Romanian hospitality is one of the most amazing pieces of my puzzle.. Land halfway between west and east Europe, Romania is a crossroad of people from e different countries and traditions, a pleasant mixture of customs, habits, sounds, all “seasoned” with excellent hospitality.
Walking in Oradea, Vicky and me we have had the opportunity to discover how much big’s rumanian’s heart and how warm they are…we will never forget the night spent in Oradea...
we visited the “Biserica cu Luna”, a fantastic Greek Orthodox church...it is evening and the mass (liturgy) it is about to finish; we are wound by a strong smell of incense mixed to that of the old carpets covering the whole floor of the church making it warm and pleasant; we are abducted by the calm and relaxed atmosphere of the small church.
We ask suggestion to the priest for a place in which to spend the night, but after a look to our (empty) pocket, we realize that the city is expensive for us..the priest observes us, he smiles and later he leaves us for few minutes..when he returns he winks at us and he makes sign to follow him and introduces us Lucian, the “cantoresc”. Lucian lives alone and there is a bed for us in his flat..we thank but we don't want to disturb..they insist..and so it starts a fantastic night, spent between the pleasant boundaries of this magnificent church and the small flat of a young Rumanian “cantoresc” that will offer us good wine homemade, delicious “sarmale” made by her mother with their “own meat” and, above all, a good conversation in Rumanian...
He tells us about Oradea, the history of the city, his life and about religion, he is curious of our traditions and he wonders how is possible to come from so far away (he refers to Uruguay) to Romania, to Oradea an now in his house...
Yeah! Walks of people crossing each other for brief time but leaving a deep furrow in the ground of our life...
He doesn't absolutely allow that two girls sleep on a couch..he will sleep there…
He asks us if we want to eat again and he tells the morning after at 8 o'clock he must be to mass...
Morning comes and a rich breakfast is waiting for us, homemade food..of course!
Outside is not so cold, it’s good to have a walk while Oradea is still sleeping ; we enter from the back side of the church, we cross a narrow corridor and...incredibly the church is all for us! It’s not opened yet to the believers and we can enjoy some beauty and magic..the gold and silver holy icons, the complex mechanism regulated on the lunar cycle, the embrace of the priest that welcomes us..Lucian and the priest prepare them for the mass..they invite us to participate..we want..we will..people are coming, some women recognize we are not romanian and they assist us in the ritual, we are sorrounded by human warm, hospitality again…
mass starts but this is other piece of puzzle.
