Recollections of Romania 2007 - Rozylowicz · contemplating on our good fortunes to be in Romania on such a festive time of year. We slept late due to our late-to-bed schedule. It

Recollections of Romania ... 2007 March 28th – April 14th

Part 4 ... Page 1 of 10

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

Easter ... Sunday, April 8th ... In the Orthodox faith ... no one works on Easter ... it is a day of total rest and devotion to faith and family. We will abide by this code of conduct.

We have no plans for today except to catch our collective breath by relaxing ... by participating in a traditional Easter meal (lamb) ... and by contemplating on our good fortunes to be in Romania on such a festive time of year.

We slept late due to our late-to-bed schedule. It was After 10 AM before we were out and about. No breakfast was served this morning ... but as hotel guests; we were invited to participate in a traditional Easter brunch.

We ambled our way to the restaurant ... securing our favorite table. It was time to gorge ourselves on a traditional feast. Oh yes ... our ‘breakfast allownace’ was not enough to pay for this brunch ... we had to fork over three lei ($1.30 USD). What a bargain ... what a brunch. Besides coffee, wine, tzuica (the national drink), and mineral water we had ...

Cozonac (sweet cake),

Oua rosii (red painted eggs),

Drob de miel (filled lamb),

As may be inferred from the bottom image, this ‘brunch’ is way too different from what one may experience in the west. Two types of ham ... smoked sausage (way too dry for us) ... a pork cutlet ... and the lamb, a combination of chopped eggs and chopped lamb. We learned that the sausage is made in the fall, stored over the winter; it is smoked and the smoke cures it. It is stored, actually totally covered, in fat until spring.

Included in the meal is the traditional church bread ... pasca.

After this delicious meal we retire to our rooms for awhile. Time to digest and rest up for the main Easter meal that will be served this afternoon.

By mid-day we were restless so we decided to walk the moderate distance to the main tourist area of Borsa ... some 300 meters away (left). Then it was time for the main Easter meal that was long anticipated.

So what is so special about this meal ... it is traditional.

First we are offered wine, mineral water, and Tzuica (the national drink) ... which we consume with relish.

We are anxious for the entrance of the specialty...

First ... ciorba de miel cu orez si spanac (lamb soup with rice and spinach) – we give a 4**** rating ...

Cream cakes (pastry) - we give it a 5***** rating ...




Maraturi Conopida si Arde Grasi (pickled cauliflower and red pepper) – a 2** rating ...

Friptura de miel in sos alb cu cartofi nature (fried lamb chop in white sauce with potatoes) – a 4**** rating ...

As we do not eat lamb ... it is not a common food item for us ... we found the preparation to be very delicious. Not a bit was left on the plate. How’s that for a dining experience. Our cost ... 25 RONs each ... $ 10 USD.

After such a meal it was nap time again (left) ... time to recoup our energies in preparation for the evening meal. Today is a dining extravaganza of sorts and we must be in tip top shape.

No sooner did we waken then it was time for another Easter meal. We trudge on down to the dining room ... again, plop down at our favorite table and prepare ourselves for another gorging. We order ...

Salat (salad) ...

Clatite cu cascaval si sunca (rolled crepes with ham)

Prajit peste (fried perch)

Meal cost for the three of us was 75 RONs ($ 30 USD) ... a moderate cost for such a great meal. This Hotel AS is becoming a great dining experience.

With tummies bulging we cannot imagine any more eating, or drinking, for the rest of the evening. We retire to our respective rooms ... turn on the TV and catch Romanian news ... and shortly thereafter ... lights out.

Monday, April 9th ... Today is our last full day in Maramures ... we are to embark on a long-awaited experience.

Breakfast is the usual good fare ... no need to elaborate on it. The day dawned very cold ... it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit (freezing). After breakfast we head out to Viseu de Sus to catch a tourist train into the heart of Vaser Valley.

We fill up with diesel in Moisei ... buy some sandwiches for the train ride and soon enough are at the train depot. It is 7:30 AM ... train is supposed to depart at 8 AM ... but apparently the engineer is still warming up the wood-fired engine. We purchase our tickets ... and start the wait.

VISEU DE SUS (formerly CFF, then Viseuforest, now R.G. Holz) ... close to the Ukraine border, in the Maramures, it is the only remaining, working narrow gauge forestry railway of many that were constructed to transport timber from the vast, remote forests of the

Carpathians and their foothills. This 760mm gauge forestry system starts at the timber yards and sawmill to the north of this town with a long tradition of woodworking and logging. The railway climbs for 41km




following the often very narrow Vaser valley deep into the forests of the Maramures Mountains. Logs were originally floated down the river aided by a series of sluices which were used to regulate the flow and level of the river. The railway was constructed in 1932 and follows a course

which soon becomes little more than a ledge above the river, and in one place there are a series of short tunnels.

Like many of these lines, trains would leave Viseu at dawn, dropping off foresters and bolster wagons at various sidings along the line, then return in the afternoon collecting felled timber.

The Monday morning trains were always the most

numerous as they also carried lumberjacks to their camps where they would stay and work during the week.

This has always been difficult work and it is not unusual for trains to become derailed or lines to be blocked by landslides. The foresters have their own methods to deal quickly and effectively with these problems and in the winter snow ploughs are used to clear lines. The biggest risk is that of flooding, especially when the snow melts in spring. In the case of Viseu, the construction of a forest road would have been costly and extremely difficult so the railway survived. Operations declined during the 1990s from having four working locomotives in 1990 to just one usually working by the end of the decade.

The CFF was privatized in 1999 and operations were shared between 'Viseuforest' which occupied the former shed and workshops, and a private Swedish-owned company, 'R.G.Holz' which established sidings and facilities about 1km further along the line and brought in two former CFF diesels and a steam locomotive. At the same time a dedicated group of enthusiasts from Switzerland became involved in the preservation and running of the railway. The 'Wassertalbahn' group has subsequently been influential in rejuvenating the railway, and establishing projects to attract enthusiasts and tourists with a view to increasing employment in the valley.

Many tourists have the same objective as us ... before long there are dozens of patrons waiting for the train. By 8:30 the train arrives ... we load up ... and the train departs at 9 AM. Normally this particular train would carry working men into the logging camps and the outing would end at 5 PM or so. But being an Easter holiday weekend no work was done in the remote camps so our trip would wind up in the remote terminal and turn around and head back within an hour. Our trip would end by 3 PM.

We find empty seats in the enclosed car ... the air is very cold and we are underdressed. Many people elect to sit in the open cattle-car ... if the return leg is warmer, that’s where we will sit.

The ride is bumpy because the track is uneven. Noisy is an understatement. I manage to take numerous pictures by lowering the car window and by placing myself at the doorway of the car ... just behind the wood carrying car. Bad idea. Not realizing the situation that the locomotive emits hot embers I later discovered that a still-burning ember burned a 3/4” hole in my jacket sleeve. I suppose it’s a nice souvenir of this train ride but I have to wear this jacket for the next 4 weeks. We stop after an hours’ ride for water and to load up on some more wood. Many passengers disembark to take photos ... Laurentiu and I do the same. We note that the entire length of this train ride ... from depot to end-of-line at Faina is essentially an ecological disaster. The river is polluted from the garbage ... the small hamlets bordering the rail line are nothing more than hovels ... discarded timber littering the valley floor. The clear-cutting in some spots is eroding the hillsides ... the runoff cutting deep into the mountains. Abandoned rail buildings are many ... rail spurs that lead into the side valleys are still active. The logging continues and the damage is obvious. What a tragedy ... and yet as tourists many people do not look at the negative side of this journey.

By 11:45 we arrive at the terminus (left) ... Faina. It too is a disaster as abandoned rail equipment litters the compound and side roads that lead into the backcountry are deep-rutted from all the activity. We disembark and have an hour to explore the nearby forests.

Once we leave the terminus the country is really pretty ... the high mountains, covered with pine trees, are serenely quiet. Nearby is a resort of sorts with cabanas for rent and a restaurant ... all sitting empty as the season has not opened yet. They are also used during the hunting season by sportsmen. Sheltered in this valley the air is still and it is somewhat warm. We take our lunch here ... wander about to see what’s nearby (signs point that a few miles away is the Ukrainian border) ... and just chat away the hour. Dolores opts to backtrack back to the terminus while Laurentiu and I hike up the muddy road, up a snow covered hill and through the nearby forest. We find a small chapel that looks like a church ... a few grave markers referring to fallen soldiers in 1916-1918 war ... and abandoned logging equipment. We slide down the backside slippery slope to meet up with Dolores. The train will be departing soon as the locomotive whistle is blaring announcing its imminent departure. The ride back is uneventful ... the same scenery but only in reverse. We sit in the cattle car ... and it is cold again. We pay particular attention to the remnants of logging and are disheartened to see its full impact on the terrain. We remember the write-up of a recent dam bursting and the toxic leaching of the entire Vaser Valley ... 40 km worth. Pretty country; ruined by greed and industry. By 3PM we are back at the depot and head back to the hotel. It has been a tiring day ... and one ruined jacket.




Our ‘last supper’ at Hotel AS in Borsa was as good as any previous meal. We ordered the usual beer and wine and our entrees were ...

Vegetable soup (note fancy bowl)

Mamaliga cu brinza la cuptor (baked polenta filled with a cheese layer topped w/ sour cream sauce)

porc cu orez si ciuperca in sos smetana (medallions of pork in white sauce with wild rice & mushrooms,)

Meal cost was 65 RONs ($25 USD) for the three of us. We were charged for three slices of bread even thought we did not order it, nor ate it. Be on the lookout for this ... having the server place something on the table unordered. You will pay for it unless you tell then to remove it.

Notes on Hotel AS ... No elevator ... Poor flushing toilets ... No maid service ... No soap or shampoo in bath ... and they keep your passport until checkout. The hotel prices are above the norm for Romanian tourists ... some guests are cooking their meals on charcoal B-B-Q’s grills in the parking lot, accompanied by loud music from their car radios. Over time one sees so many anomalies that nothing appears as a surprise ... no raised eyebrows here. Expect the unexpected and smile at it all. Tuesday, April 10th ... Last breakfast at Hotel AS ... café elita (espresso coffee) ... omleta cu ciuperci (omelet with mushrooms) ... pine prajit cu gem (toast with jam). Coffee is but a 100 ml cup ... no refills; that’s a ½ cup by US standards. Want another cup ... pay again.

We check out ... pay the 4-nights rate ... and retrieve our passports. We pack and load the Nissan ... we depart Borsa at 9 AM sharp.

We take Prislop Pass eastwards towards Bukovina. Road 18 over the pass is a rough one (left) ... the winter damage is severe, the potholes numerous and mufflers jarred loose from the older cars littering the sides of the road.

The morning is cold ... the low-lying clouds and mountain mist is obscuring

the mountain peaks. The road follows a mountain stream ... traffic is virtually non-existent. We clear the pass and follow the many switchbacks downhill ... we are now in jud. Suceava. Logging activity is still ever-present and now and then we encounter a logging truck belching black smoke. The farther downhill we descend the better the road conditions ... in fact, the road is excellent as we bear down on Campulung Moldovenesc, a mid-sized city some 100 kilometers from Borsa. Here we stop briefly to do some currency conversion (a recurring issue with cost of travel escalating) before heading deep into the “Painted Monasteries” country of Bukovina.

Leaving C. Moldovenesc we backtrack a bit and take Road 17A northwards. This is mountainous country ... but the road is excellent and the many switchbacks do not slow us down. Every so often we stop ... to check on the “oil condition” ... and to take in the passing scenery (left, top). Even though the day is overcast picture taking opportunities abound. We pass through small towns ... Sadova ... Pascanu ... Paltinu ... and encounter extensive road construction (left, bottom) ... which demonstrates that, in Bukovina, infra-structure improvements are under way to beckon the

tourists ... something that is lacking in Maramures. Reaching the town of Vatra Moldovitei we hang a left towards our first “painted monastery” ... Moldovita. At noon we arrive at the monastery ... it is familiar to me as I visited this compound in 2001 with Laurentiu on my first visit to Romania. We park the Nissan amongst the many tourist buses nearby. Being Easter week, many pilgrims (or tourists) are paying visits to these Romanian treasures ... either out of piety or just plain curiosity. We pay an entry fee (amount I do not recall) and was told that photos are OK in compound but not in church. In 2001 there were no such restrictions. How times are changing ... making money seems to be the order of the day at these monasteries.




Moldovita ... Year Built: 1532; Built by: Prince Petru Rareş. The most distinctive feature of the Church of the Annunciation is the open exonarthex with its three tall arches on the west façade. The exterior paintings are the best preserved of all the churches of Bucovina.

Alexander the Kind built the first monastery in Moldoviţa on the banks of the Moldoviţa River at the beginning of the 15th century. The site chosen was far from other villages, in the middle of the forest. He donated lands and Tartar slaves to the establishment, and the first community around the compound was created. The monastery is mentioned for the first time in a document of 1402, and successive other documents tell of new donations. There is no record of how, or when, the monastery was destroyed, but possibly an earthquake ruined it at the beginning of the 16th century.

Only low stone ruins remain of the first church. It was built of rough blocks of stone on a triconch plan, with three apses. Originally, it had only a chancel, a naos and a narrow pronaos. When the monastic community increased in size, a second, much larger, pronaos was built to the west end of the edifice. As is the case with many other monasteries built during the first century of Moldavia's existence, Moldoviţa was also re-founded by Petru Rareş.

The present Church of the Annunciation is confirmed by the commemorative inscription on the south façade of the church. The church is rather long, as it has, besides the obligatory chancel, naos and pronaos, a burial chamber and an exonarthex. A graceful octagonal lantern tower with four windows stands above the naos, and a hidden treasury room was built above the burial chamber. The open exonarthex with large openings is its most distinctive feature, built on the model of the Church of Humor. The church was painted in 1537 both inside and outside. The significant stylistic differences between various scenes indicate that there must have been several painters at work in Moldoviţa.

In 1607 Bishop Efrem of Rădăuţi built the solid precinct wall with three towers. The gate tower and the southeast corner tower are square, but

the northeast corner tower is round. A vaulted gateway leads through the gate tower into the compound. The arch of the gateway is decorated with carved stone rosettes. In the northwest corner of the compound is a two-storey building, the former clisiarniţa (left), or treasury house. Now the building is the monastery

museum. The collection includes embroideries, icons, liturgical books, archaeological finds and the church seat of Petru Rareş.

The exterior painting of the Church of the Annunciation is the best preserved among all the painted churches of Bucovina. Especially on the

south and east façades, there are paintings that have not been faded by the passage of time, and that are able to suggest how bright the decorated façades were during the reign of Prince Rareş.

The north and west sides are faded beyond repair.

Just under the eaves are 105 niches, each painted with an angel. On the western pillar, just to the left of the entrance and the tall opening of the south façade, there are three Military Saints on prancing horses and with either a lance or a sword in hand.

Entering the compound (left) we wander the grounds, side-stepping the many other visitors. The church is filled of people, to capacity ...

so we stay outside and light some candles (left) for departed and living family members.

While the interior of the church is full we take the time to view the glorious exterior paintings ... bright and vivid in their color. These paintings, it should be remembered, were painted to teach the peasants the story of the Bible and to instill a belief in their faith pictorially. Peasants could neither read nor write and the only way they could understand the Bible, or the teachings of the church, is by visual aids ... pictures. These paintings served that purpose.




Among the fine examples of remaining paintings ...

We stayed a total of 30 minutes here. A brief exploration of the interior of the church and the horde of visitors mandated that we make an exit. We return to the Nissan ... backtrack to Vatra Moldovitei and pick up road 17A northeast ... to our next destination ... The Monastery of Sucevita.

I was on the lookout for something that was near and dear to me. In 2001 Laurentiu and I drove this road ... stopped at a hilltop ... and took a remarkable photo of a distant farmhouse. This photo hangs in my second bedroom as a reminder of our first trip. We drive the twisting 17A and I’m scanning the horizon. Finally near Pasul (Pass) Ciumama, I spot a familiar bend. This is the place ... this is the location of my farmhouse. I exit the Nissan ... walk a few meters ... and there it is:

One has to appreciate the context in which this homestead is located ... in the Obcina Mare (Mountain) district of Bucovina. Lush and forested, this region is pastoral in its splendor and as picturesque as any encountered. Glad I was able to rediscover it.

Just short of the town of Sucevita we find the monastery and pull into the over-flowing parking lot. Buses and cars everywhere ... I forgot, this is an Easter-week. The ever-present parking lot attendant is ready to collect a parking fee ... the nearby WC is available at a fee. Welcome to another money grabbing experience. We park ... Laurentiu will stay with the Nissan ... he has seen this monastery too many times to be interested. We cross the street ... follow the horde of visitors ... pay our entry fee and make way into the compound. Again ... no pictures allowed in the church.

Sucevita ... Year Built: 1583. Built by: Ieremia, Simion and Gheorghe Movilă. This classic Moldavian church with its five rooms shows the first new architectural tendencies: smaller niches, and three bases for the tower. The frescoes are very remarkable, colorful and well preserved.

Three Movilă brothers built the Church of the Resurrection of Suceviţa (left) around 1583. The church is the only painted church that was not founded by a ruling prince, although the Movilăs were descendants of Petru Rareş on their mother's side. Quite soon after the

monastery was built Ieremia Movilă became the ruler of Moldavia, and his brother Simion reigned in Walachia. The third brother, Gheorghe, who was during that period the Bishop of Rădăuţi, rose to become the Metropolitan of Moldavia.

The church was painted around 1595, nearly half a century after its "sister" churches. It is considered the last flowering of the custom of painting the church façades that mark the reigns of Stephen the Great and Petru Rareş. Building and painting a church that closely resembled the edifices their ancestors raised decades before, was a way for the

Movilăs to claim to be part of the royal line of Stephen the Great.

At the same time, though, the monastic compound of Suceviţa and its buildings herald the architectural innovations of the following century. The massive precinct walls (left) were built




after 1595, during the reign of Ieremia Movilă. Each wall is nearly 100 meters long, three meters wide and more than six meters tall, and created the atmosphere of a mediaeval fortress. The walls are strengthened with buttresses, bulwarks and imposing towers. Narrow loopholes in the upper part of the walls indicate that a defensive catwalk encircled the compound.

Each of the five towers has a different plan. The square gate tower (right) with its pointed octagonal turret is in the middle of the north wall. A vaulted gateway, with heavy buttresses on either side, leads through to the compound. Above the arch of the gateway is a semicircular niche with a painting of The Resurrection and the carved coat of arms of Moldavia. Above the gateway, there are two stories with rooms.

On the first floor is a small chapel dedicated to the Annunciation. The northwest tower is the bell tower of the monastery. It is the most massive one of them all, with three three-tiered buttresses on the outside. The buttresses were added later, as were the gate tower buttresses. On the ground floor is a small laboratory for the restoration of icons, where trained nuns work. On the top floor is the belfry with four big arched openings. The two bells that Ieremia Movilă donated in 1605 are still used daily. The other three towers are octagonal but each different from the other: the northeast tower has three stories, the southeast five and the southwest two.

A wooden glazed gallery was built on the north wall during the 19th century. The slender wooden turret has the date 1867 carved on it. The Church of the Resurrection, although still built on the model of the classic Moldavian church, shows the first new architectural tendencies.

The porches (left) were added quite soon after the church was built, by Ieremia Movilă himself.

The frescoes are very remarkable, colorful and well preserved. The number of scenes and personages is higher than in any other church in Moldavia. Unlike

most other cases, the names of the painters are known: the brothers Ion and Sofronie, who carried out the work from 1595 to 1596.

It is suffocating to be among so many people. The visitation is unpleasant as the mass of humanity is jostling and shoving ... picture taking is nearly impossible.

We make the most of our short visit ... mostly for Dolores’ sake ... as I have many, and better, images of Sucevita from my 2001 visit.

After a brief walk about, we leave ... Laurentiu was smart in staying behind.

We’re on our way to Putna ... our night’s lodging and another monastery to visit. Encountered along the way ...

Local transport ...

Lovely pedestrians ...

New construction ...

and excellent roads ...

Arriving in the Village of Putna ... the entry gate welcomed us ...




We know where we will stay the night ... so we head straight for the monastery (left) ... find parking in the large, and vendor filled, lot and make our way to the compound.

Putna Monastery ... Year Built: 1466-1469. Built by: Stephen the Great.. The present church was practically rebuilt between 1653 and 1662 by Vasile Lupu and his successors.

The imposing Putna Monastery is situated about 30 km northwest from the town of Rădăuţi, near the Putna River. High, forested hills and wild

landscape surround the monastery and the village with the same name. Stephen the Great built the monastery as his burial place between 1466 and 1469 and the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin (left) was consecrated one year later.

The first superior was Archimandrite Ioasaf from Neamţ Monastery, the first important monastic centre in Moldavia. The superior was accompanied by calligraphers, who were the first teachers of the new monastery school that followed the example of the school of Neamţ. It started as a school of rhetoric, logic and grammar for future chroniclers and clerical staff, but soon Putna became one of the most significant cultural centers in the country.

Only three years after the monastery was completed, a fire destroyed it (left), but it was immediately rebuilt. It was destroyed again in 1653 by the Cossack army of Timuş Hmelniţchi, the son-in-law of Prince Vasile Lupu. The present church was practically rebuilt between 1653 and 1662 by

Vasile Lupu and his successors. The ground plan follows the plan of the original edifice, as could be ascertained when the foundations of the first church were excavated from 1968 to 1970.

Stephen the Great ruled for half a century, 1457-1504. He earned his surname "Great" for his several successful military campaigns against the infidel Turks. He is also famous for building and influencing the building of dozens of churches and monasteries all over Moldavia. Allegedly he founded a religious edifice after each important military victory.

In the Putna monastery, is found the tomb of King Stephen the Great (left) and several of his family members. His tomb became a place of pilgrimage. The icon waves and the tomb covers are evidence of the creative spirit of the Moldavian artists of his time.

The church was unusually large for its time, but the explanation was that it was built to be the burial place of the Prince, his family and his successors. The thick walls are made of massive blocks of stone, and twelve buttresses support the walls. Originally there were only six, and the other six

were added during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Although the present church follows the ground plan of a typical 15th and 16th century Moldavian church, it has many architectural and decorative features that are typical of 17th century churches. The exterior walls are not the smooth façades of earlier times, but two rows of blind arcades go around the building, smaller ones above the twisted stone cable, and tall ones below it. Putna is a male-only monastery. There is no entry fee (surprising) and we pay only 6 RONs for photo permit. What is most striking about Putna ... there are no exterior paintings on the church walls ... it is alabaster white in color.

There are other visitors to Putna but find them unobtrusive. We have a leisurely time here ... unhurried ... knowing that we will spend the night just a short distance away.

We peruse the interior and find the glitter enchanting. Gold motifs everywhere. The iconostasis is huge and magnificent. Stephen the Great’s tomb is near the entryway as well as of his family members.

Circling this great church we are amazed as its largeness and simplicity.

The bells on display (left) are approachable and touchable.

We shoot to our heart’s content. This is the best of “painted monasteries” we are visiting ... and its not even painted (on the outside).




The interior of the Putna Monastery ...

Again ... we stay but about 45 minutes. We survey the vendors in the parking lot and make good use of the bargains available and make several purchases ... for ourselves and our family. Then it’s off to find lodging for the night and a place to eat.

Laurentiu and I stayed here at a pensuine and were hoping to find it again. Sure enough ... it was still there ... Pensiune Turistica (left). We checked the rates (decent but 5 times more than in 2001) and secured two rooms for us. Since eating out here in Putna was problematic we decided to

eat in and ordered our supper with the proprietress. (I’m not so certain if we secured the rooms before the monastery tour or after ... but when we checked in the meal was ready to serve.)

Supa de pui cu taietei (chicken soup w/ noodles)

vin afinata si tzuica (home made blackberry wine and tzuica).

Mamaliguta cu branza si smantana (polenta with cheese and sour cream)

fiert pui ( boiled chicken from soup)

Salata (garden fresh salad)

Also included ... piftie de pui (chicken in gelatin) ... cozonac (easter cake) ... and prajitura de casa (house cake).




Cost of the meal (extra) was, as I recall, about 150 RONs, or about $75 USD. Again ... a steep price to pay and about 10 ten what we paid for our supper back in 2001. Inflation sure is hitting Romania ... or is the tourist industry gouging? Don’t know and probably should not care ... the meal was good ... plenty of offerings ... and the tzuica sure hit the spot.

After such a meal it was time to walk it off. We elected to walk Putna ... or rather ... high above Putna.

We set off in the direction of the monastery and just before we got to their main gate we turned right and followed a footpath that led to the hills above Putna.

The view of Putna and the valley was delicious and peaceful.

Returning to the main road below, we chanced upon another point of historic interest ... Biserica de lemm Dragos Voda (left) and in image above (foreground).

This was an old church (14th century) still in use ... with a nearby cemetery. Having the time we walked the grounds.

The day was a busy ... very busy. We returned to our pensiune and made a beeline for our beds. One thing had me concerned though ... the rooms were not en suite ... our room was on the first floor (that’s second floor in US) but the community bathroom was on the ground floor. What if I had to go in the middle of the night?

We’ll know in the morning.

Good night!

Documents

Recollections of Romania 2007 - Rozylowicz · contemplating on our good fortunes to be in Romania on such a festive time of year. We slept late due to our late-to-bed schedule. It