On my first visit to România we were not able to visit Sarmizegetusa as the road was already closed for winter. I had been left with an inner calling to return which we were able to do on the last two days of our travels.
Our two months in România were coming to a close, a journey that neither of us wanted to end. There is a special magic that every traveler with wanderlust will identify with for it pulls the soul toward never ending horizons. Leaving Bucureşti early Saturday morning our sight turned inward knowing that the magical journey can always be found inside. We drove in silence, tired from having to deal with the clashing energies of a world bent for war, tired from seeing the incursion of the modern merchandised world of flashy displays convincing humanity that it needs money to be happy, tired of seeing how easily people believe they have to live in boxes. A sadness colored our mood.
My weeks in Bucureşti were spent as a guest in an apartment in what is called a Bloc. These large looming concrete apartment buildings are left over from the communist era and still dominate the city skyline. They stand in stark contrast with the people who inhabit this abundant land as many still reside in rural settings living life as they always have. I feel gratitude for my hosts who shared their home and the warmth of their kitchen so generously with me. My love affair with this country includes the traditional foods. I was served a surprising soup of lettuce and lovage, a divine fresh tomato soup, ciorbă is the mainstay of every kitchen and restaurant we visited. And then there is Papanași … a dessert that melts the heart in deliciousness. Food shared as we did has a way of removing the differences of culture and language. Meals shared are communion.
România is a very unique place, not only geographically and geopolitically for there is an untouched magic that is palpable though one must listen carefully so not to miss it. There are mysteries to unlock everywhere and my senses were piqued by one of the most mysterious of places, Saramizgetusa.
She will ramble around here, weaving diverse threads into a tapestry she wants to reveal.
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