We spent our entire last day in Bucharest which is called the "Little Paris of the East" because of its strong French
influence. In the period between the two world wars, French architects designed many of the city's municipal buildings and
laid out its tree-lined boulevards and public fountains. From 1947 to 1989, the country was ruled by a Communist controlled
dictator,   Nicolae Ceausescu.  Under his rule, Romania steered a semi-independent path , continuing trade with the west,
but was ruled with an iron fist.  Ceausescu and his wife were asasinated in 1989 and the country was relaunched as a
democracy, joining NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. Our tour of Bucharest began with a visit to the huge parliament
building. We then toured the Old Town, which is now a tourist mecca with innumerable shops and restaurants.  Our last stop
was a village outdoor museum, which displays examples of Romania's historical rural lifestyle.
Bucharest, the Capital of Romania
That's the end; time to go Home
Ceausescu spent a fortune building this
parliament building, which is second in size
only to the Pentagon.  Michael Jackson
famously welcomed and insulted a huge
crowd here:  "Welcome to Budapest!"
Example of French
influence;  the
parliament is at the
end of this boulevard
Western Influence?
We lunched here in an historic inn (1808) constructed almost entirely of
wood.  Even the cobblestones were made from wood.  This section of
Bucharest dates from the 16th century
Dracula
French Embassy
Central Bank of
Romania
18th century
Monastery
A famous Romanian brewery,
but no time for samples
Not everything is old; this amazingly
modern bookstore reminds us of Daunts
bookstore in Marlybone, London. but It
sells much more than books
There is no escape from the Obamas
The outdoor village museum showcases rural houses from the
three regions of Romania.  They were disassembled and put back
together  here to show how rural Romanians lived and some still
do today.
These houses were
built without modern
nails.  The walls were
joined with massive
dovetails.

Almost all of the
houses had  looms;
Romanian women
wove the cloth used
to make their own
clothes.
Too much walking requires rest stops
A variety of
architectures
The museum is also used for public
events; this one is a fund-raiser for
families
The Stavapoleos Church on
the right was built by the
Greeks in the 1720s. The
Romanians totally rebuilt it in
the late 19th century, adding a
courtyard and an Abbot's
house that now serves as a
convent for five nuns.