Nov 16: Travel Woes & Bucharest Arrival

Sunday

I am very glad that I am here for almost 3 weeks – eventually my very long travel day will be a distant memory. I left my house at 10:20am on Friday, and got into the hotel room in Bucharest at 1am on Sunday (4pm Mountain time). 3 flights, 3 airport lounges, about 1.5 hours of sleep (only) on the transatlantic flight, too little to eat

I am very glad that I am here for almost three weeks, and eventually my very long travel day will be a distant memory. I left my house at 10:20 am on Friday and got into my hotel room in Bucharest at 1:00 am on Sunday, which was 4:00 pm Mountain Time. It was a marathon travel day, and here is what it looked like:

• 3 flights

• 3 airport lounges

• 1.5 hours of sleep on the transatlantic flight

• Too little food

• 1 very tired traveler

  
  

…But I’m finally here! 

I flew American Airlines and British Airways from Denver to Dallas, a two hour flight. At the Denver airport, I waited about thirty minutes to get into the Capital One Lounge, then had a little time there before heading to my flight to Dallas. There is also a Capital One Lounge there, but the wait was over thirty minutes and they did not have much that I could eat, so I skipped it. Then I continued on to my flight to London.

I paid extra for Premium Economy on this nine hour flight, and there was definitely a bit more legroom a small footrest that came out from under my seat, and enough of an armrest that the person next to me and I could each have our arms on it. I had hoped the upgraded cabin would offer a more comfortable overall experience though, including the meal service.

I had pre-ordered a low fat meal option. When they delivered my dinner, it was a chicken dish that was so spicy I could not eat it, a salad with no dressing (I asked for some and they brought it about twenty minutes later), and a creamy pudding that I am sure was not low fat. I tried to sleep after that and my Fitbit showed that I slept about an hour and a half.

When they served breakfast, they again brought me a low fat option. It was some kind of wrap with spicy beef inside. When they came through to give everyone else their meals, I asked if I could have one of the other options since I had not eaten dinner or breakfast due to the spice level. She gave me an egg and cheese item. I honestly could not tell if it was supposed to be a bagel or a croissant, and it was very soggy. Overall, the food experience was quite disappointing, especially considering that I had specifically ordered a dietary option in advance with the hope that it would simplify things.

In London, I arrived into Terminal 5, went through additional security, and then walked to Terminal 3. It was closer than I expected. I added myself to the waitlist for a lounge that I can access through my Priority Pass, and there were quite a few people waiting outside. I found a place around the corner to sit and waited an hour and a half. Eventually I went up to the counter to ask how much longer, and she said they had already called everyone after about thirty minutes. I showed her my phone to confirm that I did not receive any notification, and she let me in. Unfortunately, once again, there was not much I could eat.

On my last flight, London to Bucharest (three hour and fifteen minute flight), we were delayed from departing because a gentleman about five people ahead of me spent nearly ten minutes trying to fit his bag into the overhead compartment. The flight attendant was helping him, but they kept trying different angles and different compartments. It was just crazy. If I had carried on a bag that was too large for the overhead bin, I would have stepped aside and let everyone else pass. Okay, rant done, lol.

While on the flight though, I was seated on the aisle, and the gentleman next to me noticed that I was swiping to text on my phone and asked what I was doing. I showed him, and his reaction was like a little kid at Christmas. We chatted a bit, and when we got off the plane, we walked down the stairs and onto a bus that brought us to the terminal. He stood next to me and we continued talking all the way through the airport. His name is Mihal, and we exchanged contact information. He lives between the airport and the city and said he would try to connect with us tomorrow.

I had arranged a private transfer, so the driver was waiting for me at the designated meeting area. When I got into the car, I noticed a message blinking that the fuel level was too low, but the driver got in and off we went. About halfway through the ride, he pulled into a gas and convenience store and apologized, saying he needed two minutes. I didn’t mind, and assumed he was getting gas. Instead, he came back out, tossed a small item onto the passenger seat, and we drove away with the low fuel warning still blinking.

But we made it to the hotel, the Marmorosch, where Vic and I stayed two years ago. The Christmas decorations started on the outside of the building, continued up the interior stairs, and filled the entire lobby area - it was beautiful!

I got my room key at the desk and headed upstairs. My sister Lisa was already in the room and still awake. We chatted for a little bit and finally turned off the lights around 1:45 am.

We hadn’t booked any tours or activities in advance, but decided to see if we could do a brief tour. I looked at GetYourGuide, which is an app where you can book tours and activities, and found a two hour tour at 3 pm. It was $105 for the two of us and included transportation. I booked it, and shortly after I got a message from the tour guide saying that since we were the only two booked for the tour, he would pick us up at our hotel at 3 pm!

After breakfast, we went back to the room. Lisa decided to take a nap, and I went for a walk. This hotel is right next to the old town area of Bucharest, and as I walked through, the memories of my last visit came to mind. There were some Christmas decorations around, and some of the glass domes outside the restaurants that hold one or two tables and a heater. It was a little cold, but I had on a light jacket and was comfortable.

Back at the hotel, Ionut picked us up at 3 and drove us past some of the iconic buildings in town, sharing details about Bucharest. The city was named in 1459 after Buchar, a shepherd who settled in the area. The name Bucharest

means City of Joy. We drove past the Arch of Triumph, which is the second largest in the world (the largest is in Paris). The city of Craiova, about 250 km from Bucharest, has the biggest Christmas market in Europe, including snow making guns that guarantee it will be a white Christmas market, and Santa flies in to join the festivities.

Our guide talked a bit about the tourists who come to Romania and said he’s sad that so many visit just to see “Dracula’s castle” in Transylvania. As I learned when I was here in 2023, Dracula is actually a fictional character invented by Bram Stoker. The story was loosely based on Vlad the Impaler, a ruler who lived in Bran Castle and was known for impaling those found guilty of crimes. There is so much real and fascinating history throughout Romania, so he’s sad that the Dracula story is the only thing most people associate with the country. I also pointed out that the show Wednesday was filmed here- I saw Nevermore Academy in the distance when I previously visited Transylvania.

We then went out to the Village Museum. Opened in 1936, it now houses 123 original farmhouses and historic buildings that were relocated from regions all across Romania. Our guide took us through many of the buildings in this large park and pointed out the parts of the country they were brought from and when they were built. I didn’t visit this last time, so it was very interesting to see all the old homes and structures. It’s located within Bucharest, and it’s definitely worth a visit if you enjoy history or architecture.

Our guide explained that the Ottomans, who frequently raided and invaded these areas, always came on horseback. The people in the village kept their food at the church because the Ottomans, who wanted to convert everyone to Muslim, wouldn’t enter the church or go up to the loft, so their food was safe. The doorways are almost all very short because, to the Ottomans, it was considered bad luck to bend down to enter.

After the museum, we drove to Bucharest Revolution Square. It was here that the Revolution of 1989 took place, bringing down Communist rule and the head of the party, Nicolae Ceausescu. The CEC Palace is just across the street, and it’s lit up beautifully at night.

Then we went past the Parliament building, which is the heaviest building in the world, and it has more floors below ground than above. They’re preparing for a Christmas market to be held right in front, and we saw some of it already set up, including a Ferris wheel. He also said they’re taking down the fountains; when Vic and I were here, we heard about a water and light show in the fountains but didn’t have a chance to see it. Our driver and guide said they dismantled the area that housed the equipment for the show so they could work on the Square. The construction will take two years, so they’re anticipating the fountain shows returning when the work is complete.

While I was in the restroom, a solo guy (Luke) sat down at the next table and Lisa started talking to him – he is from the UK and here on business. He has traveled many places, but not to the US.  

For dinner, I had a plate of crap with polenta. Honest, I did! The Romanian word for carp is “crap” (don’t believe me? Look it up!). Lisa had a pork rib and mashed potatoes. We also tried the Saber, not the stronger Tuica. Lisa had the apricot and I tried the blueberry. They were both quite strong, although Lisa’s was stronger. It came in a little glass that looked like a smaller version of something you’d see in a chemistry lab. It may have been intended as a shot, but we sipped ours and then ordered Blue Curaçao drinks to have with dinner.

After dinner, while we were eating the strawberry dessert we had ordered, and Mihal joined us. He ordered papanasi for us, as he said it’s a traditional dessert and we had to try it. It’s described as a doughnut made with a soft, sweet cottage cheese dough, fried, with a topping of sour cream and either cherry or blueberry jam. I think we had one of each. It was very good, and the sour cream tasted more like whipped cream!

We sat and chatted, and he told us about some of the places he has traveled for work. He had just gotten back from a week in London, where he lives about half the time. I asked him if he was thinking about starting a travel agency, and he said he was, so I shared some information and tips about starting one.

We left the restaurant a little before 9, walked toward his car and our hotel, and then said good-bye. It’s nice to meet new people!

Back at the hotel and asleep by 11 pm.