Today's guest post comes from Cristina and it makes you wonder...
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| Copyright: Cristina Voicu |
No doubt about it, Biertan has one of my favorite fortified churches in Transylvania. It was the Evangelic Episcopal Seat for 300 years (1572 – 1867), and the religious center for the Saxons in Transylvania. In 1993 it was included in the UNESCO world patrimony.
I first saw it while being in the university, maybe in 1996, to show it to some French friends that visited me. The first comparison that came to mind when seen from the distance was that it looked like Mont Saint Michel. I absolutely loved it and the stories discovered there with the help of the local guide. Especially the one of the Prison Tower, where they locked the couples that wanted to divorce, with one spoon, one plate, one chair, one of everything, till the subjects became "one" again. If I understood right, the solution was very efficient, they didn't succeed in putting back together but one couple in 300 years. Then, they have this absolutely ingenious locking system for the door of the vestry, which has 19 bolts and was awarded at the World Exhibition of Paris in 1900.
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| Copyright: Cristina Voicu |
My story today will be about my second visit to Biertan, an epic one. You take one car (relatively small one - Mitsubishi Colt) with two adults in front (my husband and Gianfranco, our italian friend), in the back seats, two adults (me and my mother) one child and an infant, plus the upper part of the baby's pram. I guess you can picture us stuffed in there. Plus a hot summer day, plus a car without air conditioning. And, the most important: plus... a stubborn-thought to be geographically orientated person aka myself! Instead of taking the main road to Sighişoara and then turn right from Saroş pe Târnave, I was so sure that I knew a shortcut... through Buia. So, I convinced the rest of the expedition to take that road... I don't remember if we had a map or not, the truth is we kind of got lost after Buia. The roads became more and more impracticable, the indications we got from the locals were confusing, the last kilometers were on an earth-carriage-road, boiling in the afternoon sun, baby included! Guess, after all, he was the most fortunate one since he had food and drink supplies at hand... or should I say, mouth? I was still breastfeeding him at that time so, at least he was lucky! The trip took us three long hours, from 12:00 to 15:00, the best hours to enjoy the heat! The good part of this "discover your county" journey was that I still had the power to appreciate the rough beauty of the small, almost deserted villages in the region. I don't know if I am crazy or not but I loved the image of the poverty, it has its poetry that speaks to me!
Eight years later, I look back and think it was the right thing to take the wrong way and I encourage you to take the time and discover the small roads, I guess they must be better by now!
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| Copyright: Cristina Voicu |
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