EVERYONE has a vehicle after 1989; they drive their cars around the city to show them off even during lunch break!
View across city of broad, tree-lined, well-kept boulevards, and mix of architectural styles
Athenaeum, city's circular concert hall, 1888, home of George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
Closest currency exchange to hotel - Romanian lei (Ron) is worth .42 USD - ATMs/banks readily available
Gray buildings bear scars of Communist regime - National Bank was sole institution with power to issue notes/coins
Old/new post-revolutionary look of Bucharest after Nicholae Ceausescu, Communist leader 1965-1989, ruled
Capital of Romania since 1659 (known as "Paris of the East') is expanding university city with population of 2 1/2M
King Carol statue in front of old Central Committee HQ in Revolution Square where 1K students were killed
Looking across to balcony where Ceausescu gave his last appearance before being executed on Christmas Day, 1989
Monument in square where bloodiest of revolutions took place, including firing squad death of his wife, Elena
People's Palace (Parliament Palace) built in Ceausescu's regime - second largest building in world next to Pentagon - 2K rooms, 440 offices
Another "ugly" building in the amazing edifice in a confused, traumatized, cold, disheartening city during Communism
Another gray building across from Parliament Palace that is pockmarked with bullet holes - sensationally ugly, but impressive
Legendary statue of werewolf nursing Romulus and Romulo near Bohemian quarter with art galleries, cafes, shops
Innovative advertising to cover ugliness of Communist-constructed grey apartment buildings from 1945-1989
Casa Iancului Restaurant-Bucharest, where we were entertained by local talent - delicious Romanian cuisine
That's us - Mal and Don
Interesting instruments - a keyboard called a scymbium
Famous Romanian instrumentalist playing a pan flute
Bucharest has many parks/circles of floral gardens
Heading north, we came upon this cemetery
Cemetery honors Americans, British, and other military
Even airmen from New Zealand were buried here
Oil rigs on the outskirts of Bucharest
