Transylvanian Culture and Music Pilgrimage
October 24 - November 2, 2010
Summary: In addition to visits to neighboring communities and historic sites, we'll be spending much of our time in Keresztúr, where there will be many opportunities to make profound connections. The musically inclined will share music with the Keresztúr Korus (Choir), both liturgical and folk/traditional. Others will work with our Keresztúr friends, helping out their families and the church and learning some traditional skills and crafts. We'll all spend 2 or 3 days taking day trips to explore local sights, history and culture.
Trip overview: What you can expect to do and see during this pilgrimage.
Flights: We’ll fly from Boston on Sunday afternoon, Oct 24th and arrive in Cluj/Kolozsvár, Transylvania, Romania on Monday the 25th around noon and return Tuesday, November 2nd.
In Transylvania: After settling into our Kolozsvár hotel near the Unitarian church and headquarters, we’ll have lunch, tour some city sites and then have a light supper. Tuesday morning we’ll be met by a delegation from Székelykeresztúr (Keresztúr), who’ll join us for a little more sight seeing before leaving for Keresztúr. For a Google Map of Kolozsvár with some of the sights, see: http://tinyurl.com/y8znek9. Along the way, by charter bus, we’ll stop for a brief visit at the site of 1568’s Edict of Torda and then continue on to Keresztúr. The next seven days we’ll spend in Keresztúr as detailed below. On Tuesday, November 2nd we’ll head back to the airport in Kolozsvár for our return flight to Boston, arriving in the late afternoon.
Costs: Our budget is $1,400 per person for air and land travel, emergency evacuation insurance, lodging and most meals. A deposit of $250 is due by April 15th. Pilgrims who are not already members of the UU Partner Church Council (UUPCC) must also purchase a UUPCC membership for $30 as we’ll be taking advantage of their travel and information services.
Keresztúr Days: What follows are examples of some of the things you will experience during our seven-night stay in Keresztúr. Although it is neither authoritative nor inclusive of all the things you will experience, it should give you a flavor of what you will see and do. Many of the activities are dependent upon the weather and will be adjusted accordingly.
Lodging: Our base will be the guestrooms in the newly renovated Keresztúr Unitarian Community House, located on the Unitarian “campus”. 
Each of us will also be able to spend one or more nights with a host family in town. These host stays will be individually arranged based on the desires and capabilities of both pilgrims and host families.
On most days: We'll awake in the Community House (see also: "Home-stay days" below), go next door to the school cafeteria for breakfast, and dine long after the students have gone to school. After breakfast our program will vary depending on whether we’ll be sightseeing or performing music and service work as described in the next two sections.
On sightseeing days: We'll hop on a bus with some of our Keresztúr friends, and some picnic lunches, and head off into the surrounding hills and valleys, to visit local sights and learn about the people, places and history of this fascinating region. Our two or three sightseeing tour days will include visits to interesting and beautiful places, including (but not limited to) one of the ancient (12th C.) "Saxon" towns, Sighisoara/Segesvár/Schäßburg: several Unitarian villages in the surrounding valleys including Inlăceni/Énlaka with it's ancient Hungarian runes and Jupiter stone from the site of an old Roman fort and temple; the now submerged village where József, our partner minister was born; the picturesque Homoród valley with Unitarian villages dotting the landscape, including the partner church of Bedford, Mass. After a day of sightseeing we'll return in time for a hearty hot supper in the school cafeteria.
For a Google Map of our route from Kolozsvár to Keresztúr and some possible routes for our sightseeing trips see: http://tinyurl.com/yd8j6xe.
Music and Service Workdays: If it's a music and workday, we'll have some personal time for exploring the town and the neighboring countryside. Singers will spend time rehearsing with the choir from Keresztúr and there will be opportunities for everyone to enjoy music together. When not making music, pilgrims will be working on projects that might include such tasks as weaving rugs (like our youths did last summer), helping to build a skating rink (moving dirt around in a flat area, which will be flooded, as well as building simple benches and shelters for the skaters); and other chores that might come up (e.g., cleaning up gardens, small cleaning / fix-it chores). We will also help our hosts to prepare for, and celebrate, All Souls Day on Monday, November 1st. This may involve cleaning up gravesites, cooking, cleaning, etc.
Breakfasts, lunches and suppers will be in the school cafeteria (except when staying with hosts).
Home-stay days: You'll awake at your host home, eat breakfast and spend time with your hosts. They may take you to visit friends or relatives in a neighboring village or town, or take you out to their vineyard or woodlot or fields, or any combination of these. Evenings with hosts may include having supper in their home or at a local restaurant perhaps with some of their family and/or friends.
Evenings: For choir members some evenings will be spent in singing practice or get-togethers where we share our respective folk music. They are wonderful singers and like us, have a rich heritage of folk music. On other evenings you will be with your host family, enjoying supper with them and other activities that they have arranged.
Miscellaneous: This pilgrimage will include many physical activities. Pilgrims should be in reasonably good shape for walking and taking short hikes in villages and the countryside, and for climbing up and down stairs at the community house, hosts’ apartment buildings, etc..
Contact information: Rodger Mattlage at: rmattlage@yahoo.com
