We left Viscri by means of the same horse-drawn cart which had taken us to the sheepfold. This time we often had to bow our heads because of branches which crossed the path we were following. Having passed the forest, we again crossed meadows passing a sheepfold where several guarding dogs went running after the horse, barking all the time. Then, at the top of the hill, we could see a small village called Meschendorf which we approached slowly due to rather steep terrain. In order to aid the horse, the driver laid a metal thing on the ground, drove over it with the backwheel, and attached it with a chain. In this way, the backwheel was clamped, making it a bit easier for the horse to descend. Next, we went by car to Crit, our next stop.
It was only a short walk from where we stayed to Rozalia’s house. There, she makes several types of jams, mainly buying berries, etc. from local pickers. She also buys herbs which she dries in a solar drier in her courtyard. The drier consists of several frames with netting on which she laid the herbs to be dried. When she wants the process to start, she pushes the frames inside a box and closes it. Below the box is a metal plate tilted at about 45 degrees, press-shaped with some depressions and covered by see-through plastic. Then, the air will be heated by the sun, rise up and pass the herbs which are dried quickly.
Later, I found a notice describing the solar ovens. A company called TravelPledge was founded in 2008 in order to help travellers contribute positively to the places they are visiting.
Rozalia produces the following for sale in Romania:
jams:
- rose hip
- plums
- mirabelle plum
- rhubarb
salads:
- mushrooms
- horseradish
- pickled salad
dried herbs:
- yarrow
- bilberry leaf
- lime flowers
- elder flowers
- hawthorn leaves and flowers
- nettle leaf
All the jams have high fruit contents, little sugar, and no additives or preservatives.
Rozalia makes jams for consumption at home and for tourists who come to her guesthouse besides delivering her products to various shops across the country by mail.
