A Week on the Road, Part Three

Thursday, February 8th

After a breakfast of eggs and pancakes (again, thanks to Julie), Julie and I headed over to her school to meet up with her counterpart Anuta. Anuta volunteered to take us to the "Merry Cemetery" in the village of Sapanta, located about 16km west of Sighet. Despite the rain and generally poor weather, we managed to squeeze in a couple of other sights as well.

Julie's got it rough. So do her students. After seeing the conditions she has to endure at school I've got no right to complain. The entire school is heated by wood. Every room has its own individual wood burning stove, or soba, and accompanying woodpile. Every morning, starting at 4, the cleaning ladies light the sobas and replenish the woodpiles. I'd like to mention that this is by no means a small school. It's a turn of the 20th century three-story building located in the center of the city. I saw the biggest pile of firewood in my life when I went into the back courtyard of the school. No joke.

Her classroom is a mish-mosh of rickety furniture, splintered floorboards, and a barely functioning soba. She teaches in a hat, coat and scarf most winter days. These conditions, while unpleasant, are tolerable. However, what is intolerable is the students' outdoor latrine. Total and utter squalor. Non-flush Turkish toilets, cracked concrete, holes in the roof, no doors on the stalls and overgrown with weeds. Filth, trash and cigarette butts are everywhere. I'd have to imagine that the local homeless/drunks use this latrine at will. I've grown to be quite tolerant of the poor conditions that exist in the schools here, but this situation is absolutely unacceptable. It is a shame that such 3rd world conditions still exist here, especially in a school in the center of a city.

Anuta arrived and we departed around 12:30pm for Sapanta. 30 minutes later we passed through the colorful, hand-painted town gate. Maramures is famous for its elaborately carved (and sometimes painted) wooden architecture, something that I appreciate very much. Anuta was born and raised in Sapanta and is the author of a bilingual tourism book about the town and surrounding area, the perfect guide for a day of sightseeing. We didn't have to pay admission to the cemetery. Nice hook up.

Cimitirul Vesel or "The Merry Cemetery" is something special. Back in the 1930's, a man named Stan Ioan Patras began designing, carving and painting unique headstones (they're wooden) that depict the deceased in scenes that represent who they were and/or the circumstances surrounding their death. Each has a poem about the person's life, many of which are witty and humorous, no matter how the person met their maker. However, I did encounter my fair share of sad ones. The creativity and craftsmanship that went into (and still does today) these wooden headstones is unlike anything I've ever seen. Patras died in the 1970's, but passed on his craft to his apprentices, who now also have their own apprentices. The tradition is alive and well, as the cemetery still accepts residents and, well, business is good. The Merry Cemetery is truly unique, an important contribution to European folk art. I hope to visit again and spend more time there. Anuta gave us a first-class tour.

After buying a few souvenirs, like a good tourist always should, we escaped the rain and Anuta drove us to see the wooden church at the Sapanta-Peri Monastery. It is the tallest wooden church in the world. However, interior construction has yet to finish and it may take a few more years. The wooden churches of Maramures are another unique element of the landscape and culture of the area and many are under protection by UNESCO. The craftsmanship that went into the Sapanta-Peri church is extraordinary, particularly a staircase carved out of a single, large oak tree. Super cool.

We drove back to Sighet and Anuta treated us to a tasty lunch of vegetable soup, cheese, sausages and pork medallions with sauteed carrots and cabbage. After the obligatory Palinka (no Tuica around these parts), we wolfed down lunch and set off southeast to the monastic complex at Barsana.

The drive was great. I had the opportunity to see many styles and sizes of wooden gates on the homes that lined the road, some big, some small, some old, some new and all interesting. Looking around, it appeared that village life in Maramures is more traditional than in other rural parts of Romania I've visited. The snow-covered, forested hills were a beautiful backdrop to the scenes immediately in front of me. I could only imagine how captivating the area must be in the summertime.

The Barsana complex was completed in 1993 or 94 and houses a group of nuns that work there and maintain the grounds. Its wooden church is stunning. The ground floor altar room was dimly lit, with daylight piercing through small, rectangular windows. It felt very Crypt-like. Iconic paintings covered the wood walls and ceilings and a small model of the church sat on the altar, illuminated by a single candle. It was so silent and peaceful in there, truly a place for meditation, prayer and reflection.

It was getting dark, so after the church we had a quick look around the grounds and headed back to Sighet. On the way out I saw the coolest gate ornament suspended above an entryway, the Romania Coat of Arms carved from wood. I'd love to get one someday and have it painted to the exact specifications of the actual coat of arms.

Anuta gave me a signed copy of her book, gave us a goodbye kiss and dropped us off near Julie's apartment. We played cards again, drank some beer and went to bed around midnight.

Photo Highlights:



School latrine shot #1. I think it speaks for itself.



Same here.



Julie getting warm with the giant soba in the canceliare (teacher's lounge).



The entry gate to the Merry Cemetery, Sapanta.



A giant wooden cross on the street in front of the cemetery with the orthodox church in the background.



Inside the Merry Cemetery.



Here lies the creator. Stan was indeed the Man.



This guy liked to drive his tractor. A "tractorist", as we say in Romania.



This dude was a forestry worker. Apparently he was fond of his chainsaw.



A peaceful life spent picking apple trees for this fella.



One of my favorites. This guy loved to sit at the table, hold court and drink with his homeboys.



Uhh. Not exactly sure what's going on here. It is technically an art piece, so I'll leave it up to interpretation.



Oh man. Those of you who can read Romanian will appreciate this one. Click for a bigger view so you can read the story. The streets are not a safe place for little kids.



Apparently this poor lady died from some sort of machinery fire, a loom or something.



I think we know what happened here.



Me thinking about how I'm gonna get my own Sapanta headstone someday.



The church at Sapanta-Peri Monastery.



Here's the staircase I was talking about. That was a big tree.



The entry gate to the Barsana Monastic Complex.



Inside Barsana.



The church at Barsana.



The altar at the bottom of the church.

The Romanian Coat of Arms in wood. Like I said, someday I must have one, and it will be painted.