The Mountain's Stone Door

Usa Pietrei  (translated as The Mountain's 'Stone Door) is a real place with surreal vibrations. I recollect my Grandma once telling me about a monk who once lived and prayed in this hidden hermitage. But the story as I remember it was so scarce in details and so was my knowledge about its location. Besides, I always thought it was unreachable anyway, both visually and physically. I used to look up with my curious eyes to the immense stone altar in my hope to spot it as I was playing in my grandparents' freedom-land garden. 

But for many years I thought it may have been a mere legend that I felt lucky enough just to know of. 

Until one February in 2012 when - casually or not?? I found this document online. The image below is from this document revealing that the mythical man -cave really existed!! And it was first recorded by on one else than the well-acclaimed historian Al. Odobescu who had found it as part of an archaeological research trip to carry out an detailed inventory of all hermitages in the area. This was its first ever archaeological recording and I came across it!! 

Arheologia pesterilor si minelor din România - Pesteri antropice www.cimec.ro

Why? Why now? A cascade of questions were pouring into my euphoric self! 

It was the moment when my own past was meeting up with history itself. My imaginary cave from my childhood days was as real as real could get. The name and location were soon to confirm this cave was My own legendary cave - and it was THERE!