Transylvania churches

As the semester continues, full of traveling and new things, I am feeling overwhelmed. I want to remember and savor everything. It is all so important. So I will share some more of my Transylvania trip in an attempt to clear my head a little before we journey to Krakow on Thursday. 

Our trip to Transylvania focused on visits to churches of all kinds, analyzing the culture, place, and people through the various denominations and buildings. We had two brilliant, countryside-savvy tour guides who drove us through grassy hills, over treacherous potholes, and shared their abounding knowledge of Romania's history.  Jordan drove the third VW van like a champ.

Stark, white and empty, the Reformed church we visited in Magyaregen still pops into my mind days later. Walking into the sanctuary, the pure, white color washed over me and I noticed the high ceilings and simple décor. However, after learning about the dying congregation, which only consists of about eight members now, I saw the space differently. The building was full of history, but after hearing its depressing circumstance, it seemed abandoned and empty.  Decreased church membership resulted mostly from Romanians’ movement into cities during the Communist regime. As villages were drained, so were their sanctuaries. This building holds emotional significance and important cultural value, but sadly its pews no longer hold persons to care for it.

After spending four days in Vienna just the weekend before, my visit to Romania struck me as distinctly different.  Living in Budapest, a state constantly becoming more Westernized, I still continue to notice the remnants of Communism.  It is a country in recovery, plagued by the legacy of Communism in its attempt to heal.  Vienna, teeming with tourists and full of upscale shops only accepting the Euro, can certainly be considered Westernized.  Romania falls the other way, still struggling to climb the Union’s ladder. 

We learned of the many displaced persons in Romania. The country's constitution claims everyone living within her borders to be Romanian. Some Hungarians living in Romania hold onto their nationality by whitewashing their houses and painting their fences or shutters green. 

We drove past some Gypsy communities, an isolated minority in Romania.  They love building outrageously large palace houses that they never finish. The government gives them some money, but not much. We saw many houses with only the front facade painted. 

Some more highlights: staying with a Romanian host family, drankin' traditional Palinka and eating stuffed cabbage, seeing the countryside from the van, sleeping on Lydia's lap, sharing two-liter beers and playing group games. 

Thanks for listening. This helps.