I Took My Guitar to a Party

 

I Took My Guitar to a Party

When I remarked early on that my philosophy for a good life is to make every day a bit of a party I didn't expect it to be taken too literally or too seriously. I certainly didn't expect that the following weeks would turn out to be one long party, interrupted by a bit of hiking, biking and sight-seeing! 

Sure, there was always going to be a festive element to this trip. Our friends, the owners of the campsite (Babou Maramures) where we've been volunteers, were moving on. After a long break we would be seeing other old friends and acquaintances. Everybody was happier now that Corona restrictions had been eased and, anyway, Romanians love a party!  

It is also true that we seem to make friends easily when travelling. Yvonne can and will talk to anybody about anything, I'm slightly more reserved but then.. there is the guitar. Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm a good musician. In fact, originally I took the guitar on trips just for my own entertainment. I would hide behind our tent, forgetting that people could still hear me!

                                                  But music, even not particularly good music, crosses borders and breaks down barriers. Now I'm often asked to play, yes, even after they've heard me the first time!

          

It was peak season, there was plenty of coming and going at the campsite. Next door is an open air bar and restaurant (Breb 148) where our friends and their friends, hang out. There was a lot of meeting and greeting going on. It became difficult to do anything or go anywhere, even to do our chores, without getting involved in a conversation. The briefest encounters could result in an invitation, short conversations would evolve into horinca* fuelled get-togethers. The guitar was often but not always close by. I was often but not always persuaded to play it. There was a new face among our group of local friends, he had a mouth-harp and so did I. From the first day, like the guitar, he was never far away!  

There was a festival, a craft fair and a concert, we met even more people, there were more invitations..oh.. and we bought some jam!

        

                                    

           

Just as the farewell party for our friends seemed to be reaching its end the local musicians arrived, a surprise organised by the villagers. The drink began to flow again, even faster. I was called on to play while the musicians took a break. Just one song but probably for my biggest audience ever! Later the same evening I jammed with a guest who played didgeridoo and djembe. I have no idea what it sounded like but it felt good at the time.

We took the family to the station waved goodbye, stopped in for  pancakes, palinka* and pasta on the way back before we returned to the campsite to help the new owner celebrate his first day. 

A few days later it was time for us to leave. It seemed only right that we should host a small party. After all it was the end of an episode for us too, we would be handing in our brushes, buckets, mops and rubber gloves for good. Our camp cleaning days are over.

We arrived in Sigishoara but not before giving another mini concert for family, staff and their friends in a courtyard between a restaurant and a guesthouse in Sucevita one of the places we visited on the way. In Sigishoara we stayed at an apartment owned by my mouth-harp buddy's aunt. His friends, who we had met in Breb, lived just a few doors away. “If you stay 'til Saturday we're giving party ”. They were organising an open day and picnic at their organic vegetable farm. We stayed. We helped build it up and break it down and I was asked to take the guitar along.There was plenty of good food, wine and, of course, tuica*.

I was getting used to  performing for a small public and getting used to people filming me close-up while doing it. By the end of the afternoon I had at least four new enthusiastic fans, one teenage boy, two very drunk old men and the cook. It's always a good idea to make friends with the cook!    

                                           

Oradea was our last stop in Romania, we would be staying in the apartment of a friend we've known since our first visit to Breb.

“We're having a party Sunday” she said. “and you're invited”.

                         A party? We're invited? Yes, I will bring my guitar.

We helped with the preparations. It was a children’s party, there was a pool to keep the kids happy, beer and wine to keep the grown-ups happy and more than enough pizza for everybody. 

We stayed an extra day, had a few more drinks, lunch, did some sight-seeing and even some shopping, loaded the car and headed for home. 

On the autobahn in Germany we slowed for an accident, the car behind didn't! 

I'll spare you the details, nobody was hurt but the car could go no further.  The rear doors of our unplanned overnight accommodation opened onto a late summer sun-lit patio. I took out my guitar for one last sad strum. We were feeling a bit sorry for ourselves...this was not the end we expected or wanted.....

 ...but hey ... didn't we have fun!

 video links:  

https://youtu.be/37qMoxDSuYQ

https://youtu.be/o0Ktq64_puY

(Additional photos & videos: Andreea Farcas, Theodora Tanczos & Yvonne)

* horinca = palinka = tuica:  home distilled spirits mostly from plums or apples.