About four years ago I had a plane ticket to Bucharest and I can’t remember why I didn’t use it. I can safely say it was probably a work related reason. Work always got in the way of my fun. Well, not always but often enough. With a little freedom on my hands I chose to have another go at Bucharest, and I am glad I did.

Bucharest is the capital of Romania. With limited time trips outside of the city wasn’t possible. Due to sheer laziness I did not get to see everything I wanted to see like Dracula’s Castle, Transylvania or the museums. But guess what? That’s okay. I had a great time. My apartment was less than half a block from a major square where a free concert was held every night I was there. Didn’t even take the time to find out the name of the square.  Hahaha.  Thank goodness I don’t get paid to blog. I would never make any money. One night an orchestra played all Broadway hits. I was in heaven. I love Broadway tunes. Another night oldies but goodies from US and Romania. I mean this was quality entertainment for free. You know I like free!

The city at first site left a lot to be desired. But like Naples, I discovered that Bucharest is a diamond in the rough. Throughout the week I came to really like the city. First impressions aren’t always accurate. Exploring the city on foot and taking local transport one discovers charming side streets and shops with unique items that are worth a stop. The subway system is great and easy to use.

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Palace of the Parliament

History

The Palace of the Parliament, the name given the building after the fall of Communism, above, is the most controversial building in all of Romania. During the reign of the Communist leader Nicolas Ceausescu had plans for a very ambitious urban development plan. The Palace of Parliament is one of the most extravagant and expensive building projects in the history of mankind. Other than the Pentagon in Washington D.C. it is the worlds largest building by surface area. Because of this, it is one of the main tourist attractions in Romania. But the building and it’s history is not without controversy. It turns out Ceausescu was a narcissist, big time.

He wanted build the largest most lavish palace in the world where he and his family would live and also utilize the space for the socialist government’s use. Construction began in 1983 and workers were used in shifts around the clock to bring this massive construction finish. To make way for the construction 30,000 homes were demolished along with 19 churches and six synagogues and three Protestant churches were destroyed. One fifth of the city of Bucharest was razed to build this monster of a building. The problem with this scenario is that the people were poor and hungry when this leader began erecting an extravagant building with 1,100 rooms, 48 crystal chandeliers (3,500 tons of crystal), 1409 lights and mirrors, 700,000 tons of steel and bronze, 900,000 cubic meters of wood and 200,000 square meters of woven carpets, many of which were made on site. The building is 12 stories high with underground levels that go down about eight stories. It is said that 20,000 workers toiled in 24 hour shifts seven days a week to finish the building. To finance this project he took on an enormous amount of debt and he starved the people of Romania to pay off the debt. He began exporting all of the country’s agricultural and industrial production. Because of this the standard of living Romania sank. Food-rationing, gas, electric and heating blackouts became everyday norms; people lived in squalor and poverty while this leader’s family lived an outrageously extravagant life.

In December of 1989 the Romanian Revolution began and eventually Ceasurou and his family were captured and charged with many crimes from illegal gathering of wealth to genocide. He and his family were executed by a firing squad on Christmas day of same year. Now that’s what I call history!

The new government moved into the mansion and today the National Museum of Contemporary Art shares the building. Still, only 30% of the building is in use. What a waste.

Although the building is a sore spot for most Romanians, they are very proud that it was build using only Romanian architects, workers and materials.

Okay, that is my history lesson for the day. I haven’t had one in a while.

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The picture of me above was taken just after I dropped my phone resulting in a cracked cover. I was taking the picture to make sure the camera was still working. Terrible picture but at least my camera was working. I was taking a picture of the elaborate fountains leading to the parliament building. So I will remember those dang fountains.

Dimitri Gustav National Village Museum

I love history, antiques and learning about how people used to live. The Dimitri Gustav National Village Museum, an open-air ethnographic museum, did not disappoint. The exhibits showcased life in traditional Romanian Villages. I spent an entire day there. The buildings are not replicas of  buidings people used to live in they are actual building that were delivered to this spot from all over Romania. So you can get an idea of how the Romanians lived in towns and cities from around the country of Romania.

In accordance with the criterion of authenticity, observing the local construction traditions and in accordance with the criterion for authenticity, the movement and the reconstruction of the buildings in the museum were under the close supervision of specialists. I LOVED this museum.

Toastmasters International

Of course it would not be a real adventure without a trip to a Toastmasters club. Here I am getting a prize for best speech of the evening at 26 Shining Stars Toastmasters Club in Bucharest.