Another day off and another day of rain. So let's just eat!

Our second R&R day was a rain filled one. Rain soaked at times but beautiful!

We still managed to get to the Bear Cave.....

......and to explore a gorgeous wooden church.  

We headed up to the Bihor Mountains where we were supposed to spend the afternoon hiking but the rain kept us indoors.

Other than the rain, the only real theme of the day was food.  If we weren't sitting in the bus, we were eating.  Why is all the food in this country so good?  And why does everyone want to keep feeding and watering us?

Obviously we HAD to eat breakfast.  Then we drove about an hour to the cave and did the tour.  Leaving the cave there are lots of stalls selling trinkets, homemade palinka (moonshine... basically), baked goods, etc. And then there are a number of stalls selling Kurtos Kalach which is being freshly baked/roasted on open coals.  It is a sweet bread wrapped around a wooden cylinder and baked.

And served piping hot.  Emil Barna -- the Volunteer Co-ordinator for HFH Beius bought us a couple of "loaves" and we devoured them right there.

We made our way to the wooden church. And as only a group of tourists can do, we inadvertently crashed a memorial at the church. So...they fed us!  First giant shots of Palinka followed by homemade cheese bread and 2 different torts.

Then it was on to lunch at Ana's house.  Ana is a HFH home owner and she hosted us in her new Habitat home that Kim (our group leader) worked on last summer.  The house was lovely and here 3 year old daughter even more precious.  She unveiled a feast: Fresh baked bread, homemade cabbage rolls, sweet peppers with ripe and homemade goat cheese, hot peppers, bacon, roasted eggplant spread.

Really?

We dragged our stuffed selves onto the bus to head up to the mountain lodge. Most of us passed out from palinka and food induced comas.  We awoke thick in the cloud and mist and rain of the mountains.  The hike was officially canceled so we cozied up in the lodge. Some people played cards, I read a few maps and then decided to climb stairs in an effort to do something more than just sit.

Ana and her brother Bogdan with the help of their friends prepared us a dinner.  And a few more shots of palinka.  Dinner was served just after eight and included BBQed chicken, homemade sausages, homemade french fries, salad and more homemade bread.  Followed by angel wings which are basically homemade donuts covered in sugar.

We are all convinced there is a conspiracy to feed us to death!  "Why is all the food we eat here so good?" we keep asking each other!

Back to work tomorrow and not only do I hope the rain stops but I better get to make concrete or dig foundations...I know there will be more food in my future!