Europe

[Visited: January 2012 and before]

It was a very cold morning in Bucharest when I walked past the gigantic Palace of Parliament. I had a kind of déjà vu, as I walked the very same streets a year before. This time, I was very happy with my winter boots which had a firm grip even on the slippery, snowy streets. After the wide streets, I took a narrow one with old, dilapidated houses typical for Bucharest, and arrived at a bigger street which I had to cross to reach Carol Park. At the entrance, I found a zodiac fountain, which had a very wintery look with a thick snow blanket. The air was very cold, below -20C, and a pale sun was just visible through the bare trees of the park.
There was almost no one around, and I took one of the small lanes to the western side of the park. I walked through the thick snow, and stumbled upon several snow-covered statues, and criss-crossed the wintery park, in discovery of fountains, benches, lanes, pavilions, bridges, and frozen streams, until I reached the frozen lake Filaret in the middle of Carol Park. I ignored the signs indicating that it was forbidden to walk on the ice - it simply looked too inviting. The ice did not even make a sound, and walking on the perfect snow cover was a nice experience. When I reached the other side of the lake, I walked the wide lane towards the tall mausoleum on the southern side of Carol Park.
The stairs were all cluttered with snow, which apparently had been used for sleighing. I cautiously climbed the stairs, and reached the tomb of the unknown soldier, on which an eternal flame was burning. A (live!) soldier gestured at me from a distance, and I ignored his calls for not taking pictures. Turning around, I enjoyed the view of Carol Park at my feet, and the semi-circular gallery in which remains of fallen World War I heroes have found their resting place after the 1989 revolution: before, this was a place for communist heroes. The park is named after king Carol I of Romania, and was renamed to Liberty Park under communist rule, but re-renamed again after the revolution. The park was designed by the French Edouard Redont, in the beginning of the 20th century. I walked around the mausoleum, and could barely recognize the tombs on the other side, as they were covered by snow. Walking down the snowy stairs, I made my way down Carol Park again, where the bright sun was now harshly reflected on the cold white snow on the ground. I promised myself to come back in summer one day for a completely different experience.

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Carol Park (Romania)

Carol Park > Romania > Europe

[Visited: January 2012 and before]

Around the World in 80 Clicks