Village Life

Lamp posts and telephones poles are topped by metal baskets provided by the utility companies to hold storks’ nests . Previously the weight of the nest broke many wires.  This area of Transylvania has a long history of invasion and even today most of the village houses, stables and gardens are concealed behind high walls and gates.  Some modern buildings look considerably less durable (bottom left).  Saxons have lived here for centuries and fortified their churches – at times of invasion the villagers would retreat within the walls and live in the grounds until the danger had passed.