1 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,400 Romania is a land of a thousand faces. 2 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,200 The crossing point between the Occident and the Orient, 3 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,960 and a melting pot of different cultures. 4 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,760 It is also a country unlike any other in Europe. 5 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,720 With over 60 percent of the Carpathian Mountains weaving through it, 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:36,120 Romania is the custodian of Europe's last great wilderness area, 7 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,360 its largest remaining forest, 8 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,240 and two thirds of its surviving alpha predators. 9 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,800 As well as native Romanians, 10 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:53,520 it is home to a Saxon and Hungarian culture, Roma, Aroman, Lipovan, 11 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,800 and many more disparate peoples, 12 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,760 who have been united by the borders of a nation, 13 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,400 that stretches from the edge of Serbia, 14 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,400 Hungary and the Ukraine, to the very mouth of the Danube. 15 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,760 Here, Europe's largest wetland fans out into the Black Sea, 16 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:17,920 and provides the country with yet another vast, priceless and fragile ecosystem, 17 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:23,520 a haven for wild birds, interwoven with countless waterways, 18 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,840 reedbeds and lakes that meander for over 3,000 square kilometres. 19 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:36,520 Inland, Romania is rich with ancient villages, majestic national parks, 20 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,120 ruined castles, historic cities, 21 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,560 and a legacy that dates back thousands of years. 22 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,160 But increasingly this unique country's natural and cultural heritage 23 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,960 is under threat from reckless development… 24 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,520 and a race to modernize, 25 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,400 which is often destroying the very things that could ensure prosperity 26 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,680 and a sustainable livelihood for generations to come. 27 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:06,960 Over the next eight episodes 28 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,720 I will be embarking on a road trip through Romania's eight historic regions, 29 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,240 discovering fabulous treasures… 30 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:17,280 natural wonders… 31 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:19,720 medieval marvels… 32 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:22,920 mouthwatering dishes 33 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,840 and the people that make this one of the warmest 34 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:28,120 and most hospitable countries in the world. 35 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,920 En route I will be picking up some sensational recipes, 36 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,320 hearing songs and tunes that have almost been forgotten, 37 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,960 and meeting a handful of people that still remember and preserve them. 38 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,360 We will also be finding out how this hugely misunderstood country 39 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,320 is emerging from post-Communist chaos, 40 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,120 and identifying some of the challenges it faces, 41 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,560 and how tourism could provide one of its best hopes for the future. 42 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:26,880 So this is it, I can't put it off any longer. 43 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:28,800 It's been months of planning 44 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,920 and finally here we are ready to go. 45 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:34,800 I am a bit apprehensive, to be honest, 46 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,760 because we've decided to do this on a motorbike, 47 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,720 which is not the safest mode of transport, particularly in Romania, 48 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:48,880 so I will expect to be finding livestock on the road, we're expecting potholes, 49 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,480 maybe the odd horse and cart on a blind corner, 50 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,680 at night without reflectors, 51 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:58,320 which is a challenge, and also some crazy driving. 52 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,760 But I wanted to do it this way because when you travel by car, 53 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,400 you are looking at everything through a window, 54 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:05,880 effectively through a screen, 55 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,360 and so there is a distance between you and the landscape, 56 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,680 whereas when you are on a bike you are immersed in that landscape, 57 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,720 and for us this is the whole purpose of Flavours of Romania. 58 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,120 I've been coming here since 2011 59 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,120 and we've made a number of programmes about this country, 60 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,120 but for this we really wanted to go beneath the surface. 61 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,960 There is increased poverty in many places 62 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,160 and economic depression in many villages, 63 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,000 and with the right kind of tourism and sensitive development, 64 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,240 our argument is that perhaps this can revitalize parts of Romania, 65 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,200 that tourism could be one of the biggest source of revenue for the country. 66 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:43,960 I'm talking too much 67 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,280 because I'm actually trying to put off getting on that bike. 68 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,280 But this is it, we've got to go, 69 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,200 so thank you for joining us 70 00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:59,800 on what will be the most extraordinary adventure and journey. 71 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,440 I don't know what we are going to find, we have a rough idea, 72 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,960 I don't know who we are going to meet and the stories will tell themselves, 73 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:07,160 so we may end up 74 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,600 with a very different show from the one we are planning, 75 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,400 but the only way to find out is to get going. 76 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,880 We begin our journey in Oltenia, once known as Wallachia minor, 77 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,000 and one of the least promoted regions in Romania. 78 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,160 Sandwiched between the Danube, 79 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,000 the Olt river to the East and the Southern Carpathians, 80 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,400 Oltenia is steeped in history, 81 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,280 and once constituted the front line 82 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,600 in Emperor Trajan's war against the Dacians. 83 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,800 My first stop is a former Neo Romanian style baths, 84 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,720 that has recently been reinvented as a aspirational eco-hotel. 85 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,480 Not only does it have a fine reputation for food, 86 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,600 but it also serves as a good base from which to explore Eastern Oltenia. 87 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,000 So this is Hanul Vatra. 88 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:12,000 I love the restoration of the old house and the new build. 89 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,120 After checking in I went to find owners Dan and Otilia. 90 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,520 You can't really reconstruct an old building 91 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,200 the way they used to build it, 92 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:22,400 so what you can do 93 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,200 is focus on the building materials that you are using. 94 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:28,800 Here my husband always told me that we have two kinds of materials, 95 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,640 we have ones that get old in a very nice fashion, 96 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,600 and become more beautiful through patina, 97 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,600 and you have concrete and industrial materials. 98 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,880 -Which look ugly after 15 years. -Yes. 99 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:44,000 And it must be lovely for Eva growing up in such idyllic surrounding. 100 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,800 That was one of the reasons we decided to move to the countryside. 101 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,920 We wanted her to live in a clean environment, 102 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,360 with organic food as much as possible and enjoy nature. 103 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:02,280 A few miles away from Hanul Vatra is the Buila Vanturarita national park, 104 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,360 one of the smallest in Romania. 105 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:09,120 It is an ancient sedimentary landscape dissected by dramatic gorges 106 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,720 and heavily influenced by the action of rivers. 107 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:19,160 Another curious feature of this area are a strange alluvial rock formations, 108 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:20,560 known as Trovanti, 109 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,840 which have become a tourist attraction in their own right, 110 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,840 as local ranger Monica Popescu explained. 111 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,960 About seven million years ago here was a Delta, 112 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,800 and the rivers brought sand and balast, 113 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:38,360 and in special conditions of pressure and temperature the Trovanti resulted. 114 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,800 -So they form an agregate. -Yes it's an agregate. 115 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,000 People say that when it rains they grow 116 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,800 and in the night they speak, they whisper. 117 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,880 -They whisper to each other. -Yes and they move. 118 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,280 I guess they do move probably a little bit. 119 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,880 -Because it's all sand here, so… -Yes they move a little. 120 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,400 If they get eroded underneath they might roll over. 121 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,280 -I can see a few up there on the cliff. -They will fall. 122 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:04,840 That's the sediment from the riverbed, isn't it? 123 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:05,720 Yes. 124 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,800 They're gonna come down, so the park is going to grow. 125 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,680 Sheltering at the foot of these rugged hills 126 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:15,000 lie numerous monasteries and churches, like this one near Pietreni, 127 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:17,240 which potentially hides an intriguing secret. 128 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,320 What's interesting about this place, 129 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,800 it's called the Church of the 44 springs, that's not the interesting bit, 130 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,600 in fact the reason for that is pretty obvious if you look around. 131 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,800 No, what's weird is when I first came here I saw this overhanging roof, 132 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:31,680 and I thought, 133 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,520 well you'd only have a roof like that if you had painted murals on the walls, 134 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,400 because this is what they do in Bucovina, 135 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,600 you have these large roofs to protect the murals from the elements. 136 00:08:41,680 --> 00:08:43,920 But of course it doesn't seem to be painted, 137 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,400 except when you come around this side. 138 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,320 If you look at the render that's been put on very recently, 139 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:50,840 it's covering these walls, 140 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,000 and beneath that where they've left it you see images like this. 141 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,960 Probably a couple of saints, an angel. 142 00:08:59,680 --> 00:09:03,960 I don't know how much of this has been covered or how much has eroded, 143 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,960 because this is a very old church, it's three hundred years old, 144 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:09,760 so there might have been murals all the way around it. 145 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,800 Or maybe just what you see, 146 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:18,360 but the size of the roof which is unnecessarily wide, 147 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,640 you'd only really do that if you were trying to protect it from the elements. 148 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,880 While the Maramures in northern Romania is famed for its wooden churches, 149 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,360 this part of Oltenia also has its share, 150 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,400 mostly built from the 18th to 19th centuries, 151 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,160 although some, including this one at Gramesti 152 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,280 dates back even further. 153 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:39,400 In recent decades, 154 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,800 a large proportion of these churches have been abandoned 155 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,840 due to their limited space and lack of modern amenities. 156 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,720 Not only is this one of the oldest wooden churches in Romania, 157 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:55,400 let alone Oltenia, built in 1664, but hardly anybody knows it's here. 158 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,200 It's really off the tourist map. 159 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:58,600 And it just goes to show 160 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:01,160 that there are so many undiscovered places in this country. 161 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,240 You don't just go to the Maramures to find wooden structures like this, 162 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,160 they're everywhere, but they need promoting. 163 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,760 Many of these churches are now in a bad state of deterioration, 164 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,280 with some at risk of imminent collapse. 165 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,600 Fortunately they are also now on the World Monuments Fund watch list, 166 00:10:16,680 --> 00:10:18,400 so at least a few, like this one, 167 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,480 will preside over this landscape for generations to come. 168 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:28,760 Just down the road is the town of Horezu which in 2012 169 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,360 made it on to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists 170 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,440 for its local tradition of Ceramic art. 171 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,200 This is Ceramica Horezu, 172 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:41,520 a family owned business run by potter Laurentiu Pietraru. 173 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:43,600 I've come here to get my hands dirty. 174 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,800 We have been crafting Horezu ceramics for hundreds of years, 175 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:49,920 because to the clay that can be found here. 176 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:52,680 I deal with pottery owing to my wife. 177 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,720 She comes from a family of potters, already the fifth generation, 178 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:57,400 as far as they know. 179 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,600 Tell me a little bit about the designs that go on the ceramics. 180 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:05,920 Our most iconic motif on the pots we paint is the rooster. 181 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:07,960 It's the symbol of Horezu potters. 182 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,800 Besides, we have the snake of the house, the oldest motif in Horezu, 183 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:17,680 the tree of life, fish motifs, the peacock tail, wheat ear, 184 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,000 stars, tulips, grapes. 185 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:26,440 There are around 40 potters that craft Horezu ceramics. 186 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:31,000 We hope this craft will linger on. 187 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,560 Would you like to give our craft a try, at least to have some fun? 188 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,680 Well, last time I did it didn't work out so well, 189 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,400 but let's see how not to do it, how about that. 190 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,000 You're doing all the work, I can see this, 191 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,120 I'm not really doing much here at all. 192 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:50,440 That's why is still looking good. 193 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,000 I think the secret is to get really messy. 194 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,400 The more clay and water you have in your hands the smoother the operation. 195 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:00,640 This is going to go really badly wrong in a minute. 196 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,800 I am left handed. I don't know how to translate that. 197 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:05,520 Look now that's beautiful. 198 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,440 If I move this is going to go… if I do that. 199 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:09,840 No? 200 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:11,800 You do this. Yeah. 201 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,440 Thank you very much. 202 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,120 My soup bowl for the trip. 203 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,280 Very muddy hand shake. Done it. 204 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,240 Back at Hanul Vatra it was time for lunch, 205 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,600 so I thought I'd see what Petre the Chef was up to in the kitchen. 206 00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:33,200 Petre is going to be cooking a veal dish. 207 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,240 It's not that common on Romanian menus, beef or veal, 208 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,440 so it's quite exciting to see what he is coming up with. 209 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:39,400 How are you going to do this? 210 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:44,400 We cut onions for peasants' potatoes. 211 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:51,400 We grate potatoes, we fry them only a bit in a pan, 212 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,280 with pepper and salt, and sweet paprika. 213 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,640 A bit of homemade lard. 214 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,240 So that's the staple ingredient, lard, 215 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,640 which will give it lots of flavour and a few extra calories. 216 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,400 We've got medalions of local sourced veal. 217 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,640 Everything they cook here is from the surrounding area. 218 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,920 The reduced beef stock with the pure vegetable mix 219 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,240 goes in there and this forms, with the onions and the butter, 220 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,760 the base for the sauce that is going to go with the beef. 221 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:21,840 Lots of cream. 222 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,320 Green peppers. 223 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,480 The vital extra ingredient, the green peppers. 224 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,840 Let's set up the veal. 225 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:36,440 And as a side dish Petre rustled up a red pepper and wild mushroom salad. 226 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,240 Nice touch, chopped radish. 227 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,640 The red pepper in the middle, like a medieval crown. 228 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:43,520 And we are there. 229 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,960 So, we have our scallop of veal. 230 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:55,160 Oh, I'm sorry that is fabulous. 231 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:00,960 I just don't understand why beef, veal are not in the menu more in Romania. 232 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:02,400 This is something to celebrate. 233 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,360 Heading deeper into Oltenia we reach more remote areas, 234 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,440 where you only have to drive a short distance from the main road 235 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,320 to find ancient settlements, 236 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,240 that have almost been entirely lost beneath the sands of time. 237 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,200 One such is the village of Firijba, 238 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:23,960 where the youngest inhabitant is in their seventies. 239 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,160 I wanted to find out how these communities manage to survive 240 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,760 and if there is any hope for their future. 241 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,720 -Ilinescu, right? -Ilinescu, yes. 242 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,360 -Nice to meet you, Charlie. -Welcome here. 243 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:37,680 Have you lived here all your life? 244 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:42,160 Yes, since I was born, 1935, February 10th. 245 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,880 I've known this world since then. 246 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:50,760 In 1947 we had drought, all over the country, 247 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:55,120 lice, scabies, fleas, mosquitos. 248 00:14:55,680 --> 00:15:01,320 We were so hungry that we ate thistles, with sick leaves, as we call them. 249 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,960 The cows used to scream as they were coming hungry from the grazing ground. 250 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:06,560 -Incredible. -In '47. 251 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:08,360 I've had a difficult life. 252 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,760 What do you do to fill your days now, after you've retired? 253 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,480 I deal with housework. 254 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,880 For the past three, almost four years, I bring bread to the whole village. 255 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,320 I bring it on a stick, from the bakery down there. 256 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,200 I bring it on Wednesdays and Sundays. 257 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,920 Dumitru kindly agreed to show me around 258 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,960 so we set off to explore the village and meet some of the locals. 259 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:35,400 Another resident who has lived here all her life is Aurelia Visan, 260 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:36,160 now in her eighties. 261 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,640 -Charlie, nice to meet you. -Be healthy! May God protect you. 262 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:46,400 This village is very old, dear, it is 500 years old. 263 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:52,440 My grandfather told me that three persons settled here. Three families. 264 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:53,960 -Three families? -Yes. 265 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,160 That's how this village grew. 266 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,120 There was no path, just a trail that could fit one horse. 267 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:02,160 Just that! 268 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,160 Do people come and help you with some of the work here? 269 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:07,560 There's no one. There's only one woman, up there, on the hill, 270 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:09,000 and she sometimes comes to help us. 271 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,760 She is very poor and we give her money, and she helps us with digging. 272 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:16,600 It's bad. Our kids can't come over, 273 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,560 the road was damaged, they can't get here by car. 274 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,200 They say the car might broke, 275 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,680 otherwise they can't come because it's too far. 276 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,920 That's our life, what can we do? 277 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,240 It would be great if someone could come and manage all this area, 278 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:35,320 lots of land around here, and no one to take care of it. 279 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,680 Some people could come and work here, with goats, cattle, 280 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:40,840 what can I say? 281 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,720 It is what it is. You can't get any help with land work. 282 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,800 We're all a bit old 283 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,120 and only a few, 284 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,680 just 16 families left. 285 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,440 Why do you think people live so long in this community, 286 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,720 it's amazing that people have such a long life here. 287 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:02,400 You know why, my son? 288 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,680 This is a quiet village, clean air, 289 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:13,560 and no one bothers you, you know, no loud noise, 290 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:14,920 nothing to bother you. 291 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:21,160 Besides, we grow our own food, we have very good vegetables, 292 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:26,920 onion, potatoes, we add no chemicals. 293 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:29,480 I guess that's the reason, I don't know. 294 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,280 Our grandparents lived a long life, too, they reached the age of 90 and even more. 295 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:37,280 Now three people died in our village. 296 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:39,480 One was 92, 297 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,120 a woman who was the same age as me, 85, 298 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,120 and another woman who was 92. 299 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,720 Now I'm the oldest woman. 300 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,600 -Good health. Thank you so much. -You're welcome, my son. 301 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:02,400 Well, that was beautiful and a bit heart breaking at the same time. 302 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:04,320 They're so brave these people that live here, 303 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,560 also cheerful despite the pain and the hardship they endure. 304 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,480 And I really want to do something, what can we do to bring tourists here, 305 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,400 to reinvigorate these communities before they literally die out. 306 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:20,960 There must be a way, through eco-tourism, bringing people to buy their products, 307 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,760 and encouraging the younger generations to move back and open guest houses here, 308 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:26,880 and help look after these wonderful people. 309 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,600 They are a generation that will be lost forever quite soon, 310 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,800 and they need more appreciation and celebration. 311 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,840 It is also worth mentioning that in many societies 312 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,360 old people are revered and looked after by the younger generations, 313 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,560 whereas increasingly here, in remote communities like this, 314 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,680 they are forgotten and have to fend for themselves 315 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,480 in an era when this is becoming harder and harder to do. 316 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,320 Heading east we reached Targu Jiu, 317 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,520 a place made famous by one of Romania's most celebrated artists, 318 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:58,960 the sculptor Brancusi. 319 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:01,720 To learn more about his life and works, 320 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,520 I met up with local historian Alina Tita, 321 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,560 at his birthplace, in the nearby village of Hobita. 322 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:09,880 -Hello. -Alina! 323 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,480 -Charlie, glad to meet you. -Glad to meet you. 324 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,360 So here we are, this is the house, 325 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:21,120 well not exactly the house Brancusi built, but the museum house. 326 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:27,320 His original house was placed here but it burned down. 327 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:31,960 So this is a replica, but is quite close to the original house. 328 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,800 Yes, because it was made by his father in 1850's, 329 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:41,120 and was bought by the Romanian state in 1970. 330 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:42,280 And they moved it here. 331 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:45,680 Yes, moved it here, right on the place where Brancusi was born, 332 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,320 and organised it as a museum. 333 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,600 What do you think it was like for him growing up in the village? 334 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,360 When he was here he learned to carve wood 335 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:58,520 and that's where his passion for art, for sculpture started. 336 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,400 Yes, and went from the traditional to the conceptual. 337 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,800 -Which was a massive leap. -Yes. 338 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,640 It was a too bigger leap for most people in Romania at that time, wasn't it? 339 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:07,520 Yes, it was. 340 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:08,800 When did he leave? 341 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:14,200 He left when he was 11 to Craiova, a city close to here, 342 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:18,520 where he graduated the school of arts, then went to Bucharest, 343 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,720 where he graduated the University of Fine Arts, 344 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,680 and then found out about Auguste Rodin 345 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,560 and wanted to go to Paris to meet him. 346 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,520 And when he was 27 he went by foot to Paris. 347 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,960 -He walked all the way to Paris. -Yes, he literally walked. 348 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,320 -From here? -Yes. It took him a year. 349 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,520 -It would do. -Yes. 350 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,520 I guess Rodin must have been impressed 351 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,760 that this guy had walked all the way, from Hobita to Paris, 352 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,480 to study under him, and that must have helped his case. 353 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:50,920 Yes, his passion. 354 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,520 You know cause you go to someone as famous as Rodin and you say: 355 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,160 "Can I be your student, please?" 356 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,520 And a lot of people say, look I'm terribly sorry, I am very busy. 357 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,480 This guy has walked there, so Rodin must have taken him seriously, 358 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,440 and said OK, you can work with me. 359 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:04,760 He saw his talent and accepted him as a trainee. 360 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,160 And what did people in Romania think about him as an artist at that time? 361 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,520 At that time he was not fully recognized because it was modern art, 362 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:14,720 which is abstract 363 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:19,480 and people did not understand the real meaning of his art. 364 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:23,920 I guess it's sad really that he wasn't appreciated to start with, 365 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,440 people didn't realized his value 366 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,560 and they didn't really came out with speed to it 367 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:30,280 during his lifetime, did they? 368 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:32,400 Yes, that's true. 369 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,000 At least now he is appreciated by everybody, 370 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,480 and celebrated as one of the greatest artists in Romania. 371 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:39,600 In Romania, yes. 372 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:46,160 Brancusi's most famous work can be found in Targu Jiu, 373 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,920 where his series of memorial sculptures still rise skywards, 374 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,400 from the city's ornamental parks. 375 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:56,400 Commissioned to commemorate the soldiers who died in World War I, 376 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,800 the street of heroes barely survived the communist regime, 377 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:04,400 which branded it bourgeois and earmarked it for demolition in the 50's. 378 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,400 It's fitting I'm standing here at sunset, 'cause this is the Table Of Silence, 379 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,880 and it represents the last meal the soldiers had with their families, 380 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,600 before going off to war. 381 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,480 And conversation of course would have not been the first thing on their minds. 382 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,400 Further down this path we have the Gate of Kiss, 383 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:31,400 where they kissed those relatives goodbye, their families for the last time, 384 00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:34,800 and then in a straight line, a few hundred yards further, 385 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,880 we have the church where their families prayed for them, 386 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:38,200 while they were off fighting. 387 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,640 And at the end of the line, quite literally, 388 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:42,360 we have the Column of the Infinite, 389 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:46,360 which alas represents for them at least the afterlife. 390 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,960 Oltenia is not just a place rich in crafts and culture, 391 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,800 it is also a region that is well known for its musical tradition. 392 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:05,120 A few miles outside Targu Jiu live a group of people, 393 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,240 who are custodians of some of Romania's oldest songs. 394 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:10,800 Hello. 395 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,000 I have come here to Balta with friend and musical historian Bogdan Simion 396 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,720 to meet Nicolae and Luminita Zbalteanu, 397 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,840 whose family have been poets and troubadours to the aristocracy 398 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:23,960 for hundreds of years. 399 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,400 Thank you so much. So what's the plan? 400 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,320 We are here to celebrate her birthday. 401 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:30,600 Happy Birthday! 402 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,160 Luminita Zbalteanu's birthday, 403 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:37,720 and the whole family of the musicians from the village are here. 404 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:42,400 They are a traditional musician family from this village Balta in Gorj. 405 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:43,520 -Come on in. -Okay, thank you. 406 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:45,960 Tell me about the traditions in music. 407 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,360 Well, about seven or eight decades ago, 408 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,760 the music from the Gorj region was very fashionable, 409 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,720 in the entire south of Romania. 410 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,320 Back then the gipsy lautari of this region 411 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,720 had very striking qualities to their music. 412 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,240 The male singers would sing with glottal attacks, 413 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:06,800 and they would have very slow songs called doinas, 414 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,480 which are related to very old Iranian and Arabic songs. 415 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:12,800 -Almost like a dirge. -Exactly. 416 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:16,320 The violins had very specific cat meows, glissandos, 417 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,120 descending glissandos, they sound exactly like cats, 418 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,360 you will hear that later on, 419 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,840 and the harmonies very basic, very charming, 420 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:30,920 and the overall melodies of the doinas and sarbas have very specific profiles, 421 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,800 which are unique in Eastern Europe. 422 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:34,760 The other reason why this region is important 423 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,600 is because this is the only region in Romania, 424 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,400 where there were also women lautari. 425 00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:44,240 Their wives and their daughters were also lautari. 426 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,640 -And lautari means? -Professional Romany musicians. 427 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:54,000 The local noblemen held them as slaves up until the mid 19th century, 428 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:56,880 these are their grand grandfathers. 429 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,120 So the slavery was still carrying on here after the… 430 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,400 We had the longest period of slavery in Europe, for 500 years. 431 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,160 -When was it abolished? -1857. 432 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:08,720 That's less than ten years before the United States. 433 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:09,800 Exactly. 434 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,000 I guess this is not mentioned in the history classes in Romania. 435 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,600 Seldomly and only if you have a really nice history teacher that… 436 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,240 -That is interested in the truth. -Exactly. 437 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:21,800 I mean I know you are going around 438 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,320 and documenting and archiving these wonderful songs. 439 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,160 -For over 12 years. -For over 12 years now. 440 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,320 And you are kind of unique doing that, 'cause there're not many people doing it, 441 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:32,800 so what's going to happen, are they all going to be lost otherwise? 442 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,800 It is my theory that in 15 years time, more or less, 443 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,440 this music is going to completely disappear. 444 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:41,720 So really you are clutching the straws a little bit, 445 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,680 because there is such a huge wealth of cultural traditional music out there 446 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,000 you can probably only save 5% of it all or less. 447 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,280 Yes and the wealth is shrinking. It's becoming gradually smaller. 448 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:54,800 Couldn't we have an initiative by, you know, heaven forbid, 449 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,520 the Romanian Government that we have people going around, 450 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,560 and there's money made available to document these fantastic songs, 451 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:05,800 because they are a fundamental part of Romania's heritage. 452 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,920 I've lost all hope, this is why I am financing myself. 453 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:11,440 Well it's a really worthwhile mission. 454 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:15,320 It's amazing and meeting wonderful people. 455 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,400 Yes. Is this a locally made wine by any chance? 456 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:18,440 It's actually made by… 457 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,640 Is this wine produced by you, Nicu? 458 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:23,160 -It's made by them. -Thank you. 459 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:24,400 I must try it. 460 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,160 At this rate someone might have to drive my motorbike back to the hotel. 461 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:30,120 Anyone has a bike license? 462 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,760 Does anyone have an A license? 463 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,320 He says someone has to drive his motorbike to the hotel. 464 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:36,840 It's going to be a long afternoon in that case. 465 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,600 If he drinks more… 466 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,160 I might have to leave it here. 467 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:41,280 …someone must take it to the hotel. 468 00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:44,400 -Cheers! -Cheers! 469 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:46,600 -Luminita can take it. -Luminita, OK, perfect. 470 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:47,880 As I said earlier, 471 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:48,760 Happy Birthday! 472 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:51,000 Happy Birthday! 473 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,760 So this is a local song about a Gorj parlamentary from the 30's, 474 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,800 a local nobleman that had a few seats in the Romanian senate, 475 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:02,000 in the interwar period and they still sing about him today, 476 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,800 sometimes they sing good lyrics about him, 477 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:06,560 that he was an important man to the community, 478 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,440 and other times they satirise him for having too many mistresses. 479 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,640 It seems sad that people are so often disparaging of the Roma, 480 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:09,280 yet here is a family who are kind, decent and highly musically cultured, 481 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:13,440 preserving traditional Romanian songs that will probably be lost forever, 482 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,440 as fewer and fewer people express interest in learning them. 483 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,680 Oltenia has many hidden gems, 484 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:32,920 that, if promoted properly, could start to offer foreign visitors 485 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,120 an alternative to more well-documented destinations. 486 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,320 But this also depends on providing the right infrastructure, 487 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,440 and a decent choice of activities. 488 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,440 It also means educating young people about the opportunities 489 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,440 offered by eco-tourism. 490 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,880 Two chaps that don't need any encouragement are Vlad and Alexandru, 491 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,520 who promote their area by running cycling tours around the village of Ponoarele. 492 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,560 -Hi, guys. -Hello! 493 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:01,760 -Hi. Charlie, nice to meet you. -Vlad. Nice to meet you. 494 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:03,320 -Alex. -Alex. Good English. 495 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:04,560 Thank you. 496 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:06,320 Looking forward to riding something a bit lighter. 497 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:10,840 -So we've got a good trail, have we? -Yes, we have found something amazing. 498 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,120 We are going to visit some well known spots in this area, 499 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,960 and maybe the cave. 500 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,760 Maybe the cave. Cycle past the cave or through the cave? 501 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,000 -Past it, not through it. -OK. 502 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:37,520 It's a beautiful view, 503 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,440 a bit of rain will make it more challenging with the bikes. 504 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:44,400 We should go. 505 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:44,920 I'm leading the path. 506 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,120 I do keep overtaking because I am about twice as heavy but there we are. 507 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,760 There are lots of ways to appreciate Romania's stunning landscapes 508 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,440 without relying on the internal combustion engine, 509 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,400 but surely this has to be one of the best. 510 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:24,520 Ponoarele is also home 511 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:26,880 to one of the strangest rock formations in the country, 512 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,280 and what is claimed to be the second largest natural bridge in Europe. 513 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:37,480 Apparently this is called God's bridge 'cause the devil messes with your breaks, 514 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:42,520 and God is there to soften the fall when you go careering off the edge, 515 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,520 or so the local legends say. 516 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,000 I gather it's a lot more impressive from below. 517 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:51,800 Well, I don't know about God or the Devil 518 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,800 but this is just the sort of place I imagine you might find a troll. 519 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:59,360 It was part of a cave system that ran 900 metres that way, 520 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,800 until the roof fell in and now you're left with this magnificent arch. 521 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,840 Another way rural villages like Ponoarele might ensure a sustainable income 522 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,640 is to preserve and promote traditional crafts, 523 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:19,680 as we have seen in Horezu, 524 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,720 with local people inviting tourists into their homes to bake bread 525 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:25,840 and buy hand made products. 526 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:29,600 I've come to Bratilov and the house of retired shepherd Ion Suciu, 527 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,200 and his wife Victorita, 528 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,600 to meet their family and close friend Delia Marinela Martinescu, 529 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,520 who has built a successful business making traditional Romanian shirts. 530 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:43,320 The colors are really vibrant, how do you create such amazing colors? 531 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,400 Now, we buy them in shops. 532 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,880 But long ago my grandma used to dye it at home. 533 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:54,000 She dyed it red with onion peels. 534 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,320 She boiled onion peels 535 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,400 and when water got red she took out the peels. 536 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:06,680 She put the threads in the red water and kept them there till they reddened. 537 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:11,560 She got orange threads by means of linden flowers. 538 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:15,120 What are your inspirations for the motifs? 539 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,320 My inspiration comes either from the old patterns, 540 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:23,520 sewn by my grandma and my gran-grandma, or from the flowers in the field. 541 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,760 How long would that take you to do? 542 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,000 I sewed this Romanian blouse in two and a half months. 543 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,640 Two and a half months? How can you bear to sell this pieces? 544 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,760 You must put so much of your heart into creating them. 545 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:40,560 It must be very difficult. 546 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,240 As I put a lot of my heart into it, 547 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,800 it's not so much effort, it's a pleasure to sew, 548 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:48,840 I wouldn't sell it. 549 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:49,960 -No? -No. 550 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:54,160 Outside, my hostess Victorita was busy rustling up a snack for lunch. 551 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:58,760 I snuck into her kitchen to see if I could glean some more culinary tips. 552 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,800 -What are you doing, auntie? -I'll make some pie. 553 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:08,960 We have the flour here, I'll put a grain of salt, 554 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,800 a bit of oil, eggs. 555 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,400 Now I'm kneading it, as we say here. 556 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,560 -What else? -Water, we add water. 557 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:21,960 This all looks sensational, but I can't help feeling 558 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,920 there is one usual ingredient that is missing from this dish. 559 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,360 So let me just check something. 560 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,240 Yes, this might not work. 561 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,560 Auntie, do you put pork? 562 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:58,800 No, just cheese. Cheese and eggs. 563 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:02,760 I'm 72 years old and I've eaten these all my life. 564 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:07,160 And I am healthy. I have never been sick or in hospital. 565 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:11,200 -How many pie servings? -Around seven or eight. 566 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,680 Now I add a bit of semolina 567 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,440 and corn flour. 568 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:19,360 Corn flour. 569 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,160 And some sugar. 570 00:34:21,240 --> 00:34:22,400 OK. Sugar. 571 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:25,800 If you'd like to taste it. 572 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:31,440 -Yes, it's good. -It's good. 573 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:36,160 -It's pizza-like. -Yes, right. To make it thinner. 574 00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:38,680 It's almost the same. 575 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,520 -Do you make pizza? -I have never made pizza. 576 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:44,120 I don't like pizza, I'd rather prefer some pie. 577 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:46,560 Yes, you don't like pizza, fine. 578 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:51,440 I put it here and after that the cheese. But it should be spread. 579 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:53,120 We put the filling and then we put it on top. 580 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:54,440 Now, enjoy it! 581 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:55,920 While the pies were cooking, 582 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,960 Victorita's husband Ion and their granddaughter, Adriana, 583 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,760 revealed another side to their thriving cottage industry. 584 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:05,960 Adriana, does your grandfather do this for a living or just as a hobby? 585 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:06,960 He does it because he needs it. 586 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:12,440 He is a shepherd so he goes with the sheep every year, 587 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:18,400 so he needs this ciumag, in Romanian, and he also carves lots of other things. 588 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,360 What do you think people can do to stop these traditions dying out? 589 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:24,400 In 100 years time will people still be carving shepherds crooks, 590 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:25,560 I'm not so sure they will. 591 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,240 I am trying to promote them as much as I can through new media, 592 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:31,680 that young people are using today, 593 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:35,520 putting the rural community in front of their own eyes. 594 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,760 Young people should stay in the communities where they are born. 595 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:40,560 But you can't tell them to stay, 596 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,640 because they know they can get more money in the towns, 597 00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:46,440 they know there's maybe the chance of a better livelihood, 598 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,160 and seems they probably don't want to be shepherds anymore. 599 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:52,680 They have to value what they have from their ancestors. 600 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:56,960 So showing them, and educating them and trying to make it cool as well. 601 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:58,240 -Trying to make it cool. -Make it cool. 602 00:35:58,320 --> 00:35:59,320 Exactly. 603 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,120 Carving beautiful shepherd crooks is cool. 604 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:05,960 I think this is the only solution for the traditions not to get lost, 605 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:07,600 and to be discovered. 606 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:10,200 It's done. 607 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,000 Fantastic. Come and sit down. 608 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:14,800 God bless us. 609 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:17,720 It's hot. 610 00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:22,000 -Congratulations! -Thank you! 611 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:23,360 -Let's eat it. -Very good! 612 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,400 East of Bratilov and you start heading back up into the mountains. 613 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,680 This area sits on the fringes of Retezat and Cerna National parks. 614 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:39,160 Driving south along winding forest roads with spectacular views, 615 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:41,560 you drop down into the Cerna Valley, 616 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:45,200 which for a while provides the border between Oltenia and Banat. 617 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:49,120 Here, when the river is full, 618 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,200 people come from all over Europe to raft and kayak 619 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:55,200 through some of the most dramatic scenery in Romania. 620 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,600 Outdoor Experience.ro is one of the adventure companies 621 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,920 that provides visitors with a chance to take a ride down the Cerna River. 622 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,800 I managed to catch up with co-founder and guide Balazs as he came ashore. 623 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:15,360 Balazs how was that? 624 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:18,880 Well, it was just great, one of the best days that we had. 625 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:23,480 Perfect day. Sunshine, nice weather, clear river, is just perfect. 626 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:27,360 How often is the Cerna river kayakable? 627 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:31,360 So the best period would be April and then starting of May. 628 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,360 So you've really only got like a two months window 629 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:35,760 to come here and kayak this river. 630 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:37,560 Is this your favourite river in Romania? 631 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:41,360 Yes, because the whole region is just beautiful, just gorgeous. 632 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,160 And the river is one of the cleanest that we have. 633 00:37:44,240 --> 00:37:47,800 This valley, the Cerna valley is perfect for all kind of adventure sports, 634 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,200 from mountain biking to hiking, to cannoning. 635 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:53,920 There are huge canyons, huge waterfalls, you have a lot of possibilities 636 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,120 doing rafting, doing kayaking, doing all kind of other adventure sports. 637 00:37:58,200 --> 00:37:59,520 Thank you very much, great to see you, 638 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:01,400 I must let you guys go 'cause everyone is waiting. 639 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,880 -All the best man, cheers. -Thank you, good bye. 640 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:11,360 While many people in the UK still think Roma and Romania are almost synonymous, 641 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,800 the origins of this country date back to one of the largest empires 642 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:16,200 in the history of Europe. 643 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:18,840 On the orders of Emperor Trajan, 644 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,680 thousands of troops invaded this land around 100 AD, 645 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:24,600 swarming across the Danube 646 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:27,440 on a bridge designed by Appolodorus of Damascus. 647 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:30,800 The first thing they did 648 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:33,200 was to establish camps and towns along the borders, 649 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:36,560 in strategic locations, like this one at Drobeta Turnu Severin. 650 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:38,960 By the banks of the Danube 651 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,440 you can still find the remains of the ancient Roman settlement, 652 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,360 that is in the process of being exhumed 653 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:47,440 from beneath many layers of subsequent history, 654 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:49,760 as curator Paul Dinulescu explained. 655 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:56,880 This is the arena. It's size is 35/37 meters. 656 00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:59,560 Its shape is oval. 657 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:04,440 We still have to establish how many people the arena could accommodate. 658 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:08,400 Probably around five thousands, according to some estimates. 659 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,840 Would there have been a stone floor on the bottom here? 660 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:16,400 No. Just sand and gravel, 661 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:19,720 to cover up the blood of the gladiators. 662 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,240 To cover up the blood of the gladiators. 663 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,840 So you've got the fort, you got the amphitheatre here, 664 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:27,560 what else have you managed to uncover? 665 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:28,480 The Roman Baths. 666 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,760 The Roman Baths, of course. 667 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:32,880 No settlement would be complete without one. 668 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,560 This is all original? 669 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:41,000 No. 670 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:47,000 There were restoration works, in early '70s. 671 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:51,520 Plus the present restoration works. 672 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:52,960 There are several stages of restoration. 673 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:54,480 There are several stages of restoration. 674 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:59,560 It's a shame in some ways because you just don't know where the Roman bit ends 675 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:01,880 and where the restoration work begins. 676 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:03,320 Yes and no. 677 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,880 During the '70s, when the first bath restoration took place, 678 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,680 they didn't pay heed and didn't mark the area where they started to work. 679 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:15,800 That is why now we can't tell precisely where the original Roman part is. 680 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:17,800 So people wouldn't know what they are looking at. 681 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:18,920 What I would like to see 682 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,920 reconstructed completely is the bridge across the Danube. 683 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,720 I know that would play havoc with the shipping, 684 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:25,880 but it would look amazing. 685 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,400 And we can still see a little bit of it down there, can't we? 686 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,520 Yes, we can still see the pillar. 687 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,600 Can we hop across the railway and go and have a look? 688 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:35,840 -Yes. -Yes!! OK. Good. 689 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:49,800 And here it is. 690 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:50,520 This is pretty much the last pillar. 691 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:52,600 There's one on the other side. 692 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:54,720 There's one more on the Serbian part. 693 00:40:54,800 --> 00:41:01,680 Down on Danube's riverbed there are still some relics of the other pillars. 694 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:04,360 So it was clearly a very tall bridge. 695 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:10,800 Yes, the total height of the bridge, up to the wooden deck, was 18.60 meters. 696 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,440 What I'm finding the most amazing thing 697 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:15,400 is that the Romans then burned the bridge, didn't they? 698 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:17,160 Yes, they did. 699 00:41:17,240 --> 00:41:20,960 They tried to prevent migrating peoples to enter the Empire. 700 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:23,480 Just to make sure they weren't chased home. 701 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,360 It would have been this blazing light across the Danube. 702 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:30,600 Right, as the superstructure was made of oak wood. 703 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:33,880 Still you will not try to reconstruct that any time soon, are you? 704 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,640 No. It would be impossible. 705 00:41:37,720 --> 00:41:38,920 Forget about it. 706 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,520 It would mean to stop the Danube traffic. 707 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:46,160 I guess any reconstruction will take more than during the Roman Empire. 708 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:54,400 The last leg of my journey was down river via Craiova, 709 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:58,280 but en route I encountered a shocking, but sadly increasingly common phenomena. 710 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:04,320 I just had to make a quick stop because, while a lot of Oltenia is very beautiful, 711 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,240 driving south of Craiova, towards the Danube, 712 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,640 the landscape in many places has quite literally been trashed. 713 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:13,640 Look at this. 714 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:21,640 Well, at least I found one item that could potentially be salvaged. 715 00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:23,640 That's going to be my cup. 716 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:29,440 Unfortunately this is not an isolated or localised problem. 717 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:31,440 It's tragic to see so much litter, 718 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:32,760 when you consider that Romania 719 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:35,120 has some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe. 720 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:39,720 Welcome to the border town of Bechet, 721 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:42,200 my last stop on our round trip of Oltenia. 722 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:46,280 I'm here to meet a woman who frequently travels the world, 723 00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:50,400 and has become internationally renowned for her skill at embroidery 724 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:51,680 and traditional carpet making. 725 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:54,120 We'd arranged to meet at a house 726 00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:57,000 she recently converted into a small textile museum. 727 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:00,520 It is a personal museum, 728 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,960 a room traditionally arranged, 729 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:10,440 having all the objects and accessories of a rural home. 730 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:12,120 Tell me about these beautiful rugs. 731 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:16,560 This is a 120-year old rug. 732 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:18,800 It was woven by my mother. 733 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:23,520 The dye used for these joyful colours 734 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:30,360 was based on plants and minerals. 735 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:36,640 In case of colours that we cannot get out of plants, 736 00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:43,440 we use certain minerals extracted from rocks. 737 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:47,360 To see how the carpets are made, Antoneta took me to her workshop, 738 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:48,680 in the next-door street. 739 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:50,440 How long does it take to make a carpet? 740 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:54,720 It takes about one month and a half 741 00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,160 for a six square meter carpet. 742 00:43:57,240 --> 00:44:00,200 If the pattern is not so difficult, it can take less. 743 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,120 If it is more complicated, 744 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,400 it can take even ten months of work for one carpet. 745 00:44:05,720 --> 00:44:08,720 The carpet is double-sided, identical on both sides, 746 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:14,400 and our weaving techniques are centuries-old, 747 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:18,520 the same that were used by our ancestors. 748 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,560 Naturally, we carry on those traditions. 749 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:23,920 Do young people want to acquire this craft? 750 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:28,120 I have undertaken this craft 751 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:31,840 precisely because it had been in danger. 752 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:35,880 I said to myself that if nobody had had the courage 753 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:42,680 to carry on with this tradition, it would die slowly. 754 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:46,560 I'll do my best to ensure proper conditions 755 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:49,720 so that one of my workers 756 00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:53,840 helps her 757 00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:57,520 so she can carry on with this craft. 758 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,280 -Thank you very much. -Thank you as well. 759 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:01,320 Let's eat turte. 760 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:05,720 This feast has been prepared for us by Antoneta, 761 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:09,240 this is turte, a traditional bread baked in the ovens outside, so… 762 00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:10,640 Let's eat. 763 00:45:10,720 --> 00:45:11,960 -Let's eat! -Cheers! 764 00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:15,160 We tear them like this. 765 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:17,520 They are tastier like this. 766 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:21,680 Meeting Antoneta and her team was a wonderful experience, 767 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,280 and encouraging to see how a single artisan, 768 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:27,920 by maintaining one of Romania's most colourful crafts, 769 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,560 can provide employment for a whole team of friends and associates. 770 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,320 Join me again when we will be heading east to explore Muntenia, 771 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:46,560 or Greater Wallachia, 772 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,960 a historic region that incorporates central southern Romania, 773 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:54,560 from the banks of the Danube all the way to the Carpathian Mountain Peaks. 774 00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:58,240 En route we will be learning more exclusive recipes, 775 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:01,400 visiting ancient cave churches, 776 00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:04,920 vast salt mines and ruined citadels. 777 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,840 I will also be scaling the real castle of Vlad Dracul, 778 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:10,640 with a guy whose great uncle's novel 779 00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:14,920 has been responsible for bringing millions of tourists to Romania, 780 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:18,000 but arguably for all the wrong reasons. 781 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:21,800 This and more, next time in Flavours of Romania.