Final Day in Transylvania: Bucharest

Our final day of the trip was spent touring the city of Bucharest, started thousands of years ago by a shepherd and made the capital city by Vlad the Impaler. It's an interesting mix of old and new, with huge mansions sitting close to Communist-block apartment buildings. We saw things like the remains of Vlad the Impaler's original Bucharest residence, the most recent residence of the Communist leaders, more churches (of course), and a few different residential neighborhoods. Our lunch was in a gorgeous old German-style building, with live musicians.

I've now been to 13 different countries: Canada, Mexico, Singapore, India, China, Greece, Turkey, Russia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England, and Romania. The Romanian people have been some of the most welcoming, friendly, and patriotic people I have ever met. While there is diversity of thought, just like any country, I have been truly impressed with the rich history of passion and generosity I have found here. As I write this, there are political protesters just a few blocks away, demanding freedom and fair taxes from the government. They wave the Romanian flag, again showing their national pride. I admire their commitment to honoring their own history and people. While we didn't ever find Dracula, I think we have all found something more important: An appreciation of the true spirit of Romania, and why it is beautiful.

Below are some photos I took of today's tour.