Traditions: Cutting the pig / Ignatul Porcului

This is a long-lasting tradition in Romanian culture and a few other cultures in East Europe. Seams it's dating isn't really known but it starts long before Christ was born. Must admit it: that is OLD.
There were loads of superstitions and customs surrounding this festivity but the main part of it is that it is a moment of gathering with family and friends, doing some work and have a real feast, letting go of the year that's coming to an end and embracing winter and family.

*NOTE: Rough images will follow and descriptive text, not recommended to the faint-hearted.

Tradition says this is supposed to start as early as the first brink of daylight and

Targul de la Negreni / The fair at Negreni

Targul de la Negreni, also called Targul de la Fechetau (the Fair from Negreni or The Fair at Fechetau) is one of the oldest fairs in Transylvania, if not actually the oldest one. As per the official sources this seams to have been documented at least since the Middle Age.

When I think of it, and the stories I hear about it, I recall the ancient classical Romanian stories such as Baltagul, imagining how people would have traveled for days or weeks to arrive to such a fair and then they would stay here for a week trying to sell and buy whatever their family is missing.
Usually the fair has two parts: animal fair and objects fair.

Dealu Botii / the Botii Hill & Bambi

Hi! So, we were not that much active this year, but now we're going to recover a bit :)
Hope you enjoy the new blog look and with that, here's a little special encounter we had in a trip, and we want to share it with you.
We went for a weekend to Dealu Botii, close to the Belis Lake from Apuseni mountains...read more below.

The Winemaker - a real art and much craft

It's the season to brew your own alcohol, be it wine, moonshine/palinka or something else.

We heard this year about a man from Tileagd that is making wine himself and we went to meet him.
OK, you'll say... so what's impressive about that?
Well he is 86 years old, he makes it all with his own hands and he has a wall full of awards from Vienna for the wine he is making. He was declared a Wine's Knight at contests in Vienna.
Aha? That's more interesting, right? :) Click on "read more" below the picture, to see the full story.