Friday, December 21, 2018: Bratislava, Slovakia to Bucharest, Romania:

            The alarm was set for 6:15 this morning.  We finished our packing and requested a cab to take us to the Regional Bus Station.  The best way for us to get to the Vienna airport is via the bus, that stops at the front of the Main airport terminal.  The 45-minute bus ride was very comfortable, and we arrived at the airport on time. 

            After landing in Bucharest, we picked up the reserved rental car.  The challenge of finding the hotel we had reserved in the center of town was interesting.  Thank goodness for GPS, we drove directly there. However, it was bumper to bumper traffic the whole 16 kilometers.  The fact it was Friday night before Christmas had to play a role in all the traffic we encountered. 

All the main streets into the Centrum have Christmas decorations/lights overhead across the streets, that will be lite after dark. They will be beautiful. We finally made it!  After checking-in we enjoyed a welcome drink.

Sweet Baclava

Bucharest has had snow in the past few days.  The roads were clear, but not all the sidewalks, cars, parking areas, etc.  At spots, walking was a challenge.

Beside the welcome drink, we also caught a bite to eat in their penthouse restaurant.  One of the perks of the restaurant is seeing this part of the city from above. We enjoyed the night-time view. 

            The Z Boutique Hotel is in the area of one of the smaller Christmas markets.  After dinner, we also walked to the large Market in front of the huge Parliament building. The main streets into the center of town are beautifully lite with Christmas lights.

            Bucharest has lots of lovely large elegant buildings.  We think they were built before the Communist Era.  Bucharest was a wealthy city at one point in history – you can tell by the stately buildings.     

This was a day of transport.  By 9:00 we were tired, and ready for bed.

Pork Ribs