Picnic in Cindrel Mountains

I'm the type of organized, disciplined person who likes to plan everything. When I go somewhere, I need to know when we arrive, where we sleep, what and where we eat. I research, make reservations, pack bags after reading the weather forecast from 10 sources. This weekend, however, things were different - nothing planned, but everything fell into place on its own.

On Thursday, we suddenly decided to participate in a gastronomic event near Sibiu. I had learned about the My Transylvania association last fall from my sister-in-law, and I liked their initiative to promote and preserve traditions, the connection with village life, nature, and history.

I called and there were exactly two spots left for the cherry picnic in Cisnadioara. Radu quickly found a room at a guesthouse in Sibiu center, on a busy weekend dedicated to the International Theater Festival, which we didn't know about until we got there. It was good we didn't know - our optimism helped us not give up after the first guesthouses told him everything was booked for the weekend. Friday we set off for Sibiu. It rained buckets the whole way. I don't know how, but we never once wondered what the picnic would be like in such weather.

We arrived only at 9 PM and thought we'd like to have pasta at Max. The restaurant had emptied by that hour because the Romania-France match had started. Yes!!! A restaurant all to ourselves. Even if we had planned it, it couldn't have worked out so well.

The next morning we headed to Cisnadioara for the picnic. We were greeted in a wooden gazebo with hencles (a traditional Transylvanian pastry) and coffee. I only learned about hencles a few months ago and had only tasted it once at the Sibiu market. I was glad to have the chance to taste it fresh, made right in Cisnadioara.

In one corner, a bountiful table was set with our picnic food. There were traditional dishes with ingredients from the Sibiu area. See the photos below - there was everything from green onions and bacon, lovage with onion or cabbage, to fennel jam, Sibiu cheeses, tarts and pestos with herbs. And of course, baskets of cherries. I liked the dill pesto and fennel jam the most. The organization was impeccable. We had containers and bags so everyone could pack whatever they wanted. For me, a little of everything, because I'm very curious and greedy. Sometimes I think I must look really strange around food, with my eyes gleaming and searching every platter, eavesdropping on anything that sounds like a recipe.

We then set off on a walk, led by our host Cristi, who knows a lot about local gastronomy. He told us how the terroir influenced the products from the area, just like with wine grapes. He told us about what is still traditionally produced in the area, with much effort from the locals.

The hike took about half an hour. At the top, we were rewarded with a great picnic spot, a place with a view over Rasinari village. Food, rest, fresh air, and more stories awaited us there.

The way back was even more beautiful than the climb up. We were energized from the food but also from the anticipation of the mushroom stew waiting for us below. We returned to the gazebo for the main course. While we walked, Mrs. Aurora prepared stew and new potatoes for us. Carafes of elderflower and raspberry syrup also awaited us. We had dessert too: cherry cake, raspberry cake, chocolate torte, jam cookies. And for the kids, ice cream!

After a short siesta in the garden, we shook off the lethargy and returned to Sibiu. We already knew where we'd have dinner because during the picnic Cristi told us about a bold restaurant, Indian fusion with Romanian ingredients. We walked around Sibiu for a few hours - a pleasure every time. We dined at Syndicat Gourmet, where the highlight of the evening was nettle soup with ginger (of course, I'll try to recreate it for you!).

The next day we returned to Cluj. As soon as we left Sibiu, it started pouring again. We concluded that throughout this weekend, the universe, helped by a few enterprising people, worked and organized to make everything perfect for us. The experience was really wonderful, and I'm already thinking about future events organized by My Transylvania (hmmm, raspberries or beef barbecue?). But I won't make definitive plans anymore - I'll let myself be carried along.