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DAY 7:
After an enjoyable night with the local Romanian family and a traditional breakfast of cheese, cured meats and dried pork fat. Which had a smoky bacon taste. We set off with a local guide for the day exploring the villages around Vadu Izei, Mamamures.
We stopped in at church in sapanta were there are magnificent curved pictorial tomb stones. There was an artist in the 1930 that started making on special stone with a picture that described that person life and then a short poem about them. That artist died serval years ago but passed on the tradition to one of his apprentices so it continues today.
You can see the Ukraine villages up in the hills as you drive along in Romanian.
Lunch was a picnic( small sausages with mustard and bread) on the hill top over looking a small village with plum orchard and hay stacks.
Then stopped in at a wooden church, the lower church of budesti, built in 17th century. Stumbled onto a local family that had a water powered chaft separator and grinding stone. Was still operational and that is how they made flour. They also used the water wheel to power a stomping like machine that was used to make felt.
Next to them there was a lady making trinca , a local alcohol that is made with stewed fruit that is then heated and the vapor is collected and cooled. It produces a very strong alcohol, that nearly takes your breath away.
The mamarus area of Romania has a long tradition of wooden entry gates so we set off to visit the workshop of one of the local craftsman. The gates are craved with detailed patterns that the craftsmans is able to create without any pattern. the tradition is passed from father to son.
On the return trip to the house was able to stop in at recreated monastery. There was several building in traditional style with wooden shingle roofs.
Before dinner set out for a walk to explore the local village. It is such as stark contact at time between tradition and modern world. Many of the locals still use horse and cart and one was parked in front of the house that had satellite tv and Internet. Another local habit is at the end of the day to sit on the bench out the front of your gate and catch up on village gossip. There was groups of older ladies doing just that as the sun went down. Even a cute group of small children all lined up and keen to have there picture taken.
Dinner was another fabulous home cooked meal with the local family of cheese and herb filled bread with a bean soup and chicken stew.
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