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“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” Dead Poets Society
We’ve been walking for more than a month now, and today we noticed something we haven’t seen much of along the trail until now – the first signs that autumn is quietly beginning to arrive in Romania. 🍁
The leaves are starting to change colors, splashes of yellow, brown, and gold appearing among the green, and a few trees have already begun to surrender their leaves to the breeze.
It’s a little surreal to think that when we started this journey, summer was just getting underway. Now, after more than a month of walking through forests, mountains, villages, and fields, the seasons are beginning to shift around us.
We’ve walked far enough and long enough to watch summer slowly give way to fall, one leaf at a time. 🍂
And somehow, that makes this journey feel even more special.
The Fourth Tenor
Massimo took control of the music today. I knew my reign as DJ wouldn’t last forever.
Not only did he appoint himself Music Director, but he also decided to become the featured performer.
I’ve officially nicknamed him the Fourth Tenor.
At this point, after walking who-knows-how-many kilometers, he launched into a song from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro…while still walking.
Because apparently hiking 20+ kilometers isn’t physically demanding enough for him. Why not add a little opera?
He belted it out with the confidence of Pavarotti, although I’m fairly certain Pavarotti never had to perform while sweating his way up a mountain with a backpack.
Bravo, Maestro. 👏🎶
Carpe Diem
We watched several paragliders soaring high above us during part of our walk. They floated effortlessly through the sky, looking so graceful and peaceful.
Oh, to be a bird. 🦅
Massimo mentioned that paragliding was on his proverbial bucket list.
So, naturally, when we walked past the little trailer that served as the paragliding office, I suggested we stop.
“You should do it!”
“No, no, no. Come on,” he said, grabbing my arm and attempting to drag me past it.
“No, seriously! Carpe diem!” I insisted. “It looks like a great place. They have trophies in the window – a clear sign that they must be trust worthy and good! Don’t mind that it looks like someone lives there as well.”
I was practically his personal life coach at this point.
But unfortunately, there was no persuading him.
I even offered to show some leg so we could hitchhike after he landed.
No time would be wasted.
Still no.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how we missed a perfectly good opportunity for Massimo to conquer his bucket list while I got to add another hitchhiking experience in Romania to mine.
Missed opportunity.
Today’s recap video includes a tribute to the fabulous Dolly Parton. Our world is a little dimmer without her in it.💔
Pizza, PASTA, Mafia 🍕🍝🤌🇮🇹
Tonight, our guesthouse is owned by a woman who worked in Italy for many years – on the island of Ischia, just off the coast of Napoli, to be specific.
So when we arrived, she and Massimo immediately started chatting like old friends catching up on all the neighborhood gossip – in Italian, of course.
Knowing that we’ve been eating traditional Romanian food for weeks, she offered to make us pasta.
Massimo was over the moon.
He’s been whining…excuse me, talking…about how much he misses “the best food on earth.”
He tells people, “You know, I’m from Parma. It’s called the Food Valley because it’s the best.”
Okay, okay, paesano. We get it. Italians are apparently the only people on the planet who know how to cook – and eat – good food. 🤌
She went all out.
She made perfectly al dente pasta Bolognese, which even Massimo approved of – which is not easy to do. There was salad, homemade lava cake with gelato, red wine, and the shortest espresso he’s had since arriving in Romania. She even put on Italian music in the background for ambiance.
She was determined to make him happy.
And it worked.
Massimo could not stop smiling and staring at each dish as it was served. He was officially in Little Italy heaven.
It may not have been the “real thing,” but this woman came about as close as humanly possible to serving an Italian meal in the middle of Romania, and, judging by Massimo’s expression, she may have temporarily cured his homesickness for Parma and pasta.
For one meal, at least, he was a very happy Italian.
Compliments to the chef. ❤️
Much love & gratitude. Namaste 🙏
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The breakfast is huge in Romania. Probably because in the area we are traveling through people work very hard outdoors and need a substantial meal to get them through the day, but I cannot eat all of this food and then hike. Just roll me up and down the hills.
No hitchhiking today. Maybe because I have a terrible hitchhiker thumb…
Fun fact: In Italian this called this “autostop.”
