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Our trip to Targu Mures was on America's Memorial Day, to visit the grave site of our good friend's mother who died a year ago - - - and (see next photo) |
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and to see this house (below). In 1947, Communist Securitata broke into Bianca's grandparents home in the night, and they ordered the family to leave, with the clothes on their backs and their children in tow. The reason: the Communists wanted this lovely home for their own use. Fifty years later, the battle to repossess their own home seems futile --- even the porter insisted that the "state" still needed the home, and he said too many years had gone by to make it anyone's property but the government's! Bianca's family is determined to repossess their own home. |
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Beggars in the grave-yard. Gypsies such as this family (below) are a common sight throughout Romania. Often ruthless and filthy, their sub-culture is feared and loathed by the Romanians. |
| Sigisoara (below) is the cleanest town we have seen in Romania. A hard hour+ drive northeast of Sibiu, it is a city rich in history and civic pride. Like many Transylvanian towns, this walled city dates from the year 800 when streets were narrow and people were much shorter. Sigisoara is the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, the feared ruler who impaled anyone who was caught stealing. Theft was obviously not a problem in the 1600's! |
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The walled city Sigisoara sits high on a hill, accessible by stone stairways that are a thousand years old. The walls are as in biblical times -- approximately 30 feet high and 20 feet thick -- a fortress to protect the city and her inhabitants. |
Wonderful roadside shopping! We are always looking for nice gifts, and for items that we can purchase for stateside fund-raising. This little Transylvanian village is lined with roadside vendors of leather, baskets, wood and handiwork items. A tourist's paradise! No wonder our baggages are always chocked full on our return trips! |
Back at our apartment in Sibiu after our long day-trip, Dave relaxes
with our downstairs neighbor, Elena.  |
Our totally renovated apartment is furnished with a mixture of Romanian treasures, some second-hand Italian furniture, and bits and pieces that we have brought from home or made overseas. Nationals have commented that it is the most beautiful apartment in all of Romania! Many people ask if we receive a salary to work overseas. The answer is no - we pay all our own expenses, and like many others, we also contribute substantially to our work. The Romanians find it quite incredible that Americans pay their own way to come halfway around the world help their people! That, in itself, is a testimony to the Romanians that we care deeply for their people and their country. Heart for Romania pays for the expenses directly related to our Romanian humanitarian work. All our volunteers pay for all their personal expenses of travel and recreation. (All contributions and personal work-related overseas expenses are tax-deductible, of course.) Our Sibiu apartment purchase was our own personal expense, and we hope the day never comes that Romania's doors close and the Conklins end up "donating" the apartment to the Communists! |