Yesterday, the charming city of Bucharest was practically buried in snow! Our Viking tour guide apologetically told us that this is a most unusual weather at this time of the year in Bucharest. But the show must go on, so we all waited for the five buses to pick up all the cruisers and take us to a couple of highlights in Bucharest – The Parliament Palace and the Museum.

Our first stop was the enormous Parliament Palace which was very impressive since this is the second largest (by square footage) government building in the world – second only to the Pentagon!

The massive interior and the giant chandeliers were awesome. The inside of the palace was sparse with artworks and decorations compared to the other palaces we’ve already visited but very impressive nevertheless. Nicolae Caecescu built this humongous palace more for his enormous ego than anything else. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your nationalistic sentiments), the  communist dictator never got to give a speech on the balcony nor did he see its completion.

Our next stop was the National Museum which was equally impressive with its historical collections of artifacts and jewelries, crowns, weapons, etc. Our guide really educated us on how this beautiful country was created – starting with the Dacians until the merging of Transylvania, Valachia and Moldavia. Very interesting history!

After the tour we went to Pescarus restaurant where we enjoyed the regional cuisine and watched folkloric dances.

After lunch, we had an hour and a half to get to Giurgiu where our boat or small ship was located.

Bucharest is a very charming and vibrant city and I wish the weather was different from what it is now so we can really enjoy exploring it on foot. Maybe we can come back in the future when it is warmer to be able to appreciate its unique charm….

Trini and I have been practically cooped up in our hotel room for the last couple of days due to the snow. Temperature was hovering at 0 Celsius (32 F); however, the wind chill factor can make it feel below zero easily. We’ve done some walking but the slushy pavements turned us off. We’ll just have to wait until tomorrow when Viking Cruise will take us on a guided tour.

Bucharest has almost two million people within the city limits and is considered to be the sixth most populous city in Europe after Berlin, London, Madrid, Rome and Paris. It is a booming city that is undergoing a lot of infrastructure projects. It used to be known in the past as The Little Paris due to its similarities in the buildings’ façades with those of The City of Light.

Yesterday afternoon, we met with Izabella who I met in June 2017 while walking the Camino Francés (a walking pilgrimage that starts in St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela). Izabella and her friend, Lucy came to meet us in our hotel and we ended up in the Italian restaurant inside the hotel. Sharing some light snacks and a bottle of Romanian Merlot, we reminisced the joys and hardships of the Camino and how it had affected our lives.

We parted but agreed to meet for dinner along with Claudia Dan who I also met when I did my first Camino in 2015. Mugur Nuta, also a Romanian who I met in my 2017 Camino made a reservation at Caru’ cu Bere (The Beer Wagon). Unfortunately, Mugur did not make it as he had a business at Brasov and could not make it back on time.

Caru’ cu Bere is a very popular hangout for locals and tourists. It was established in 1879 as a local brewery and evolved into a restaurant serving great food and beer. They also provide the guests lively folkloric dances with colorful costumes.

Tonight is our last night at Radisson Blu Hotel. Viking Cruise will take us on a tour of the city tomorrow after breakfast and will take us to our River Cruise Ship after that. Trini is starting to count the days when we get back to the US, She misses our grandson, Geo very much…

 

Our hotel, Radisson Blu provided us an excellent reading book in our room pertaining to Romania. It was fascinating to know that fossils of the oldest human bones (Neanderthal) was found in present day Romania almost 35,000 years ago.

During the Dark Ages this territory was fought over and conquered by numerous tribes or peoples including the Goths, Visigoths, Huns, Gepids, Avars, Bulgarians and eventually Slavs.

“The earliest written evidence of people living in the territory of the present-day Romania comes from Herodotus in book IV of his Histories written c. 440 BCE. Herein he writes that the tribal confederation of the Getaewere defeated by the Persian Emperor Darius the Great during his campaign against the Scythians.^[11] The Dacians, widely accepted as part of the Getae described earlier by the Greeks, were a branch of Thracians that inhabited Dacia (corresponding to modern Romania, Moldova, northern Bulgaria and surroundings)”. – Wikipedia

Being in Istanbul yesterday, it was interesting to connect Turkey’s history during the Ottoman Empire’s rule and that of Romania who resisted in vain despite seeking assistance with other Balkan states.

Like many of the Eastern European countries, Romania became a satellite of the former USSR. It was a stable country until the Red Army occupied it in 1944. Romania’s deterioration continued under the communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu (he was summarily executed in 1989) who ruled for forty years. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Bloc returned Romania to Europe.

Today, Romania continues to grow economically along with the other European Union countries (Romania joined the EU in 2007). It has a stable population of over 19 million. Like Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Catalan, Romanian is a Romanic language (I recognized lots of word with Latin roots).

This morning, Trini and I decided to go out and do some exploration. We donned our favorite water-resistant jackets on top of layers and layers of clothing. Careful of avoiding slippery ice we slowly trudged the sidewalks choosing the fresh snow from the slushy ones (more slippery). A few folks (some women) were shoveling their store fronts which we were thankful.

Several blocks after we started, we decided it was time to go inside a café to get warm and eat breakfast. French Bakery, a cozy café with bicycles hung on the walls for decor was the first open one we saw. We sat there for over an hour just like most of the customers (young ones who just wanted to use the free WiFi).

Warmed up and hunger satisfied, we went looking for a supermarket to buy fruits and bottled water. After asking at least three locals who were very eager to help, we found a small but well-stocked supermarket.

We are now in the warmth and comfort of our hotel room looking for a nice movie in the HBO channel to pass the evening.

 

 

 

 

Two different worlds, two different weathers! My last blog compared Turkey with other Western countries and how different their cultures are. It can be said the same with their climates.

Yesterday after checking out of our hotel at noon, Trini and I went to eat lunch across from our hotel one last time to eat Turkish food. Although it was sunny the breeze made it much more colder. We ordered café Americano to be on the safe side. The waiter brought us the pita bread on steroids. Entree for both of us was chicken (had enough of lamb and fish).

We left for the airport at 3:00 pm. We passed through several security screening points before we got inside the gate terminal. As it was still early the monitor still did not show what gate we should proceed to for our flight. So we sat in a bar nibbling peanuts and sipping our favorite liquid diets – beer for me and white wine for Trini!

We flew Turkish Airlines again and even though the flight only lasted an hour we were given hot sandwiches and drinks. What a contrast with Norwegian Airlines who didn’t feed us nor gave us water for ten hours! You had to buy everything and the flight attendants couldn’t care less if you died of thirst.

I’m glad that I made arrangements for the hotel to meet us at the airport, we didn’t have to stand in the cold queueing for taxis. I spotted my name right away and the driver took our luggage cart. As soon as we stepped out of the arrival terminal, we felt a freezing swoosh of biting wind hit our faces! Last week, temperatures in Eastern Europe were much more bearable – cold but not snowing! Oh well.

Brrrrrr……

 

 

Spontaneity adds spice to your life. Sunday morning and the streets of Sultanahmet – Istanbul’s old district where our hotel is located were still sparsely traversed by tourists and locals alike. Trini and I walked aimlessly just savoring the crispy cool air and enjoying the unique aroma of unfamiliar food wafting in the air. We saw the ubiquitous Starbucks and I was super-excited to be able to drink something that my palate is used to – Pike’s Peak dark roast. I slowly sipped the steaming “black gold” as we continued with our stroll.

Trini announced that she wanted to try the famous Turkish Baths. Two days ago, the carpet store owner recommended a clean and affordable hamami and wrote down the name. Trini asked the street vendor the location and directed us to this “underground” bath. While Trini went in to enjoy the baths, body scrub, and hot oil massage, I sat on the park bench and finished my already lukewarm Starbucks and watched people pass me by. I opted out of this unique experience since I was told that a guy would be doing the services to me – NO THANKS!

After Trini was done with the pampering we again continued with our aimless wandering when we spotted another ubiquitous American fast food establishment – the worldwide famous McDonalds. Eating Turkish food three days in a row was enough for us. We stood in the long line with a large group of teenagers and ordered number 1 meal – cheeseburgers, McNuggets, and fries. My stomach thanked me for this treat!

We sat in the Hippodrome near the Blue Mosque, by this time, the tourists and locals were already out and about. It was fascinating to listen to the prayers broadcasted from the two minarets’ (pointed spires) loudspeakers answering each other while the people continued on with their activities.

After a couple of hours we went back to the hotel to rest since we had the Bosphorus Dinner and Show Cruise at 7:30 pm. Istanbul by night is awesome with its lighted bridges and illuminated historical structures.

A bus took us to our boat. It was raining by the time we boarded the cruise boat but the water was relatively calm when we went out to the Bosphorus. We were served the usual Turkish fare – small servings of vegetables, spread, yogurt, breads and salad. Trini and I chose the grilled fish (which was overcooked and rubbery) for the entree. As the alcohol drinks were “bottomless” you know that they would be serving “cheapie” wine. After trying a glass of red I shifted to a draft beer.

We sat with a couple of interesting young ladies from Sri Lanka and India. The Sri Lankan is a doctor working in Dublin, Ireland.

The show was fabulous except we were seated in the farthest table and had trouble watching the performers. They performed several Turkish folk dances, belly dancing, and other whirling performances that really garnered applauses and whistles from the male audiences!

After dinner it was party time! This was really a party boat. Loosened with alcohol the guests let their hair down and danced the night away! Young and old alike danced the traditional Turkish dances and snapped selfies as a keepsake although the professional photographers took enough and you can buy it for 20 Turkish Lira (about 6 USD).

It was almost midnight when the boat pulled to port. People were tired. full, drunk, and happy and somewhat “poorer” but what counts is the fabulous experience they just went through that night!

In summary, Istanbul is quite magical in the sense that it is a culture that is very different from the Christian and Western countries. The chanting of prayers at designated time is so enchanting and captivating even if you don’t understand what the Imams were saying. Istanbul’s narrow streets seemed to be haphazardly constructed without any consideration of future conveyances traversing them. Fortunately, the Turkish temperament is much more laid back than the average American driver, otherwise, road rage would ensue at every other narrow street corner. Their women are so beautiful that the overused adjective – exquisite – is the only word I can think of to accurately describe their beauty. But then again, we’ve only spent four days here and I am only basing these observations from this short period of time. But one thing I can say is – Istanbul should be in the bucket list of everyone’s places to visit!

Whenever we read something about Turkey, we think of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires both of which ruled the present day Turkey and many areas that extended parts of Europe, Asia and North Africa. The Ottoman Empire ruled for over 700 years after the decline of the Byzantine Empire. I was surprised to hear from our tour guide that Anatolia (part of modern Turkey) was also invaded by the Mongols before it was united by Ottoman beylik. I would be doing history injustice by trying to explain how this magnificent country was created starting from the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Best if you Google it and find many stories in the internet. Every story you will find about modern day Turkey the name of Kemal Ataturk will pop up as he led the successful resistance against the victorious Allies after the Great War. Ataturk was also the first president of Turkey.

Our walking started around 9:00 am after our bus rounded all the tourists like me. We were dropped at the Hippodrome of Constantinople where Byzantine emperors would watch chariot races. Today, there are still a few obelisks and statues left standing.

While we waited for a family who wandered away from our group I walked to a nearby café and ordered the extra-strong Turkish coffee. Basically, this is an instant coffee with extra heaping of coffee grounds then slowly simmered over charcoal.

Our tour guide decided to leave the family who failed to understand her instruction to meet us after ten minutes (they finally showed up in the next mosque but not after listening to a “few choice words” from the guide). We proceeded to the Blue Mosque (Trini and I visited it yesterday already). There were more people today than yesterday so we just sat in a corner conserving our energy for the long walks.

Next, we walked to the nearby Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) which used to be an Orthodox Church. It was used as a church for almost a thousand years until Fatih Sultan Mehmed conquered Istanbul then was turned into a mosque. There are currently restoration work being done inside. I was impressed with its cavernous interior and the giant chandeliers!

The church was re-built three times as it was burned, re-built, burned again. The third and final structure was re-built under Emperor Justinianos around 532 AD.

After our visit of Hagia Sophia we walked to the Grand Covered Bazaar (again, Trini and I visited this awesome “shopping mall” yesterday). The group was led into a rug store to listen to a presentation. Trini and I opted out and went to a café instead. I ordered Americano and Trini ordered the freshly made pomegranate juice. We just sat on the small table along a busy narrow sidewalk and watched as the café “salesmen” convinced passing tourists to come taste their food.

We went back to our meeting place and we boarded the bus to take us to the restaurant for our included lunch. We sat with a very nice and sweet young Malaysian couple on their honeymoon. We went with them to the same boat cruise yesterday and Trini and I noticed that most of the photos they took were – THEMSELVES! They had a selfie stick and every picture they took was a – SELFIE! I just hope they have photos of the highlights of the tour that they can show their friends and families when they go back home (smile).

We had soup for starters with pita bread and the assorted spread that comes with it. We had a choice of chicken or lamb kebab or pasta. Dessert was a super-sweet small slice of baclava. I ordered espresso to counter the sugary taste of my dessert.

With our energy replenished we again boarded the bus to take us to the final leg of our guided tour. We headed to the Topkapi Palace and the Sultan Tombs. Both entrances required tickets (included) but the lines were always long and disorganized as you have to go through security screening. At the Topkapi Palace entrance, several of the Turkish tourists got into a heated argument with the ticket checker (not sure what they were yelling about). I surmised it was due to the incompetence of the Palace employee who could not properly control the mob!

The last part of our tour was Topkapi Palace, a huge area with numerous structures that used to house the Sultan’s soldiers, many wives and dozens of his concubines. A thriller movie (starring Peter Ustinov) was made titled Topkapi in the mid-1950’s.

We ended the tour at the far end of the palace and after thanking the tour guide we were on our own. We roamed around a little bit more and we admired the view of the Bosphorus in the distance then we walked back to our hotel. Thankfully, it was only a couple of blocks away….

 

 

Eating breakfast in the hotel terrace overlooking mosques and watching the seagulls splatter their “white stuff” down below is really a great way to start your day. Breakfast buffet with eggs to order. Turkish breakfast consists of a lot of pickled stuff, cold cuts, vegetables, breads, and olives.

Our guided tour did not start until 1300 so off we went exploring the city.  Constantinople (the English name for Istanbul) is densely populated compared to that of other European metropolitan cities – 15 million plus inhabitants! The activity all around you is electrifying. Both sides of the streets are lined with all sorts of businesses – cafés, restaurants, pastry shops, spices, electronics, appliances, souvenirs, you name it they have it.

Trini spotted the famous Grand Bazaar – a covered shopping outlet where the gold and expensive jewelries seemed to have converged. Of course, they also have other items that you can take home like, scarves, watches, handbags and other souvenirs.

Our guided tour started at 1300 and the bus took us around the city highlights. Then we boarded a boat that cruised along the Sea of Marmara. Marmara joins the Black Sea on the eastern side of the country and is quite busy with many tankers and different ships crossing to get to the Mediterranean Sea.

There are three iconic bridges that cuts the Sea of Marmara – the famous Bosphorus Bridge, the Galata which spans Europe and Asia and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet. After the boat cruise – which was amazing – we went back to the bus and we got a glimpse of the two long underwater tunnels connecting the two continents! We had a spectacular view of the European Istanbul from the high vantage point.

After the photo ops we went to the cable cars to go down from the vista point to meet our bus and end our tour. We asked to be dropped off near the Blue Mosque as it was within walking distance from our hotel. We went inside the mosque which was currently undergoing some renovation so we did not see the blue interior (reason why it’s called Blue Mosque).

Famished, we made our way to the restaurant row and allowed ourselves to be subjected to the many “sales talk” along the way. Trini promised a gentleman last night that we would eat in their restaurant. He saw us and gave us a wide smile and simply said, “you’re back”. Tonight we ordered a huge sea food platter (all grilled) – trout, salmon, tuna, and shrimps. We had the house white wine and the waiter brought us this big inflated bread on steroids. When I popped it it deflated and turned into a wimpy flat bread but it was delicious. The bread came with assorted spreads that really made the bread taste differently with each spread and cheese.

We ended the fabulous dinner with little cups of the tangy black tea. I asked the waiter why he was not serving us the raki (a strong anise-flavored liquor) when the restaurant across the street served it for free. He glanced at the owner and the owner gave a thumbs up so he quickly served me one that I downed instantly (like tequila).

 

 

We left Praha early this morning and the weather was perfect. We flew Turkish Airlines and what a contrast from the Norwegian Airlines that we flew in when we arrived in Europe (see my blog dated February 15, 2018). Our flight with Norwegian took us over ten hours from LA to London but they did not provide us food or even water! Turkish Airlines flight from Prague to Istanbul was a little over two hours but we were fed properly! The flight attendants kept asking us if we wanted more coffee or water. Thankfully, we are flying Turkish again when we go to Bucharest next Monday. Unfortunately, we’re flying Norwegian again going back to LA.

The hotel shuttle was waiting for us as soon as we got out of the customs. The driver spoke good English and during the not so brief ride to our hotel, he kept pointing out historical spots to us and explaining what they were.

As soon as we entered the old part of the city the streets became narrower and the inclines increased. I was not sure if the streets were one- or two-way streets but there was no way two vehicles can occupy the same space. As it happened, our driver at one time had to back out and park into the similarly narrow sidewalks to allow another car to pass. The Turkish drivers are very tolerant and patient to each other and rarely did I hear them blow their horns nor did they argue about who was there first.

We were dropped “near” our hotel as vehicles cannot go through the pavement leading to our hotel. A waiter near our hotel volunteered to help us with our luggage as Trini had difficulty with the incline.

After checking in we rested a little bit. The Blue Mosque with its five minarets is located a couple of hundred meters from our hotel and we could hear the blaring broadcast of their prayers every few hours.

We were hungry around 6:00 pm and finding a place to eat is not a problem. The restaurants are all over the place and they vie for your business. Short of pulling you in, the restaurant employees would talk you into looking into their menus. We found one with a propane heater beside our table as it was already getting cold as the evening progressed. Trini and I people-watched as we sipped our drinks and nibbled at the flatbreads and olives.

I ordered lamb kebab slathered with yogurt and Trini tried a dish with chicken and rice. After dinner, we were served a strong milky alcoholic beverage. The price? A lot cheaper than Prague for sure!

While I was finishing my drink Trini went across the street check out the colorful handwoven rugs and pillow cases. And the rest is history…

 

 

 

Our last day in this charming Bohemian city of Prague and the weather seemed to share our sadness with our departure tomorrow. The temperature dropped a score from yesterday’s and the weather was drizzly all afternoon. Whatever the temperature is, warm or cold, or whether it is sunny or rainy, windy or calm – Prague will still be beautiful and alluring to me!

Trini and I took our time to start our last day of exploration. We did not leave the hotel until noon. We ventured to take another unfamiliar street again to search for the Church of the Infant Jesus (Sto. Niño). When we arrived we found the church to be a simple nondescript structure without the frills and complex façade like most churches here.

We went up to the church’s museum where the different colorful robes of the Infant Jesus were on display. There was one purple robe donated by the Philippines!

After our visit to the Sto. Niño we spotted a restaurant with a swirly sign “P.Noy” across from the church. We weren’t sure what it says but when we saw the menu beside the door that says, “Sinigang” and “Halo Halo”, we almost ran across the street to go look inside. We were greeted by a Czech gentleman (who is married to a Pinay). He kept saying, “opo” when we talked to him. We ordered the advertised sinigang. Of course, not the real one but it had several small slices of okra, lots of sliced tomatoes, seasoned with sinigang mix although it could have been hotter (temperature and taste wise). The rice was already inside the bowl along with the soup. It had a couple of slices of pork loin (no fat or skin). Overall, it satisfied our urge for a Filipino food. We give the Czech guy an A+ for effort and friendliness!

After lunch, we headed north to try and find our way back to the hotel. We saw a long line of youngsters and went inside to find out that it was the famous Trdelnik. Trini wanted to try it so I ordered one filled with ice cream. I’m not a person who enjoys pastries or sweet desserts but I’m willing to try anything once. Verdict: it was okay but not spectacular.

My overall impression of Prague is that it is one of the best cities to go on a vacation and enjoy history, culture, architecture, night life, and a warm and friendly atmosphere. However, finding a place even with a map in your hand is not easy. The names of the streets seem to change every few blocks. I noticed that the street name changes when the road angles a little bit to the left or right. Hence, the map will appear to have several names of a single thoroughfare!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I think food and drinks are overpriced in Prague. I am basing this on the fact that a sit down lunch in a mediocre restaurant will set you back more than 50 euros! I find most of Spain’s premier cities more affordable than Praha. Prague is also not a place to splurge on shopping as there are more affordable cities in Europe to throw away your hard-earned money.

In ending, in Prague there is a certain mystique in the air as you allow yourself to move through its serpentine streets. A kind of magnetic force beckons you to explore every nook and crannies until you realize that whatever you are looking for is all around just staring at you. Praha is one huge microorganism that pulsates with each tourist’s purposeless movements – increasing to a crescendo until the entire city becomes one humongous vibration… or shall I risk to say…one giant orgasm!

Sbohem, Praha….

 

 

The more you spend in Prague, the more you fall in love with it! Today was a perfect day to continue exploring this Bohemian city – temperature was in the high 40 degree Fahrenheit with the sun playing peek-a-boo all day long.

Trini and I walked the maze of narrow cobblestoned-streets where the tourists were few and far between. We got lost a few times but time is on our side. We had nowhere else to go and we did not have an itinerary (well, sort of, we had a direction).

We took our time to gawk at the crystals; admired the different colors of garnet, their national gem; stared at lladros unsure whether to like it or hate it.

We went from The Old Town to The Lesser Town. Passed several bridges and followed the Vitava River. We lingered in street corners listening to jazz and Western music provided by starving artists.

Praha is a city with timeless architecture. If you are an art lover there are numerous museums to keep you occupied and will satisfy your artistic thirst – from contemporary to abstract to bizarre.

We salivated at the aroma of fresh trdlenik – a popular sweet bread rolled into a spit and cooked over an open flame. Different restaurants try to promote the various Czech gastronomy from Old Prague ham to pig’s knuckles and knees to sausages and goulash.  Not wanting to offend the Czech cuisine lover but I am not really fond of their food. I will try anything once but will not force myself to eat it again just because it is the local’s popular food.

Our tour guide the other night told us that there must be at least 160 cathedrals and churches in Prague and I believe him. We must have passed dozens of them and many are closed. According to the same gentleman church-goers have declined drastically over the years that many of these churches are now used as venues for concerts.

By the time we were back in our hotel, my phone app showed we walked a total of 5.2 miles!