Notes From the Road: A Research Trip in Romania

Another early start, and we head south through a narrow valley gap and leave Transylvania, headed for Bucharest. The mountains slowly settle out into the flat landscape surrounding the city. For the last hour we’re travelling on a highway until we enter downtown. I tour the Ceauşescu Mansion, which is an absolutely mind-blowing journey into the history and psyche of Romania’s notorious final communist ruler. It’s a super-interesting visit and my local guide does a spectacular job of bringing that crazy era to life for me.

I check into my hotel, then take an abbreviated walking tour downtown. Like many eastern European cities, there are many exquisite historical buildings contrasted with some Soviet-style Brutalist architecture. It’s a big, bold and fascinating city with a surprising number of green spaces and leafy avenues. A couple of hotel inspections are on the schedule for the late afternoon, including Marmorosch, a recent addition to the city hotel scene, and Hilton Athenee Palace, which still remains my top choice for a Bucharest city hotel.

After a long day, we head to dinner at Kaiamo. The restaurant is the creation of Chef Radu Ionescu and his food is delicious, playful and unique. The presentation is perfect and his staff is young, engaged and highly competent. Watching him and his kitchen staff work behind the glass is entertaining and impressive. We spent a few minutes chatting with Chef Radu at the end of the evening over a glass of wine.