials came from Romania, except for green marble from Iran and mahogany as a present from xxx (African country). The largest chandelier weighs 5 tons and is made of ?rock crystal.
Back for 5pm, for lemon tea.
Ate at Caru’ cu Bere (a wagon of beer), the oldest restaurant in Bucharest. The interior is art deco and is huge (started off as a brewery) but it was nice to be outside.
Mixed salad first, then trout for Martin and slow cooked pork ribs with potatoes for me. Nice local beer.
Plenty of swift activity today and moths crowding around the flowers on the trees.
1 comment:
Cari cu Bere 👏👏👏 Noroc!
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