Living in the country (1) - Where do we buy food?

The sudden and urgent desire of some good friends to go on a short vacation brought me, my wife and I, in the situation of living in the country. I mean, in a village near Bucharest ... not too far away, only 10 km. Because I live on the outskirts of the city, it is closer to me to the village of my friends than from me to the city center!

My friends have a problem, in fact seven problems that prevent them from leaving home for more than a day. The seven problems are their seven dogs. They bought a house in a village to have enough space for their dogs. Years ago they had almost thirty dogs but over time and due to the fact that the life of dogs is relatively short, there are seven left.

Having so many animals to take care of is a serious and costly problem. My friends are extremely fond of dogs and have made great efforts and many sacrifices for them. They are important artists in my country, they have many professional and social obligations, they have to travel a lot but still they cannot give up their four-legged friends. In these conditions, they called on our help to be able to leave home for a few days.

It was a beautiful adventure for us. Repeatable, because I've done this many times before. We will do it again in the future, as long as we and they ... and their dogs will be.

Because the three days and nights spent there have gathered many events, I want to present them here in a small series called Living in the country. I hope that you will be interested to discover life in this part of Europe, in the north and east. Moreover, the famous Eastern Europe, the former communist Europe, a gift that Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin gave us seventy-five years ago, at the end of the Second World War. Fortunately, after fifty years of communism and social experiments, we escaped. Many traumas have remained and still hinder the development of the country as most people want.

The need to go shopping came for two reasons. To prepare food for both us and the seven dogs.

Since my last stay in this village and now many things have happened in the direction of its modernization. My surprise was great when I saw what the village looks like now. Far from the classic image of the Romanian village, isolated, backward and derelict. As I found two weeks ago in the north of the country, in a village lost among the hills and forests.

Where the means of transport have been unchanged for decades, fortunately non-polluting.

In fact, this is the village of my childhood and the image that must remain. Here, close to the country's capital, in the plains, the village looks completely different. The influence and modernity of the city can be seen everywhere. First of all, the large number of cars ...

... and not just any kind of cars, expensive cars and famous brands.

New and well-kept houses, no difference between the houses in this village and the houses in the neighborhood where I live in Bucharest.

You don't even think you're in a village anymore. Only a few abandoned agricultural machines in front of a yard remind us that the land is also worked here.

Although it is almost destroyed by rain and wind, the European Union flag reminds that EU membership has helped a lot in modernizing Romania.

I wanted to show you what a village near the country's capital is like, compared to a village in Transylvania, a village abandoned close to the inhabitants.

I think I made a far too long introduction and forgot why I need to talk. How and where to shop in the small village. I was not a little surprised when I was directed to a store called Mega Image. A very widespread brand in Bucharest and in all important cities in the country.

What about the country? I admit that I didn't think it could be the same store I know in Bucharest. It couldn't be near a field ... I went and went in search of the "lost" store.

Suddenly, it appeared. Things are happening, I would never have thought that I would go shopping in a Mega Image almost in the field.

A modern, clean and very well stocked store. With surprising merchandise for a country store. Like vegetables. It is a custom that all the inhabitants of a village have gardens and grow their own vegetables. Some even sell them at the market. From this perspective, this merchandise would remain unsold in the store.

And yet it sells. There is a very simple explanation. Many people from Bucharest moved to the surrounding villages. They do not farm, they prefer to buy from the store. They buy all kinds of products. Products found in this store.

These former cities are the main customers for now. Gradually, I think that the other inhabitants will be attracted by the quality goods, about the special presentation, even if it is more expensive.

I enjoyed what I saw and found. I went shopping and made my way to my friends' house.

I believe that these are good signs for the modernization of the country. On the one hand, I am sorry that the traditional Romanian village is disappearing, but I am glad that the standard of living will increase for everyone.

As I said, the shopping was for cooking, for us and for the dogs. The preparation for the dogs will be shown in another post.

The pleasure of country life, for me, is also to cook outdoors. In general, barbecue. This time I had the opportunity to cook on the stove. My friend is a skilled and passionate chef and he has built a stove to cook on.

I like to eat fish but my wife can't stand the smell of fish. Because of this I can't cook when I'm at home in the kitchen. Also because of this, whenever I have the opportunity to make a barbecue, in the garden, the fish cannot be missing.

I saw at sea, in the Vama Veche in Romania or in Thassos, in Greece, how a fish is cooked on the stove.

The fish is cleaned and placed on a hot plate. Sprinkle the fish with oil and lemon juice. Fry the fish on both sides, sprinkle with oil and lemon to keep it tender and add more salt.

The fish, in this case a Dorada, is tender and delicious.

The beauty of life outside, in the country, cannot be without the pleasure of rain. This can start in the most unwanted moments and I suffered from it too. When nothing announced, a short summer rain in the evening interrupted cooking.

One of the dogs found a very good place to shelter.

It was a little more difficult for me. The place under the stove was already occupied. I stayed in the rain to watch the fish fry. Fortunately the stove was very hot and it was not a problem that it rained on it.

I like the rain. That's why I wasn't upset that she interrupted my cooking. It really had an unexpected effect ... the fish was much more fragile than I expected. The evening came unexpectedly!

For those accustomed to the comforts of the big cities, it could be difficult to live in the country. Even if now the differences between town and village have attenuated a lot.

I really liked it. I like large spaces. The sunset in the country cannot be described. It must be seen!