Homestay in Maramures

Trip Start Nov 21, 2007
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Trip End Oct 01, 2008


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Where I stayed
Pensiunea Ardelean
(Vadu Izei hotels)

Flag of Romania  ,
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Vadu Izie is at the meeting of the Iza and Mara Rivers, which is about 6 km from Sighet. Basically, it means it is the middle of no where and not easy to get to. We took a local bus for 2 hours, stopped in Debrecen, Hungary for a 4 hour break where we bought lunch, loaded on an old train (with only two carriages) to the Romanian border, transferred to a new train and graduated to a mint green and orange mini bus for a few hours. We left Eger at 8:30 am and arrived at Pensiunea Ardelean (or Romona's House) around 8:50 pm. Phew...but the day did not end there, we still had the chance to feast on Ramona's wonderful food.

We had two dinner here that went like this:
Starter of each meal was Horlinka (local fire water) clean the palate
First course: cheese, sausage and eggplant spread with fresh bread
Second course: vegetable soup with MORE bread
Third course: veal goulash, mushrooms, rice and MORE bread
Final course: cream filled cake

Starter of second night's meal - Horlinka (of course)
First course: cheese, peppers, cucumber, sausage and bread
Second course: broth soup with pallenta dumplings
Third course: baked chicken legs in some yummy sauce & mashed potatoes
Final course: pancakes filled with strawberry jam...oh and WATERMELON

OK, back to the visit in Izei Valley and area called Maramures we might have worn the shorts a bit more
we might have worn the shorts a bit more
 . We hired a local tour guide (he is even listed in Lonely Planet) named Nicolae Prisacaru. He took us to some great places:

Merry Cemetery - located in Sapanta with blue crosses painted colorfully that adorn its tombstones. Some of the crosses portray gentle humor about the person in the village like they like women too much or drank too much. Some of the pics can tell this story better than words.

Memorial Museum - set in a prison in Siget to show the treatment of political prisoners during the communist times. The old prime minister prior to Soviet occupation actually passed away in the prison.

Gazebo for picnic lunch - we had lots of rain so we took cover under our minibus driver's gazebo for a picnic lunch.

Visit with local couple - we visited a Romanian couple who gave us shots of Horlinka, grain grinding machine powered by water, water-powered washing hole, distillery, craft of putting ladders in his signature bottles, played the bass drum with symbol while he recited a fold song about democracy and women. They had a son who lived in America and another lived in Spain.

Barsana Monastery - located in Barsana with 12 nuns. This was the last Orthodox monastery to be built in the region before many people converted to Greco-Catholicism in 1711. This was a very quaint and serene place to end the day.
SMALL train to Romanian border
SMALL train to Romanian border
Just driving around Maramures was beautiful!  The rolling hills, mountains, farmland and scenery was awesome!!

RANDOM:

Ukraine boarder is 100 meters away at some points of the river. We took pictures of a few villages in Ukraine that we could see from our minibus.

Most Romanians have benches outside their houses which is the village social system, sitting outside and just talking.

Romanian Cheers = Na - Roock (oo sounds like brook)

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this bench is for 3 people this bench is for 3 people Merry Cemetery Merry Cemetery so many crosses so many crosses each one represents the person each one represents the person
this guy built houses this guy built houses picture too picture too he was a tractor driver he was a tractor driver butcher with a pipe butcher with a pipe
this lady got into a car accident this lady got into a car accident oops! oops! woman that worked at home woman that worked at home close up of cross detail close up of cross detail
a man that was beheaded in WWII a man that was beheaded in WWII angel at judgement with devil angel at judgement with devil nicolae explaining what we see nicolae explaining what we see guy fixing tv and electronics guy fixing tv and electronics
more crosses more crosses the artist Stanoian Patras grave the artist Stanoian Patras grave his portrait his portrait step mom and mistreated son in law step mom and mistreated son in law
black doves for the guy that drank too much black doves for the guy that drank too much more black doves more black doves boy that was killed in Paris on roller blades boy that was killed in Paris on roller blades mechanic mechanic
worked for Communist party worked for Communist party woman spinning wool woman spinning wool view of Ukraine across border view of Ukraine across border Normal and Soviet train tracks Normal and Soviet train tracks
political prisoners in Romania political prisoners in Romania cell where former prime minister dies cell where former prime minister dies bishops and priest were prisoners too bishops and priest were prisoners too well like priest well like priest
soviet ballot box for the "right" soviet ballot box for the "right" shot of the prison walls shot of the prison walls Black torture cell Black torture cell man children suffered because of Soviets man children suffered because of Soviets
monument for those who suffered monument for those who suffered circle with rings for each year of occupation circle with rings for each year of occupation close up close up rain coming through cross rain coming through cross
our lunch under the gazebo our lunch under the gazebo beautiful view beautiful view there was hay stacks everywhere there was hay stacks everywhere jana with a newer haystack jana with a newer haystack
lower church in Budesti built in 1643 lower church in Budesti built in 1643 rope of live and star of david carvings rope of live and star of david carvings view of the church view of the church view of steeple view of steeple
original window original window view looking back at church view looking back at church cemetery at church cemetery at church Romanian man who entertained us Romanian man who entertained us
first with his home distilled liquor first with his home distilled liquor Jana's turn Jana's turn Layton is a bit taller Layton is a bit taller he was showing us how to he was showing us how to
put the ladders inside the bottle put the ladders inside the bottle very tedious process very tedious process it was very hard it was very hard so he had a few more shots so he had a few more shots
this is what it will look like this is what it will look like the couple's backyard the couple's backyard he even played the drums for us he even played the drums for us their washing machine their washing machine
the wife was so cute the wife was so cute thier house thier house our fly van our fly van country side was awesome country side was awesome
Barsana orthodox monestary Barsana orthodox monestary nuns hanging out nuns hanging out another wooden built church another wooden built church gazebo built in the middle of grounds gazebo built in the middle of grounds
very pretty area very pretty area just to walk around just to walk around roses roses more roses more roses
one more of roses one more of roses shot looking back shot looking back more of complex buildings more of complex buildings Pensiunea Ardelean Pensiunea Ardelean
view from our back porch view from our back porch view through the valley view through the valley view of Vadu Izie view of Vadu Izie dinner at Ramona's dinner at Ramona's
bottle of egri bikaver bottle of egri bikaver a portion of drum song a portion of drum song
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