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    The gold inside A trip to Rosia Montana

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    Six years after the mine in Rosia Montana was closed, local people can rely only on agriculture and on their livestock. It’s a simple life they have, but one full of joy. It’s the pleasure of working in the fresh air, the gratitude for the rain and the goodness of the sun that might probably be understood only by those who live in a close connection with nature. Most of the households have at least one or two cows. The grass is plenty and the meadows are rich in medical plants that assure highly nutritious and healthy meal for the cattle. Nobody heard about organic farming and bio products in this area simply because they don’t know any other way, nor can they imagine it. In 1989, there were 7.5 million cows in Romania. This number has decreased to 1.5 millions in 2012. The much awaited EU integration in 2007 did not help the small farmers: the Ministry of Agriculture does not support them and the European grants are out of their reach. So this is what a small farmer would get for their cow – a pierced ear with a registration number. by: lauraturdean Views[829] When I visited last year Rosia Montana, I felt as if I won a trip 150 years back in time. All the houses are made of timber, stone and covered by limestone. I guess you could imagine a city dressed in a white wedding dress. Maybe except for a few houses that were left to ruin, deserted or bought by the Canadian mining company. Amongst the supporters of the Save Rosia Montana campaign, is an architectural organization that proudly restores these houses in the old fashion way: with timber, mud and limestone, all with the help of private people and with the effort of volunteers. by: lauraturdean Views[608] Dr. John Akeroyd, a British botanist and a UK Wildlife Trusts consultant, since 2000 regularly visits Transylvania. He is working on the project Protecting Romanian's lost world. Together with Romanian scientists, he made a study in which he declares having encountered at least eight ancient meadow, moorland and marshland communities of plants, all very rich in species. Sixty percent of the Rosia Montana area is covered by flowery meadows. Amongst the flowers, six species of meadow orchids are endangered in Romania. The British botanist was dazzled by the rich variety of Asplenium septentrionale he has seen here. Local people and committed supporters are still struggling to get sustainable development that could protect this unique heritage for Romania and all Europeans so that its miracle could mesmerize us in the future as well. by: lauraturdean Views[1595] Rosia Montana with its existence of almost two millennia is a mining village in Transylvania, subject to high controversy due to a mining project owned by a gold-hunting Canadian company. NGOs and private people unite their forces to preserve the ancient village and to make it a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once a year, they organize FanFest (Hay Festival) to make people aware of the beauty that this area holds and that tourism could be a worthy choice for the people in Rosia Montana. I managed to take a shot with the hand of our guide, also a volunteer, who was showing us the village from the top of a mountain. In the back, there is another group of visitors enjoying the beautiful vista that the rich Rosia Montana gives for free. by: lauraturdean Views[485] Travelling in the Romanian countryside, one would find many crosses and religious monuments at crossroads or side roads. They were made to help the traveler choose the right way, to inspire him to pray and ask the protection of the Holy Trinity. In Rosia Montana, there are made of rock and sometimes painted with limestone, prime materials which are plenty in the area. by: lauraturdean Views[355]
     


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