Complex Caprioara Baia Mare

... and never left. Great place. Feels much more like a bed & breakfast (but no food except for the apples which I was free to pick). I have the hostel to myself for the first night and the bedroom to myself both nights.

It is only around noon so off to lunch at Consuelas. This is local. It is full of locals on their lunch break. No one there speaks English and no English menu. My little Eastern European dictionary is only sufficient to let me know what is ...

... cleverly (I’m going on the English description at the cemetery gates here) describes the person’s life and/or death. Though there were a few traditional headstones in the cemetery, it seemed that most people opted for the wooden grave marker (a tradition now carried on by his apprentice). Being painted wood, of course, means that the older markers are starting to fade and flake away. I do not know if these will be touched up or left as is. Anyway, the man has done ...

... used as orphanage with a family model instead of an institutional model. The surrogate parents will be responsible for groupings of children. There are now 14 as mentioned earlier. They talked about the various miracles that occurred to getting this place built. Many have marveled how such a big project could be accomplished by so few. They have remarkable faith, courage and focus in getting ...

... t understand a word she said. I did tell her in the simplest way I knew that I didn't enter Ukraine as I think she was looking for the stamps showing I entered the country. I have stamps from when I entered Ukraine way back in July but none from this time as of course I was only in no man's land. She kept talking and I just kept saying, 'No Ukraine, line too long.' She did let me go as really there was no reason she could have held me. She had probably seen me the entire time as I was ...

... water-wheel run mill, when the mill is not in use, the water is diverted to a huge wood slated vat. It swirls around before continuing downstream, washing any rugs, carpets, or curtains in the vat. Very cool, in an engineer-y way. Our final Maramures visit is to the Merry Cemetery, created by Ioan Stan Patras beginning in 1935. Crosses mark each grave with witty epitaphs to the deceased beneath them. Also included is a painting of the ...

... a history of the building of Sighet Prison, and much more. This should be on your list of absolute things to do while in Sighet. There is also interesting displays on the King of Romania. Did you know there was a king? From Wikipedia: Michael I, King of the Romanians, Prince of Hohenzollern, (born October 25, 1921), reigned as King of the Romanians from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940 until forced ...

We drove on to Surdesti to see a wooden church that is allegedly the tallest in Romania - about 300 yrs old, certainly tall, and with painted walls and icons draped with colorful embroidered shawls. Sheepskins on the benches, woolen rugs on the floors. The UNESCO sign says it's a Greco-Catholic wooden church of the Holy Archangels, built in 1721, and painted in 1783. It also says the church is the tallest wooden church in ...

... My toothpick is a comfort. If all the world's a stage, I'm sitting in the Gods. Ten pages of ****, It's like a Jeffrey Archer novel. 37,000 feet And the seatbelt lights JUST CAME ON! TURBULENCE. We are so high The sky is a deep dark blue. This is unreal Nothing but white and blue Above and below. I want to see the ground again, Just so as I know It's still there. Fighter! No, airliner. Same altitude Opposite direction No more than a mile away ...

... look around Sapanta revealed perhaps the most frightening monastery I have yet seen and absolutely nothing else, so I returned to Sighet and spent an enjoyable few hours in the company of a couple studying there, who gave me a guided tour of the place as it gave them an opportunity to practice their english. Finally, my train arrived and I could begin to hope for a proper bed in which to sleep (it being now 6 days since I had slept in a bed). Just a cold 6 hour journey to go!

... the back and called out 'La revedere!' as they scooted home. Inspite of the usual cautious suspicion with which I often find myself using to guide my way in the world, the people in Maramures taught me alot about welcoming strangers! (Before I can go on, I guess that I really have to make an amendment to one of my previous e-mail stories.) When I quoted the great (and flowery!) Tennessee Williams, I really should have pointed out to those of you who do not know me ...