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Out of context: Reply #73993

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  • jagara4

    Just returned from 2 weeks in Romania. I had a fun/interesting time. 5 days in Bucharest, some days by the black sea cost (Constanta).

    Bucharest is an odd city. Ceausescu did a real number on the capital, destroying large neighborhoods in favor of bombastic parade-friendly kilometre-long boulevards and monstrous buildings (that idiotic palace o parlament - my god). And commieblocks. So many commieblocks. Apparently, he was more than a little inspired by Kim Il-Sungs Pyongyang. The city used to be called "little Paris" - I'm sure that's a pre-communist nickname. The only neighborhood truly deserving of that title is old town, a small chunk of the original city, still charming, but a total tourist trap. However, there's still a vibe here that i ended up missing. People (including romanians) told me to avoid Bucharest, but i disagree. If you look for beauty, you'll find it. And interesting? Oh yes (at least for an ex-communist countries buff like me).

    Speaking of vibes, same day I came back, I was made aware of Watcher (it's on Amazon Prime, I think). It takes place in Bucharest. So weird watching a psychological thriller taking place in a city i just visited. I can recommend it, if you like glacially paced, Hitchcock-esque thrillers.

    jagara 4Permalink
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    • If you didn't meet up with grafician I don't want to hear about it.palimpsest
    • Ha. Actually I completely forgot about him being romanian. I should have!jagara
    • I too would like to visit the balkans some daymonospaced
    • I'm off to 2 weeks in Albania next month.jagara
    • When I was living in Serbia 15 years ago, I used to nip off for weekends to Timisoara (RO), to refresh my visa. It was ... OK. Nothing special.Continuity
    • How dare you Bad mouth communism. You will upset the be qbn eliteHayoth
    • And you wonder why you're always the last to be picked for a team sport.Continuity
    • Bucharest is ok for a city break. Nothing more.pablo28
    • I always allow around a week. It takes time to get to know a city (and a week can at least give you an idea). To truly know a city, you have to live in it, IMO.jagara
    • the international film industry shoots there a lot i think.. or is that budapest...blade runner 2049 for example...neverscared
    • any pics to share from your trip ?neverscared
    • Loved this movie.elahon
    • @neverscared https://castelfilm.r…pablo28
    • My mother was born in Bucharest.BusterBoy
    • @Hayoth Really trying to help you not paint in broad strokes here: How is Ceausescu's forced natalism anything different from what the GOP is doing right now?garbage
    • Because if you don't have a nuanced answer, I'm just gonna assume that the GOP is now the party of oppressive authoritarians..garbage
    • ..dragged around on a bondage leash and under the heel of corporate and religious interests.garbage
    • thanksneverscared
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