Travel
Bucharest Is Not Budapest!
21 May 2019
I enjoy traveling independently. The planning of my trip is as enjoyable as the actual travel. Both are learning experiences. However, there are destinations where it is more difficult to maneuver as a solo female traveler; exploring the countryside of some countries necessitates a different approach. Thus, for the remainder of my trip, I join an organized tour which will move me around rural Romania. From now forward, I am at the mercy of another’s planning: their choice of hotels, restaurants, and sites of interest, their time schedules. Our group is small, just eight bladders. (more…)
At the entrance to Strada Lipscani in Old Town is the mandatory Roman Statue recognized throughout the world. Rome’s she wolf nurtures Romulus and Remus. The Italians gave it to Romania in 1906 but it does look sort of out of place. But, it is a good entry point to Old Town. One can stroll these streets for hours enjoying the mix of architecture, much of it influenced by classical and French influences, Greco-Roman, neoclassical, and baroque; a little Art Deco here and a little communist efficiency there. 
Varna drapes around Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast and the lovely Gulf of Varna. Originally called Odessos and an important Thracian seaside port, Varna has been a major economic and cultural center for over 3000 years. Lots of history, mild temperatures, ancient Roman ruins, turquoise seas, and the oldest gold treasure in the world – the walled city of Varna sounds like my kind of destination.
I am being fed, pampered, clothed, fed, entertained, and fed with real Bulgarian hospitality. Mila, Vladimir and daughter Pam are spoiling me to the max. Today, they guide me to several fascinating sites of very early Bulgarian history. Americans learn next to nothing about this region of the world. We are missing out on the fascinating early beginnings of Man and his evolution and survival.