Another lovely, little, observational documentary of late July village life in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains where, although Romania is changing and farming modernising, horse-drawn vehicles are everywhere. The horses work hard but look well.
It was 2024 and we were on a self-guided bicycle trip.
We started in Zarnesti, a short train ride west of Brasov, then rode clockwise through Bucium, Dragus, Carta, Biertan, Sighisoara and Soars, finishing in Viscri, where we captivated by the fortified church and all the village cattle returning from their daily grazing on the hill outside the village.
Ancient, vernacular, small farm-houses line the stoned side roads on which horse-drawn vehicles carry logs, hay, stone and people this way and that all day long. Many live by small-scale farming producing their own honey, cheese, bread, veg and fruit, milk and meat. Water is always from the well, pure, sparkling and cold but in the very high temperatures we experienced, wells were running low from the needs of new, commercial crops like blueberries. Cows, sheep and horses wear bells and the roadsides positively hum with insect life enjoying the abundance of wild flowers.
Enjoy the film, all taken with a little, old and precious, hand-held Panasonic HC X920, which has a surprisingly good microphone.