Andrew Eames 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 Sucevi?a, 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 Ovazului (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 ind.