The yard: the sweep well, the cellar and the farm tools

Narration text

Step out into the yard. The sweep well is one of the most characteristic sights of a Moldavian village: a long pole resting on a post, with a weight at one end and the bucket at the other, made drawing water almost effortless. Further on you can see the cellar, where pickles, wine and vegetables were kept cool.

Behind the house, under a wooden roof, household objects and farm tools of great ethnographic value are on display, together with a cart. In a household like this, every member of the family, young or old, had chores to do. Nică was often sent to work, but he much preferred swimming in the Ozana river, which he described as flowing beautifully and clear as crystal.

The yard helps you understand that the Childhood Memories is not only a book about a child, but also a portrait of an entire rural world.