Bucharest Day One





After getting in after midnight, I slept in, had breakfast at the hotel, and took a  better look at the nice gifts left in the room: two bottles of Princess Margareta wine in a classy wooden box,  a book on King Michael and The King's Music, a CD. 

Walked from the hotel to the Regina Elisabeta Blvd and over to the Calea Victoriei.   The Royal Palace is on this street.   The palace houses two museums, one for European art and other for Romanian art.  The majority of the European collection comes from Carol I, who left his collection to the Romanian people when he died in 1914.  Art belonging to the royal family also mak es up a large portion of what is on display.  This latter collection was acquired in 1948.  Let's just say members of the Royal Family did not give the paintings and sculpture to the nation.

I wanted to take a few photos of the interior, but the museum charges 50 leis for the privilege. Passed on that.  There are several portraits and busts of Carol I,  as well as a large photo of the unveiling of the King Carol I on a horse statue across the street.  This ceremony took place in 1935, I think.

Got a gorgeous bouquet of flowers this evening from the King's advisor, apologizing for not being at the airport to welcome me ... they had the wrong flight information and were there at the wrong time  ...