I love long stays in nature, but at the same time I am passionate about cities, observation and urban anthropology since college. A walk in Bucharest is always welcome.
Well, I’ve noticed that this passion is transmitted to little Noria, even without me suggesting it. He likes to wander the streets and notice details, often refusing to shake our hands and exploring on his own. Of course, we keep our eyes on 4 and prefer to hold her hand as much as we can.
There’s always a pretty strong struggle between wanting to protect her at all costs and letting her explore to her heart’s content. Fortunately, we parents balance each other out pretty well: my tendency toward protectiveness is offset by Dad’s light-heartedness, and vice versa.
Walking through Bucharest, in the Old Center
On a March afternoon, in full blast of spring, I explored my own city, Bucharest – always an inexhaustible source of walks and adventures.
We left like real travelers through the center, each with his own backpack. The first stop was at the antique shop on Doamnei street, where I explained to Noria (2 years old) what a bookstore is and bought her a few things: books, a cardboard airplane with an assembly diagram, a tube with soap bubbles, a turtle and some ducklings for the bath . A shop with very low prices, from which it is impossible to leave empty-handed.
I continued the walk on the streets of the old center, where Noria happily discovered the statues on some buildings, without us showing them to her. On the contrary, she showed us:look at the tattoo“.
Walking through the city – children learn the city!
Children learn the city. Walking through Bucharest.
I then visited Stavropoleos churchyardafter which we went to eat pancakes and pizza, somewhere on Lipscani.
Pancakes, soap bubbles, flower petals and displays
While I was waiting for the pancakes, I went in the ArCub gang where we made soap bubbles and then quickly visited a photography exhibition where the Ferris wheel interacted a bit with the exhibits, in the sense that it shook them, so we left.
In another room at ArCub, a poetry recital was about to begin (being International Poetry Day), and one of the organizers was scattering petals on the floor, leading to the entrance where the event was taking place.
Of course, Noria immediately participated in this activity and wouldn’t have left it, until I suggested to her that there are some fairies sleeping in the petals that need quiet, “so that they can be nannies”.
In any case, at ArCub (Str. Lipscani 84-90) there are always cultural events and exhibitions, many with free access. Even if they are not intended for children, you can still take a look with them and explain to them what is going on there. They will become familiar with such contexts and they will internalize something :).
At Arcub
The city – an outdoor classroom!
Finally, we went back to the pancakes, we went to a store to buy Noria a pair of jeans, while she looked for us among the racks of clothes, until we actually lost her for 30 seconds. Oops!
This is how our Bucharest spring day looked, in short. I didn’t do anything special, but I can say that Noria had many learning experiences, in urban public spaces, which are always there, at hand. So, let’s learn to use our city better!
If you feel like green spaces near the Old Center, there is the park in Piața Unirii which looks very good in the spring!
The park in Piața Unirii, Bucharest.
The article is part of the “Discover Bucharest with Kinder Trips” campaign, a project initiated by our blog, which encourages a different exploration of Bucharest and urban spaces by families with children.
On Kinder Trips we write about:
- Traveling with children
- Alternative education
- Nature and outdoor exploration
- Communities and Lifestyles.
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