On the way, to the hotel after visiting Peleș Castlewe enjoyed a local lunch at another the legendary Cantacuzino Castle overlooking the beautiful Bucegi Mountains above the Prahova Valley in Romania.  Our tour director called this afternoon, “the Royal Treatment in Romania.”

The castle was not an ancient one. It had been built in 1911 at the direction of prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino.  The bus dropped us off close to the castle but we had to walk uphill to reach it.  Very unusually, I decided to leave my camera in the bus. I never do that.  But I was getting a bit weary of carrying my bag with the camera and a spare lens. Another sign of old age.

And there are many signs of old age.  However, I had my cell phone in my pocket and thought I could use that if necessary. So I took a couple of shots with it. Why do idiots like me drag a heavy camera when the phones do such a good job?   This worked out quite well,I thought.

We were told that this castle has been the location for a popular Netflix series called Wednesday filming of their fictional Nevermore Academy.

I such a cretin when it comes to modern culture, this didn’t mean anything at all to me, but I think some members of our group were excited by it.

Peleș Castle, along with the smaller Pelișor Castle, also built for the new Royal Family of Romania, is currently on Romania’s Tentative List for the UNESCO World Heritage List, with work in progress to officially nominate them. The Romanian Ministry of Culture is preparing the necessary documentation to meet the criteria for outstanding universal value, authenticity, and integrity, a process that began in early 2024. As we in Manitoba know it is a very vigorous process.

After Carol became King of Romania, he had a lot of responsibilities. He wanted to establish a stable monarchy.  But he also loved his wife, Elizabeth. After they were married, he learned that she would be unable to have children. His advisors urged him to divorce his wife, or annul the marriage as Henry VIII had done in England, but he refused. He said the next in line in his family could be monarch after he died.  But the first two in line both refused. They did not want to live in the civilizational backwater of Romania. Even being a monarch was not incentive enough for them to make the move. Maybe being a monarch is not such a good thing after all. So, they turned to the 4^th in line to the throne, his nephew Ferdinand, who was sufficiently compliant. He did it because he was told to do it. For the good of the family. He became King Ferdinand I and ruled until 1914.

King Carol I was an avid collector of weaponry. His personal collection numbered about over 4,500 items, enough to start a pretty major war.   Over 400 European and Oriental pieces dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries are on display at Peles armory. The prize of the collection is a knight and his horse armor that weighs 265 lbs.

According to UNESCO,

“With its unique artistic, architectural, landscape and technical features, the Royal Residences of Sinaia represents the cradle of the new dynasty, an imposing monument symbol of the state’s independence and its modernisation. Also, with the use of eclectic historicism in architecture, interior and exterior decorations and of cópies of internationally renowned works of arts and architecture, Carol I and the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family aimed to legitimise themselves in their adoptive homeland located at the “Gates of the East”, as well as to raise Romania’s prestige on the international arena.”

UNESCO also pointed out that, because the site was continuously used as the domain of the king and his family, what used to be a small village in the mountains of Transylvania became a modern town in the mountains with many private villas most of which adopted the style of the king and queen. These included “regal entourage” and luxurious hotels, a casino and a park, as well as a unique railway station that put Sinaia on the Orient-Express and Arlberg-Express international train voyage routes which until then comprised cities such as London, Paris, Vienna, Istanbul, Milan, Zürich, Budapest or Athens.  In this way, as UNESCO said, “the construction and use of the royal domain directly contributed to the development of a modern and highly complex urban landscape within a mountainous region.”

UNESCO also considered its treatment by the Communist Party, during its reign important:

“After the Communists instituted the republic at the end of 1947, they confiscated all private properties throughout the country and numerous historic residences were destroyed or severely transformed. However, the entire former royal domain at Sinaia is one of the few examples in the country where the property remained mostly unaffected, suffering only minor modifications. Thus, the Peleș castle was transformed into a museum, the Pelișor castle into a house for artists and members of the Communist party, the Foișor castle into a residence/guest house for the Communist leaders and many of the former annexes were transformed into hotels and guest houses.”

The castle remained in use as a royal castle until the Communist Party put an end to such in 1947 just about the time it ended the monarchy.

Now it has become a museum and a big tourist attraction.

The triptych altarpiece shown in my photograph dates to around 1450. The scene is from the Passion of Christ. It is the most ancient triptych in Romania.

We drove into the Carpathian mountains and to the gem of a town Sinaia, Romania, to visit Peleș Castle. The walk was rather steep and was a considerable challenge for Christiane. The walk inside the castle with a walker was also very tricky. When we finished our tour of the castle Christiane was clamouring to go home. She was already tired of this trip and all of the challenges that had not been disclosed to us.

One of the most stunning places we visited was Peleș castle. Even though there were hundreds of people on the grounds and in the castle, from a little distance they seemed to blissfully disappear.  When I was close to the castle people were swarming around it. A striking feature of the castle is its spires that, as someone said, are “towers that scratch the sky like sword.”

The castle can be found in a lovely little town called Sinaia, Romania. It has been suggested that it is the prettiest town in Europe. That might be true. The town is located in the Bucegi Mountain range of Romania and is surrounded by ski trails. At one time its 17^th century monastery was a royal family residence. Now it is a museum.  Sadly, the royal families of Europe can’t afford all that once was taken for granted. Like castles.  This one was filled with Gustave Klimt frescoes and stained-glass windows.

A portrait of King Carol I

The castle was designed to show off the new monarchy of the new country of Romania so expense was not spared. It was intended as a dynastic monument and cradle of the new monarchy, becoming after the Romanian War of Independence, a symbol of the state’s independence. When the castle was finished and ready for royal occupancy in 1883, the castle resembled a Swiss chalet with a main tower and was faithful to the German neo-renaissance, a style chosen by the royal couple in accordance with  the site – a mountainous landscape that represented a specific background for German romanticism. I have to admit I was blown away by the castle from a distance when I walked halfway around it.

It was the first European castle to have electricity, supplied by its own private power plant.   This was a big deal in the late 19^th century. Heck, I remember when our house on Kroeker avenue in Steinbach did not have running water in the days of my youth in the 1950s. The castle also boasted hot and cold running water, central heating, telegraph, telephone, a small elevator for the royal family and central vacuum system are other amenities the castle offered, from the very beginning.   Christiane and I did not have central vac until nearly 200 years later!

The stained-glass roof of the foyer opens mechanically. We still don’t have a stained-glass roof in our house, and if we did, it would probably leak.

It also contained an impressive library of 30,000 books, putting my modest library to shame. Another interesting feature was a unidirectional and hidden door that leads directly to the king’s suite. Apparently, from time to time, King Carol I would say he was going to study in the library, when he would sneak out to his suite for a nap, or even a little drink. The castle also has a 60-seat French Louis XIV style theatre.

The music room is carved of teak, a gift to King Carol I from the Maharajah of Kapurtala in India. Handmade silk embroideries adorn the wall of the Turkish Salon.

Carol would not permit political discussions nor talk of religion at the dinner table. Advice that in these polarized times even commoners often consider wise. He preferred talking about art and history.

I am a sucker for stained glass

Peles castle dining room features rustic Breton furniture and priceless silverware from 18th-Century Brittany.

This is what original democracy looks like in Romania

In Romania we were joined by a genuine character—Vio.  He was our guide for 3 days.  He in turn introduced us to our driver of the coach, Mr. Nelo.  Mr. Nelo was not only an excellent driver, and a safe one at that, he is a successful business man. He runs a fleet of coach driver.

Vio talked as much about himself as he did Romania. He clearly loved Romania, but knew that his country was flawed.  He was very different than the Trumpsters in other words, who only see the greatness of their country. He was a former downhill skier. He still looked fit in his sixties.

One of the first things he did was to walk up and down the aisle of the coach to ask each of us what we wanted to know about Romania.  My question, to which he repeatedly tried to give an answer over the next 3 days was, given that so many of the countries of Europe, particularly the former Soviet satellites, were turning towards autocracy, to what extent is Romania a genuine democracy? He gave me a number of amusing answers. He did that by mocking the term the communists of Romania had given their enterprise, namely, “original democracy.”  In other words, they claimed to have a unique form of democracy. So unique, that many of us would not want to call it democracy at all, even less, “original democracy.”

To Vio, original democracy meant that it was unpredictable.  Really, that means that it does not operate according to rules. No democracy means that people can do whatever they want. Every country has rules to control actions. No country can allow people to drive on whatever side of the street they choose. But in Romania Vio claimed drastic reversals could happen in 24 hours.

First, Vio told us who he thought was the greatest man of the twentieth century?  I paused wondering who he would say.  Before I could come up with an answer he said, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. That seemed like a remarkable choice, but Vio had a good explanation.

Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to its dissolution in 1991. Ideologically, he at first adhered to Marxist-Leninism, the official doctrine of the Soviet Union, but he gradually moved towards social democracy by the early 1990s. He, not Ronald Reagan, as so many Americans believe, was the driving force behind moving The Soviet Union and its satellites away from Communism.

To Vio however, the reason he admired him so much was and was the greatest man of the twentieth century was because as a result of him, Vio believed, he was able to speak his mind. Because of Gorbachev, he was free to answer the question I had posed.  Before the time of Gorbachev, it would have been very dangerous of me to ask such a question, and much more dangerous for him to answer it truthfully, since he lived in Romania, which was part of the Soviet empire. Vio called him “a gentle dictator.” That is what social democracy is too—gentle socialism.

As we were driving down National Highway No. 1 of Romania, which Vio said was the only national highway, he warned us that at times under Original Democracy it would become, the “National Parking Stall.”  Of course, we in the west are very familiar with this concept too. Often freeways become the “no free way.”

Romania is now part of the European Union which means that it must meet some minimal standards of democracy. Like Hungary which is also a member of the EU, Romania has its own currency.  Their own people acknowledge it is not much of a currency.  They call it “funny money”. No other country accepts it, but people who travel through it, like people who work on this boat will Romanian money since they can us it when they sail through it. According to Vio, it is a product of Original Democracy. Funny.

Since Romania joined the EU, its people must be free to live and work elsewhere. Many of them have taken advantage of that privilege. It used to have 22 million people, now about 5 million of those live abroad. They prefer real democracy, or perhaps just better economic benefits than that offered by Original Democracy. Original democracy did not sound very appealing.

As we continued our tour of what we thought was the Old Town of Bucharest on foot, we enjoyed a lavish visual feast. Not all of it pleasant, but all of it interesting. Immensely interesting.

Christiane was using a walker on this trip and it worked fine, except when she encountered steps or cobblestone. She was tortured by them. And frankly, they were everywhere. Needless to say this hampered her enjoyment. Part of the problem is that when she walks she must keep her eyes glued to the ground to avoid falling.  On these streets that was a constant danger.

Christiane and her siter Huguette

Graffiti can be found in Bucharest in abundance again, like so many other European cities. It has been called the art of the people. I have to admit I like it—sometimes. I don’t think it is fair to mar private or public property with it, but sometimes it is compelling.

As well, we found interesting art on the walls of Bucharest.

Someone found “fun shit” in Bucharest.

We were also urged to “start thinking” in Bucharest. That is never bad advice.

Finally we encountered this wild man in Bucharest who had come all the way from St. Boniface.

It was a great little visit in Bucharest, despite the disappointment of the Hop-on Hop-off bus

After we were done with the Hop on Hop Off bus ride from a very hot place, we went for a gentle stroll through what we had been told was the Old Town of Bucharest. Frankly the buildings, or at least many of them, did not seem that old. Like an old church.

The town was pleasant and we just walked into old buildings that seemed interesting.

Our first genuine stop was a lunch break.  And guess what we did? We stopped at an Irish pub in Bucharest.  That makes as much sense as stopping at a MacDonald’s restaurant. But we enjoyed it. I particularly appreciated the woman that greeted us when we arrived and the sign on her sweater:  “Chasing Dreams not Deadlines.’  And, “breaking stereotype” and “slaying the game.” Those seemed like worthy goals. Well worth chasing.

I love Romania.

We did get into a mild “Hey Rube” however, when I opened my big mouth.  And people who know me know I have a loud big mouth. I was discussing Donald Trump with my sister-in-law who said he was an ass. I did not disagree with her, but this aroused the attention of a patron at the next table who said we did not know anything about Trump because we had never met him. How could we call him an ass? To this I replied, that Trump was the most famous person in the history of the world.  I said I knew Trump better than almost everyone except my closest friends and relatives because he was constantly within our attention, like it or not.  I had heard him speak on and off the cuff literally thousands of times. I felt qualifed to speak about him. To reinforce my point, I said I knew Trump better than my sister-in-law. Now I had two people mad at me.  The patron left in a huff, clearly thinking we (or at least me) were idiots.

We spotted some Old Coca Cola in Old Town Bucharest. It looked sort of new, not old time.

Finally, we saw some of Old Town of Bucharest. After all, it was not that long ago that Bucharest along with all of Romania was part of the sclerotic Soviet Empire that finally fell a part in 1989.

Now this building looked old. It was a great walk through Old Town.