As we drive around the city I am still just as intrigued as I was 9 months ago! I know my pictures don't do the city justice but hopefully you'll get a glimpse of what we see and enjoy every day!
I think about the time and money but mostly the labor it took to create some of these buildings ~ it is so impressive!
This picture didn't have to share its space with anyone else because I wanted to remark on it all by itself ~ WHAT WERE THEY THINKING 😮😯😳? The bottom building is so gorgeous and then they added a modern building on top that is just plain, straight and ordinary (besides the fact that it looks like a small windstorm could take it down 😉). Anyhooo, someone told me that it represents the "old" and the "new". I just can't understand why they would take a beautiful historic building and turn it into such an oddity especially since it looks so out of place with the rest of the Piata Revolutiei (Revolution Square) where it is situated with all the other old historic buildings. It's a pickle 🤔.
The features of the buildings are so integral in detail; even though each part seems unique and individual they compliment and add to the beautiful and the completion of the structure as a "whole".
In almost all of the underpasses you will see graffiti artwork on the pillars. They are all over the city and are just remarkable. They all have meaning and it is so fun to see the creativeness of each artist. The bridges and overpasses are very elaborate and beautiful as well. The top right pic is of another Orthodox Church; People's Salvation Cathedral, under construction. Although most all of the Romanian people are not in favor or even proud of it; the church is using government money on this objectionable edifice instead of putting the money to better use for hospitals and the school system. It will be the largest Orthodox iconostasis in the world.
These were taken in January and I need to take (or find) a few of the pics of the trees in the summer ~ totally gorgeous! It has been such a blessing to be here in Romania and to be able to enjoy all 4 seasons this year! They have so many beautiful parks, fountains and there are beautiful trees that line all the streets, fill up the gorgeous parks and make the city beautiful with the fullness of all the changes throughout the seasons: I L💚VE it! There is even a little grocery market named after our granddaughter, Penny 😊.
I would have loved to live in one of these homes, but the main problem is that most of them should be condemned because they don't meet any kind of standard.
It would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to get them refurbished and up to code. I am happy that they are still standing (and that we have our own nice cozy apartment) and I love that we can still enjoy the beauty of these astonishing buildings and homes.
I think I have mentioned how the roads and driving are hilarious; this street has trolley cars coming and going in both directions and you drive on the tracks with them. Since we have been here for so long it has become common but it still cracks me up as I drive along them. The tracks are also in the middle of all the big intersections and you have to cross over to turn left or whip a U-turn (which is, like, legal in every place you travel) and you just have to pray that you don't get hit by one while you are waiting for the other cars to go so you can turn!
The top, middle picture is of pigeons standing on the gutter, a ton of pigeons. They are all over the city but it was interesting watching these pigeons; as they flew away another batch would replace them - it must be a "hang out" place for them to visit and be with their friends!
We glanced over at an office building and saw on the balcony these people taking a smoking break. I don't know why I thought it was so funny but it reminded me of the parody of being "Sent to Serbia"; the cold, outcasts of society.
Here are a few pics in black and white "depicting" the Communist Regime (although during the communist leadership there were 1000's of homes demolished and the Romanian citizens were placed in high-rise block apartment buildings). The country of Romania has really been put through the ringer. Their country, before the 1989 Romanian Revolution, had 42 years of Communism under the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu. It went from a very prosperous country to one where the people were starving and giving all their food and wares to Ceausescu to pay off the country's debt (I'm not sure if these facts are 100% correct so feel free to study and report back to me!).
PS ~ As I've mentioned before these pictures just don't do the city/country justice! Hopefully the pandemic will pass and you can come visit and check out Romania for yourself and see what an amazing country it is! We will be here until December 2021 and all our welcomed 💙😇💙!
