Far from their native village in Transylvania, two Romanians recreated their traditional Romanian life, right in the heart of England. “You can take the Romanian out of the village, but you can’t take the village out of the Romanian”, the two confess.
Florica and Nelu Coste PHOTO: FB
Florica and Nelu Coste, established in Birmingham since 2003, rented a plot of land in 2018, which they cultivate exactly as in their childhood in Satu Mare county.
“We chose to work the land in England, as we used to do in Romania. We have chickens and ducks and we grow everything in our own garden. At home we only cook on the stove, and when it’s hot outside, we prepare food on a traditional grill we made in the yard”says Florica Coste, for Annunțul UK.
The family grows tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, greens and more. Everything is grown naturally, without chemicals, and the household is decorated with dried garlic, hot peppers, spices and flowers, just like in the Romanian villages of old.
Nelu works in construction and earns over 3,000 pounds a month, while Florica takes care of the two children, the house, the garden and the cooking. The good deeds done by her are recognized in the area.
On weekends, the two work together in the garden, and in her free time, Florica prepares cakes and cookies to order for Romanians in the West Midlands.
Recently, the family started sharing their slice of Romanian life in England on social media, with traditional recipes cooked on their terrace, on the stove or on the grill.
“You can take the Romanian out of the village, but you can’t take the village out of the Romanian. Garden, work, vegetables and traditions, even here in England. Although we are far away, our soul has remained Romanian. We work the land here just like we did at home, because wherever you are, if you put love, work and faith, the land will reward you with everything”. adds Florica.
Although they miss life in Transylvania, the two Romanians from Birmingham are not thinking, for now, about returning to their native country.
