Goodbye to Bucovina !

Humor represented to me all that is wonderful about Romania. The northern region of Moldavia is full of scenic splendor. The roads, however, are a different story. If you visit Romania please take the guidebooks seriously when they recommend that you do not drive at night. The roads can be treacherous and winding thru the mountains but the rural roads have their fair share of hazards including livestock and horse drawn vehicles. One tragic thing I observed in passing was the road accident involving the death of a horse that was struck by a motor vehicle. Much grief was expressed the loss of the family horse is a very tragic event and a very large financial loss for a farmer in the agrarian society. It was a heart rending scene to behold. Many vehicles can be seen on thee road including the ubiquitous Dacia which is manufactured in Romania with the assistance of Renault. Another interesting aspect of the roadways in Romania is the fact that most major highways are 3 lane affairs with both directions sharing the third lane space. What we in North America would consider the shoulder is part of the driving lane in Romania. Most roads are constructed at ground level, that is, without any crest in the surface of the road and without any drainage ditches on the sides of the roads. The result of this type of construction is flooding. What we might consider a fairly heavy rain causes flooding in Romania with loss of life. In this one photograph you can readily see how low the bridge spans over this river. Before my trip I had been told that we might not make the journey to the monasteries as the road conditions were uncertain. I looked at the map and remarked that it should be a fairly quick journey based upon the distance. So much for maps! While we traveled to this remote area of Romania the ITI-UNESCO Chair, Professor Corneliu Dumitriu, was in constant cell phone contact with his sister Professor Mihaela Dumitriu, to check on weather and road conditions. This monitoring was necessary as 3 hours after we had left the Bucovina area, it suffered massive flooding with six people left dead. This region of the country possesses a certain quality of solitude, a solemnity that you feel with your consciousness. My friend Mihaela told me that some people come to Romania seeking Dracula but that Romania is a country of God; to find God all you have to do is listen with your eyes, ears, and heart. Bucovina is the most profound regions of Romania and I found it extremely difficult to leave; part of me is still there.