Well, we did arrive in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, world weary in body and soul.
Driving in to the city from the airport we were given a brief introduction to Romania by a local guide Dan. He started with a Romanian joke: “Originally,” he said, “Romania was supposed to be the place where we would get English humour, French food, and German precision. Sadly, we got instead, English food, French precision and German humour.”
Atheneum Concert Hall, Bucharest Romania
On the way to and very near to our hotel Dan pointed out the Atheneum concert Hall. Apparently during World 11 it was nest of spies. But we did not spot any. No suspicious men in trench coats wearing deep black sunglasses. This has been the most prestigious concert hall ever since it opened in the city in 1888. It is considered a landmark of the city and is the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic orchestra and named after Romania’s most famous musician. It was advertising its annual musical festival which were told attracts the top musicians in Europe. It has been inscribed with label of European heritage site in order to catch the attention of tourists, like us.
As we drove through town, I was struck by the fact that most of the signs were in English. We saw the sign of the Big M, KFC, and Ted’s coffee. Clearly, Bucharest was ready for tourists. Tourism is one of their main industries so that is probably smart. Apparently KFC is big in Europe. The only thing wrong with that is that it part of an inexorable process of eliminating differences between cultures. Cultural homogenization.
Frankly we did not do much today, our first in the Romania. We were too tried to do anything but eat. I was totally exhausted. So exhausted that I was partly delirious. I went to sleep very early at 8 p.m. and woke up at 2 a.m. completely refreshed. I was instantly in the love with this city and its people. Youseff, the bell boy insisted on carrying our luggage even though I explained I had no cash for a tip. Later our waiter also did not want a tip nor did Bohdan the maitre’de.
On the way in from the airport, we saw the neoclassical Romanian Athenaeum, which is much loved by locals, and for good reason. It was opened in 1888 and stands at the heart of Romania’s classical-music tradition. Classical music is immensely popular in Europe, and musicians are rock stars, but of course, rock stars are musicians. It works both ways. This building might be the finest landmark in the city, though I must admit, we just got in and was one of the first buildings of note that we saw. It is home to the most famous Romania’s musician, George Enescu, and the orchestra is named after him. He gave his debut performance with this orchestra and became the most celebrated Romanian composer in history.
The building has pink-hued Doric columns and four monumental spiral staircases that lead up to a huge hall where there is lead up the Big Hall, where a large 70m (229ft) fresco depicting 25 scenes from Romanian history keep watch from the ceiling. We did not go in. After I saw a photograph of the building from the inside I realized I made a mistake by not going in. My bad!
Every two years, during most of September, Bucharest welcomes some of the world’s major orchestras and soloists to give tribute to George Enescu. The annual festival is named after him and is considered a feast for lovers of classical music. That festival is a month-long musical extravaganza. During this time the city is filled with music lovers from around Europe and the world.
In the evening we went for a fine repast at a nearby restaurant. A good time was had by all.
We returned to our hotel room quite early to get a good night’s sleep. We had been awake for about 30 hours. It was a divine sleep until I woke up at about 2:00 a.m. I doubt that I have ever felt more refreshed than I did after that sleep.
My refreshment filled me with joy. I felt like it was the happiest day of my life and Romanians the nicest people in the world, comparable only to Newfoundlanders and that Romania was the best place ever. Even though we had only been here for a few hours. From exhaustion to refreshment of the spirit after one solid sleep. And this was not only the delirium felt by cheap Mennonites when they don’t have to tip. After waking up, I went back to sleep and continued with my deep repose, totally exhilarated. Delirious or not, this was spiritual rejuvenation.
What a day. What a night.