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.

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.

When human meets nature, nature meets human's heart

Time goes by and the world is changing, to the good and to the bad... actually depends on how you look at it.

To me, it's both. But when you see the world today, it gets you thinking; the real world, not the one we're trying to create through humanization of everything. The real world is the one that gave birth to us as a species, the world where no buildings existed, where no factories polluted the air, where no trees were cut to the extent of deforestation of a whole mountain, the world where waters were pure and every animal was healthy...that is the real world!

Some truths about living in the countryside

Hey there! So, you think that living in the countryside sucks because you're isolated, dusty, they don't have much technology and all? Guess what? Ain't true! Below I will show you a few moments and benefits of living in the old rusty, dusty, creepy countryside. ;)

The end of summer

In all our legends and stories we can see that Romanians were very tight to their land, the agricultural moments used to mark the calendar and these days were felt as holidays or feasts.
Today, even if many peasants forgot what they used to work and how they used to do it the hard way thanks to the upcoming technologies and to the ways everything is being mechanized and industrialized, you can still feel a special itch in your heart when you get close to the old traditions.

What city people tend to forget

We live in the city and our everyday life tends to make us forget where we are and what other things are out there that could matter to us and help us have a  better life.

That's nature, silence, a place for meditation and self awareness...these things you find quite hard in a city but you can find them easily walking out of it for a day or a few hours. The images below are taken in a village 1 hour away from Timisoara.

Palinka - making of :)

Everyone who comes to Romania must try the strongest home-made alcohol in the country: Palinca or Palinka, in some places called Tuica (read: tzuika).
A small capture of the processing of it in the pictures below.

Bucuria de la sat

    Astazi viata la sat difera mult de cea de la oras, multi dintre noi nici nu ne mai putem inchipui cum ar fi sa traim la sat, fara internet, magazine, cafenele si mall-uri.

    Nu cu multi ani in urma insa viata era alta si la oras, copiii se jucau printre blocuri, hutulusele erau asaltate non-stop de ei si de adolescenti care mai de care mai curiosi, unii de jocuri, altii de mici momente romantice, poate chiar primele din viata lor iar altii doar dornici sa sacaie pe cineva pentru a gasi motiv de a juca prinsa.

Nunta Cornilor

 De Nunta Cornilor am aflat de la un drag profesor de al meu acum ceva timp, insa nu stiam nici cand este, nici ce simbolizeaza pana nu demult. Printr-o serie de circumstante am ajuns insa sa ma interesez de acest obicei din satele din zona Almajului si sa ajung sa-l si fotografiez.

Adunarea in curtea Nasului

Grup de barbati asteptand sosirea nuntasilor

Welcome to Gabud

Gabud este un sat mic in inima tarii, la limita dintre judetul Alba si judetul Mures.
Oamenii din sat sunt in mare parte batrani, tinerii au plecat in timp in orase sau un strainatate la munca.
Noi am ajuns aici datorita unei tabere de fotografie, deja traditie, tinuta de calugarii de la manastirea Oasa (de data aceasta aici la metocul manastirii, Schitul Ioan Evanghelistul de langa Gabud), o tabara cu oameni faini, fotografi buni si povesti aparte.

Ceata de dimineata pe ulitele satului