Good morning, friends! I hope you've all had a wonderful week!

Mine was very exciting. I booked a road trip through central Romania and the Carpathian Mountains and my goodness, it did not disappoint. I was able to visit places that are still extremely traditional and I always find that to be a learning experience that I can often apply to preparedness.

Pickling is a major method of preservation here. Nearly every meal is served with a dish of pickled veggies of some description. Sometimes they're mixed, which they call "pickle salad" and sometimes it's a single vegetable with some added slices of red onion. The brine is very salty and the veggies end up being crisp and delicious. It's a great, shelf-stable way to add some nutritious veggies to your diet in the winter, and it only requires water bath canning.

One thing I found really fascinating was how much central Romania reminded me of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. If I had somehow mysteriously teleported there and opened my eyes, I would have thought I was in the Alps. The Bavarian architecture would have further convinced me.

The Carpathian Mountains in Romania have long been a source of security for the people. Over centuries, when their villages were invaded, they fled to the mountains to take shelter, and there, simply waited out the invaders because the forests held everything they needed for survival. The heavily wooded mountains are, to this day, home to brown bears, lynx, and wolves.

There are gorgeous meadows, rushing streams, valleys bursting with wildflowers, rocky crags, and towering mountainsides lush with trees. It's enough to make you want to spin in circles and channel Julie Andrews in a curtain dress.

The Carpathian Mountains separate Transylvania from Wallachia, two historic regions of Romania. (The third region is Moldova, now it's own country.)

Shepherds tended to their flocks with the aid of packs of enormous shaggy Carpathian Mountain Dogs. There were some Roma villages with barefoot children on carts pulled by short, stout ponies and headed for the creek. Taverns with hearty, traditional meals were tucked into small nooks by the road.

I got to see several different castles. In the photo below, going clockwise:

Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni, Romania - this is where the exterior shots of the Netflix series Wednesday were filmed (top left)

Peles Castle (pronounced pell-ish) is in the Carpathian Mountains, near the town of Sinaia, Romania. (Tall image in the center)

Bran Castle in Bran, Romania, is often thought to be the home of Vlad the Impaler. In fact, he never lived or even visited there. But it's a great example of a medieval-era castle. Both pics on the right are Bran - one is outside and one is from a defense area inside.

Pelisoir Castle (bottom left) was built on the property of Peles Castle for King Carol's nephew and heir, Ferdinand, and his wife, Marie.

If you want to see more photos, including some interior shots, check out my Instagram account. There, I will history-nerd you until you never want to hear from me again. 🤣 I'm not sorry. I'm irrepressibly curious about history!