Where was I?
 

A short city break last weekend, but can you tell where I was from the photos below? I'd be interested to hear where you think it was...

.

Not sure yet? Try these extra pictures then...

.

Well, maybe this stylish new open-aspect Metro train will finally give it away...

.

Obviously European (duh!)
From the grandiose architecture I'd suggest a Balkan state.
From the Metro (is it called that?) I'd have a stab at one of the more successful states.

Romania? Bucharest?
It looks like some pics I've seen before.

Okay, laugh's on me if it's Paris :)

I'm going with Lyon, France, because that's the first thing that popped into my head.

Montreal

Someplace they speak a Romance language, and have a red-yellow-blue flag.

Croatia?

Yeah, I was going to say Italy, but couldn't guess at a city.

Where was I?
 

Intoxicated. ;)

Sundae gets the cigar - Bucharest it was. Bruce would have almost qualified if his answer wasn't quite so obvious.

Quite an intersting place - EU investment is starting to show with much of the historic area (where these photos were taken) inthe midst of renovation.

Well worth a visit - essentials such as food (restaurant supplied|), accommodation and transport working out at about half UK prices - so the dollar will go further.

More photos when I get home tonight....

I honestly didn't see the flags - I'm rubbish on flags anyway.
There was a chance HM was going to work in Bucharest for 6 months, and he said I should come over to visit him - I was so excited! (It fell through)
Lots of filming on location over there for tax reasons, and as you say it's just so much cheaper to put up the cast and crew.

If I had disposable income I'd seriously be considering a city break (although Tallinn and Riga are higher on my list - Baltic rather than Balkan)

Looks wonderful anyway. Look forward to more photos.

Apologies for the slight delay - had a meeting I forgot about, plus some hectic times in personal life I may tell you about some time.

Anyway, to the photos, First some more of the historic district, Lipscani.

There are many small narrow streets here crammed with both modern and old architecture, like Stavropol Street below, where a popular bar/restaurant known as Carul cu Bere (the Beer Cart) is located:

.

They do a great line in steaks -- I had a fair sized (overlapped the plate!) rib steak with trimmings for the equivalent of £10!. The building is actually a converted church and the interior has been more or less preserved with fine painted, vaulted ceilings and a raised lectern complete with its spiral staircase - just visble in this photo of the bar that's set up in front of a fine pair of stained-glass windows:

.

We found this place, eventually, after a lot of foot slogging around the district on our first day (you've seen some of the photos already), and managed to catch this christening, complete with proud grandmother!

.

EU investment was starting to show - a number of the old streets were undergoing renovation - we caught this one at what might be termed 'stage one':

.

A lot of the French baroque style buildings had deteriorated during the communist years - many had lost their lead and copper domes, but these are slowly being replaced as the two photos below of the same building evidence:

.

Bucharest stands on the Dambovita River, a section of which is shown below:

.

and the city also boasts the world's second largest building (the first being the Pentagon) in the People's Palace of Ceausescu's days - now known as the Parliament Palace:

.

Back nearer the centre of town, there's the university district, which is adjacent to Lipscani, and this has a number of fine buildings, most noticeably the Romanian Athenaeum, apparently as grand on the inside as it is on the outside (we couldn't gain access to the inside unfortunately) - and if you're wondering who that idiot is with a stupid grin on his face, that's my pal Geoff, with whom I made the trip:

.

I love construction shots like this.

But as much as they try to get it right when renovating, they can also get it wrong - McKinsey deserve to have their assets frozen for producing this monstrosity as their Bucharest headquarters!

.

Not quite what we'd like the new millennium to be remembered for!

Then, as might be expected, there are the monuments created during the sombre communist days. A fine view into town when looking away from the monument, but, even though it is meant to be a tribute to the missing of wars spanning the late 1800's through to the Second World War, one can't help thinking when looking at the monument itself, 'you know, I have this sudden craving for a Big Mac!':

.

So, overall the city is a great place to visit. Plenty to take in from the grand architectiure shown, to the evidence of its communist past as in the first picture below. But its French origins shine through with wide boulevards criss-crossing the city as in the second and last picture I am posting - this road being the one leading back from the Parliament Palace into the city centre.

The end of communist influence and the free western lifestyle that know dominates is most noticeable when visiting the bars and restaurants. Here the age of cleints rarely exceeds about 30, and those beyond that age (present company excepted) in Bucahrest and its suburbs usually display the signs of their austere former communist existence. Not so the young who are very fashion conscious and full of enthusiasm - these are clearly the future of Bucahrest, and it shows.

Catch it if you can, while it still represents good value for money, as, like all things EU, this situation won't last for long!
.