WRITING PROMPT RESPONSE
Shrouded in Fog in Transylvania
Where the Carpathians Mountains hide bears and wolves
After visiting countless forts and castles, we were ready for some isolation from civilization. Touring through Transylvania in November last year, we stayed at a friend of my dad’s in a valley in the Carpathian Mountains.
The guard dog was old, deaf, and blind but was still supervising the mechanical work the men were doing on the car. No, you don’t take your car to the mechanics here in rural Romania. You fix it yourself.
We had a rainy morning, and I was working on the laptop when David came by and said let’s go. The rain had stopped while the fog was still hanging low in the mountains.
We wanted some exercise and decided to hike up behind the house we were staying in.
It wasn’t a hiking trail but rather an old path used by shepherds and their sheep during the summer months. Overgrown, slippery and muddy was the trail.
Few leaves were left on the branches, and most fruit trees in the valley had signs of bears breaking the branches to reach the fruit.
Yes, this is bear country.
It appeared to us as if we were hiking through an abandoned village. My dad’s friend was telling us shepherds still use these broken-down cottages in summer, but most people who used to live here moved to the cities.
On a particularly slippery stretch in the forest, a piece of wool took my attention. Very likely, some wolves had taken down a sheep dragging it up this path.
Yes, these mountains are raw, wild, and free.
It was certainly eerie out there.
Shrouded in fog, we placed one step at a time, listening to any abnormal sounds. We anticipated a dangerous animal behind every corner. Especially when the fog was thick and hovering just above the ground.
My father was more confident, but David and I didn’t feel safe knowing there had been bear sightings in this area less than two weeks ago.
I looked across the meadows, searching for signs of life, but I didn’t see anything but these purple flowers shining brightly amidst this foggy landscape.
We tested the echo game and were talking loud to each other in order to make sure all animals are aware of our presence and hopefully do disappear.
Few birds were up and none of them were singing a happy melody.
We passed another cottage. One that had collapsed over the years. Either due to the weather or because of damage done by wildlife. Who knows?
It was time to turn around and we were certainly happy we had made it this far on this foggy day in the Carpathian Mountains.
Rosehip berries were hanging on the bushes. The kind of berries that remind me of the jam my grandma used to make from them. But today, they only remind me how much bears love these red bulbs.
I took a few scenic pictures. But just with the phone. I didn’t feel safe enough taking my camera out of the bag. Also, the air was damp.
The fog lifted on our way down, giving us a better view of the valley we had ascended in.
The forest looked rather sad with no more leaves left on the branches.
At one of the shepherd cottages, we decided to stop for lunch.
This one was surely still in use since we found a knife and some other tools a shepherd would need returning next summer.
We made it back down safely and were more than happy not to have crossed a bear’s path on this trip. We took off our layers and warmed up inside the cozy home just before a delicious Romanian dinner was being served.
“Sometimes it all gets a little too much, but you gotta realize that soon the fog will clear up.” — Shawn Mendez
This is a writing prompt response to the Weeds & Wildflowers monthly challenge in January 2023. "Shrouded in fog" was inspired by Dennett.
Other submissions to the prompt so far:
Rhonda Marrone with “First Foggy Day”
Louise Peacock with “Phantasmagorical Fog”
Read more about foggy days around the world:
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