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That's #Bucharest's gritty Gara de Nord on a cold Saturday morning. Which means it's time for another little #railway day trip!
The "Tomis Express" arrives at Bucharest Gara de Nord from #Braşov. Here it will reverse (Gara de Nord is a terminus station) and head non-stop for #Constanţa.
The journey takes 2 hours and mostly passes through the relatively flat landscapes of Wallachia.
The railway line crosses the #Danube twice (the river has two streams here). The second bridge, the Anghel Saligny Bridge from 1895, is a historic monument.
Moments later we cross the Danube-Black Sea canal, an infamous project from the #Ceaușescu era. Here at #Cernavodă is also Romania's sole nuclear power station, clearly visible from the train.
We're now in hilly Dobruja, the Black Sea coastal region where the Greeks and Ottomans all left a legacy.
And the train arrived at #Constanţa's ugly communist era station. On the first picture you can see a CFR @_DiningCar bistro - which was unfortunately closed due to local corona restrictions (which will be lifted on Monday when Bucharest is no longer a high risk area).
My main reason to come here? Well, the forecast was sunny and I fancied some mussels!
It's also my first time visiting #Constanta. Passed tru many times, never managed to stop til now. First impression? What a lot of faded grandeur! I 'like' a wee bit of neglect, but boy, some parts or really derelict or plain simply overshadowed by brutalist structures.
Take this wonderful 'Casa cu Lei' - or 'house with the lions' - named after the four lion statues up on the pillars. Built before WW1 by a local Armenian, now hoarded up. There are many more buildings like this. Some like the synagogue are even partially destroyed.
At least the famous casino (hoarded up too) is being renovated, but it seems like to take forever.
This city was once a seaside hotspot for Europe's elite and has the architecture to match. But it falls now in the shadow of tacky Mamaia and the much more popular Bulgarian resorts.. a country which also does tourism promotion so much better than Romania!
And you better not leave the old town. Unless you are called Kim Il Sung or Stalin and get wet dreams from brutalist architecture..
But the old town has so much potential. Eclecticism, neo Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Ottoman era buildings.. if only all the ugliness between it would be tackled and at least an effort at restoration would be made. Constant could learn a lot from Odessa or Batumi in this regard.
Like Constanta, Odessa and Batumi are Black Sea ports with a similar vibe, history and own style, which to a degree were both also tarred by communism & rampant commercialism. But look at those places now! Not perfect, but efforts are made. I dont have the feeling its done here..
Anyhow, I for sure enjoyed my day trip to Constanta. I just wish this country would make a bit more effort taking care after itself. The train journey back in darkness was uneventful, so I'll just post a pic of my cats being total cuties to cap the day. Goodnight all! #twexit
