Paris / Venice of the North, South, East or West? Welcome to Bucharest

 

It has become quite apparent over the years travelling as we dig through any research or guidebook almost every city is compared to Paris or Venice. Luckily we have been to both, unluckily we still have to visit everywhere else. And I can say confidently, having been to Paris and Venice, neither is enough reason to stop,however, the comparisons persist. So off to Bucharest we go, the Paris of the East!

So the alarm went off at 4am albeit I have not slept for the best part of a month so pretty much been awake since the 1st December anticipating the alarm!  Out of bed and into action, taking the little car up to Heathrow on this trip, as Carys (the T Totaller) can then drive us back.  Getting max level of value out of Club Europe does involve the ability to consume some alcohol!

2 hours up to Heathrow Terminal 3 was all simply negotiated, Chrissi driving so that felt like a holiday of sorts for me from the off!  Dropped the car off in short stay to be whisked off to some compound (a nice little breather for her), and we fast tracked our way through departures and into the BA Lounge. Very nice views of dawn breaking over the run way and planes hoving into view. A 3 course breakfast of fruit, full english and a danish got things off on an international footing. Bloody Mary and Capuccino to add further cultural goals.

Took a while to taxi onto the runway, the queue of planes for take off was around 50 minutes, but as soon as we were up, up and away, the quality service took hold.  A bit of fizz, and a nice hobbit style second breakfast very much appreciated. Had remembered to download some stuff on the I Player/Ipad, caught up on sleep, a G&T just before landing in Bucharest, and 3 hours passed in the blink of a closed eye.

First point about Bucharest airport, from disembarkment we were lining up at passport control immediately. The longer walk came after, that is not normally the case in my experience.   Not too long a walk even then, quite a provincially feeling airport, but nice and modern.  Wasn't sure what to expect having done my history reading also on the way over. A feeling that perhaps the old east still holding some of the construction cards not the case at all.

The fact our best transport into the Old Town was an Uber showed that we were in fact straight into a modern front facing city, although advice is to avoid the official taxis out here. The long boulevards somewhere between the old eastern block, and Paris. A few shadowy husks of buildings on the outskirts of town, those 50s and 60s appartment blocks you'd associate with pre revolutionary east europe, although to be fair, they were still an improvement on Dyfatty Flats!

With the 2 hour time difference and 3 hr + flight we had left Heathrow at breakfast, and arrived at our hotel in early evening. A bit weird, but we were happy to embrace in the spirirt of travel. The Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, again very modern, and our rooms very homely. So homely in fact that when I turned the TV on , 4 channels all playing Premier League football from back home.  

Dragged myself away from that, took a look at the amenities (fitness room) and then determined to do a bit of initial exploration and getting of bearings. The streets around our hotel in the Old Town all very bar and tourist driven, been approached to have our evening meal at every turn. In my head, I hadn't had lunch yet!

Our guidebook had given us a couple of immediate things to tick off. Headed for the famous fountains of Piata Uniri. Turned out they only get turned on when it is a Summer and a Friday, so that was a disappointment. Saw a busy square instead, possibly the Bucharest version of Time Square, the New York of the East if you will.

Our walk back took in the quaint Stavropoleos Church, so another of the top 10 must dos, done!  Over the course of the evening we kept running into groups of men banging drums and dressed up as bears. Whilst not a must do, the guidebooks had mentioned a celebration not unlike the Marie llwyd out here, warding off spirits and the like.

I found a simpler tourist attraction after that, both involving bars. The first, Jacks bar, had to be done, do I need to say why? Football on too, and the welcome news of a Swans win when I was inside. Then across the road to Xclusive (It wasn't, very busy, a bit smokey, nice though) Got stuck into some local beer, and a romanian pork stew, with cheese, bacon,  polenta. All pretty tasty as it goes, and even on a shortened day it is fair to say we have settled in very quickly with some of the local customs.