Caught up in a necromantic adventure with its elegant, faded past, Bucharest (Bucuresti) may not be to every traveler's taste (it was recently named Europe's most polluted city), but for those interested in experiencing the fast-paced, idiosyncratic flashiness of a city that's riding a tidal wave of change, it is certainly worth planning a few days here. A heady mix of beautifully old, blandly new, and somewhere ambiguously in between (the latter defined by the brash architecture of Ceausescu-era behemoths), Bucharest seems to know that it's the capital of a nation on the move, a country finally ready to take its place in the European brotherhood.
Legend tells that Bucharest was named after a young shepherd, Bucur, who was so moved by the beauty of this spot on the eastern bank of the Dâmbovita River that he built a church here, but these humble origins are since long lost in the shrouds of history. Strategically located, Bucharest grew wealthy off trade between the East and West, and entered its swinging heyday after it was crowned the nation's capital in 1862. Then came the World War II bombings, devastating earthquakes in 1940 and 1977, and Ceausescu. The capital limped its way out of the 20th century, burdened with memories of devouring bulldozers, violent protests, and state-sanctioned massacres. Hard to believe that a mere decade later the pride and promise of the entire nation can be gauged in the strut and swagger of the city's youthful student population, their stride (and blood) quickened by new prospects and fortunes to be made with E.U. membership.
Bucharest today is once again a vibrant, culturally astute capital. Besides a sustained program of theater, music, and opera, it draws major international music acts that fill up the city's stadiums with up-for-it crowds: Since Romania joined the E.U., Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones, Metallica, Iron Maiden, George Michael, Massive Attack, and Lenny Kravitz are just a handful of the big names who have performed here, attracting energetic crowds, bound up in a perhaps worrisome embrace of all things Western. But while Ceausescu might have torn out much of its antiquity, replacing century-old winding roads with pencil-straight boulevards, you can still get lost in the old soul of this riveting city. Playful curiosities, in which the past tangles with the future, remain -- nuns reach into their habits to answer ringing cellphones; mafioso-wannabes show off in flashy new cars, racing past street-side Gypsies selling flowers; and men with scales on the sidewalks offer their services guessing your weight. And in antiques stores, treasures gather dust while locals stock up on symbols of modern consumerism. Luxury apartment blocks are going up fast, and at times it seems that the entire city is under renovation. There is much work yet to be done. You'll still notice swaths of endless dull gray concrete blocks, freckled with unsightly air-conditioners, flaking plaster, displaced windows, and hectic tangles of cabling stretched across every conceivable space. Aside from the people you meet, you'll often notice that the only color amidst all the inner city drabness exists in the form of myriad advertising billboards that cloak vast stretches of Bucharest's heart. The signs are all there; irrepressible Bucharest is shedding its skin and edging its way into the future. The journey is set to be a tough one.
