Beautiful Bucharest
After visiting the Palace of Parliament on our first full day in the Romanian capital, Marc and I decided to have lunch in the area where our hotel was located. We ate at the Soviet era mall near our Mercure Hotel and actually had some Chinese food. It had been quite a while since I had rice or noodles and I needed my fix badly. I remember us having difficulty placing our order. Turned out we had to order using the screens they had. Problem was everything was in Cyrillic and we didn't understand. Fortunately, there was a young teenager and he helped us finish the transaction. Once fed and full, we set out to see more of the sights in the city. The sightseeing would have been a lot wonderful had the temperature not been so high. It was in the very high 90s and the scorching heat of the sun felt truly oppressive.
That afternoon, we looked for the Athenaeum then walked over to Bucharest's affluent Calea Victorei. There we saw the Romanian Museum of Art as well as the Kretzulescu Church.
Later that afternoon, we went to see Bucharest's version of the Arch de Triumph. We took the Metro and after a few stops, out we were by the roundabout where the famous landmark was located.
I never realized there was this arch in Bucharest similar to the one in Paris. It was a sight to behold!
The Triumphal Arch of Bucharest in all its splendor!
Herastrau Park was a few steps away from the Triumphal Arch. This was a vast and expansive park where statues and monuments could be found scattered all over. One of the main must sees here was the so called caryatid or stone carving of 20 Romanian peasant women dressed in traditonal clothing and bearing jugs on their heads.
Here's a closer look at one of the caryatids or stone carvings of the Romanian peasant woman carrying a jug on her head.
The very first monuments we saw in Herastrau Park were the ones located near the Metro stop. This monument is named Fantana Modura who represents once again, the Romanian woman in traditional costume, carrying a vase on her left shoulder. The sculpture was created by Romanian artist Constantin Baraschi in 1939.
There was likewise a statue of the late French President Charles de Gaulle by one of Herastrau Park's entry points.
Everywhere we go, we always try to go to a mall where we could eat. As is the case everywhere, malls have food courts. It was the same in Bucharest. Marc was able to locate a favorite mall among the locals called The Promenada a few Metro stops from Unirii. There we went and ate very, very well. Photography was not allowed inside the mall but I managed to take a picture of its facade and sign. It was a high end mall and very posh. It was a wonderful place to spend time away from the scorching heat of the sun. If my memory serves me right, we came here to have dinner twice and twice we ate at a Greek restaurant serving calamari in a wrap. The food was cheap! $15 for both Marc and me! For dinner, that's a steal back where we are from in the US.
The Promenada marker in front of the high end mall locals in Bucharest hang out in.
After lunch, we continued sightseeing in Bucharest. Our next stop after the Palace of Parliament was the Athenauem. It was a historic theater with exquisite interiors. Visitors were pretty much left to wander around and take pictures. There was a symphony practicing for an event. The music was spectacular!
Inside the spectacular Athenaeum
Very grand!
The ornate ceiling inside the theater of the Athenaeum
Calea Victorei, Bucharest's most prestigious area. High end stores, hotels, museums, and historic buildings line this famous street.
The Kretzulescu Church a few steps away from the Romanian Museum of Art along Calea Victorei
The fresco inside the Kretzulescu Church. I was totally awe struck when we entered the church.
This mural inside the Kretzulescu Church was so beautiful!
And here's more of the inside of the Kretzulescc Church
Revolution Square opposite the Kretzulescu Church in Calea Victorei
The Chinese Romanian Cultural Center in Calea Victorei
It is no wonder Calea Victorei is considered very posh and affluent in Bucharest. The area is replete with beautifully designed buildings from centuries ago. Many mansions continue to be renovated and upgraded to this day.
Not all buildings in Calea Victorei boast of ornate architecture. There are a number of Brutalist designed buildings too from the Communist era like this one.
One of the many luxury hotels in Calea Victorei
The new Novotel in Calea Victorei
I bought this pork sausage at Carrefour in Unirii. It was so good I bought one to taste but I went back the following day to get another one to satisfy my yearning. I normally don't eat pork but Eastern European sausages are out of this world! We had some for the first time in Prague ages ago.
This was the calamari wrap we had for dinner at the Greek restaurant inside the Promenada Mall. The calamari was so fresh and tasty. We went back a second time to have it. We simply couldn't resist. Each one btw cost only $7. $7 folks! That cheap! Nowhere in California can I get fried calamari at such price. Only in my dreams!