During our afternoon break this week, we went to the People's Palace. With the exception of the pentagon, this is the largest building in the world. It was built by Ceausescu. He was the last dictator in Romania. He tore down 10,000 homes to build this government building. He forced people to work on the building, often without pay. He demanded perfection in the building even if it meant a great expense. While his country starved, the building was built.

The People's Palace was not the only structure built during this era. In front of the "Palace" he had a long and wide boulevard built. This one is several meters wider than the one in Paris. The view of the boulevard from the People's Palace is amazing. You can see a lot of the city as you stand up on the hill.

Most Romanians, especially the ones who lived through it, are embarrassed by the building. It took too much money and too much repression to build it. Since Ceausescu's assassination following a revolution in 1989, the "Palace" has been turned into the capital building of the country. It holds the parliament and other major government offices.