It was dark when we crossed the border into Transylvania, and darker still when we pulled into the winding valleys that skirted the feet of the Carpathian Mountains.
ARRIVAL IN THE LAND OF LEGEND
Tyler: As we arrived at the lodge of our host, Silviu Marinescu of SS Wild Hunts, the wind whipped through the canyons, howling; the trees swayed to their very roots; and the veiled moon peeked through the clouds to reveal the jagged teeth of the cliffs that loomed over us. It was a fitting introduction to a land of such legend, one that I’d dreamed of since hearing nocturne tales as a child. But Silviu’s hearth was warm, his hospitality grand, and the exotic local foods spread across his table quickly warded off the chill of a strange and mysterious country still cloaked by darkness.
Danny: On our approach to Romania, Silviu sent us some pictures that were a reminder of the natural connections still tying the rural people to the land there. In one, a farmer holds a domestic sheep’s head while he slits its throat, the man’s face showing some of the same pain of the animal. He’s embracing the sheep as he kills it.
On the long road into the mountains, we drove past an old couple on a horse-drawn carriage. A little dog ran alongside them. The scene reminded me of photos of my great-grandparents in Denmark — that country has changed, though. The couple smiled at us as we passed, and Silviu told me that he once visited their little farm. It was without electricity and grew a beautiful garden in the middle of pristine mountains. The old man told Silviu then: “I am the luckiest man alive, I have everything.”
THE DRIVEN HUNT
Tyler: With
