Budapest, where Hapsburg dynasty mingles with the "socialist" heritage
Bucharest & Constanta, the other side of Europe (considering Portugal...) After two weeks of continuous travelling throughout a part of the central-Eastern Europe, roaming from capital to capital, here are the final results. So many images, experiences and dwellings. Starting in Wroclaw, it was a 7 hours trip by bus to Vienna. Once there we where completely amazed with the city, and it's proportions. What a nice example of what and European capital should be. Everything works perfectly, the avenues are clean, museums are great, with only one problem: the prices. Apart from that it's overwhelming.
After Vienna, and a 1 hour trip by train we were in Bratislava. From what I've heard, this are the two nearest capitals, in Europe. Considerably more modest, the city itself is also amazingly beautiful. One day and a half was enough to get to know it, or at least its core. Here you can still "taste" some remains of the "socialist" era. It's possible to testify there, the efforts that the Slovaks are making to reach the European Union standards (or apparently not, as I heard later on...).
Also near, about 3 hours by train, is Budapest. Huge city, trying to recover from a demanding "communist" regime. The Hapsburg where also there, and that was evident in the architecture of the city, although the buildings are now falling into decay and ruin. That made us wonder about the prices regarding the quality of life in the city. In one hand, you have a decayed and grey city (although beautiful), & in the other hand, the prices are quite heavy.
After this came the hard part of the journey: 14 hours by train until Bucharest. Something like 853 km. At the first stage we nearly crossed the whole Romania, but we stopped for 3 days in the capital. We didn't do that much sightseeing here, because about this time exhaustion was getting into us. So, after washing our clothes in the great "Butterfly Villa Hostel", we wondered a little through the city, in the past aka "Little Paris". This qualification, had to do with the city back in the 1920's, when it was a flourishing capital, with great buildings, gardens and cultural life. Of course that all of this ended with the "arriving of communism". A little bit like Budapest, all these architectural wonders, were destroyed or abandoned during the communism. The main idea I got from it, was like a "New-York" of the Eastern-Europe. When you see the amount of people on the street, the traffic confusion, you immediately resemble it to some-what of a "jungle". You can only say you're a good driver when you survive driving in Bucharest.
And the second stage of the Romania journey, and final destination, was Constanta. Considered the third biggest city of the country, it's sided by the Black Sea, although, and we saw it, the sea is not really black. A lovely city but one big problem: street dogs. If you are wise and a little bit careful you can manage. First a Greek city, named Tomis, later on it was conquered by the Roman Empire. The Emperor Constantino baptised the city in his sister honour, enc the Constanta. With roman ruins and findings everywhere in the lovely city center, it's an archaeologists dream, if only it would be possible to dig there. The "Roma" are always present, although we should keep in mind that Romania has much more to show than Gypsies and Dacia's (equivalent to the Polski Fiat there). I found the Romanians quite warm-welcoming people, maybe also because of their partially Latin roots. Although a poor country you would be amazed with the quantity of luxury cars cruising the streets everyday. It's amazing: BMW's, Mercedes, Porsche - you name it, they have it... I would like to return there 10 years from now, and see the evolution of the country, of course under the European Union influence. What kind of role in the European Union awaits Romania?...
After a "hard good-bye", I had to return back to Wroclaw because classes at the University would start in one week. After some days past I had great news... As some of you already know, my small peace of Portugal, returned to my side... So, now with my ever fullfiling company, I'll start the second part of this quite unique experience.
"Wroclaw, the meeting point..."
