PICNIC IN THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS
Romania 1989
A bus carrying Romanian villagers had broken down on a mountain road. The villagers piled out with their bundles containing homemade sausage, cheese and bread. They didn’t forget to bring the bottles of palinka, an apricot brandy distilled in every village home. They knew what to do when the bus broke down…have a picnic!
They sat clustered in small groups on the green hillside. Both men and women were dressed in their best clothing: the men with a sheepskin coat casually draped over one shoulder and the women wearing embroidered blouses with voluminous sleeves.
I toured Romania last year with Daniel Gheorghita (www.covinnus.com). I chose to go at Easter in the hope that I would find some women wearing the peasant costume of Romania. I might have seen some except for the weather. If only it hadn’t rained and snowed…any lovely heirloom costumes were hidden under heavy black woolen coats.
To see more of Old Romania click on the links below: