Obscure Journey

Exploring Bucharest - Carol Park (Mausoleum)

Publié le 26 Avril 2020 par Charly C.

Catégories : #adventures, #bucharest, #spring, #sightseeing

Hello. This is part 1. Part 2 will soon follow.

So with all this pandemic, scamdemic, going on and having to stay indoors, all we want is to go out. But we can't.

This reminded me that last year, or so, we went to Carol Park in Bucharest, and I took LOTS of photos. You can read more about this park on its wikipedia page, which has decent info about it.

So, in 2004, this public park was designated a historical monument, as it is currently 120 years old (it was created in 1900 by Édouard Redont). The park is also the place where the Mausoleum dedicated to the Unknown Soldier is found. The structure is pretty tall and probably is one most people in Bucharest would recognize.

There are a few other attractions in the park, as you can read on the wiki page, but you can't really approach any of them. I don't think Romanians really know how to take advantage of their treasures. What a shame.

When we visited, on May 25, 2019, they were organizing a lights event on the steps leading up to the Mausoleum.

We were hoping to see the lights on, but we went there too early. When we got in the park, there didn't seem to be many people. But by the time we left, maybe an hour and a half later? There were many more people coming.

In case you're wondering about the Mausoleum itself, You can't visit it.

You can just go near it, take a few pictures, and this is it. There are guards there with guns, who make sure people don't go too close to the monument.

I was mindful not to take pics of the guards, but this sign pretty much says "no tress passing." I'm not sure if we can go up to the sign or not as i didn't feel like trying my chances of getting shot. I'm fairly certain the guards would have tried to stop me verbally first, then physically, and they'd most likely try to shoot as last resort.

These signs are on both sides of the Mausoleum, and there's also an eternal flame burning. Or there is supposed to be one. I can't remember it, and it doesn't seem like I took a pic of it either.

There are also 2 of these war guns on each side of the monument. At least 2.

Curious as i am, i went up to them and took a closer look and touched them. Even snapped a picture of part of the control mechanism.

It was smelling like heavy machinery oil. I didn't try to operate this thing, though it was pretty fascinating to be close to it. I could almost hear it in my head. I could almost see soldiers around me, trying to operate it, defend their country, and trying their best to keep the enemy at bay.

Of course, the area around the Mausoleum is no playground, and at least 1 plaque tells you so. Just in Romanian.

Needless to say, there were plenty small children and their parents, running around and playing.

The view from the monument is beautiful as well. Sadly, I only have something partial, taken from a side. It's still pretty though.

And only just now I realized that the Palace of the Parliament can be seen in the distance. In all fairness, this park is not that far from the Palace.

Next entry about the park will have a few snippets with the various structures and attractions found in this park.

Stay tuned!

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5 things wrong with Easter!

Publié le 13 Avril 2020 par Charly C.

As I type this, Catholics celebrated Easter yesterday. Here, in the East of Europe, we'll celebrate on Sunday.

The Jewish people started to celebrate/ovserve Passover/Pesach, on the 8th of April, in the evening.

Muslims will start to celebrate or better said, observe Ramadan later in the month. However, Ramadan has nothing to do with Easter/Passover, as far as I know. I also don't know much about this holy month so, I can't talk about it.

I only mentioned them because they say they believe in the same God. I don't know about that, I don't want to go into a discussion about this, not right now. I just wanted to acknowledge them.

If you celebrate Easter, chances are you're going it wrong, if you do the following:

1. Eating chocolate

I have no idea where the idea to eat chocolate for Passover came from. It's probably something some chocolate maker decided to try and convince the public to do, in order to keep on selling chocolate. and it worked.

I honestly don't have the power to search the reason why at this moment, but i might in the future.

2. Rabbits ... eggs....Passover?

There is no connection between rabbits and Passover. Rabbits don't even lay eggs. I can't even say rabbits are a symbol for life.

Speaking of eggs, i have no idea why you have to search for them either. It is fun, yes, but this is a bitter-sweet celebration, for both Jews and Christians, if you ask me.

If anything they could symbolize fertility because rabbits can give birth to many babies. Fertility has nothing to do with Passover.

If you think the celebration is about rabbits or fertility, you might be celebrating Ostara instead, a Wiccan/Pagan celebration. In this case, you shouldn't call yourself a Christian, anymore, sorry. :(

3. Where is the Ressurection?

It appears that when Jesus was crucified, this happened during the Pesach observation. And Jesus was a Jew and he was killed by the Jewish priests, or something. Go read the Bible to know more.

Please, don't go attack any Jewish person over this aspect. You better go thank them instead. Think about it: if Jesus didn't die for (y)our sins then, we'd be living in a different world.

According to the Christian Bible, Jesus resurrected on the 3rd day. And this is what you're supposed to celebrate, not the stupid rabbits.

4. lambs are connected to Passover

Lambs are connected to this celebration because the Bible says (more or less) that Jesus was sacrificed like an (innocent) lamb.

In fact, here in this Easterrn country, lamb is the traditional Passover meal/meat. It's rarely eaten outside of this celebration, and i don't why, and i don't mind it.

5. "Easter" and not Passover or Resurrection

Easter is most likely related to Ostara, see above.

As a Christian, you should probably use the term Resurrection for this celebration. If instead you want to be closer to the Jewish roots, you should use the term Passover.

Jesus died to free us from sin. Passover commemorates the time the Jewish people spent in the desert, after being freed from slavery. This is the real connection between these holy days. And also the time at which Jesus was crucified, as mentioned earlier.

If you're Catholic and already celebrated "Easter," try not to feel too bad about it. There's at least one reason this entry appeared today and not earlier: old habits die hard. HAd you read this before "Easter," your mood would have been ruined.

Everyone has to stay at home, and most likely searching for chocolate eggs and eating them was the highlight of this nonsense going on, until we can go out again.

You can't even cancel some things just because you just learned they're wrong. Lifestyle changes happen in time, if you want to change some things. Reading this article now, gives you 1 year to prepare for the next Passover in a more appropriate way.

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