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Romania

Arrived in Bucharest, Romania the middle of April 2018 for the beginning of a journey through the old Eastern European Union of the Soviet Block . Bucharest, is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial center. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than 37 miles north of the Danube River and the Bulgarian border. It is a city of broad tree lined boulevards, well kept parks and a mix of architectural styles that combine Neo-Classical 19th century structures with monumental 20th century edifices built to satisfy the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The statue is of King Carol 1.

Kretzulescu Church is an Eastern Orthodox church in central Bucharest, Romania. Built in the Brâncovenesc style, it is located at one of the corners of Revolution Square, next to the former Royal Palace.

The people of Bucharest are quite devoted to their chosen religion and that is reflected in the fact that approximately 86% of the population is Eastern Orthodox. Other religions in Bucharest are Protestantism, which and Roman Catholicism.

The square across from the Eastern Orthodox Church is where the revolution came to a head.

Bill board on the side of a building in Revolution Square showing today's style for ladies.

Our local guide, Egmond Puscasu, a revolution survivor, described what took place with the revolution in December 1989. The Romanian Revolution. Romania was the only country in Eastern Europe that has gone through a violent revolution on the path to democracy. Before the Romanian revolution, all the other Eastern European states had passed in a peaceful way to democracy. Listening to Egmond describe what took place in the very place we were standing was very interesting.

The Romanian Revolution was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania in December 1989 and part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries. The Romanian Revolution started in the city of Timișoara and soon spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating in the show trial and execution of longtime Communist Party General Secretary Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena, and the end of 42 years of Communist rule in Romania.Egmond shows us the center of the Romanian flag had been cut out to insert a head into the flag.

Egmond shows us a bullet from that horrific revolution. He and other speak to youth and those that will listen so that they never forget what so many sacrificed so that they have democracy today in Romania.

Romanian Flag. The most recent census of the city showed that the overall population within Bucharest was 1,883,400 people.

Statue in the foreground is of Corneliu Coposu at Revolution Square. The second square is referred to as the Baked Potato. I agree.

Library of the University of Bucharest which was burned and rebuilt.Education is a key component of a city's ability to be prosperous and, in this regard, the education system in Bucharest does face certain challenges due to the lack of emphasis put on the need for education. The risk of dropout is a staggering 94%, and those that are unable to attend even primary school remains at 71.4%. The standard education system within the city of Bucharest and that of the rest of Romania encourages students to attend an average of 8.4 years of primary school and 9 years of secondary school.

In Bucharest, children are quite fortunate as many organizations have worked to encourage the growth of the economy through helping children with their education. The numbers indicate that prior to these new programs there only 70% of children in the city could access education. Today that has grown to 86% and is growing further with each passing year. It has had the most effect on pre-school children who previously had little encouragement to attend school. It is hoped that these programs will continue to encourage children to learn and therefore develop the economy of Bucharest.

Entrance to the Eastern Orthodox Church

The church was commissioned in 1720–1722. Originally, the exterior was painted.. Restoration work was done in 1935–1936. The facade is made of brick. The frescoes on the porch date from the original structure,

Some of the things for which Romania is famous include: the Carpathian mountains, many fine wines, salt mines, medieval fortresses, "Dacia" cars, Dracula, stuffed cabbage leaves, Nadia Comaneci, primeval dense forests, the Black Sea, sunflower fields, wolves and bears, painted monasteries, the Danube Delta and their hospitality. .

Old and new architecture combined with glass and stucco.

The eclectic building of Romanian Savings Bank , Casa de Economi or CEC. This monumental edifice was built at the end of the 19th century.. The CEC was the first bank in Romania established in 1864 and during communism and was the only bank giving credit to the people.

Romania is situated in the north of the Balkan Peninsula on the western shores of the Black Sea. It enjoys great natural beauty and diversity and a rich cultural heritage. Romania enchants visitors with its scenic mountain landscapes and unspoiled countryside areas, and also with its historic cities and its busy capital.1

Over the last decade Romania had undergone a significant development and it is one of the recent members of the European Union. Tourists from western countries might still, even today, enjoy some surprising experiences in Romania. This is a large country which can sometimes be shocking with contrasts: some cities are truly Western Europe; some villages can seem to have been brought back from the past. While it has significant cultural similarities with other Balkan states, it is regarded as unique due to its strong Latin heritage.

Original architecture from the early 19th century with statues built into the building.

Outdoor seating at a restaurant in the old section of the city. I later came back to eat lunch and enjoy a drink out side on another occasion..

Bucharest is a great city to walk in and around.

The Monastery Stavropoleos is the right ahead.

Stavropoleos Monastery, also known as Stavropoleos Church built in 1724. During the last century the monastery was dissolved, is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for nuns in central Bucharest, Romania.

All that remains from the original monastery is the church, alongside a building from the beginning of the 20th century which shelters a library, a conference room and a collection of old (early 18th century) icons and ecclesiastical objects, and parts of wall paintings recovered from churches demolished during the communist regime.

The details of the exterior are still prevalent today.

Our city guides name was Floren, or better known as Elvis, taking us on a walking tour of the old part of Bucharest..

Interior of the Monastery.

Two women washing windows. I am not sure if they have invented ladders here yet.

The manhole covers were very interesting as you walk around the city.

This sign caught my attention walking around the old city area.

The whole sign an advertisement for a hotel nearby.

Two couples standing on a corner talking.

Curtea Veche, The old Court Museum, was built as a palace or residence during the rule of Vlad III Dracula in 1459. Archaeological excavations started in 1953, and now the site is operated by the Muzeul Municipiului, Municipal Museum, Bucharest in the historic center of Bucharest, Romania.

Map of the current Historic District in Bucharest

Curtea Veche Church, Old Court Church Saint Anthony, was built in 1559. The facade decoration is specific from the 6th century religious edifices with brick rows alternating with panels of plaster. The church is the oldest religious building maintained in its original location in Bucharest.

Communist era apartment building in the background

I could not resist taking a photo of this license plate. B 64 DUD!!

City photo of our Traveling group

The river that flows thorugh the center is the Dambovita River, a tributary of the Danube.

The Palace of the Parliament is the seat of the Parliament of Romania. Located in central Bucharest. It is the second largest administrative building in the world, if excluding the Pentagon with a height of 276 ft, an area of 3,930,000 sq ft and a volume of 90,000,000 cu feet. In terms of weight, the Palace of the Parliament is the heaviest building in the world.

A colossal parliament building known for its ornate interior composed of 23 sections, it houses the Senate, Chamber of Deputies, three museums and an international conference center. The museums hosted inside the Palace are the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Communist Totalitarianism and the Museum of the Palace.

Building across the street from the Parliament Building..

The construction of the Palace began in 1984 and should have been completed in only two years. The term was then extended until 1990, but even now it is not finalized. Only 400 rooms and two meeting rooms are finished and used, out of 1,100 rooms. In the center of the photo is a patio area with a flag on each side of the patio. The next photo is taken from that patio area. looking out onto the city.

This is the patio area look out to the city as seen in the previous photo in the distance.

One of many buildings along the river

Group of Comedy Statues in front of the National Theater Bucharest

Many of the streets remind you of Europe as you drive around the city.

Group of local school children on a tour with their teacher

Groups of Russian builings still in use from the Communist Block Era of history.

Inside one of the many walkways inside the Parliamentary Palace in Bucharest

At first, the building was called “House of the Republic”, but its name was changed after the Romanian Revolution into “People’s House”. When it became the headquarters of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies it was again renamed as the Palace of Parliament.

Ceausescu really wanted to have the hugest Palace of the Parliament in the world. The building has 20 floors (8 of them are underground), 100 rooms. The Guinness Book of Records ranks it second after the Pentagon in the “Administrative Buildings” category

The building has 400 chambers and 2 large Halls. The building has 1,100 total Rooms.

The building has outside gardens in the center of the building

What a massive salon to accommodate dignitaries at a meeting.

Even though it used to be a communist country at that time, Romania was set on performance more than on gender discrimination. The construction process involved 400 architects and they were coordinated by a young woman named Anca Petrescu. She was only 28 years-old.

Mysterious Tunnels In the famous TV show “Top Gear” one can see the three presenters driving their cars through the tunnels that are hidden beneath the Palace of the Parliament. These were designed by Nicolae Ceausescu so he can get from the building to the airport below ground in case of a Revolution. He was very cautious, but unfortunately this did not help him much when the actual Romanian Revolution started.

Stairs leading to the floor below.

Ornate ceiling lights

For building the Palace of the Parliament, they needed 1.000.000 m³ of marble, 900.000 m³ wood essences, 3.500 de tons of crystal while for decorating the interior they used 220.000 m² of carpets and 3.500 m² of calf skin. Plus, all the materials used were of Romanian origin.

This large saloon seats huge amounts of people. There is a large patio that looks across the city. You saw this in the distance from the street in a previous photo.

Looking across the massive balcony looking across the city of Bucharest.

Views in all directions of buildings and parked cars.

A local tourist taking in the sights from the infamous balcony at the Parliment Palace.

Without a doubt the Parliament Palace is one of the most controversial administrative buildings in the world.

Entry Lobby without the many tourists that visit daily.

Stopped at a local restaurant for a refreshment in the afternoon walking around the city.

Three local ladies walking and talking in the old part of town. Notice the

Better view of the "Potato" monument in the square we saw earlier.

The next day we stopped at the Caru Cu Lire Restaurant in the old part of the city for lunch on our way out of town leaving Bucharest. . Walking across the city the day before returning to the hotel we stopped for a a cold brew also.

Bar area of the restaurant.

Driving around the city of Bucharest.

A closer look at the Comedy Statues in front of the Bucharest Theater

Driving by the Old Soviet Block buildings from the 1970's and 80's. The buildings that have 5 stories or less have NO elevators. They are all dark grey in color and very simple style of buildings.

Driving the Romanian countryside outside of the Bucharest you find huge field after fields of Rape Seed. It is a brightly colored yellow flower . It is grown for production of animal feed and most important vegetable oils and used in home and food production.

Old grey Soviet block buildings arriving into the town of Constanta on the Black Sea.

Long long huge buildings .. all residences

Welcome sign into Constanta, Romania a seaport city.

Constanța is a city on the shores of the Black Sea, in southeastern Romania. Its long history, which goes back over 2,000 years,

This is the old Constanta Casino, long been closed located near the harbor. The old Casino and the surrounding promenade was opened in 1911. It was built in the Art Nouveau style and conceived by two architects, Petre Antonescu and Daniel Renard. Despite being in a state of disrepair nowadays it can be visited for free. It's an amazing piece of architecture that definitely deserves a visit.

The city of Constanta has done a beautiful job for the tourism and local walking along the water front near the harbor in both directions.

Another view of the old Constanta Casino. Oh if the walls could only talk.

Constanta is a coastal Black Sea town in southern Dobruja, Romania, the second most important city in the country and, during summer, a beautiful touristic city. It is the capital of Constanta county and Romania's largest seaport, a great city to begin to explore the wonders of the sea.

The design on a building nearby for parties and weddings I am assuming has incredible design into the plaster.

Manor homes overlooking the harbor and the Black Sea are beautiful

Constanta is a coastal Black Sea town in southern Dobruja, Romania, the second most important city in the country and, during summer, a beautiful touristic city. It is the capital of Constanta county and Romania's largest seaport, a great city to begin to explore the wonders of the sea.

The cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul. The cornerstone was laid on September 4, 1893. It was Consecrated in May 1895. The Church in Constanta is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Church as well as a Monastery.

The building served as a parish church until 1923, when the Diocese of Constanța was established.

At the entrance the following photos show the work that was done and restoration of the Cathedral after World War II

In 1923 it became a cathedral, serving as such until 3 August 1941, when its altar and iconoclastic, along with icons and paintings, were partly destroyed by aerial bombardment during World War II.

These items are found at the entrance on the outside of the Cathedral

It was restored after the war, from 1946-1951.

Parishioners bring food for a holy feast day.

A service was taking place at the time of our visit.

The ornateness of the inside of the Cathedral was breaktaking.

Everywhere you looked the painting and design was incredible..

Leaving the Cathedral and walking down the street past a Mosque.

The old mosque and the new building.

Reflection of the mosque in the glass of the newer building.

Constanta, founded as a colony almost 2600 years ago, is the oldest attested city in Romania, the biggest port at the Black Sea (third largest in Europe) and also the fourth largest city in Romania with its 400,000 inhabitants. Constanta was founded by the Greeks as a port on the Black Sea Coast for trading with inland people. This is the main square. Note the unfinished building to the right in the photo.

The gargoyels at the edge of the roof., Gargoyles were commonly used in medieval times. Their two main purposes were to scare off evil, and to divert rainwater. ... The word "Gargoyle" originates from the old French word "Gargouille" meaning "throat" but which also describes the gurgling sound of water as it is coming down the downspout.

The National Museum of History and Archeology, displays an impressive collection of pieces from the Greek and Roman antiquity, Fortuna and Pontos, Two-faced Nemesis and countless amphoras). Also outside the museum there are some marble tombs and artifacts.

The National History and Archaeology Museum of Constanta is one of the richest museums in Romania and the second largest institution in the country,

Fortuna with Pontos. The ground floor of the Museum of National History and Archaeology consists of two rooms where archaeological monuments of outstanding value, rare and unique pieces are exposed. In this section noted are: - a unique piece in the world, representing a deity of the Romanian mythology (II century BC), the statuary group of Fortuna with Pontos - protective deities of Tomis city and harbor (II-III century BC), collections of gold jewelry, gems and cameos, silver vessels from Sucidava fortress sources etc..

The statue of the previous photo

Incredible huge paintings on 3 walls of a conference center on the museum second floor

Automobile Dacia is a Romanian car manufacturer that takes its name from the historic region that constitutes the present-day Romania. The company was founded in 1966, and has been a subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault since 1999.

There was a car show beginning as we were leaving the plaza. This auto Dacia was one of the most restored of any of these old Romanian "Russian " cars seen in a long time.

In the distance in Constanta are blocks of old Russian era apartment buildings.

In the distance is a building that was being built on the plaza that has been abandoned.

First sight of some colorful flowers tulips growing in an obscure location too. next to a stairs.

Man hole covers in Romania are usually quite interesting.

Standing at the edge of the Black Sea in Constanta on a tourist beach. No surf.

This is a beach for tourists. Behind us was a large hotel undergoing renovation. It was very drab looking.

Tourism has been an increasingly important economic activity in recent years. Although Constanța has been promoted as a seaside resort since the time of Carol I, the development of naval industry had a detrimental effect on the city's beaches.[27] Nevertheless, due to its proximity to other major tourist destinations, Constanța receives a significant number of visitors every year, who discover and visit the city's monuments and attractions. Also, Constanța is a center of commerce and education, both of which significantly contribute to the local economy.

Constanța has a population of 283,872, making it the fifth most populous city in Romania

Drive from the tourist beaches and hotels back into the center of Constanta.

First sighting of our river boat M/S River Concerto docked in the Constanta harbor alongside of the Black Sea. Later in the afternoon we will sail l into the Danube River.

The Port of Constanța includes the North Port and the South Port, and is the fourth largest in Europe. It is protected by breakwaters, with a lighthouse at the entrance.

Naval Romanian Ships

The port is sheltered from the northerly winds, but southerly winds can prove highly dangerous at times.

A lot of economic goods pass through these docks in Constanta

The Black Sea squadron of the Romanian fleet is stationed here. A large canal (the Danube-Black Sea Canal) connects the Danube River to the Black Sea at Constanța.

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