Gone after crocuses in Piatra Craiului

Dear traveler,

I've stepped on these paths before. Once, twice, I don't even know how many times.

It's possible that you already know drooly Muki and the orange cat with a green butt. I don't know why, maybe she sat on a freshly painted bench or in a can of paint. Who knows, I thought about many scenarios. It's possible that her butt is not green anymore, but the first time I came to Curmătura cabin, it was green, so she got stuck with this nickname.

I liked this cabin from the first time I saw it. I was smaller back then and we were brought here by our friends we hike with sometimes. The grass was green and every once in a while you could spot fairytale like mushrooms, big, red with white spots. Then I saw it during autumn and a little bit covered by snow, we slept and sat by the fire, listening to mountain folk songs and eating the famous fortune apple pie.

But this place always has something new for me. Today, everything is different. The forest came to life after the long winter and the small plants are gathering their powers to come to light. From time to time I hear some noise under the leaves. Hmm..maybe it's just the sound of my steps.

We start climbing but I don't mind as I usually do. Maybe I got used to this trail or maybe it's too beautiful outside to be bothered by something. Or maybe I'm just paying attention to the path. 

Mamarmot told me that it's crocus time and today we will see them for sure. So I keep my eyes wide open. It's my job to take pictures today so I really don't want to miss a thing. 

I hear that sound again and now I see what's coming from. Small mice are running around through the leaves. They're so fast! Apparently they're called gophers.

With my eyes after crocuses and gophers I barely realize the forest is gone and we got to the clearing. And look, the first crocuses! We stop for pictures and some chocolate.

I really like this meadow. Maybe because from here the path gets more even and the cabin is a stone's throw away. Or maybe because from here we can see the beautiful Piatra Craiului with their sharp ridge. And now, the clearing is not only full of crocuses, but of all kinds of flowers with multiple colors and shapes. White, yellow, blue, we stop to photograph them all. I even find some snow. And I thought it should be all gone by now!

A carpet of crocuses, two, three, they're everywhere! We enter the forest and wherever there's a clearing, it's full of crocuses as well. I want to lay down next to them and hug them all. 

In this small clearing they are more seldom so I find a spot to lay down amongst them without crushing the. Mamarmot follows me and we sit like that for a while, with our hair in the grass, one with nature. There's no rush to get anywhere.

On the path to the cabin we find every now and then some snow patches and brave flowers that rose from it.

I can hear Muki barking. We're here!

There are some people here and we find a patch of grass to sit and make a great picnic under the warming sun. 

I forgot to tell you that it's Easter today so we celebrate accordingly.

The favorite desert can't miss from the table, namely, the fortune pie.

This landscape is very dear to me. I also see the green butt cat and I run around with her for a while. To be honest, her butt is not green anymore. 

After lunch and running around with the cat and Muki, we get ready to go. I'm happy to find out that we'll not be returning on the same path we came on.

In the first meadow we are greeted by a sea of crocuses and snowdrops as we haven't seen before. I don't know where to step so I won't crush them.

I am familiar with the trail so my folks let me go ahead and enjoy the descent.

We are alone most of the time, just us, flowers, the forest and the silence. Oh, I forgot, and the gophers.

We rapidly reach the gorges and then the car. On the road back home, I look behind to see Piatra Craiului bathing in sunset's light and a big meadow of yellow flowers. I like looking behind with the thought that I was there. 

I ask Mamarmot:

-"Mom, where will we set up our tent next time?"

-"Marmot, I think i's time you try a new pie, at a very beautiful cabin."