Day 44 ROMANIA Somcuta, Buciumi

We saw the tallest wooden church in Surdesti. Every other wooden church we had to call to get in but, when we arrived a lady was there as if waiting for us. We were the only ones there, had a good look around the inside and when we went out to look around the outside, she had locked up and was gone. We think she was sent by our Romanian travel angel from Perth.

The church segregates the women at the back and the men in the front.
Frescos since 1783. (Copied from Google). The churches were typically built from oak or spruce logs. They were set on high stone foundations to protect the wood from ground moisture. The walls were constructed using a horizontal log technique called "blockbau" or "blockwork." The heavy beams were laid horizontally and joined at the corners using intricate notches like the dovetail technique, which ensures stability without the need for metal nails.
The Twisted Rope (Brâul): A prominent feature in the image was carved "twisted rope" (brâu) that circled the exterior. This symbol represented the Infinite Column or the "rope of life," served as a spiritual boundary between the profane world outside and the sacred space inside.
The vertical and horizontal metal bands seen in the image were likely modern structural reinforcements added during restoration to stabilize the ancient wood beams and prevent further shifting or warping.

We then drove through Somcuta Mare that was significant to this friend in Perth. She had arranged with a high school friend for us to call in to pick up a travel parcel in Buciumi. Her high school friend, was a chemistry teacher now married to a physics teacher, with 5 grandchildren. We had coffee with them and her husband even got out the violin to play for us. Such a beautiful experience. The travel package was huge and generous.

We stopped at a restaurant recommended by the same Romanian friend to have placinta creata (roti chanai and gozleme crossed) at Valae Chioarlui. It was so much better than the one we had at the markets in Baia Mare.

We finished our day at a fusion Japanese restaurant Vibe in Cluj Napoca. Delicious Japanese. We had a truffle beef steak sushi, ramen and torched salmon and sea bass nigiri. Might go back there tomorrow night.Read more