Fall Break 2008: Kalotaszentkirály, Romania (Oct 25)

Csipkebogyó Lekvár (Rose Hip Jam) Festival in Kalotaszentkirály

A rose hip branch adorned the entrance to the village hall

Our last night in Romania was spent in Kalotaszentkirály. The evening

began with a large dinner together, then on to a wonderful evening of music and dancing. The guest of honor at the celebration was rose hip jam. The village hall was decorated with rose hip branches above the doorways and on the walls. The whole village turned out for the event, which began with the announcement of the winner of the rose hip jam competition. Prizes were awarded for the top five entries. Next came the folk dancing show. Different age level groups showcased their fancy steps and traditional clothing.

The first dancers were the older and more accomplished ones in the group. In the background you could see the faces of younger dancers peeking through the curtains and watching in amazement.

a short clip from the opening dance

Eventually the younger children danced too and before long the show was over and it was time for everyone to put on their dancing shoes.

curtain call for the performers


The musicians spread out across the stage and anyone interested moved towards the front of the hall for a crash course in some basic steps. The music and dancing went on well into the morning hours.

the musicians

Throughout the evening dancers would show off their steps for the crowd. This boy in particular loved the spotlight.

Fall Break 2008: Korond, Romania (Oct 24)

Korond (Corund) is a small town famous throughout Romania and Hungary for their traditional Transylvanian pottery.

During our stop, we were given a short tour of the factory where pieces are made and painted by hand. It was a small, intimate tour that felt more like peeking into someone's garage workshop than a "factory tour."





one of the large brick kilns

some finished pieces in the front shop

Fall Break 2008: Gymesközéplok, Romania (Oct 23)

We made two stops in Gymesközéplok, a collection of traditional Csángó villages tucked in the valleys of the Gyimes mountains. In the 1700's these villages were settled by Székely people and have changed little over the past 300 years.



As we drove into the little village, we passed many horse-drawn carts with people curious about our brightly-colored van in their neighborhood. My favorite "lottery shot" from the bus was of a man and his bike on top of a cart full of hey.







We stopped at a small home where we got a peak inside a typical Gyimesi Csángó house. The grandmother greeted us at the entrance and her family graciously let us step inside their one-room living space heated by a wood stove.





Upon arriving at our second stop, we were greeted with traditional music performed by people in traditional costumes. After some pálinka, wine and appetizers we walked to the old Hungarian-Romanian border just down the road. Along the old border stood some ruins of an old fortress.

railroad tracks at the old border


view from the fortress ruins


We returned to where we had our snack and gathered outside to watch some traditional folk dancing.

Hajni, our program director, translated the lyrics from Hungarian to English for the songs with words.



After the demonstrations, we were all invited to join in. We were taught a few basic steps and also learned a group dance. At the end anyone who wanted to joined in and danced to the live music.

After the dancing we ate dinner and the musicians serenaded us inside as well. It was a wonderful day of music and culture.

Fall Break 2008: Máréfalva, Romania (Oct. 23)

A typical Székely gate

In the small village of Máréfalva (Satu Mare) nearly every entrance is marked by a large wooden gate. These traditional Székely Gates are the first to be constructed, even before the house is built, and are a unique feature of the Székely region. They are typically carved and painted with flower motifs as well as other traditional symbols. Though they exist in other Hungarian communities, they are the most elaborate and abundant in Székely regions in Romania.

The top is shingled and hollow with openings to house spirits to bless those who enter. The traditional inscription on this gate reads:

"ISTEN HOZOTT ~ HA MÉSZ ~ ISTEN LEGYEN VELED."
[God has brought you. If you leave, may God be with you.]

Fall Break 2008: Zetelaka, Romania (Oct. 22-24)

A short note about our favorite hosts in Romania...

Imre and Anikó

Our second and third nights in Romania were spent in the town of Zetelaka (Zetea) with Imre and Anikó. When we first arrived they dressed in traditional costumes and greeted our whole group with pálinka, a special kind of Hungarian/Transylvanian brandy. Afterwards the group split off to different families in town, but Hajni, Margie, Hanna, Jon and I stayed with Imre and Anikó. With as much traveling as we did during the day, it was nice to come back to the same place two nights in a row. The food was delicious and their hospitality felt like we were staying with old friends. They shared pictures of their grandchildren and we marveled at the huge trophy Anikó had taken home from a cooking competition. If and when I return to Romania, I will be sure to stop in Zetelaka to see them again.

Fall Break 2008: Segesvár, Romania (Oct. 22)

Segesvár (Sighişoara) is a medieval fortified city. It is amazingly well-preserved and absolutely beautiful.

The landmark clock tower was built in 1360 and stands tall atop the entrance to the citadel.

Segesvár is the only fortified city in Romania that is still inhabited.

It is also the birthplace of Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia,
a.k.a Vlad Ţepeș ["Vlad the Impaler"],
a.k.a Drăculea ["Dracula"].



A covered staircase within the citadel leads to an even more fortified portion of the city where a school, church, and cemetery are located.

covered staircase entrance


looking down from the top of the staircase


view from the top of the hill


Some pictures from the cemetery...

Fall Break 2008: Marosvásárhely, Romania (Oct. 22)

A morning in Marosvásárhely (Târgu Mureş)...

Cultural Palace

ceiling in the lobby of the Cultural Palace




Prefecture of Mureş County

Avram Iancu statue

Orthodox Church

Fall Break 2008: Torocko, Romania (Oct. 21-22)

We spent our first night in Romania in Torocko (Rimetea). Throughout the trip we stayed with host families, which meant that every day we had homemade food for dinner and breakfast. Thankfully my request to not be served meat did not result in angry hosts or monotonous eating. Everyone raved about the food and a popular conversation topic on the bus was, "What did YOU eat for dinner last night?"

view from my room

9:00 AM rush hour in downtown Torocko

The significance of the chairs...

Wednesday morning we visited the history museum in town, which had many artifacts and lots of information about the local culture. These chairs carried important information for any visitor based on how they were arranged. The two chairs are almost identical except for the orientation of the top detail: there is a rounded end and a pointed end (the right one is broken) and each points in a different direction.

If the rounded ends were facing each other, this meant that the house was at peace and guests were welcome to stay and socialize. If the pointed ends were facing each other, a quarrel was taking place between the husband and wife and visitors should be advised that a short visit is in order.

Lottery Shot

I invented a little game on the bus called "Lottery Shot." I would point my camera out the window, take a series of pictures and see if I caught anything worth keeping. Riding in a big van over very bumpy roads meant it was truly a surprise to see what I captured. This is the winner for the series taken while leaving Torocko.