I tried the newer Eastern Orthodox church this time. But there is very little that I am able to get from the service besides the usual pictures for the blog. Again the entire liturgy is sung acapella with a small choir and the priests. This time the priest had a very beautiful bass voice which was enhanced by the acoustics in the sacristy dome. Everyone makes the sign of the cross about every ten seconds and there is a constant coming and going of worshippers to light candles and kiss a number of the icons. It is an odd experience to approach the church and imagine there is no service because there are no cars or bicycles parked. But there are no parking lots necessary since most people still have no cars here. The minimum wage in Roumania  is $ 200 per month. And unemployment is high. There are very few restaurants here and in the few cafes people spend little more than a cup of coffee. The most discouraging sight here is that of the older people who live on next to nothing. I started seeing it in Slovakia and gradually got worse the further east I came. I tried the soft fresh pretzels this morning. Looks and smells good but it is like chewing bread crust. Not my idea of a snack.

I have been here now 8 days. The parts for the engine shall be sent from Ireland and France on Monday. There is still some mystery as to why the rocker arm broke. Stay tuned.