Romantic Romania and Beautiful Bucharest, what you must see

Problem
What to see in Romania?

Answer
Romantic Romania, gave New Yokr pastrami and the song Rumania sung by Eartha Kitt in Romania's heyday before WWI and before WWII. See everything - starting with the capital Bucharest, which you can reach with budget airline Ryanair. You can also book your hotel, a beautiful hotel such as Scala Boutique Hotel, through booking.com .

Airport Delights
The airport on arrival is a delight. We imagined it was built with EU money, if so, money well spent. I liked the shops to keep you entertained while waiting by the luggage carousel. I loved the photo displays on the walk to the car park. They should have had captions.

Tip on Money
Warning - the money exchange rates at the airport leaving the UK, at S t a n s t e a d were not to our liking, nor were the exchange rates at the arrival airport. Get money in advance at a post office in the UK, or at an exchange at the arrival city.

We picked up a car from Thrifty. The offices for Thrifty, Hertz and others were grouped together. Out to the shuttle. Drop at the doorway of the car rental office. Check for dents. Driver on the left of the car, opposite to England we had just left.

The car had no satnav but the passenger can use Google maps to navigate and signs are clear. The only confusion is the the word c e n t u r a appears before c e n t r a.

The drive into the city centre was wonderful. along an avenue of trees passing the major embassies and museums, grand buildings, the giant monument to aviators and the copy of the French Arc de Triomphe.

Art Deco
Bucharest buildings are beautiful. Art deco, steeped roofs, Disney style castles and towers, massive blocks.

Graffiti and Banksy
We were sad to see that so many were ruined, boarded up, even bits of plaster falling off. Worst of all was the appalling graffiti. They could do with Britain's Banksy, the mural artist who started in Bristol and set the standard for murals which are works of art. But only on Blank walls. Not defacing historic and beautiful buildings.

My three top recommendations:
1 Hotel Scala Boutique.
2 Eat in the old town.
3 Take the City Tour open top bus.

More on all three in subsequent posts.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.