Thursday, 5 May, 2016 – Bucharest

Well, it is Cinco de Maio but we are nowhere near Mexico. Out main activity of the day is a walking tour around Bucharest. We start with the Hotel breakfast which is a typical buffet with one extra special for someone.

Smoked salmon, of course
Smoked salmon, of course

We are joined at the hotel by our guide, Alexandra, who proves to really know her stuff. We are not far out of the hotel where we see one of the most important aspects of Romania.

Statue of Wlad the Impaler AKA Dracula
Statue of Wlad the Impaler AKA Dracula

I won’t go into Dracula’s story here e.g. the Ups, Downs, Ups and very Downs, he was eventually beheaded – Google it. Suffice to say he is considered a Romanian / Transylvanian hero. After that we wander a bit and then Julie disappears into shops, twice, I hate shops. I thought ot myself I am paying money to be tortured, but things improved after that.

There were sex shops all over Bucharest
There were sex shops all over Bucharest

We learned a lot about the Communist rule in Romania, the brutal rule of Ceausescu, the Romanian Revolution which was the only violent removeal of a Communist Government, the eventual removal of Ceausescu and his wife, who seemed to be worse in many ways, by court and firing squad in 1989.

One of the heroes of the revolution and an artwork statue of a number of others
One of the heroes of the revolution and an artwork statue of a number of others

This spot was one of the key areas of the revolution.

The Girls
The Girls
The Balcony from which Ceausescu made his infamous speeches
The Balcony from which Ceausescu made his infamous speeches
The Palace
The Palace
The "Potato on a Stick"
The “Potato on a Stick”
A Mosque - amazing stories of whole buildings like churches being lifted out of their foundations and moved a distance away
A Mosque – amazing stories of whole buildings like churches being lifted out of their foundations and moved a distance away
Who is the angel???
Who is the angel???

But enough of this guff. Thie Blog is not a travelogue or a history channel. We take some back lanes and alleys.

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Speakeasys are all the go
Speakeasys are all the go

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We had booked lunch at a famous beer hall.

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Alexandra in the beerhall
Alexandra in the beerhall

We ordered wine and food.

The Vino - a Shiraz
The Vino – a Shiraz
Beef soup as a starter for me
Beef soup as a starter for me
Alexandra's Soup
Alexandra’s Soup
Julie's Beet and Horseradish
Julie’s Beet and Horseradish
Pork stew for Julie, sadly there was a lot of pork liver in it
Pork stew for Julie, sadly there was a lot of pork liver in it
Fried cheese for Alexandra
Fried cheese for Alexandra
Vine leaves stuffed with Goose and Rice for me
Vine leaves stuffed with Goose and Rice for me
A Pork Knuckle at the next table
A Pork Knuckle at the next table

Anyway, it was time for me to crash which I subsequently did. Juile, of course, pranced around town. When she eventually came back she suggested we go to Bruno’s, Alexandra’s favourite Bar.

The street with lots of bars and restaurants
The street with lots of bars and restaurants
Entering Brunos
Entering Brunos
At the bar with the lovely young girl
At the bar with the lovely young girl

We depart back to the Hotel, stopping at the cheese shop at which Julie had bought wine and pie yesterday. We are not really hungry but pick up a small snack for each:

Cheese pie for Julie, an unusual Ham for me
Cheese pie for Julie, an unusual Ham for me

It is an early start tomorrow so off to the sack.

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