Our 5 hour drive north today started by driving around the city of Brasov and just north of there, we took a short diversion to the town of Pejmier. This appears in our old guidebook with a short paragraph, concluding with the note that it “makes an interesting side trip from Brasov”. It turned to be one of the most interesting trips that we have made and we highly recommend it. The town is pretty in its own right but the star is the fortified church, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church originally built in the 13th century but modified and added to over the next 3 centuries. In the 15th century the fortress was built around the church in order to protect the village inhabitants in times of siege. Later, 275 rooms in four storeys were built around the inside walls to house the population. Additional areas were set aside for provisions and together with access to a spring within the fortress, they were well prepared for any siege. We walked through the outer courtyard (a 16th century addition) and the 32m vaulted corridor with its portcullis, into the inner courtyard dominated by the large Church of the Holy Cross. Here were the cells around the walls looking like an early version of high-rise flats. We were able to walk all round the fortress (some 800m) inside the fortress walls that are between 12m and 14m high and 5m thick at their base. All around the walls are loopholes for firing arrows and spouts for pouring boiling pitch. We were also able to view some of the wooden cells, using the complex series of stairs and walkways. Fascinating!
Our route took us north through Sfantu Gheorghe to Gheorgheni where we turned east heading up into mountains. The whole of this journey was through very rural areas where the main occupation was definitely agriculture with almost every house in every village having a barn behind it. Judging by the amount of pasture and number of hayricks, many of these barns must of contained animals as there were none in the fields. We saw more horses and carts per kilometre than ever before and this was definitely the main form of transport in the villages. I wanted to get a picture of one loaded with hay but every time we passed one, Jane couldn't get the photograph – her camera wouldn't focus fast enough.
The mountain road twisted and turned, the steep gradient and hairpin bends slowing us down considerably. Finally we got to the top and found ourselves descending into a major resort – Lacu Rosu – full of parked cars and throngs of people. It was set in quite dramatic scenery but the main attraction seemed to be a huge number souvenir stalls set up in a large area just off the road. It was as we descended from this village that we discovered what had probably attracted the tourists – a very dramatic and beautiful gorge. This went on for a few kilometres until we came into a slightly wider area with timber yards and then the valley widened further and farming returned. It was here, at Muncelu, that I spotted a horse and hay cart stopped on the side of the road. Three generations were on the cart – Grandad, mother and son were sat on top of the hay cart, grandmother was stood on the back and the father was standing by the horse. Much to Jane's dismay (“you can't do that!”), I pulled of the road a little way beyond the cart and went back to take a photograph. I was greeted with a wave and a handshake from the young father and there were smiles all around as I took a series of photographs. I ran back to the van to get a pen and paper and the mother wrote their address so that I can send copies of the photographs to them. Then they were off and shortly afterwards, with much waving, we went past them.
After following the Bicaz river, we came to Bicaz town and turned north, soon arriving at a large dam. Here was a hotel and basic campsite but the huge dam wall reared up behind the site, so it wasn't a very attractive setting. The Austrian couple at Camping Darste had told us about a site on the lake (Izvoru Muntelu), so we decided to push on to find that. The road crossed the dam and soon after we started to follow the shore north, we saw signs to Plutitor Lebada camping. The complex consisted of some very pleasant cabins in the wood and two hotels, one on the lakeside and a floating hotel on the lake itself. Motorhome facilities were rudimentary – parking in the car park with electricity provided from two domestic sockets inexpertly fitted into the outside wall of the hotel (health and safety???). However we were able to walk just a few metres to the lake and admire the view across to the mountains. However, the hotel kitchens then lit their wood fires in order to prepare dinner and the view became even more hazy than it was before. Turning back to Henrietta, which was parked next to the kitchens, she was enveloped in wood smoke. Fortunately the smoke soon died down and we were able to eat our meal with the door and windows open.
Photos: The fortified church at Prejmier; The cells on the inside of the fortified church; The hay cart; Part of the family (soon to be increased) on the hay cart – the beer was for Grandad, not the baby!
No comments:
Post a Comment