Dec 14, 2025
My last day in Romania, another day to explore Bucharest. Finally a sunny day. It was a slow start as I didn’t sleep well. Went down for breakfast and then back to my room to take a long nap. Refreshed I bundled up and headed out about 10.30am.
I wanted to see the Peasant Museum, even though it had mixed reviews. And the Village, and ethnographic museum in a park was also a possibility. I headed out on foot, enjoying the beautiful buildings along Calais Vitoria. The museum was closed or the attendant said I should just go to the market behind the building. It was a nice weekend market with a few food booths, antique boots and various handicrafts. The only thing that grabbed my attention were icons painted on glass framed in old windows. However the vendor wanted 200 euros which I didn’t have. I went back to the Museum shop which was filled with Romania handicrafts including many glass icons.
The icons are painted on the back of the glass. This is the only place I have seen these icons. I chose one of Saints Constantine and Eleni.
I decided I did not feel like walking to or thru the park where the Village museum was located. So for $3.50, a Bolt took me to Old Town. I had been there at the beginning of the trip when it was raining. Mostly I wandered a few streets taking pictures of buildings and people watching.
Had a great lunch in a little restaurant located on the main tourist drag. The restaurant is upstairs in an old building decorated with old doors and ephemera. The food is Middle Eastern with a chef’s flair. I wish I had had someone to share my meal as I wanted to try everything. I settled on a Mediterranean meze platter served with homemade breads. The place was very peaceful even as it began to fill up. Aubergine. Highly recommend.
By now I needed to get back to the hotel as my feet were hurting. I slowly meandered back stopping in a university bookstore, taking more building photos. The most memorable stop was when I crashed a baptism at St. Nicholas Church by the University. I stayed through the immersion of the infant in the font. I was able to shoot a few short videos because everyone else was doing the same. It did surprise me when the priest submerged the tiny baby three times under the water. In our church they dip them to their neck. This was another beautiful old Romania Orthodox church.
Back at the hotel I flopped on the bed, did my packing and ordered room service. Pizza was meh but the asparagus soup was great. Eleni and Sophia called while I ate. So good to see their sweet faces.
About 7.30 the reception called and suggested they move me to a room on a higher floor. A big party with a DJ from Israel was starting at 9pm on the mezzanine level and she felt my room (183) was too close. She was right. After I got settled in a room on the 8th floor I walked out to have a listen and the music was loud. The party goers were just leaving as I checked out th next morning at 5.20am.
Easy flight home. 2 weeks was just perfect.