Day 11, From Radison Blu Hotel to Bucharest Airport with KLM to Amsterdam

On June 13, we reached our final day organized in an excellent way by Viking!

This is very close to the Radisson Blu hotel, once more the University Library with just visible the back of the horse of Carol I, equestrian statue.

We did have a great night at this Bucharest City Center Radisson Blu Hotel click it

Our Radisson Blue Hotel Room just like this... click it

Bucharest Radisson Blu serves great breakfast too at one of their 5 on-site restaurants! Just click it

After a relaxed breakfast time, we placed our luggage in the hallway for pick up.

The day before, our luggage was waiting inside our room 455; organized by Viking so we did not have to touch or handle that ourselves.

Viking also organized at what time we had to place our luggage out for being handled.
For us, being cabin number 107, that meant 10:30 and departure for the airport 11:00.
Kudos to Viking indeed for organizing this 11 day journey to perfection!

We had started this Viking Lif PASSAGE TO EASTERN EUROPE in Budapest, Hungary and now ending and departing from Bucharest, Romania...

Sorry for the dangling loop in the bus...
This is the Romanian Airmen Heroes Memorial in Bucharest.

Click through for more info about: Monumentul Eroilor Aerului din Piaþa Aviatorilor (Ceremony organized at the Memorial of Air Heroes in Aviatorilor Square) - foto Cãtãlin Ovreiu

In about 25 minutes we reached Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport
Again a lovely sunny day!

We flew back again with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Bucharest to Amsterdam...

On our flight Amsterdam to Budapest we had seats 7C and 7D but now it was 11C and 11D

We never wanted to use Viking's much cheaper option for flying directly from the USA to Budapest...
That would have been criminal, being in Europe and not seeing my 98-year old Dad!
So we went around that, even though it was complicated...
Again did arrange a rental car from our favorite BB&L with fastest airport service as they meet you right outside of the arrival hall and you go up the escalator to departure hall, where you get into your car. Drop off is also in front of the departure hall!

BUT, I would be in for a surprise... the worst traffic jam experienced in all 36 years coming from Schiphol/Amsterdam Airport!
This was a stand still in Breukelen, Province of Utrecht on the Interstate or 'Autobaan' as it is called in Dutch.

Culemborg, Gelderland the Province where Pieter is born but he lived to the east.
Always those low hanging Dutch clouds, famous from paintings the world over!
One wants to almost duck... We were so lucky for traveling during the lovely summer time with green fields and gardens.

Approaching the River Waal near Waardenburg, Gelderland

Cable Stay Bridge... I've always liked this Cable Stayed Bridge!

Bridging the River Waal

Click for some interesting facts: One of the few Dutch Cable Stay Bridges: Martinus Nijhoff Bridge | Zaltbommel

That again was a long day and there still was one hour time difference from Romania.
We both felt under the weather and wanted to REST

But it took us quite a long time to drive to the South of the country, to Limburg...

Below you find two short Relive.cc videos, just click below:

Relive 'From Radisson Blu to Bucharest Airport'

Relive 'Schiphol - Horst aan de Maas Sevenum'

Well, this actually would be the 67th time in our 36 years visiting our birth country; coming from Bucharest, Romania this time.

From May 21 till June 3, prior to our cruise, I had driven 1,301 km or 808 mi
From June 13 ill June 16, after our cruise,                            367 km or 228 mi
Total driven:                                                                     1,668 km or 1,036 mi

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:

Day 10, by bus from Giurgiu to Bucharest, Romania | previous post

Day 9, Russe, Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi, Bulgaria | previous post

Day 8, Bulgarian Danube and Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress | previous post

Day 7, Serbian Danube with Golubac Fortress & Djerdap Gorge to Iron Gates | previous post

Day 6, Panoramic Belgrade, Serbia | previous post
Day 5, from Vukovar to Osijek, Croatia | previous post
Day 4, Kalocsa Baroque Cathedral with Organ Music and Puszta | previous post

Day 3 Departure from Budapest on Viking Lif | previous post

Day 2 Passage to Eastern Europe - Panoramic Budapest | previous post

My 3rd Trip with Husband Pieter to Hungary with stay at Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest | previous post

Day 10, by bus from Giurgiu to Bucharest, Romania

Day 10 on June 12, meant the ending of our PASSAGE TO EASTERN EUROPE cruise with Viking...
So we left our luggage in the hallway early for being picked up and transported separately to our hotel. Great Viking service and they know how to handle all the details!
After our final breakfast, we left our Longboat Viking Lif and we got on the bus by 9:00.
So from our Port of Giurgiu, Romania we now would head some 60 km north to Bucharest by bus.
Giurgiu is on the River Danube and facing the Bulgarian city of Ruse where we were yesterday and only needed to cross the Danube for docking on the other side...

About one hour by bus away from Giurgiu, we came across this Saint Spyridon the New Church, Bucharest.

By passing by on the E70, we only got to see the actual back side! Click here: Saint Spyridon Church in Bucharest

Just click Saint Spyridon Church Bucharest to learn that it is actually the LARGEST CHURCH in the Romanian Capital at Unification Square! The Old Saint Spyridon Church is behind the United Nations Square...

Only about 15 minutes on our way, we crossed a river in the Ilfov County in which Bucharest the capital is also located.

Also after one hour driving time, we could catch a glimpse of the Palace of the Parliament, seen on the left of the 2 lanterns to the right, with fountains in front. Will show later more up close.

University Palace, on University Square, Bucharest

We even did pass by this Arch of Triumph in Bucharest, Romania!

On our way from this Arch of Triumph to Park King Michael I...

By 10:30 in the morning we reach this special Museum where they did bring Modest Rural Dwellings to this beautiful Park area for viewing...
It is a special outdoor Muzeul National Satului, also known as the Village Museum where they literally did bring together different dwellings from all regions into a kind of village.
Quite a task for relocating and reassembling them!

This is an old wooden Church that got relocated here inside Park King Michael I.

Rural home that is partly built inside the ground for insulation reason, also relocated to Park King Michael I.

Very old Chapel in Park King Michael I.

Even though we did have the BEST guide we had on our entire Viking cruise's bus tours, a very knowledgeable young man, that knew everything about history and told it as it was, I walked fast back to the bus...
Just before exiting through the building I came upon this local Romanian Egg Painting Artist as she got interviewed by TV.
What an ART and how much I'd love to buy some, however not a smart idea for traveling across the Atlantic Ocean with delicate eggs...

Instead of covering a wider area, I went back to my dear husband who had been oh so ill during the night. Running a fever, shaking and difficulty breathing with an acute bronchitis.
Pieter was far worse than I, and we both did not want to see a doctor in Bulgaria but instead make it out of the country as good as we could, by resting enough to regain some strength.
Such a trip is quite demanding for any nonagenarian...

Around 11:00 I got back to the bus where husband Pieter was taking a nap for regaining some strength for the next lengthy Old City Walk after lunch...
Yes, he wore his linen blend sweater, due to having had fever at night.
We did a lot of praying!

By noon we approach our destination Restaurant Pescarus for lunch!
All within this beautiful green Park King Michael I.

Pescarus Restaurant in Bucharest Romania, click through for more info.
Good to know that this is from 1939 and that they had quite some famous people visiting: King Juan Carlos from Spain; Shimon Peres the former President of Israel; great chess master Anatoly Karpov...
Our guide took lunch orders from each passenger in the bus, after naming giving us the choices.
He then informed via smart phone the restaurant so they could have it all ready upon arrival!
Really great organizing and good food.

From the ABOUT US we learned that they could seat 400 people inside and 600 in the summer in their garden!
The interior looked incredible and as husband Pieter remarked, glass hanging down from ceiling was very much resembling the blown glass from Murano, near Venice Italy!
No wonder: Pescarus by Twins Studio just click the link and here above you see the long rows of tables and the incredible glass hanging above. There was another long row behind the lamp to the left. This is from the second part of video.

During this lunch at "PESCARUS" Bucarest, we could enjoy local Romanian Musicians and a lively folkloric performance again. Just click on pink link.

Back on the bus by 13:30 and I had to capture this tower of Vodafone as it was our server in Romania! Yes, we had an International Travel Plan with our Verizon Server and it worked perfect in all 7 countries we went to.

By bus we did pass by the University Library with the equestrian statue of King Carol I.
Born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to 1914.

Did sell once this vintage box with blazon of the Royal house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in Romania before  WWII.

In Latin 'NIHIL SINE DEO' and translated into Romanian as 'NIMIC FARA DUMNEZEU'.

Pronounced in old Romanian as 'NIMIC FARA DUMNEDEU'.
Translates to: Nothing Without God

C.E.C. Palace from where we would begin our Old Town Bucharest walk...

From the bus taken as we passed to park nearby.

Look at the weather on our final day...!

C.E.C. Palace of Bucharest

Feeling very happy for having arrived in the country whose language I understand, as we lived and worked in Italy, near Venice for about one year and I often watched the Romanian TV.

Did mention that in earlier writing... see link below post.

This architectural gem: Bucharest Centennial The C.E.C. Palace, a landmark of the changing capital just click for more of its history and info about the now 101 year old building since July 4, 2019.

Our very knowledgeable and courteous guide, a tall slender young man, walked us now through Bucharest Old Town to this Stavropoleos Monastery.

Click to see more: The Church of Stavropoleos Monastery in Bucharest, Romania and its iconostasis.

We should have sat down here too, at this beautiful patio from The Church of Stavropoleos Monastery!

The National Bank of Romania The Old Palace now museum (WHY did I tilt my camera that way...?)
The Old Palace of the National Bank, considered "the most beautiful building in Bucharest" by architect Ion Mincu, impresses through its monumentality, regularity, distinction and size. The contrasting interior, with an "ample and spectacular configuration that is very well contained" (architect Nicolae Lascu), is suited to the esthetic and functional needs of a central bank at the end of the 19th century. It is the first important bank building in Bucharest, the most imposing building of a financial institution, which can be compared with other great constructions of the time in European capitals. 

The National Bank of Romania The Old Palace now museum click for more info

Carturesti Carusel bookstore in 19th century building

Click to see more: Carturesti Carusel Bookstore

Dacia Palace what would become the Jewish Holocaust Museum...
Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust surviver who died on July 2, 2016 was also Romanian born.
By the way, Bucharest has its first female mayor: Gabriela Firera.

The C.E.C. Palace comes in view again and that's where we get back onto our bus.

Palace of the Parliament, mind you only part of its right sight!!!

The People's Salvation Cathedral an Eastern Orthodox Church
This is still under construction and will become the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
It is the tallest and largest Orthodox Church in the world by volume and the 3rd in the world by area. 

The People's Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania - Tur virtual al Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului click link for a short video of how the end result of this Neo-Byzantine architecture will look like.

On November 24 of 2018, they did already the very solemn lengthy rituals The People's Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania Sanctification - Sfințirea Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului Romania

We walked here and I tried hard for capturing this HUGE Palace of Parliament without having all the cars below that are parked there... I had to crop it.
To the left, you still see the main tower of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Ceausescu's expansive Palace of Parliament is the largest civilian building in the world, with 3,000 rooms and 24-carat gold ceilings.
So that was our day, filled with very impressive and unique architecture.
By 16:15 the bus dropped us off at the luxurious Radisson BLU Hotel, where we took a good rest as this was a long day, especially for Pieter who was not in the best condition.

Relive 'By bus from Giurgiu to Bucharest, Romania + walk'

Our short Relive.cc video: By bus from Giurgiu to Bucharest, Romania + walk

Short Relive.cc video: Walk in Bucharest Romania, Old Center

Thank you for your visit and comment!

Related links:
Our Historic Christmas in Italy - END of Romania's Communist Dictator | previous post by me

{Romanian box with Royal Blazon: Nothing Without God} | previous post by me
Day 9, Russe, Veliko Tarnovo & Arbanasi, Bulgaria | previous post
Day 8, Bulgarian Danube and Belogradchik Rocks & Fortress | previous post
Day 7, Serbian Danube with Golubac Fortress & Djerdap Gorge to Iron Gates | previous post
Day 6, Panoramic Belgrade, Serbia | previous post
Day 5, from Vukovar to Osijek, Croatia | previous post
Day 4, Kalocsa Baroque Cathedral with Organ Music and Puszta | previous post
Day 3 Departure from Budapest on Viking Lif | previous post
Day 2 Passage to Eastern Europe - Panoramic Budapest | previous post
My 3rd Trip with Husband Pieter to Hungary with stay at Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest | previous post