Arriving at the hotel we were blown away by how historic and amazing it looked. It didn’t look worn or dated. Well…dated in a good way. Prior to arriving, I told them I have a bad feather allergy. It was so refreshing to be told it was all in hand.
Before coming, I had gone on Street View to get my bearings as much as I could. It’s so strange to think of times when I travelled and everything was so hit and miss. It made for exciting escapades! Some memorable whilst some better not remembered. Imagine travelling without a phone, when mapreading was a necessary skill, and miming to locals an art form,
Our room was a deluxe one, a bit different from where we would normally stay. So grand and huge.
An amazing stocked mini bar with all items reasonable priced. So I very well may dip into it. 10 lei is about £1.70. I love it not being Euros!
Inside the room, looking through the windows, we could see a bustling flea market, lining the street below. Pumping soviet era type military music could be heard not far in the distance. It felt palpably exciting.
Being sensible, we had a lie down and relaxed. This holiday will be quite different for us, less frenetic, due to ongoing mobility issues. Maybe it’s not necessarily a bad thing, we won’t need a holiday to recover from the holiday. But I do love that non stop buzz.
Refreshed, we went down to the flea market, but not before Pete took numerous photos of me, flouncing around the hotel. I do have to do a lot of posing for Pete, like a supermodel,in a parallel universe. The display was very opulent, so a super photo opportunity.
The flea market was interesting. I love seeing what treasures I may find. I was lucky and found some super earrings.
They were 15 lei, so £2.55. Not bad! The price on the back was 199 lei so a veritable bargain.
We had found where the music was coming from, opposite a large building, the National Military Circle, a huge imposing building. Built in a neoclassical design on what was a site of a monastery. The inside, which we didn’t go into, was destroyed during German occupation during World War 1. We had no idea what was going on until we later researched it. It did lend itself to photo opportunities. There was, however, a strong militaristic feel, particularly with the music and the addition of soldiers. So it was a bit of a giveaway.
Later, when we stopped for a drink, we found out that this weekend is very important in the country’s calendar. The day they celebrate or remember is actually 25th October, but it carries on longer if it falls around the weekend. It marks the 25th October 1944, which was the day the city of Carei became the last Romanian place to be liberated from German and Hungarian occupation. I guess the Romanian equivalent to Armistice.
I am quite confused about the history of Romania, it has been complex. Pete has been reading a book about it all and has been regaling me with facts that still don’t make it any easier to understand. But the thing is Romania started the war as a neutral country. When France fell, they aligned with Germany, which also coincided with the rise of fascism. Lots happened in between, but by 1944, they ‘swopped’ sides. It’s all very simplistic, but that’s sort of it in a nutshell. I will get hammered by any budding Romanian historians.
It became occupied by Russian and was made a satellite of the USSR in1948.
Realising we hadn’t eaten, we had a wander, a more reasonable wander than normal, to find somewhere to eat. Normally we go round and round in circles, to eventually going to somewhere we saw minutes into the search.
We passed a few interesting places and things. On the one hand, it seems very inclusive, with quite a few Braille signs. But then, on the other hand, some of the pavements are lethal.
We were very good and didn’t have a quick fix of cakes, although very tempting.
Interestingly, Romania was one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian state in 1988. Romania has always supported the Palestinians cause, in the UN. But confusingly, they also recognise the state of Israel. It is a minefield.
Then, we passed the Memorial of Rebirth on Revolution Square. The sky was so blue, and it was very warm.
Before the revolution, it was known as Palace Square. Strange to think that something so momentous happened on my lifetime, the revolution or fall of communism. But then it reminded me of the month I spent in Hungary when it was in the Eastern block. At that time, east Germans could visit, and we got together with a group of them at a resort in Balaton. They talked about a changing tide against communism. Perhaps too loudly and vociferously in a bar we went to. Suddenly, a group of pro Communist Hungarians leapt over and started beating them up. It was truly awful, and a hospital visit resulted, but not for us, thankfully. When we returned to the UK we heard that many had crossed the borders, which had now been open. The floodgates had literally opened, and other Eastern block countries followed suit.
The Romanian revolution was the last of these, and the only one that violently overthrew a government and executed its leader. There are many monuments that remember those who lost their lives. Both Ceausescu and his wife were executed, bringing to an end decades of communism. He was charged with the genocide of 60,000 people, subversion of state power, undermining the national economy,trying to flee with one billion dollars, etc. He and his wife were killed by firing squad. With his final words being being ‘ we could have been shot without this masquerade.” His was singing the imternationale. Between them, they had 120 bullets found in their bodies later.
This is a famous passageway in Bucharest. It had seen better days, so revamp took place and over 100 umbrellas added. Voila, a tourist attraction. There are photo tours so you can join the instagrammers and snap yourself here.
We went to the Trattoria Colliuseum there. Starved by now! It was good to eat. Strange to see people smoking and vaping inside. All went without incidence beyond me going to the men’s loo.
Random Acts of Travelling 