Waiting in Bucuresti

Christmas was yesterday. Today is Boxing Day. It seems really odd to be wandering around Bucuresti with no one to talk to. Everyone I know is with family while mine is still in the air. I have arrived in the early morning and almost no one has ventured out into the frosty morning as yet.

I wander down streets that have become so familiar. The archways of tree boughs over the boulevards are covered with a thick ice that would leave many households without power at home. That does not seem to be an issue here. Everything is pristine white. The sparkling trees give the feeling of a fairy land of Christmas. It could not be prettier. The roads are shiny with a thin covering of ice.

It is very peaceful. It feels as if I am alone in this big city while I wait for my boys to get here. I catch the Metro to Unirii Piata to take a look at the tallest Christmas tree in Europe. Every country in Europe wants to have the biggest, the tallest, the first, the oldest, the only … Romania has its share of superlatives. In particular is this tree. I saw it being constructed at Thanksgiving. It is like a giant tinker toy, connected with bolts and wires.

I am here so early that the only place that is open is McDonald's. I stop in for a cup of tea as it is too cold to stand outside.

Across the street is the Bucuresti Mall. It is time to see what shopping can be like in Romania. It is similar to many other shopping areas. Lots of little shops, many with the same items and the same price. It is very frustrating. I do not want to look at the same things over and over, but see a variety of goods so that I can choose between them. That is one of the main differences between America and eastern Europe.

Rachel – This image is for you.

Finally, it is time to head for the airport. The plane comes in at 2:55pm. It is a little after noon and it seems like a good time to start heading out there. I do not ever seem to the times quite right and so I have a novel to read while I wait for the plane to arrive. I take the Metro to Romana Piata and then buy a ticket for the Express bus to the Otopeni. As I expected, I just missed the bus and it is a thirty minute wait for the next one. When it arrives, I hop on and ride forever to the airport. I am about a half hour early – perfect! Then I check the Arrivals board. The flight is delayed an hour and twenty minutes – good thing I have something to read. I wait.

Finally, they arrive. It is so good to see them. We collect all of their stuff and head for the hotel to get rid of it. The Christmas lights make it an even better evening. We walk around the city for a bit as we catch up with each other. We watch the skaters in Unirii Piata. And the tree all lit.