1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,320 Romania is a land of a thousand faces. 2 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,120 The crossing point between the Occident and the Orient, 3 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,920 and a melting pot of different cultures. 4 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,720 It is also a country unlike any other in Europe. 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,680 With over 60 percent of the Carpathian Mountains weaving through it, 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:36,800 Romania is the custodian of Europe's last great wilderness area, 7 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:38,800 its largest remaining forest, 8 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:42,320 and two thirds of its surviving alpha predators. 9 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,320 But increasingly this unique country's natural and cultural heritage 10 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,800 is under threat from reckless development 11 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,520 and a race to modernise, 12 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:00,120 which is often destroying the very things that could ensure prosperity 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,480 and a sustainable livelihood for generations to come. 14 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,520 Welcome back to our eight part road trip of Romania's historic regions, 15 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:17,800 in which we discover fabulous treasures, natural wonders, medieval marvels, 16 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:18,680 mouth watering dishes, 17 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,440 and meet the people that make this 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,800 one of the warmest and most hospitable nations in the world. 19 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,160 We will also be finding out how this hugely misunderstood country 20 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,280 is emerging from post Communist chaos 21 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,480 and identifying some of the challenges it faces 22 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,360 and how tourism could provide one of its best hopes for the future. 23 00:02:08,920 --> 00:02:10,800 In this our penultimate episode, 24 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,880 we reach the remote and beautiful Maramures, 25 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,720 a region that has stoically resisted the influence of everyone, 26 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,600 from Emperor Trajan, right up to Ceausescu. 27 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:27,000 Until 1920 eighty percent of its surface was covered in forest. 28 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,520 Even today the Maramamures is a largely sylvan landscape, 29 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,440 punctuated by meadows and mountains, ancient villages, 30 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,240 and carved wooden churches, 31 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,800 a place that until now has always had its own indelible identity. 32 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,880 But this is beginning to change. I've come here to see how, 33 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,200 and to find out if a balance can be achieved 34 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,840 between capitalism and conservation. 35 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,880 A good place from which to start your tour of the Maramures is Baia Mare, 36 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,280 often described as the 'gateway' to this region. 37 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,440 The foundations of the city were built on 2,000 years of mining precious metals. 38 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,160 Like Timisoara, it is now busy reinventing itself, 39 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,120 shrugging off the cobwebs of its industrial past, 40 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,240 or failing that, making a feature out of them, 41 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,320 as with plans to rehabilitate its remaining derelict areas 42 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:48,520 as public spaces. 43 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,480 Much of the old town has already been restored, 44 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,280 like Citadel Square, 45 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,800 from which Stephen's Tower rises skywards 46 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,480 and ensured that, before the invention of the wristwatch, 47 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,600 the good people of Baia Mare need only look up to be able to tell the time. 48 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:36,360 This was originally the bell tower for St Stephen's Church built in 1347. 49 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,240 However, repeated lightning attacks 50 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,960 eventually resulted in the destruction of the nave, 51 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,520 and the tower losing its Baroque dome and getting a neo-Gothic redesign. 52 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:49,840 Now that is a bell. 53 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:53,360 Because we are running a bit late, 54 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:58,600 and I don't know how long Baia Mare stays open and there's so much to see, 55 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,400 I think we are going to have to reset everybody's watch. 56 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,000 It's just rung two o'clock, 57 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,000 so if I ring one o'clock it buys us an extra hour. 58 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,400 And confuses the hell out of people. Never mind. 59 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:19,360 It's now open to the public, 60 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,160 so I thought I'd get a bird's eye view of my surroundings. 61 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:25,280 Oh, my God, what a view! 62 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,400 You know you don't need an helicopter to see this city from the air, 63 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:30,400 you just need to come up here. 64 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,400 And the old town is looking really stunning. 65 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:35,680 What a great job they've done! 66 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,440 The problem with keys is that they are quite easy to lose. 67 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,680 Sometimes they can be in your pocket and you don't even feel them. 68 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:48,920 Ah, there we go. 69 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,880 The focal point of the city is the central square, 70 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:10,120 which provides a meeting point and social confluence for café society, 71 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,680 as well as a fun place to come and people watch. 72 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,280 At the weekends there are usually live events, 73 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,680 like this Hungarian music festival 74 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:39,920 and craft market. 75 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:48,800 With the steady increase in visitors, 76 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,280 more bars, cafes and restaurants are opening across the city, 77 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:57,520 lending many areas a progressive, cosmopolitan feel. 78 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:13,840 This also means more wine is consumed, giving rise to events like this one, 79 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:18,760 where buyers come to taste Romania's growing selection of fine cuvees. 80 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:23,880 Driving out of Baia Mare, 81 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:28,400 you get an idea of what an industrial hub this city must have been. 82 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,240 And how many thousands of people lost their jobs, 83 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,800 as the factories started to close down with the fall of Communism, 84 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,400 and subsequent stricter EU regulations. 85 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,560 It has left an eerie post-apocalyptic landscape, 86 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,280 that serves as a reminder of the impartiality of time. 87 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:55,960 To get my first taste of the Maramures, 88 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,120 I'm heading south to meet a friend in the small town of Targu Lapus, 89 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,360 but there are a couple of things worth seeing along the way, 90 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:09,400 the first of which is the Florean Museum, an open air contemporary sculpture park, 91 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,280 hidden in a forest, the other side of Cernesti. 92 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:25,360 Getting there requires a stunning arboreal drive down a long dirt road. 93 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,520 The main activity of the museum centres on promoting new talent, 94 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:31,960 both here and online. 95 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,800 But you don't need to be an aficionado of modern art 96 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,120 to appreciate the splendour of this leafy setting. 97 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,320 It's also a perfect place to come and take a stroll, 98 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,880 or sit and ponder the inexplicable. 99 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,280 To paraphrase Forest Gump: 100 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,280 "The Maramures is like a box of chocolates." 101 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:12,960 "You never know what you are going to find." 102 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:15,600 I certainly didn't expect to find this. 103 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,120 There can't be many museums or sculpture parks in Europe, 104 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,440 where you can admire a bit of modern art and also potentially see a bear. 105 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,320 Back on the road again I had one more stop to make. 106 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,720 It's bad manners to arrive at someone's house without bringing a gift, 107 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,960 particularly in a region where everyone is so hospitable. 108 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:52,800 Luckily, there is one of the most panoramic cheese shops in Romania, 109 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,720 located on a bend overlooking Targu Lapus. 110 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,480 Wow, what a wonderful spread of cheese. 111 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:07,120 So this is a sheep and goat cheese mix. 112 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,920 It's young, it's more like a mozzarella in taste, it's very gentle, very nice. 113 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:18,360 A lot more salt in that, 114 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,640 this would go very nicely with chopped tomatoes, 115 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,800 a drizzle of olive oil, maybe some garlic on a bruschetta. 116 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:26,560 Half a kilo of each. 117 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:28,320 -Of all of them. -Yes. 118 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,280 At least I've got something to bring my friend Demi and his mum. 119 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:34,680 I come bearing gifts. 120 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:35,960 -Thank you. -Thank you. 121 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:36,840 Thank you so much. 122 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,000 Armed and dangerous. 123 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:40,120 Thank you. 124 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:42,680 Armed with dairy produce, 125 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,320 I proceeded to the birthplace of friend and restauranteur Marian Demian, 126 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,680 whose mother was preparing a unique flavour of the Maramures, 127 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:54,320 an unusual take on the classic recipe for sarmales. 128 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,400 Demi, what was it like growing up here? 129 00:11:58,480 --> 00:11:59,920 Ah, quite difficult. 130 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,480 It was tough at times because there was no electricity, 131 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:06,800 the light was going at seven o'clock, 132 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,200 and maybe if you were lucky, it was back at 10:00 p.m. 133 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,600 The bread was only black at the time, white was for Christams. 134 00:12:13,680 --> 00:12:15,120 It was everything rationed. 135 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:19,280 I remember one kg of sugar each had, 800 gr of rice. 136 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,200 And when did you decide to leave and how did you come to the think 137 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,880 "right I'm going to go to London, I'm going to do all these other things." 138 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:30,480 I was 18 when I finished high school and then I went into the military, 139 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:31,960 and then I made it to university. 140 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,880 And it was like 1986 when I left first, Ceausescu was in full power then. 141 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,720 So you basically had to sneak out of the country? 142 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,480 Yeah, when I left from Romania, 143 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:43,880 I hid myself under the luggage of the English people. 144 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:45,760 -You hid under the luggage? -Yeah, yeah. 145 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,880 So you lived in Italy for a while, moved to London, 146 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:52,320 and now you've come back and you are living in Bucharest, 147 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,160 you are building a house in Baia Mare. 148 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:55,560 How has it changed for you? 149 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,960 For this place it's like an involution. 150 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,560 I don't say that it was better in Ceausescu's time, 151 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,360 but now people are not living anymore in this community. 152 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:08,120 From 17,000 or 18,000, now I think we are 8,000. 153 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:09,760 So there's been an exodus? 154 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:15,600 Yeah. They've left not only this city, they've left Romania. And this is bad. 155 00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:17,200 Do you think you'll end up here again? 156 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:19,280 Yes, because in my opinion, 157 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,760 now the future it's back to the past, yeah. 158 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,520 My mother she's living alone, my father passed away. 159 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:29,160 Everybody is on Airbnb, but just to sleep, 160 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,960 so my mother will be more than happy having two or three people at a time, 161 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,960 coming from all over the world, paying a small amount of money 162 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,560 to have the style of life that we are living here. 163 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,000 And in this town are maybe two pensions. 164 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,360 -That's all? -That's all, yeah. 165 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:45,760 So there are incredible things to see, 166 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,560 but there's no infrastructure for people to get here and appreciate it? 167 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,560 Yes, nobody is thinking about a big project for Maramures. 168 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,440 One week here and you recharge your batteries because it's quiet here, 169 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:56,320 it's a quiet city. 170 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,600 And you can stay with the local people, and you walk and you hike. 171 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,440 -Yes, nobody thinks of this. -So you think tourism can save Romania? 172 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:04,960 Yeah. 173 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:06,800 Does your mum need any help do you think? 174 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:08,920 I don't think so because she is strong enough. 175 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,800 Well in that case... 176 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:12,240 Good health! 177 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:17,240 Cheers and thank you for the publicity you do for Romania. 178 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:19,360 This is beautiful. 179 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,760 -She's my mother! -Okay. 180 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:23,680 Cheers! 181 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:25,680 Good sound. 182 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:31,760 Wow, look at that! 183 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,520 So, the camera cannot, you cannot feel the smell. 184 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,280 -We don't have smellevision! -No. 185 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:41,560 Well, let me just tell you that this smells fantastic. 186 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,880 How do I tell your mum that this smells fantastic in Romanian? 187 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:45,200 -Smells good! -Smells good! 188 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,400 Everything that's inside here comes from... 189 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,200 Has come from about 100 square yards. Thank you so much. 190 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:56,480 -Do you like it? -Very much! Thank you. 191 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:02,840 This recipe was supposed to be lost, because it's from my grandma, 192 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,240 she's not doing it anymore, only by request. 193 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:07,440 And I've asked her not to lose it. 194 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:08,680 I think we'll keep it. 195 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,640 We have it on camera, you've seen it here 196 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,560 so everyone in Romania has the chance to be able to do this themselves. 197 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,800 Like I said before, back to the tradition, 198 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:17,760 people have to come back to the traditions, 199 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:19,280 this is the future of the tourism. 200 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:22,280 And for me it's the most fantastic country in the world, 201 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,680 because it has these traditions and these recipes and this culture, 202 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,440 and this food and music and everything. 203 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,640 We still are this. Not everything is lost. 204 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:31,920 Should be OK. 205 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:37,800 Thank you so much! 206 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,680 One of the exciting and inspiring things about rural life in the Maramures, 207 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,800 for an outsider like me, is that people here are so welcoming. 208 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,000 Whether it's thousands of years of relative independence 209 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:05,720 that makes them fearless of strangers, 210 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,440 or whether there is just an inherent kindness that's instilled from birth, 211 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,640 one immediately feels at home. 212 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,400 But it's also the palpable sense of pride 213 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,960 people have in their heritage, and way of life. 214 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,920 You can experience this in the towns and villages, 215 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,400 but maybe most of all 216 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,960 among those who choose to spend their days and nights out in the wilds, 217 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:29,440 committed to a pastoral existence, 218 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:34,480 that stubbornly and heroically resists the compromises of modern life. 219 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,320 Demi took me to meet some friends of his, who incapsulate these values. 220 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,640 We got there as they were bringing in the sheep for the night. 221 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,640 So, Demi how long do these guys spend out here in the wild? 222 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,880 How long do you stay with the sheep? 223 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:25,760 Six and a half months. 224 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:30,800 Six and a half months, starting from April. End of April. 225 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,440 Till November 15. 226 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,400 We gather the herds from all over the village. 227 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:38,560 So, basically it functions like this, 228 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,400 all the village, some have five, some have twenty, 229 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:44,600 and everybody puts together the sheep and they come into the mountain. 230 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,640 And they look after the sheep for everybody. 231 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,240 Presumably they all get time to go down to the village, 232 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,240 and spend the odd night with their wives. 233 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:53,880 -No, it doesn't function like this. -No? 234 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,800 The wives are coming up here from time to time. 235 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:58,240 The wives are coming up to see them. 236 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,680 So the wives do shifts, rather than the shepherds 237 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:01,840 Yes. 238 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,480 -We are living modern times. -Indeed. 239 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,000 It must be quite a change of lifestyle for them. 240 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,000 In the winter they are down in the villages, 241 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:13,800 and in the summer are up on the mountain sides. 242 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,840 It must be a very tiring way of living. 243 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,320 Do they get wolves and bears coming and taking sheep here? 244 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,000 Have you got any trouble with wolves lately? 245 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:25,640 Yes, we have. 246 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,800 At the beginning of spring wolves started attacking, 247 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:30,800 they are more and more numerous. 248 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,440 But the danger is higher in the autumn, 249 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,120 when they can't hunt deer any longer, 250 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,120 so they attack our sheepfold. 251 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,640 They are coming very often. 252 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:43,960 Because they are trying to get fat for the winter? 253 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:44,840 Yeah. 254 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,640 But we've got very good protection. We have excellent shepherd dogs, 255 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:55,240 trained to fight wild animals and to protect the sheepfold. 256 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,800 As we use to say, there's no sheepfold without dogs, 257 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:04,920 they are the rulers of the sheepfold, our dogs. 258 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,640 Tell me does he feel that this lifestyle, 259 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,240 the role of the shepherd in modern Romania is it dying out? 260 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,240 It is an endangered trade, but, hopefully, it will be better. 261 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:21,920 We are used to work hard and we continue to have trust in ourselves, 262 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:28,400 in what we do as peasants, we don't lose hope, we work. 263 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,600 I give you his example because I know him personally. 264 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:36,200 He used to have a big restaurant near here, near Baia Mare, 265 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:37,560 a very big restaurant. 266 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,960 He quit everything and he moved here. He changed his life. 267 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,560 To live this life. So this is almost retiring from the city, 268 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:47,640 and coming to live the pastoral existence? 269 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,160 This will be his life until he will pass away. 270 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:55,320 At the beginning of my life, 271 00:19:55,400 --> 00:20:00,000 I attended the most important catering school in Constanta. 272 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,000 After being a shepherd, 273 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,920 I made it to the Constanta casino, I worked there as a waiter. 274 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,840 That was my beginning, 275 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:14,000 but I created my future by means of my accomplishments. 276 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:19,280 Well, it's really lovely to be able to see people who are educated, 277 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:21,200 and self-made and successful, 278 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:27,400 who've actually chosen to live a simple, beautiful life, 279 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:29,000 albeit with its hardship somewhere like this. 280 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,800 And in my opinion they are happier than many people out there, in the world. 281 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,480 I think Romania will not lose these kind of things, 282 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,480 because more people like him are coming back to nature. 283 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,880 Looking at them I am absolutely convinced of it. 284 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,200 Because if you come tomorrow morning, at six o'clock, 285 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,800 when they are milking the sheep, will be full happiness. 286 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:53,120 -They are not stressed. -No. 287 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,680 The only thing is maybe if it's raining, it's a bit annoying. 288 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,920 -Or you run out of palinca. -They never run out of palinca. 289 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,280 -On which note... -Never. 290 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:05,600 -It's time to have some palinca. -That's right! 291 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,560 -Horinca. -Palinca. 292 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,400 Green horinca I did drink. 293 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:11,920 What's the difference, palinca, horinca? 294 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000 In Maramures we call it horinca, 295 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:19,280 in Bihor and further down to the West, it is called palinca. 296 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:22,400 -There's no difference, it's the same. -It's the same thing. 297 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,920 We call it horinca, others call it palinca. 298 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,360 Charlie, that's how we drink it. 299 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:28,480 You should do the same. 300 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:32,680 If you don't drink like this, 301 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,240 we won't allow you to sleep under our roof, 302 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:36,720 under the stars, you know. 303 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,440 -Cheers! -Cheers! 304 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,520 I could definitely get used to this way of life. 305 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,800 Your visit made us happy. 306 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,720 In three years' time I'll be 70. 307 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,560 Before I grow older, 308 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:56,320 I'm looking forward to seeing you again here. 309 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,920 I would love to come back for a week here next year, that would be so much fun. 310 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,200 -Cheers! -Cheers! 311 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:19,320 Bravo! 312 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,920 Before leaving the Targu Lapus region, 313 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,560 I had one more stop to make the following morning, 314 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:36,560 in the village of Suciu, 315 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:41,160 to track down the much sought after recipe for Maramures corn bread. 316 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,160 This is the house of Nechita Ludovica, who keeps this tradition alive, 317 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:51,280 by regularly supplying friends and family with this most moorish of delicacies. 318 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,560 The bread is prepared by blending 319 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,680 one kilogramme of corn flour with 300 grams of flour, 320 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:04,320 300 grams of boiled and mashed potatoes along with the water they were boiled in, 321 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:09,160 a handful of salt, a tablespoon of sugar and 50 grams of yeast. 322 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,880 This is sifted together and left to rise for half an hour, 323 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,960 before being poured into oiled tins and glazed with a mixture of plain flower, 324 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:18,760 corn flower and water. 325 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:24,800 The tins are then put in a preheated oven or prelit fire at around 200 degrees, 326 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,440 for between one and a half to two hours, checking regularly. 327 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:33,960 Corn bread was the basic food of our ancestors, our grandparents, 328 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,560 but now corn bread is a luxury food. 329 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:43,560 We hope this ancient recipe won't be lost. 330 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:47,760 It's much healthier eating bread made in this traditional way, isn't it? 331 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:53,360 Indeed, corn bread is much healthier than the bread you buy in stores. 332 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,880 You can see 333 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:02,280 that as our elders lived to 90, 100 years old. 334 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:07,960 However, we are not so healthy, with high cholesterol and other diseases. 335 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:14,520 Our youth would like to eat corn bread, but they leave for schools, 336 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:20,160 even my children are studying abroad, and they don't know how to make it. 337 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:26,720 You need to know the recipe, and also it's time consuming. 338 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,520 But it's worth taking the time, 339 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,560 because the bread lasts much longer than commercial bread. 340 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:38,360 Indeed. Corn bread lasts as long as one week, it's still good. 341 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,680 Except of course, it doesn't last as long because it's more delicious, 342 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,440 and you eat it quicker. 343 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:52,000 Yeah, look at the colours on that! That's almost like a sunset. 344 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:54,200 OK, the moment of truth. 345 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,240 You can taste the corn, it's very sweet because it's been cooked. 346 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,360 I think because it's just out of the oven it's quite crumbly, it's quite soft, 347 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,000 but apparently when it cools down you can slice it, 348 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,760 and have it just like you would with normal bread on just about anything. 349 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,680 It's got many applications. 350 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,600 The recipe is there, you've seen how to do it, 351 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:20,800 you know how to get the ingredients, it's easy to do, it just takes time. 352 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:23,680 But it's worth doing. Brilliant! 353 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:29,480 Back on the road again it was time to drive north, deeper into the Maramures, 354 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:31,280 and further into the past. 355 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,000 My next stop is Breb, 356 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,720 described as one of the region's most beautiful wooden villages 357 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,800 in William Blacker's acclaimed book Along The Enchanted Way. 358 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,280 I wanted to see how it had changed in the years since William's first visit, 359 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:47,760 in 1990. 360 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,200 For which of course, I required the assistance of the author. 361 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,760 Things have changed a lot here, I must say. 362 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:56,800 I mean like this house here, 363 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,880 this enormous house was a garden with this beautiful little wooden house, 364 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:01,760 in the middle of it. 365 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,400 Then the old lady died and the house came down straight away, 366 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,560 and they started building this. 367 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,840 And then all way up this road it's the same story. 368 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:11,480 So it was like a street here. 369 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,440 Yes, basically the whole of this road was wooden houses, 370 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:15,560 and now they've all gone. 371 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:21,160 So this is where they make the... 372 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:22,360 -The wooden tiles. -Shingles, yeah. 373 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:23,400 Is that what you call them, shingles? 374 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,960 Shingles in English, dranite here in Maramures, 375 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,360 sindrile or site in the rest of Romania. 376 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:32,320 -Right. Now you are just showing off... -Lots of different names. 377 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:35,960 -Look at that! -It's a pile. 378 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:37,440 Are they expensive? How much is one of those? 379 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,920 -Six bani. -Is not very much. 380 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,560 But you do need a lot of them, don't you? 381 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,360 Yeah, and this is Mihai making them. 382 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:44,440 -Hi. -Good evening. 383 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,720 -How are you doing? -Working. 384 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:48,360 Very good! 385 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:50,360 So he is smoothing them out, 386 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,400 making different shapes for different parts of the roof, 387 00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:54,600 and then smoothing them out so the water runs off them. 388 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:56,680 It is not difficult, but you have to love this work. 389 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:57,760 Yes? 390 00:26:57,840 --> 00:26:59,200 So it doesn't take him long to make one? 391 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:00,360 We prefer to work. 392 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,960 Yes, but this is the second part of it, first you have to split them. 393 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:04,760 Yeah, from one of these. 394 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,760 And then this process goes on with razor sharp tools. 395 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,360 Yeah, absolutely. You wouldn't want to mess around with that. 396 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,600 -And they'll last for 30 years? -20 to 25 years, something like that. 397 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,960 So, same lifespan as thatch? 398 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,880 Yeah, and it also depends where you cut the pine tree, 399 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,520 if it's from the Northern slope or the Southern slope. 400 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,680 -So there's a real science to it. -Yeah. 401 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:25,480 -Good health! -Thank you! 402 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:27,400 -Come and visit us again! -All right. 403 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:34,960 A priceless and irreplaceable landmark is the church of the Holy Archangels, 404 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,440 and has one of the oldest wooden towers in the country. 405 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,440 The construction of a larger modern replacement 406 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:43,880 has meant it sees less and less use, 407 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,960 and fewer funds are available for its maintenance and restoration. 408 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:50,840 Sadly, this is having catastrophic results. 409 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,560 So as you can see it needs a few repairs here at the front. 410 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,440 A bit of TLC. And this is the priest house here, yes? 411 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,640 That is the priest's house. It was built in 1903, in fact. 412 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:12,000 And then the church in 1620 and the roof of the church looks... 413 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,480 Looks terrible. I mean obviously along of the ridge, 414 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:16,720 that's where's where the problem is, isn't it? 415 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:17,960 When the water starts getting in. 416 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,840 Yes, as you can see the shingles are quite shredded now. 417 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,000 It must be raining inside in quite a few places. 418 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,280 It's quite a big job, isn't it? What's the plan? 419 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,760 I mean with my foundation I'm sure we can donate money. 420 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,800 Prince Charles has offered to help, as well. 421 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,320 It's all part of this idea of protecting and helping protect 422 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,840 the Orthodox wooden churches in Romania, which we started last year. 423 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:44,720 And hopefully, 424 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,000 we can convince people in the community to give some money as well. 425 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:48,520 Undoubtedly, they will. 426 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,800 I mean I've already talked to quite a few people, 427 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,120 and they are very happy to help, of course, because it's their church, 428 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:58,840 and it would be terrible after 400 years, suddenly for it to disappear 429 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:00,600 under their watch. 430 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,120 And if we succeed here with the community, 431 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,200 it's a good example to all the other places around Romania, 432 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,840 which have churches which are in a lot worse condition even than this. 433 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,120 Judging by the number of people that want to come and see churches of this age, 434 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,640 it's really an investment in people's future here, 435 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,240 because it brings tourists and that brings money into the community. 436 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,240 Yeah, this is the centre of the old village, 437 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,560 and when people come to Breb nowadays, 438 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,800 this is the sort of thing that they came to see, 439 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,280 the old wooden buildings, the old wooden church 440 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,400 and, of course, the people and the traditional way of life. 441 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,160 -Can we have a look inside? -Yes, I'll lead on. 442 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,440 So you must have been to lots of services here? 443 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:47,240 Yes, I did, I've been to lots. 444 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,400 It was always absolutely crammed with people, 445 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,400 wearing in the winter their big heavy hairy coats. 446 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,240 And when one knelt down to pray 447 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:00,760 they would tickle one's nose. 448 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,800 It is sad to see a lot of these beautiful icons 449 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,640 are falling prey to what presumes is rot. 450 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:12,160 Yes, it's clear there is rain getting in 451 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,640 and, obviously, with time, it's going to get worse. 452 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,320 Let's go and have a look at the priest's house. 453 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:17,200 Yeah, absolutely. 454 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,960 I mean it's one of the most impressive wooden priests houses, 455 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:24,320 left here in the Maramures. 456 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,640 It would be nice to see it occupied by somebody, 457 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,360 because buildings that are lived in obviously survive a lot longer, 458 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:31,240 don't they? 459 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,120 Absolutely, I don't know who would live in it now, but it's possible, 460 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:36,400 it's a beautiful house. 461 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,120 I mean the priest lives up next to the new church now. 462 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:41,160 In a modern house. 463 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,000 But they need to be looked after 464 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,280 for all the same reasons that we were discussing earlier, 465 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,600 how they bring people to these villages, 466 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,440 and bring therefore a new form of prosperity. 467 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,840 But of course, as we can see and hear, 468 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,440 there are buildings like this popping up all over the place as well. 469 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:58,120 I think that's another guest house, 470 00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,800 it doesn't look like a private residence, does it? 471 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:03,160 I have no idea. I mean previously there was a beautiful wooden house here, 472 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,800 lived in by two lovely old ladies, 473 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,960 and the photograph is in my book, actually, 474 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,680 of them standing up against the house which is now no longer there. 475 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,480 So I guess the message is to people 476 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,520 come here and see what remains of these beautiful wooden villages, 477 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:21,160 because in a few years time they may be gone altogether. 478 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:22,880 Yes, absolutely. 479 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,440 But also the people are so wonderfully welcoming, 480 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,360 and the old way of life still continues, 481 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:28,560 so it's still a fascinating place, 482 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,720 even though some of these monstrous buildings 483 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,400 don't really seem to quite fit in with that. 484 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:35,000 Well, in the meantime, 485 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,320 let's get on with trying to save the church. 486 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:39,960 -Absolutely. Step by step. -Step by step. 487 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:41,680 -Thank you so much, William. -Not at all. 488 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:42,800 I really appreciate your taking time. 489 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,000 Thankfully, some businesses are waking up 490 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,360 to the opportunities offered by preserving old buildings. 491 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,600 This the Village Hotel eco-lodge, also in Breb, 492 00:31:55,680 --> 00:32:00,000 which offers visitors a chance to spend a night in a traditional wooden house. 493 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:07,240 Thanks to the efforts of the British owners, Duncan and Penelope Ridgely, 494 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,600 these houses have been rescued from becoming firewood 495 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,600 or even exported to become floorboards, 496 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:17,120 instead serving as a permanent fixture for the tourist circuit, 497 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,240 safe for the time being from destruction. 498 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:38,840 Just down the road from Breb is Budesti, 499 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,640 another community that has changed noticeably since I first came here, 500 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:44,120 in 2013. 501 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:55,800 But while many wooden houses have been substituted with concrete and bricks, 502 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,840 several surviving structures are attracting busloads of sightseers. 503 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:03,680 For example its wooden church and traditional water mill, 504 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,400 make Budesti a popular stop on tours of this region. 505 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,720 This working mill serves several purposes. 506 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:18,320 Depending on which lever you pull and how you direct the flow of water, 507 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:23,800 it is either used for grinding corn, wheat or barley by pushing a millstone, 508 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:27,720 or by switching mode it powers giant pistons to pulverise sheeps wool, 509 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:32,400 resulting in a coarse felt that's used in clothing and general fabric production. 510 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,920 Thanks to Budesti's growing popularity as a destination, 511 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,840 several working museums have now opened up, 512 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,280 where you can also buy hand-crafted traditional goods, 513 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,280 and even watch them being made. 514 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:22,600 Not far from Budesti, Breb and Calinesti, 515 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,720 is the neighbouring town of Ocna Sugatag. 516 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:28,800 Market day is Saturday, and people flock here 517 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:32,840 from the surrounding countryside to buy and sell cloths, livestock, 518 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,800 leather goods and assorted paraphernalia. 519 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,960 This is a chance to catch up on all the gossip, find a bargain, 520 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:42,640 and fill your shopping bag with everything, 521 00:34:42,720 --> 00:34:45,760 from ornamental wine cosies to live pigs. 522 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:50,760 She is meek. 523 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,320 She won't do you any harm. Does the gentleman speak Romanian? 524 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:07,880 Forest colours, nice. 525 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,440 Yes, this one. That's nice. 526 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,920 I think I'll have that one as well. Yeah. Perfect. 527 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,680 Not ideal for a motorbike, but who cares. 528 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,680 The thing with these markets is finding the bargain, 529 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,720 because there's something here for everybody, 530 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,160 and you have to just look 531 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:30,120 until you can focus in on that special thing that's got your name on it. 532 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:31,800 I think I found it. 533 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:34,400 Thank you very much. 534 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:36,440 We've got a bargain. 535 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,760 Perhaps the main reason 536 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,680 why the Maramures attracts so many foreign visitors 537 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,600 is because of its extraordinary wooden churches. 538 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,480 Eight of which are now Unesco World Heritage sites. 539 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:18,560 For me, the most beautiful of these is the church of Surdesti, 540 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,920 which until very recently was the tallest in Europe. 541 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:14,600 One of the things that always gets me about churchyards is tombstones. 542 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:17,800 They are there for the living and their descendants, 543 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,560 not for the dead because, eventually, 544 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:21,920 they wind up like this. 545 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:23,400 Faded of any inscription, 546 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,320 covered in moss, leaning over, just stone. 547 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,720 And anyone who'd remember who's buried underneath is long since gone themselves. 548 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,840 It's sad but it's a very good example of the relentlessness of time. 549 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,960 It is an arresting thought that until a few decades ago, 550 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:11,680 the majority of the houses and churches in the Maramures were made of wood. 551 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,720 Today most of the forests that supplied the raw materials 552 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,840 for this historic landscape have been destroyed. 553 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:23,680 And with the worldwide demand for timber and flat pack furniture only increasing, 554 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:26,760 what is left may soon be just a memory. 555 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,560 You can see from a satellite map a huge brown splotch, 556 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:33,640 south of the Ukraine border, 557 00:38:33,720 --> 00:38:36,880 that marks the hundreds of square miles of illegal clear fell. 558 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:41,320 To get a closer look, I drove to a small airfield outside Bistrita, 559 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:44,360 to meet friend and pilot Adrian Moisa, 560 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:47,640 who very kindly offered to fly me over part of the dead zone. 561 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,520 Adrian, thank you for coming all way from Bucharest. 562 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:57,160 Well, thank you for what you are doing. We have to leave pretty quickly. 563 00:38:57,240 --> 00:38:58,360 Yes. 564 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,400 Current forestry law states 565 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:20,240 that mixed forest should be selectively felled, 566 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,760 and that it's completely illegal to clearfell spruce, 567 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,160 to any greater area than one square kilometre. 568 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:29,880 After that you need to leave an equal area of surrounding forest, 569 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,400 to ensure proper regrowth and maintain stability of the topsoil. 570 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:36,480 But flying over this devastation, 571 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:41,560 you can see entire mountains and valleys that have just been stripped bare. 572 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,160 It now makes sense, 573 00:39:49,240 --> 00:39:53,760 the satellite pictures where you see the Ukraine as green, 574 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,320 and this side of the border just brown. 575 00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:00,280 Yeah, you see a clear limit where the Ukraine is, 576 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:02,440 they still have the forests and here, on our side, 577 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:04,800 you just have miles and miles of devastation. 578 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,000 Well, listen, thank you so much for doing that! 579 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:09,840 Yeah, you're welcome and thank you for documenting all this. 580 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:11,280 -Not at all. -And helping us! 581 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:15,160 You show these things to people, and people can have a reaction. 582 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:22,400 Seeing this ravaged landscape from the relative safety of an aircraft, 583 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:23,600 is one thing, 584 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:26,960 but to really appreciate the magnitude of the problem, 585 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:29,160 we had to try to get in there by land. 586 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,920 This is not an easy or safe thing to do, 587 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,880 especially with a camera crew, as many people advised us. 588 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:41,960 However with the help of fellow conservationist Andrei Ciurcanu, 589 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:46,120 we followed the logging tracks deep into the mountains above Borsa, 590 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,640 in search of the area I had just flown over. 591 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:56,920 So we should be a bit careful around this area. 592 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:01,200 I'm pretty sure that they know by now that there's a foreign car. 593 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:02,800 -That we are here. -Yeah. 594 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,400 It really doesn't matter if you are a policeman, 595 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:06,920 if you are a prosecutor, 596 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,000 if you're an official from the prefecture or from the city council. 597 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:14,480 They are not interested. If you are a menace to them, 598 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:18,880 if you put in danger their business, they are going to, you know... 599 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:20,640 -Threaten you. -Threaten you and try... 600 00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:21,680 -To push you away. -Yeah. 601 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:33,920 There are ten to 12 thousand hectares of forest that was illegally cut. 602 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:39,800 And if you make the calculations, from this 12 thousand hectares of wood 603 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:43,320 they harvested almost 3.5 million cubic meters. 604 00:41:44,240 --> 00:41:49,720 That's 250 million euros and we are talking about rough logs, 605 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,240 we are not talking about timber because when you add value... 606 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:53,760 It's even more than that. 607 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:55,960 Yeah, it's over 700 million euros. 608 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:08,200 That means that 87 thousand trucks left this area. 609 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:10,720 87,000! 610 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:13,880 -And no one got prosecuted. -No one got prosecuted. 611 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:16,360 Everyone knows what happened here, 612 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:20,520 from locals, from town officials, politicians. 613 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:22,000 And until now, 614 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:27,400 I don't have one single case of a guy that illegally cut the forest 615 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,400 that was prosecuted and punished for it. 616 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:30,800 Nobody paid. 617 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:35,280 If you calculate the length of these 87 thousand trucks, 618 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:37,840 you get the distance between Bucharest and Las Vegas. 619 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:39,800 This is, you know, mind blowing. 620 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:51,480 Well, it's everywhere you look, isn't it? 621 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:52,840 Unfortunately. 622 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:57,120 You can see on the mountains, the leftovers. 623 00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:59,440 They were not interested in the small ones, 624 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:01,560 they were interested in the big healthy ones. 625 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:05,360 Because those are the ones that bring the money. 626 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:08,440 They've basically raped this entire landscape, 627 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:10,520 I mean everywhere you look. 628 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:13,920 It's one of the most affected areas in Maramures. 629 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:15,680 It's dangerous being here now. 630 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:18,720 Two or three months ago they attacked a policeman. 631 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:19,840 They beat up a policeman? 632 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:23,400 Yeah, he was following the truck with illegal logs, 633 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:25,680 and he got beaten up pretty bad. 634 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:27,320 Have you had problems yourself? 635 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:31,280 Yeah, I almost got my head cracked open in Apuseni, 636 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:36,200 and I was asking what is happening in the forest, 637 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:37,600 why did the forest disappeared? 638 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:39,680 The bizarre thing is that Ukraine, 639 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:42,320 with all its political problems and everything else, 640 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:44,480 that side is just green. 641 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:48,160 You know why? Because they didn't accept the big companies 642 00:43:48,240 --> 00:43:50,200 to come into their own country, 643 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:54,800 and to enforce their own policy of doing business. 644 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,720 The locals, they really understand the value of the forest, 645 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:00,120 that they have to protect it, 646 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:03,880 and they have to harvest it obeying the law. 647 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,360 This is what I've said in previous documentaries that we've made, 648 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:09,240 that Romania is what the Scotish highlands used to be, 649 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:11,920 but it's fast turning into the same thing. 650 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,320 Unfortunately. And we are talking about old money, 651 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:16,360 we are talking about money, we are talking about interest, 652 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:19,640 we're talking about low level corruption, high level corruption. 653 00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:21,160 We are talking about, basically, the money. 654 00:44:21,240 --> 00:44:24,200 You know there is a saying in investigative journalism: 655 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:25,800 follow the money. 656 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:26,800 If you follow the money, 657 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:29,320 you find the right guys, as in the bad guys. 658 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:33,400 But unfortunately, there are so few people... 659 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:34,000 Who are prepared to do that. 660 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:35,480 Who will risk their necks doing that, basically. 661 00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:37,120 Yeah. Believe me, we are here and we are risking. 662 00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:39,200 -I know. -We are risking now. 663 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:41,640 It's really sad to watch this transition, 664 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:45,240 is so obvious here, it's so clear what's going on. 665 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:48,520 And it seems like it's unstoppable. I mean the scale of this. 666 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:50,800 And I don't know what people are going to be able to do about it. 667 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:51,680 Unfortunately. 668 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:56,200 The thing is that this is a legacy for Romania's future, this landscape, 669 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,920 and there's not going to be anything for the people living in these area, 670 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:00,640 you know their kids and their grandchildren, 671 00:45:00,720 --> 00:45:01,520 what are they going to do? 672 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:03,120 Because there's not going to be any wood to cut down. 673 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:04,600 It's not just about the wood, 674 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:09,200 it's about wildlife that should live inside these forests. 675 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:13,200 No ecosystem and, of course, then no tourists. 676 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:14,120 Yeah, of course. 677 00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:17,960 Why would tourists come here to see these clear fells? 678 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,320 You see the chainsaw? You heard it? 679 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:29,440 This is now the sound, the natural sound in these mountains. 680 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:30,720 The sound of the chainsaw. 681 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:34,000 No bird is singing, you see? 682 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:36,960 Nothing. 683 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:43,320 There goes another tree. 684 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:48,480 One of millions of trees that once grew around these mountains, 685 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:51,600 and are now somebody's flat pack furniture. 686 00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:55,720 Most of those people that go and buy furniture, 687 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,520 they really don't know what kind of products they are buying. 688 00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:00,680 They don't know that they are buying, you know, 689 00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:02,520 furniture made out of illegal wood 690 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:07,120 or from very old virgin forests in national parks 691 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:08,000 or something like that. 692 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:11,320 They started logging here ten years ago and the forest disappeared. 693 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:13,760 You have no vegetation here, look. 694 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:22,720 So, Andrei, what can be done? 695 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:25,520 The first thing is to enforce the law, to apply it. 696 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:30,720 If you are going to apply it then one should see villains behind bars. 697 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:32,680 But also, they have to acknowledge that they have to stop, 698 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:36,440 because they won't have a forest to show to their children, 699 00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:38,000 to their grandchildren. 700 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:39,520 This has to be done. 701 00:46:39,600 --> 00:46:40,960 This really has to be done. 702 00:46:42,160 --> 00:46:42,960 Well, on that note, 703 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:47,520 I think we've probably pushed our luck as far as it will go. 704 00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:50,600 We might want to make a tactical retreat. 705 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:52,440 It would be wiser, believe me. 706 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:54,720 OK, thank you for taking me here. 707 00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:56,720 This brings it into very sharp relief, 708 00:46:56,800 --> 00:46:58,760 it's a journey that we needed to take, 709 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:03,760 and really I am glad and desperately depressed to be here. 710 00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:26,600 Join us next week, 711 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:31,760 as we complete our odyssey across this wild and wonderful country. 712 00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:33,920 We will be exploring Bucovina, 713 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:37,800 and seeing how tourism is flourishing, thanks to new ideas, 714 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:40,840 and the preservation of ancient or more recent traditions. 715 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:44,120 Only in Flavours of Romania. 716 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:47,480 Since the making of this program, 717 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:50,520 we are pleased to announce that money has now been raised, 718 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,800 to repair the roof of the wooden church in Breb, 719 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:57,680 thanks in large part to donations from his Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.