Learned many things during these past few months, but by far the one of much significance is to make the most of what I have. As my love for travelling cannot be measured in words, I realized there are still places I never visited in my own country and that I could do that in safety terms regarding the circumstances caused by the times we are living in.

And for this, first trip me and my friends as it follows: Mitichi, Ciprian Silasi, Manuela Marincas, Iulia Secelean, Teodora Pop, Diana Potirca, Radu Suciu; we had planned was in Maramures, the land of wooden churches, mythological richness, impressive landscapes and very ancient customs.

On our way there we have stopped at Sic as Mitichi was there before and considered it a place to be seen. And indeed it is!

  

 

Next on our route was The Blue Lake 

 

Untill the lake there is a 20 minute walk in the forest.

Totally worth it!

 

The only picture of me in the lake, in the middle of a bachelor’s party.

I just had to go for a swim! Yes, I did it in the dress.

 

 And then waited in the sun for my dress and hair to dry…

Perfect time for taking selfies with Manuela.

 

 

Spent the night in Negresti Oas, the city from where Manuela is coming from and she was kind enough to host us all. Recharged our batteries and then we were off to another great experience: „Mocăniță”

„Mocăniță is a narrow-gauge railway in Romania, most notably in Maramureș, Transylvania, and Bukovina. Archetypely, they are situated in mountainous areas and the locomotives operating on them (which themselves can also be referred to as mocănițăs) are steam-powered. These railways were built for cargo and passenger services – some in the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before 1920 – but fell into disrepair over the years. Some are now being rehabilitated for the purposes of tourism.”

 

The entire trip with Mocanita was somewhere around 4 Hours with one hour stop, where lunch was served and I must admit, the entire organization overcame my expectations. Actually the entire experience did so. I must admit, never have I ever came across such gentle people, of a kindness that is rare to be seen nowadays, I was truly speechless and impressed.

 

On the same note, taking about things that impressed me and not only me, is Barsana Monastery.

 

 

 

After enjoying the silence and the beauty of the place we were headed to Breb.

„The village of Breb sits below the Cock’s Crest (Creasta Cocoşului) peak in the Gutai Mountains between 450 and 700 meters. There are 400 homes in the village and it is said to be the home to around 1,500 people. Breb is one the best examples of the peasant strip farming culture still alive in Maramures.”

 

Spent the night in this village where we started with some…Horinca, a traditional Romanian spirit that contains ~ 24–65% alcohol by volume.

 

Woke up with this view and enjoyed a healthy breakfast at Pensiunea Marioara 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we enjoyed a walk around and a coffee & socata at Casa Lu Dochia.

     

 

As I mentioned before, Maramures is the land of wooden churces, and here stand also the highest wooden church in the world, Sapanta- Peri. Next to it is the Merry Cemetery, „famous for its colourful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the people who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives.”

 

 

The trip ended perfeclty with something I live for: sunsets

 

I will leave you now enjoying some great pictures, courtesy of Mitichi, which we all agree knows best how to make you want to plan your next weekend in Maramures with his captures.