Running diagonally across Romania, the Via Transilvanica stitches together some of Europe's most traditional landscapes and communities with 12 Unesco World Heritage sites. About a third of the way into a 23km day, I was beginning to get nervous about water. I'd refilled courtesy of the nuns in the Painted Monastery in the Romanian village of Sucevița, but a punishing climb had quickly used up that holy hydration.
Then, after about three hours, the forest faded away and I emerged into rolling high pasture, with a magnificent view of the Bucovina highlands. According to the trail guide , this was the Poiana Ovăzului (Oat Meadow) summer grazing, and where there were animals, there must be water. But although there were a couple of wooden shepherds' huts in the distance, there was no sign of any livestock.
I turned left following the trail, and after a while it dipped into a green cleft in the ridge, harbouring a couple more substantial buildings along with a makeshift shelter that had clearly been put there for hikers. Beside it was a tap, with " apa potabile" ("drinking water") written on the fence. As I gratefully refilled, Cosma appeared, a big-bellied shepherd with a gap-toothed grin.
He gesticulated at the shelter: "Sit, rest." So I did, gratefully, thanking him for the water, but he was already producing a bottle of homemade apple brandy. It was barely 11:00, though clearly for him it was already palinka -o-clock.
I protested, but Cosma was indicating that a glass or .