Since leaving Lazeshina, we have been following the rushing course of the river Tusa along a lovely forested valley towards the Romanian border.
I had been rather intrigued by some strange empty wooden structures I had seen in the Carpathians, when it suddenly became apparent what they were - expandable hay barns! The roof can be moved up as more hay is added - see the half empty barn to the right of the one in the foreground.
Do cars grow on trees in the Carpathians? A novel way to advertise the local garage!
But in fact horses as much as cars are a way of life in this region, and I have seen many horses with carts in the last few days.
The school run!
This larger than life character with his face emblazoned on the poster on the barn behind him, runs a horse trekking business and was very curious to know what I was up to.
Most outfits are pulled by a pair of horses attached to a central pole, although in this strange case the pole appears to be dragging along the ground at the back! The red tassels attached to the bridle also seem to be a traditional local feature.
And we even saw this sight - horses put to the plough. Interestingly they are led at the front by a helper who walks backwards.
Just past Rakhiv we came upon this surprise - the Geographical Centre of Europe. Which should mean I am halfway across Europe and about halfway from Atyrau to London.
Looks like an amazing country to ride through.
ReplyDeleteYour short cut sounds..... interesting!