17 | Viking Explorer Society News
Balkan
BRILLIANCE
Dawn on a river cruise is always a magical
experience, but in autumn the interplay
between water and light takes on an almost
ethereal beauty unmatched by any other
season. It's the morning of Halloween and, as
if on cue, an otherworldly mist has descended
over the Danube. We're sailing along the
Croatian/Serbian border, but the wreaths of
mist might well have blown in from nearby
Transylvania. As I stand on my balcony sipping
a coffee, the sun rises and the ghostly grey fog
transforms into a luminescent pink. I spot a
strange bird in the distance, possibly a heron
or cormorant, but as it glides into a bank of
mist, I'd swear it resembled a witch on a
broomstick.
In contrast, when I arrive in Bucharest at
the start of my journey, Romania is basking in
an Indian summer and the city is bathed in
warm golden sunshine. The itinerary includes
a night at Bucharest's luxurious Grand
Marriott Hotel plus a full day's guided tour,
which provides an in depth introduction to
the history, culture and cuisine of the five
countries we visited.
An inescapable presence in every Balkan is
the legacy of Communism, which in Bucharest
is displayed in spectacular fashion. In the
1980s, Romania's infamous dictator Nicolae
Ceaușescu ordered the demolition of vast
swathes of central Bucharest to build the
Palace of Parliament. Built in ostentatious
Neo Classical style, the palace is one of the
largest buildings ever built and the Boulevard
leading up to it was designed to eclipse the
Champs Élysées in Paris in both length and
width. Despite 45 years of Communist
dictatorship, Romania has always treasured its
rural heritage. After visiting the Palace of
Parliament, we drive to the beautiful King
Michael I Park where historic wooden houses
and churches have been lovingly renovated
and reassembled in Romania's charming
National Village Museum.
In the afternoon we head down to the
Neil Geraghty uncovers architectural grandeur and fascinating
history on the Passage to Eastern Europe itinerary.
"Despite 45 years of
Communist dictatorship,
Romania has always
treasured its rural
heritage."
Veliko Tarnovo's Old
Town
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