Bucharest

Wow! What a weird city this is! We only were in the heart of the city long enough to do a walking tour, but even that short bit was plenty to get a glimpse of the layers of history at work here. Here are some highlights of what we saw…

Parliament Square Fountain

Way in the back there is the Parliament Building that was constructed by Nicolae Ceaușescu as a symbol of power. He had visited North Korea and wanted to have the same adoration from his people that Kim Jong Il had. Unfortunately, he was never able to stand out on the balcony and receive praises before the building was done, however Michael Jackson did!

Saint Anthony Square

In this little square, you can really see the layers of history.

Photo 1 – Saint Anthony Church dates back to the 1550s. Our guide told us that on Tuesdays, women will go there to pray to find a husband. I guess I should be staying here until Tuesday…

Photos 2-5 – A hotel for caravaning merchants that was built in 1808. Because the buildings use to be built in all wood, many of them are not original anymore due to fires but they try to keep them looking like the originals as much as possible.

Photo 6 – French inspired architecture that helped to earn the city the nickname “Little Paris”

Photo 7 – The beautiful Communist architecture