while we were in baia mare, we drove around the maramureș region. maramureș is known for, among other things, maramureș gates, which are massive carved gates standing in front of houses. one finds the gates in rural areas and suburban villages alike, and even if the house itself is modest, the gate looks impressive.
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we walked through the village of harnicesti where we met these women, who were hilarious. apparently, most of what they were saying was pretty ribald (for example, one of them announced that “when you die, the only things that matter is the places you went and the people you f***ed”). the one with the facial expressions could have been some kind of minnie pearl/amy schumer mashup had she been born in a different time and place.
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from there, we found another farm with goats and sheep. i didn’t get the name of the family.
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next, we met ileana – who had a dog, but no livestock – and she invited us in to see all the trousseau work she had done over the years.
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finally, we met vasile and his wife, who were shearing sheep – and passing around the palinka, a fruit brandy that tasted (and burned) very much like albania raki. i had never seen sheep being sheared before – once the wool is cut from the sheep, it almost peels off in a solid, felted sheet. the sheep didn’t look overly uncomfortable while it was being sheared, and i’m sure it felt a lot better once it was done.
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in all, quite the busy day.
COHN17 