Moșul de Iarna

It's Feb. 7, and I remember back in October when I put up a post about winter beginning, a bit early I might add. Well, that turned out to be a false start. The real winter only just arrived about a month ago. Not sure whether you've seen the news over here, but some pretty intense storms and bitter cold has gripped -- why do weatherman always use "gripped" for cold temps? -- all of Romania. Roads have closed, people have died. It's had all the fixins' of a pretty severe winter.

Except in Tulgheș. Here, it's been more or less business as usual. Now, we get snowstorms and subzero (F) temps too, but that's just ca de obicea in the "North Pole" of Romania. In fact, like most places famous for their cold winters -- eh hem Minnesota -- people are more likely to talk about how severe this winter hasn't been.

Anyway, for me, it's mainly meant three things: 1) Adding the outer layer to my Columbia jacket (just last week); 2) Explaining to people that this is normal for me; it's the same as in Minnesota, where I'm from. (I have this conversation about once daily); and 3) Hiking a lot and taking some pretty amazing pictures.

No. 3 is actually the main reason for this post. I'd like to share with you some of the beauty that is, Tulgheș, Romania, in the winter.