Greetings!
Our Tour provider (Overseas Adventure Travel) insists on spending some of our time in what they call"A D ay in the Life". Today, we were treated to spending the morning and lunch with Nicola, her husband Stephan, and her sons Stephan Jr, and Vlad. They live in the village of Bod, about 30 minutes from Brasov.
They run what Kiki called a "gastronomic establishment", which provides a space in her town for a combination of local meal gatherings (Pub) and tourist group meals. In the course of explaining what it takes to be responsive to the baptism party yesterday, and the OAT Home Visit today, they helped us understand that they couldn't just serve anything they wanted to, or that other request.
Romania's version of Farm to Table means that they must document that what they serve is actually either grown on their farm, or purchased from a neighbor. And what they serve must be essentially what they eat. So don't go expecting to order what you eat back home, or what you ate in Rome. They could have their license removed if they violated this grow-it-yourself restriction.
Niki also provided us insights into Romanian blouse hand embroidery. Displaying an enormous amount of family status, history, and culture, these garments are statements of personal place and position as much as any background conversations. Kiki related how she was treated when she first moved to the town, and wore a simple white, un-adorned blouse. Her collection of blouses was very impressive.
We were also treated to a visit to their cold cellar, where a year's worth of food was prepared for storage and maintained. Winter's work storing the September Harvest needed to last, and be protected. Niki showed us the process of meat, vegetable, fruit, and wine preservation at the level of her establishment. It reminded many in our group of their own childhood food production and storage.
At lunch, we realized the profits of their excellent talents. And beyond the full meal, we were also engaged in conversations about their lives in Romania during the period of communist rule and since. Pros and cons of the life that Niki remembers, and of the lives that her young family members are now experiencing. As a teacher, she is particularly interested in preparing young people for the future, and we all shared our hopes and fears for all of our children's lives.
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