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There are always wonderful places that you have never heard of before you step into them. Iasi is one of them. It has a great deal to offer to the tourist but it is visited by very few tourist buses, which was great for us as we were often the only tourists at any given site. We had the impression of seeing Iasi at a very privileged moment because we saw it as the locals did, without any special preparations or facilities for tourists. We were also fortunate to have lovely spring weather and to see the town's gardens in bloom. 

Where We Stayed

In Brasov we had used Lonely Planet to pick out a hotel, had called ahead and booked a room. On arrival, we wondered if all would be as arranged.  It was, except that our room with bath turned out to be a 2-room suite with bathroom and toilet.  It was not as luxurious as the word suite implies, but it was spacious with high ceilings and comfortable and very clean beds.  Space is always important to us: we carry quite a few bags and then the two computers alone take up a bit of room. 

What We Did

One early morning, we visited a small Orthodox church,where preparations were underway for a funeral. The platform was in place in the center of the church for the coffin with wreaths of flowers already set in front of the platform. Outside the church the coffin lid was propped up against the side wall beside a wooden cross with the deceased’s name and dates. He or she was 93 years old. How much history he/she must have witnessed! 

The walls, ceilings, and dome of the small church were beautifully painted and the church was decorated throughout with pieces of intricately embroidered white lace or openwork or lengths of brocaded silk. The brightnes of the white cloth contrasted with the dark, muted colors of the paintings. Several of the churches we visited were undergoing restoration. In particular, the paintings which had darkened so much over time were often being painstakingly refurbished to restore their bright colors so that they could once more be properly seen and admired. We often talked about the fact that the new freedoms of the post-Communist era were shown by these efforts, but that before long the churches that were once again filled, would be empty again thanks to that same freedom. 

In the Orthodox churches there was much genuflection and chanting. There were pews only around the perimeter of the church, so the center was usually empty, save for carpets in the smaller churches. In the Orthodox Cathedral, the floor was of marble, but still lots of worshippers were on their hands and knees, semi-prostrated, praying during the service. We were lucky there to get a peek at the main altar, hidden most of the time behind the iconostasis, a kind of rood screen which is highly decorated and gilded with a matrix of icons representing the major saints. A pair of ornate gates backed by a curtain in the center of the iconostasis gives access to the main altar behind. This gate is opened only briefly during services. In some of the smaller Orthodox churches, a side door was sometimes conveniently left ajar through which we could peek at the altar. 

While in the main Cathedral, we also noticed a line of people waiting to get close to what looked like an open coffin to one sde of the church. At first we thought there must be a funeral, but no, the coffin held the relics of some patron saint and the worshippers wanted to make a special prayer. Much of this involved not only genuflection but also much kissing of the coffin and/or the objects inside. Kissing was also frequent at the pictures or icons placed sometimes on special stands or thrones either in front of or to one side of the iconostasis. 

The chanting was a joint affair of the main priest, who officiated at the altar and acolytes who stood in front of the iconostasis by a large multi-volume lectern. The main priest of the cathedral is referred to as the Metropolitan. 

Things were much different and much more familiar, at least to Jan, in the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Here , the pews were arranged in rows facing the altar. There was no iconostasis, but instead around the room were several statues. Instead of lining up to kiss/genuflect at a relic-coffin, here the faithful lined up in front of a statue of a saint so that they could kneel and pray, make an offering (of food, perhaps) by placing it in a plastic tub next to the statue. (The tub was whisked away by an old lady as soon as anything was placed in it, as if she was afraid someone would steal it. Not so far-fetched if the stories of poverty we have heard are true.) 

Something unfamliar to Jan in the catholic church was the Buddhist-like ritual of writing a prayer on a small piece of paper and then folding it and tucking it into a crevice of the saint’s statue. While we were in the Cathedral, several people were actively engaged writing such prayers and someon had even left one just stiing on a pew. 

The Billa Supermarket. 

Not everything in Iasi is old. There is a slow renaissance. A small minority of people are making it now and new things, like supermarkets are opening to serve them. Our last day in Iasi coincided with the third day of the opening of a branch of the Billa Supermarket. It is another aspect of globilization. It is headquartered either in Turkey or Finland. Gerry took a walk by himself in the morning and happened upon it. Because he took some pictures he was reported to the manager who told Gerry that was a no-no. This led to Gerry learning that the manager was an ex-university professor (probably mechanical engineering) and he had switched fields just six months ago because the new work paid four or five times as much as the university. He had been sent to corporate headquarters and then worked steadily to finish the construction of the store and its opening. He is one of three cheif-managers; they are needed because the store is open 24/7.