25 km on Romania's 'Camino' - I slept in a Barrel! | Transylvania, Romania

[@jegrules5980]

Bună Olive îți doresc sa ai parte de cat mai multe experiențe frumoase 😘

[@oliviaelenat]

Multumesc frumos! 😊

[@christinetaggart2715]

Olivia, remember your emergency snacks, you must have been exhausted. Loving your travels, cheers from Australia 🇦🇺

[@oliviaelenat]

Thank you! ❤ You're absolutely right! I may have been too optimistic relying on that closed restaurant. 😅

[@rosemarysykes6178]

what a fabulous route, though the dogs were scary for me. always take snacks.

[@oliviaelenat]

Thank you! 😊 It truly was a stunning route. 🏞 I completely understand about the dogs. Having the farmer nearby did ease my worries a bit, but it was still unsettling. Snacks are definitely a must from now on! 🍫

[@Sofia-0001]

Hi there, I wouldn't venture to walk country side alone. There could be all sort of creatures out there. Please stay safe.

[@oliviaelenat]

Thank you! 😊 I agree it's important to stay safe! I did my research and was cautious about potential issues, including carrying bear spray, but I know it can still be unsettling.

[@manonthemoon2912]

Not seen any water fountains

[@oliviaelenat]

That's a good point! I refilled my water bottle at my accommodation where I started, and then I didn't see (or actively looked for) any source of water along the way.

[@jornspirit]

hey dear Olive 🫒, ambassador of 'the Via' 😎 another walk through beautiful nature, still a bit barren, not yet in full Spring motion... interesting that you chose to walk at this time... but with every further walk it will get better in terms of nature and number of walkers, I guess... are you imaging to eventually do the whole length of it?! (1.400 kms) ...a few more questions and comments (as always) 😅 - how important would it be to speak at least a bit Romanian? e.g. that farmer with the dogs: did he speak English too? I once on the camino stopped at a remote place with no other pilgrims, and the albergue host spoke only Spanish, which left very little opportunity for exchange... I'm curios to hear maybe later into the via, if you think, some hold on the Romanian language would be very recommended... - the camino (in all its routes) has a spiritual history and significance, although many 'peregrinos' today are not really relating to that... is there some history to the Romanian Via, or did it get kind-of constructed according to its actual intention of today? I also was wondering, if you yourself are relating to a spiritual purpose of walking a camino/via/long-distance hike...?! - the barrel houses & infrastructure in Medias look truly awesome... remind me of our barrel houses in my community, which are made of old whiskey barrels... I guess those ones you showed, are old wine barrels? (if you are curious about those in my village, just google: Findhorn barrel houses) - walking the via alone is still a brave thing, especially not knowing it yet, as 99 'good experiences' can still get re-valued by just one 'bad experience'.. I'd be at least cautious... even on the camino I had a walking stick with me, first to support me walking, but also in case of straying dogs, which has been an issue occasionally for walkers... there have been attacks by stray dogs in the past... but I don't want to dampen your optimism, Olive... you'll be protected and it all will go well! Looking already forward to the next episode, and Îţi doresc toate cele bune (probably a more formal greeting, but thats as far as my Romanian language skills stretch!) 🚶‍♀🌄

[@oliviaelenat]

Hello Jörn, it's great to hear from you! My decision to walk this stretch at this time was somewhat of a plan B, since I couldn't walk a different trail due to a specific cabin not being open yet. 😊 I do see myself walking the entire trail, but perhaps in sections, mainly for budget and time reasons. Regarding language, it's true that many people in the countryside are unlikely to speak English. However, it is common for people under 35-40 years old to have some level of English, especially since Romania, unlike Spain, doesn't dub movies and TV series, so most of us grew up watching everything in English with subtitles. 📺 Via Transilvanica doesn't hold the same historical significance as the Camino. It's a new trail and concept, aiming to reinvent rural tourism in Romania and make it easier for travelers to access the communities along the route. It was built with that purpose in mind. The hikes I am doing now, post-Camino, don't have a spiritual purpose for me, but rather simply embracing my spirit of adventure and curiosity, excitement for life, connection with nature... 🌳 The Camino, however, did have more of a spiritual meaning. I'm not religious, so I didn't view it as a pilgrimage in the traditional sense. However, I am inclined towards spirituality, meditation, a desire to find inner peace and live in harmony with the world around me. I find myself somewhere between spirituality and science, curious about the intersections between the two, without firmly committing to a strong belief, as I tend to see multiple perspectives. 🚶‍♀🌱🌍 The Findhorn barrel houses look so nice! I don't know if the ones in my video were new or repurposed; there wasn't any information about it. 🛖 I completely agree about being cautious on the walks. I did have bear spray with me, hoping to never use it though. 🐾 Thank you so much! 💚 PS: The greeting is not that formal, it is also used in casual social interactions. Toate cele bune! 🌄

[@jornspirit]

@@oliviaelenat thank you for your detailed reply, Olive! 🧡 Very interesting subject: the balancing act between spirituality and science... the feeling of oneness - could be with a partner, but also watching the sun sinking into the sea - have some 'unmeasurable' quality for me... maybe spirit is the heart, and science the mind of the same thing? ...an endless field of discussion! ☯ The whiskey barrel houses were put together in the 1980s by buying old ones from a distillery close by, and then refining them. Some are still inhabited by their original builders! 🌈