Sadly, this is the last episode of my Dracula Daneș Domain series. It's been a pleasure to revisit the place through the photos but as I was there only for a day, my photo collection is not endless. No worries though, today I'm going to show you some interesting ones.
Next to this stable complex, there's a semi-open blacksmith workshop, which is more like a museum as it's not functioning, I believe never had, it's there just because if you're onto horses, you need a blacksmith as well.
Have you ever seen one? I remember when I was a kid, my grandfather had a blacksmith neighbor and took us there to him working. It was the first time for us, city kids. Don't remember much but I remember the big windbag(?). Unfortunately this is a specific topic that I'm not very familiar with in English, my blacksmith vocabulary is rather poor, so be gentle :)
This is a little bit different from what I saw back then, but the tools and equipment are the same. In the back corner you see that big thing which I call windbag. It serves to keep the fire alive. Back in the day it was operated manually or with a foot pedal.
It works like an accordion, fills with air when it rises and lets the air out when closes. In front of it there's the container with the charcoal or wood, I don't know what they were using but I guess it was charcoal.
Next to it there's the anvil, when the horse shoe is hammered and shaped. On the anvil there's the hammer and the pliers, the first used for shaping the iron, the other to hold it, take it out of the fire.
This was hard work, all done manually. There still are workshops like this at the countryside but most likely with different settings, more modern.
Hammers and different tools used by them. Please notice the nice tool holder on the wall.
More tools, different from the others as these served for making holes.
These are equitation equipment made of leather, like collar, saddle pad, hams, that kind of things.
More in the background and more rusty, old tools. The odd thing on this photo is the file on the table, which is new, obviously, and the riding helmet, which was not known back then. Now you can't really ride without it for your own safety.
There were two Singer sewing machines as well, which was a bit of puzzle. Without much thinking I'd say those were there as they served for sewing these leather accessories but then again, I don't think these were strong enough for the job. Leather is hard to work with, especially this kind, used for equitation. This is thick leather, needs special tools like thick, three-edged needles.
Horseshoes. These are also for luck, people wear symbols like horseshoe. I remember I posted a photo once with a horseshoe I found at my granddad's workshop and got a comment that placed like this as it is on the photo, means bad luck, or my luck ran out. The person said it must be placed inversely. I'm not superstitious, have no idea what is right or what is wrong.
This is the end of my series, stay tuned for my next travel post :)
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