By 1862 the city had become the capital
of the province when Walachia and Moldavia united to form the principality of
Romania. The French remodeled the city in the late 19th century featuring large
neoclassical buildings, fashionable parks, including the Arc de Triomphe on the
elegant Soseaua Kiseleff, an avenue longer than the famed Champs-Elysees. This
street is home to the city's mansion district
The Arc of Triomphe initially was built of wood in 1922 to honor the
bravery of Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I. It was finished in Deva granite in 1936. The
Arc stands 85 feet high and has an interior staircase for those who desire to
climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city. Sculptures decorate the
structure that was influenced by and reminiscent of the infamous French Arch in
Paris. On the south façade the two bronze medallions with the faces of King
Ferdinand and Queen Mary were replaced when the originals were destroyed during
the communist era. On the north façade the bronze medallions with carved faces
represent manhood and faith.
The Old City Center is
slowly being restored, and includes the grand architecture of the Royal Palace,
1812-1815, small cafés, historic monuments and the lush green of Cismigiu Park,
designed by a German landscaper in 1830. It is the city’s oldest park and now
sports 30,000 species of plants and trees.
The Parliament Palace, 1884-1889, is the world's second largest building. The 12-story building houses 1100 rooms. It took 20,000 workers and 700 architects to build the monstrosity. There is a 328-foot-long lobby and four underground levels, including an enormous nuclear bunker. When construction started in 1984, the dictator intended it to be the headquarters of his government and called it the Peoples’ Palace. Today, it houses Romania's Parliament and serves as an international conference center. Built and furnished exclusively with Romanian materials, the building reflects the work of the country's best artisans. Dazzling rooms, huge halls and quarters are used by the Senate. The interior is a luxurious display of mosaics, crystal chandeliers, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows and floors covered with rich carpets. The crystal chandelier in the Human Rights Hall weighs 2.5 tons.
The front of this massive
building looks down the street of 42 fountains. The wide street leads off the
square. In the wide strip running down the center of the road are 42 fountains
in oblong curving designs. Decorative shrub groupings are between the
fountains. It is most attractive. Some of the fountains were not working.
The Military Club (Cercul Militar National) Standing guard imposingly, this neoclassical masterpiece was built in 1912 to serve the social, cultural and educational needs of the Romanian army. Banquets and official events are still hosted in the ballrooms, while the upstairs area is reserved for the army's library, as well as offices and classrooms for officer instruction. The main part of the building is off-limits to civilians, but the sumptuous restaurant and summer terrace is open to the public.
Impressions and Oddities
The countryside is dreary, gloomy and bleak
Infrastructure is decaying
It
is common for women to hook arms on the street. Men hug men
One
leaves shoes at door.
Love flowers! Lots of flowers, geraniums, roses especially
To sit at the corner of a
table means no chance of marriage.
Many
homeless stray dogs, many abandoned when relocated from rural areas.
Still
has a lingering leper colony.
Sour
soup is common with the sour coming from lemon or fermented wheat bran.
Coffee
is served Turkish style, black, strong and sweet.
Mid size cars. Traffic in Bucharest horrific
Saw very few people on the
streets
Beautiful wide boulevards
Ugly A/C boxes on windows
Graffiti in certain areas
not attractive.
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