The Market

Loyalty to the Piatza, or Market, means walking in all seasons

Piatza, 2000:

On Thursdays, the Tirg and the Piatza at Ogna Sugatag swell with the populations of all the surrounding villages.

The staples in Maramures are sugar, oil and rice. Women will compare prices and walk kilometers to save 2¢ a kilo.

Homemade cheese, eggs and toted pumpkin seeds are also an important grocery stop.

If a woman is tired of buying eggs, she might consider buying a chicken to lay the eggs.

After food, clothing is next on the list of items to buy at the Piatza (pronounced Pee-atz-ah -- comes from the word for town square).

Looks like there's a good price on shoes at that table...

Factory made and brightly colored: yarns of synthetic, cotton and wool have come to Maramures.

Furniture in the mud

With the pennies saved on bags of sugar, they dream of new furniture plucked from the mud.

The Market isn't just for women, however. Parts for chainsaws and horse wagons are sold and tested.