Day One Hundred and Six - fire water

Romanians are a very welcoming people. They have a great sense of humour underneath all that fatalism and history of unrelenting grimness. I read the 20th century history of Romania and found it rather curious that all the madmen and meglomanuacs who wanted to rule it ended up being hideously murdered or executed at the end of their rule. One wonders why they were so keen to take such an unenviable job.

But through all the invasions and dictatorships, Romanians had one thing to keep their spirits up, literally.

It's also not very good for dieting. Beware.

And in combination with salty pork, you lose so much hydration after two days you begin to dessicate.

That funny woollen hat by the way (a caciula) is the local speciality in Maramures , up north close to the border with Ukraine. A big sheepy hat that looks fab for keeping your head warm in the winter in Romania, but which looks totally bizarre in your local Waitrose back in the UK.

I know this from bitter experience.

Separately I thought of another word I quite like. Finn, Matilda and started watching the big budget violent show ‘fallout’ on Prime about a group of people living in a nuclear bunker in a dystopian future. The leader of the group started making a speech to the effect of ‘now we have the chance to choose the shape of our future’

My immediate thought was oblongs. Choose them. As good a shape for the future as any. And a super word. Oblong.