Drive from Arad to Sibiu, Visiting Petresti Cimitir (Cemetery) and Last Day in Gergeschdorf & Rosia De Secas.

The drive from Arad back to Sibiu took about 4.5 hours and part of that was at night from Sebes to Sibiu. Driving during the day is crazy enough, but at night things get a little bit more interesting. The drivers pass on blind curves at high rates of speeds at night as well as the day which makes things quite a bit more dangerous. But we made it back to Sibiu with no problems except for being pulled over in a small village about 1.5 hours from Sebes. I have been stopped four times by the local police during this trip. Mostly for passing in a restricted lane. This last time was for speeding while entering a small village. I did not know the speed limit had changed so I had to pay a fine and than was on my way. The police step out into the road and wave you down to pull you over. They do not chase after you with lights and sirens like in the USA. The other three times the police officer just gave me a warning and let me be on my way; however this police officer was quite a bit more persistent so I paid the fine of about $100 US Dollars. The drive back from Arad had beautiful fall foliage to view and I really enjoyed the drive sans the police pulling me over.

Yesterday Jim and I drove to Petresti and purchased flowers to place on my Great-Grandmother Maria Mai's grave and my Grand Aunt Frieda Mai's grave.

After visiting Petresti we headed to Gergeschdorf (Ungerei) and had a fantastic meal with Robert's family along with his wife Gabriela's family. I met Gabriela's brother-in-law this time and got to see her sister Maria again along with their adorable daughter. many other family members, friends and their children were there too. I will say it again, Robert is the most gracious man I have ever met!!! Jim and I think the world of him and it is wonderful that he cares so much for Gergeschdorf the village where both our families are from. I would love to buy a house one day in Gergeschdorf to use as a vacation home...possibly a retirement home. Houses currently go for about 10,000 Euros and are quite affordable.

Jim and I went with Dorin Latu a boy from Gergeschdorf to Rosia de Secas to visit their history museum that they opened in the village about 5 years ago but I did not have a chance to visit on my last trip. Dorin helped us track down the Mayor of the village which is only about 5km east of Gergeschdorf and the Mayor brought us to the museum. I think we interrupted a city council meeting because there was a group of people in the Mayor's office when we arrived on a Sunday.

They were all very gracious and allowed the Mayor to bring us to the museum and look at their collection of Romanian and Saxon historical items.

Corn in the back of the wagon



Cattle were primarily used by Saxons versus horses by Romanians for use pulling wagons.

Driving back to Sibiu we came through several villages where almost everyone

was selling vegtables in front of their house. The region of Western Romania is a

highly agricultural area.

Huge Romanian Orthodox church built just south of Arad

Bridge in Arad



Cool electric street cars are used in Arad



Huge beautiful houses just east of Arad

War memorial





They seem to be building this house from the roof down

New Romanian Orthodox church being built

Ancient castle ruins atop a hill 

Auto-strada is being constructed from Sibiu to Sebes and than from Sebes to Timisoura.

This is the section outside of Sibiu on the way to Sebes. This will help travel

immensley when finished.

Beautiful tombstone at Saxon Evangelical Lutheran cemetery in Apoldu du Sus

On the roads you fight for space with trucks, pedestrians, horse carts and cars!

My Great-Grandmother Maria Mai's and my Grand-Aunt Frieda Pfaff's (Mai) grave

 in Petresti. Jim and I placed flowers there and lit a candle.

Beautiful fall colors on the drive to Gergeschdorf from Spring



Goats near the church



Gergeschdorf boy near the church



This is the house that my grandfather Martin Fising grew up in till he was 17 years old and than came to America. Several generations of Fising family members lived in this house and as many as 10 people may have been living inside at one time. I have heard that my grandfather had to live in the barn with the animals because space was at a premium. The barn for animals is attached to the rear of the Saxon houses. Possibly he may have slept in the upper loft?

Gergeschdorf Saxon Evangelical Lutheran Church

Priests house that is located right next to my families house in Gergeschdorf

Fising House

Beautiful cabinet in the priests house



Old photograph of one of many priests in Gergeschdorf over the last 500+ years

Priests Robes



Typical Saxon furniture was handmade and ornately decorated and painted and the date the item was made and the family name would usually be on all furniture and

clothing items used in church.

Beautiful creamic Saxon stove and fireplace

Bench in the priests house that was made by Johann Fising my 2nd Great-Grand Uncle in honor of his father and my Great-Great-Great Grandfather Johann Fising who died in 1887

Coffins

Schneider family wall hanging

Maria preparing the cartofi (potatoes) for the fantastic lunch we had at

Robert "Hanse" Schuster & Gabriela's house.

 We had lamb and pork

Rosia de Secas

Historic romanian shoes in the Rosia de Secas history museum

Cristian from Gergeschdorf that helped us get into the museum and that helps

Robert with work around Gergeschdorf. he is standing in front of the

Mayors Office and City Council building

Pauca (Tornen) the village just south of Gergeschdorf wher my

Great-Grandmother Maria Fising (Mai) was from.

Saxons would place their name and the year the house was built on the front and in some villages like Pauca (Tornen) they would place sayings about life or blessings for the house.

The Pauca Saxon Evangelical Church and Cemetery

Ruins of a very old church in Pauca (Tornen)

The beautiful back road drive to Sibiu from Gergeschdorf via Ocnu Sibilui

The cattle know exactly where to go when it becomes dusk and walk right down

the middle of the street in Loames



Beautiful Sibiu architecture

The Friedrich Teutsch house where the archives for over 289 Saxon village churches in Transylvania are held. I explored the Pauca (Tornen) records there today with a

wonderfully helpful Archivist Monica Vlaicu.

She walked through each record with me step by step.

In Sibiu's Astra Park men play cards and chess in the square

Even at 1pm on a Monday the streets near Piata Mare in Sibiu are packed with people.

Out apartment is just one block down the street from the Piata Mara