Bucharest Beginning

We decided this  morning to just finish up our granola bars from home because after today we will be feasting like kings on the Viking Embla!  I didn't want to pay 15 Euros for a hotel breakfast and really we just wanted coffee and tea in our room and snacks!  It worked well.  a relaxing morning.  I am finishing a very good book.  The first time I have ever read an entire book on my phone.  Not bad and it was a First Reads from Amazon so tomorrow I can get another free read!  It is called Beyond the Shadow of Night by Ray Kingfisher.  I seem to find a lot of good World War II books about various aspects of Nazi terrorism.  This had a bit of a different twist and kept my interest.

At 10:00 we checked out and the called a cab.  For $2.35 we had a taxi to our hotel.  I gave in five and he seemed delighted. This is a very nice J.W. Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel.  Directly across from the Parliament Palace, Ceausescu's Palace, it hosts the delegations from visiting diplomats.  Today, down the hall from us we have a guard protecting the Canadian Delegation.  Or maybe they are protecting us from them!  Either way there is a lot of police presence all around us and many, many large black limousines!

This is a really beautiful and very fancy hotel.  It has the most beautiful bathroom I have ever seen in any hotel anywhere.  Separate shower and tub, more than enough towels, soft rug by the sink, large tub.  But pictures will have to wait until tomorrow except for the ones in the hotel link.


We were able to come to our room which was nice.  Elva took a nap and I read.  We did connect up with Elva's brother, Allan and his wife Mary who are joining us n this trip.  They were on the pre-trip to Brashoff and Bran to visit Dracula.  We tried to have lunch in the hotel but the casual restaurants were closed for the holiday.  The garden one was closed because it was 'chilly.'  The three of them went off to find a pretty park and some lunch and finally found a place where they each had a slice of Pizza.

I declined and am glad I did.  I got well caught up here and besides, before they returned, it rained.  Just as I was winding down on my laptop, which is at least co-operating now, Carol texted me that she had arrived.  I went down to her room and after much hugging and a quick catching up we got her signed up for her preferred included tour.  Back in the room by now, Elva dozed and I read.

We all met at about 6:00 and went to the recommended Italian restaurant across the street.  It is the only hotel Viking could recommend.  Romanian Italian isn't really Italian but the place was pretty, and clean.  The dishes all appeared to be hand made.  The bread sticks were filled with peppers but warm  The bread was sturdy!  The  butter was mixed with anchovy paste.  The Coke Zero was good.

Mary and Allan Sanders, Elva Sanders Smith, and me.  Sweet Carol took the picture.

Back in the room now as tomorrow the actual Viking trip begins.  Nine o'clock and Elva is sleeping.  I hope Carol is as she has been awake more than 24 hours due to flight cancellations and changes.  The good thing is that by 11 this morning she had already had two breakfasts and a lunch!