I booked an extra day in Bucharest, so we’ve broken free of the herd – on our own today!

Switching Hotels

We’re switching hotels this morning. Not sure when/if I’ll be in Bucharest again, and I wanted to stay at the famous spy hotel, the Intercontinental Athénée.

During much of WWII, Romania remained unoccupied and diplomatically connected to both Axis and Allied powers, making Bucharest – and the Athénée – a crossroads of spies, diplomats, journalists, and refugees.

After the communists took power in 1948, the Athénée was nationalized and turned into a place where Romanian state security conducted active surveillance on guests. Every room was bugged, the hotel’s general director and deputy were undercover intelligence officers, and doormen, housekeepers, and even prostitutes were instructed to watch and report on conversations and behavior, effectively turning the whole building into a listening post for the regime.

The People’s Cathedral

We tried to get inside the People’s Cathedral (the largest orthodox cathedral in the world), but it was closed until consecration day, which is TWO days from now. Ugh. The closest we could get was this little outdoor chapel, built as a place of worship while the bigger cathedral is under construction.

Dammit. I would have loved seeing the inside of that place.

Next: Uber ride, driven by a cranky Romanian wearing an Adidas track suit.

Carousel of Light Bookstore

Ken and I both love a good bookstore, so we set off to find what’s billed as the most beautiful bookstore in Romania – Cărturești Carusel, or carousel of light. It’s absolutely stunning inside, but it also has great history. In the early 20th century, the building was a prestigious bank, but during the communist era it was repurposed as a state-run general store, losing most of its former glory. After the 1989 revolution, the building was left abandoned for years, slowly falling into decay. It was rescued and fully restored in 2007.

Absolutely worth a stop if you ever find yourself in Bucharest.

Oh, look. A whole section of Bram Stoker Dracula books. I suppose you can’t go to Romania without running into Dracula at some point.

Antiques Shopping

Tried to do some antiques shopping. Bucharest has plenty of antiques stores, but every store smells like some combination of incense mixed with new smoke layered over old smoke. Lots to look at, but the smell is killing me. Air. I need air.

Lunch Break

I’m always on the lookout for old/historic bars when we travel. Found a gem in Caru’ cu Bere, a beer pub that says it’s the oldest in Bucharest (c. 1879). The building looks like it could have been a church in a former life, but apparently, it was always a brewery. Hat tip to the architect.

Lots of pork knuckles and marinated sour cabbage on the menu. I wasn’t terribly hungry, so asked the waitress for suggestions. She talked me into the pumpkin soup, which arrived with its own bowl of croutons. Well played, Romania. The beer was cold and beer flavored (and yes that’s my menopause fan – I don’t leave home without it). Call it a win for Caru’ cu Bere.

Liquor Store Culture

One of my favorite things to do when we travel is browse through grocery and liquor stores. You can learn a lot about a culture by looking at how they eat and drink. And with a sign like this, you kind of have to go inside. Huh. I’ve never seen Fireball and Jagermeister available as self-serve. That’s a dangerous little dispenser they’ve got there. Once you get past the Fireball, the store had a great selection of local liquors. I asked the proprietor for recommendations, and he suggested this Romanian cherry liquor, which I bought for my collection of world liquors.

National Museum of Art

Walked through the National Museum of Art, which used to be the Royal Palace. It was originally built for King Carol II in the 1930s, and sustained heavy damage during the 1989 revolution, leading to extensive, decade-long renovations. It officially reopened in stages, between 2000 and 2013. 

As far as art goes, it has all the heavy-hitters (Monet, Renoir, Rembrandt, El Greco and a whole bunch of Romanian artists), but it was equally interesting for its spectacular interiors.

On our way out of the museum, I nearly tripped over this woman who was using the stairs as a spot to contemplate the ceiling. I respect the curiosity, but also: ma’am – it’s not that deep.

Another Wedding

Accidentally attended a Romanian wedding this afternoon. We’ve been to a lot of weddings this trip.

Happy Hour

Had cocktails this evening at the hotel bar, The English Bar, which was the place for international spies to rub shoulders during World War II and the Cold War.

So cool to be there. Enjoyed the swellest of cocktails in the swankiest of spaces. Thought about all the smoky international tension these walls have seen.

Football Fans

Turns out, the Italian football team, FC Bologna, is staying at our hotel. Big game tonight with the Bucharest team. Came back to the hotel this afternoon to a full fan-crush situation. Briefly regretted not thinking to get tickets to the game, but remembered what an absolute logistical nightmare it is to attend football games in Europe. Watching from the comfort of our room instead.

Early flight tomorrow. It’s been a great trip.

Cheers!

Travel date: October 23, 2025.