Days 113-118: Back in Bucharest

These days were more or less homogeneous in their activity, and could have occurred in any order. I did quite a bit of cafe sitting, an activity broken up by visits to parks and other public spaces. My main base was Carturesti Carusel, a bookstore built in a modern style with a cafe on the second floor.

The cafe was almost always very quiet and nearly empty the times I visited.

Looking down on the bookstore from the cafe on the 2nd floor

I visited Parcul Izvor next to the Palace of Parliament. A large portion of the park is unkempt grasses, an interesting juxtaposition adjacent to one of the world's largest and grandiose buildings.

I also visited Tineretului Park, one of Bucharest's largest parks.

Looking west from an auditorium embedded in the park grounds

A not oft visited walkway

Tiniretului Park has a long walkway at the entrance that terminates with a view of a single, massive factory stack. A fitting monument for a country that was under Communist rule less than 30 years ago, I suppose.

I later visited Carol Park, just to the north west of Tiniretului, and probably my favorite of the parks I visited. The landscaping is beautiful, even when visited at mid-day.

I think she was talking with her friend, rather than snapping a photo of me.... I think

There's a massive monument that dominates the top of a mausoleum at the termination of the central walkway. In front of the mausoleum is a large torch that continually breaths flames and is under watch by two uniformed guards.

On my last day in Bucharest I went to see the University Politehnica of Bucharest campus.

The university is not only the alma mater of Antonio, but is also where one of my previous professors at the University of Washington did her masters. The campus is a mix of new renovations and Bucharest's usual deteriorating infrastructure. National TV has their broadcasting station built into the campus and a security guard had to chase me down after I inadvertently wandered onto their driveway.

During this time I initially stayed in a hostel at the south end of Old Town, but when I didn't book ahead for the weekend I had to move to a hostel a 15-minute walk west of Piata Romana, in a residential part of town.