2010 Trip: Bucharest Day 2

14th May 2010

Today was a little unproductive. After a little bit of a sleep in and all of the odd chores that come with travelling - sorting, repacking, laundry, and research. I headed out for a bit of a walk through the northern side of the city. I had heard it had a quite different atmosphere and there were a few bits and pieces I wanted to see there. Bucharest’s metro and public transport, like the city itself, is spaced out with only rare stations. I opted to walk, and that way I would see more.

Well that was the plan. I headed North, through a couple of suburbs until in a large plaza I caught sight of a demonstration, they seemed to be loud yet very well dressed and behaved. I later found that is was a group of civil servants. Apparently, the state is planning to cut wages for the lower income state servants: doctors, teachers, and museum staff, among others. Understandably, this is not a popular move. There was a strong police presence, but nothing untoward.

I wandered around a nearby museum, it was nearly all fairly average. Traditional costumes, pottery etc. All very nice, but there is only so much one wants to see. Of particular interest was an entire 19th C windmill that they had installed in the museum. They also had a fine collection of Romanian icons, which are quite different in style from their Bulgarian counterparts. Bulgarian icons tend to follow the Russian style more closely, with clean lines and images. The Romanian versions have a much more cartoon-like look, with strong black definition lines and more of an interpretative approach. This tends to mean that most Bulgarian icons are quite attractive compared to their Romanian counterparts, yet occasionally you can find an absolute stunner in Romania. (Note: I have since seen a number of Romanian icons in the more traditional Russian style)

I continued my work North, past fairly well manicured public gardens, embassies with staunch guards (especially in the case of the USA; they not only had their own guards, but also employed a host of local security as well), and footpaths. Flooded, covered with cars, sporting bike lanes, and generally well maintained.

A few kilometres later, I reached my most northerly point, an Arch de Triumf, reminiscent in name and style of the Parisian icon. Heading back towards the city centre, I stopped for books, lunch, and to see Robin Hood (in English, with Romanian subtitles). Not bad, very atmospheric, with great music and scenery. The story is a slight twist on the classic legend, but pretty well done. They set themselves up well for a sequel. And yeah, there wasn’t much left of the day, I did more research and made myself some dinner (yay for hostels with kitchens). And that was that.

Tomorrow, I head north.