A bit more of Bucharesti

We had planned to leave Dora at the camping site while we were in Moldova.

Although we had decided to park Dora at the airport, we made an attempt to negotiate with the camping site, haggling them down from there usual €20 down to €7 per night as we wouldn’t be using any of the facilities, just parking her. In the end, we reverted back to the original plan. It would be better to leave her at the airport. It wasn’t that far away, it was cheaper, it had better connections back to the city and we wouldn’t have to lug our rucksacks so far.

It didn’t take long to settler her in, then we went to find the train. It didn’t go for half an hour, not the train, the bus that took you to the train! We bought the ticket and went outside to wait. The time for the bus on the ticket said 10:45, this came and went. We went back to the ticket office to find out what was going on. The bus would go at 11:00, we trusted it wouldn’t miss the train, this was turning out to be quite a faff.

We didn’t miss the train, but the ‘express train’ turned out not to be too fast. We should have taken the bus, we just thought it would be quicker, the traffic in Bucharesti is a nightmare.

Eventually we arrive at Bucharesti Nord and we dump our rucksacks at the left luggage counter.

The streets seem fairly clear.

We walk a few hundred metres. We have unfinished business from yesterday.

The museum of the Romanian peasant’. Now our guide waxed lyrical about the bounty that lay within these brick walls.

But you don’t get to see because we are mean, and we didn’t want to buy the extra ticket which allows you to take photos.

Suffice it to say there were lots of costumes, implements and even a house, carefully restored, and a windmill. Some of the presentations were a little pretentious, but still quite fun.

And we quite like these torsos, a reflection on Romanian obesity perhaps.

so with our major objective for the day ticked off we are free to walk the streets at random and get to know the city. I think this is the only way to get to know a city, get lost in it.

Bucharesti is quite big, with large roads and big squares. Yesterday had been a bit of a disaster regarding public transport, today we would use just shoe leather.

Yes, remember we wanted a one-day travel card and ended buying a one-day bus pass. Buses are good to see more of the city, but only if you have a good bus network map. No one in the public transport department has thought about that. SM

As you would expect , there is a complete mix in the city, contemporary

Old and a bit tatty, but quite elegant.

But this one, must be from the twenties and thirties.

Absolutely amazing, but we couldn’t get in, such a shame.

Romania is really different from Bulgaria in this aspect. Architecturally Romania and Bucharesti are beautiful.

You see what I mean. Around every corner you get this staring you in the face.

And obviously they also have their  fair share of sculptures. Travel reminds you that you take so much for granted back at home, the architecture, the culture, the sculptures. Maybe this trip will inspire us to take more notice of what is in your own backyard.

We must have passed this way yesterday, but something is going on, maybe the start of some sort of festivities.

These containers stacked to look like a person.

Then we notice precariously balanced on one side, then they dropped off!

They practiced some sort of performance.

They do need quite a bit more practice!

But we got the gist of the performance.

We were in no hurry today, just waiting for the train to Moldova.

More elegance, this time the school or architecture, which is still in the centre of the city, together with many other faculties. Maybe these will be moved out to the suburbs soon.

Could never resist a nice fountain, it is a hot day, so these are so effective at cooling you down.

More sculpture.

What a shame, yet to be opened, so we couldn’t have a proper look, the new Bucharesti theatre.

Could be quite interesting, with that Ronchamp type roof.

And a sculpture outside.

The square in front of the theatre is known as Km. 0. This was the start of the revolution for Romanians.

And have they moved on since then. In Albania we got the impression they hadn’t really put it behind them, not here.

Ah, proof, something is definitely going on.

always find this sort of thing really scary. We stop for a couple of minutes watching some abstract mime show, lost in translation, can’t understand the lingo, we move on.

Lots of performance on the street today. We couldn’t work out whether there was a bank holiday coming up or whether the city is constantly holding cultural functions. SM

We are gradually starting to head back to the train station now. The train leaves in a couple of hours.

We have a lovely day in Bucharesti, just mooching around, wandering. It is such a good way to see a city, you get to feel you start to know it.

On the way back we pass through a park.

That stupidly long row of park seats, like church pews, into the distance, an amazing sculpture in itself.

We wanted to feed the ducks with our left over bread from lunch.

We were told off. No one on the grass. What is the point!

No, we didn’t get to row on the lake, we did like the balustrade to this bridge though, sculpted in concrete.

And this really needed some flowers, but what a great strawberry planter it would make.

Boys will be boys, quite proud of his feathers.

The other boys not so impressed, what they needed was a…..

And I think what Susana really wants is a swing made from the bough of a tree.

Finally some leafy suburbs, not so posh houses.

And even posher.

But as we gravitate towards the station it gets a bit, tawdry again, a bit ex-communist.

The station, we pick up our rucksacks and head for the train. You get the impression that Moldova is not that popular. The train used to run every day, now it runs three times a week.

And we are off, heading out of Bucharesti.

They are less concerned here about people walking up and down the tracks!

We start to settle in with our neighbours. We are slumming it this way, second class, first class on the way back.

We are joined by a young American girl.

She looks petrified.

Why is she travelling. I later find out she is heading for Ukraine, she couldn’t look more out of place.

We are also joined by a young Romanian girl.

We settle in for the long journey. Me and the plastic flowers.

Watching the world go by,

well Romania anyway.

Supper is taken in the restaurant car, just this one has no seats. Bread, sausage, cabbage and lettuce. Susana only gets one sausage, they ran out.

But they charged us the full price anyway. SM

We can’t get a still shot of it, the train is too bumpy.

And have to resort to the flash! At least they have beer.

Doesn’t it look appetising? Picnic from the supermarket on the way back, for sure. SM

At 4.00 am, we awoken by the border control as we cross into Moldova and some amazing engineering feats, but these we will describe on the way back.

Tomorrow Chisinau.

GDR