Happy and Happy in Romania

I've had the loveliest day here.
A house we had bought needed clearing out. New furniture is almost unknown here - everything is passed down and round, and if someone dies there are battles over the scraps they leave.
So today, after paying the gas, electricity, water , internet and phone for the last 3 months ( total approx. GBP25) we set off to sell the contents of the house we had bought.
I had done a rough calculation and came up with Eur 1000 for everything.
What I hadn't reckoned with was either the ferocity of wanting or the sums people would pay for what middle class Brits would regard as only fit for the skip.
The first sign I had of this was the lady who came through the door and immediately made for the clothes. Brandishing what I can only describe as GIANT pants ( covered with elephants -bizarre) she demanded we sell them to her for GBP2. She had clearly coveted them for years.
There was fierce bidding for various items ( an old Saxon sofa went for more than Eur 800 and a sideboard for another Eur 800) but I was utterly unprepared for Eur 20 for two strips of rotten cloth which covered one of the carpets, and even more astonished when a collection of dog-eared and falling apart books went for more than Eur 50.
But the highlight of the day was a stove. An old, rusted,wood burning stove. Admittedly it had a chimney that included holes into which you put potatoes to bake, but we had it down as GBP20. I had it on good authority such a stove could be bought NEW for about GBP 150.
Every person who came into the house wanted it. What would we sell it for? Make us an offer. No no, you tell me how much. OK we start the bidding at GBP20.
Immediately there was an uproar. I WAS PROMISED this stove by the old lady who used to live here. HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT,she hated you - SHE PROMISED IT TO ME! NEVER!. Tears, imprecations, pleas to heaven, God, Christ, the other ladies present who all averred THEY wanted it and were prepared to pay for it, Alin and me - you name it they called it in. Alin valiantly kept repeating " Nou nou, moment, un pic, Donnae, moment un pic.. " ( No no, just a minute, a moment, ladies, a moment, a second...) all to no avail. Eventually calm was restored and the lady who ASSURED us that she had been promised it bid GBP100. There was a moments hush. Promptly followed by another gale of hysteria and two of the younger ladies present squaring up.
By this time I had got faintly hysterical with it all, and could hardly contain my laughter. With a great deal of effort, I shouted out that the first lady who offered GBP 200 would have it. There was a silence for a split second, then every one of them shouted they would take it. Alin had his head in his hands, and I was being physically assaulted with Romanian notes. The ladies ( mostly in their 60s and 70s) were behaving like drunk 18 year olds on a hen night in Macclesfield.
Just at that point, the village drunk appeared, bellowed something, and a hush descended. He then proceeded to conduct a most orderly auction which finished at GBP355. He promptly slid into a heap in the corner, and the winning bidder said she would need several months to pay. I later ascertained he had shouted it belonged to him ( of course it didn't, but he got a drink or two for his help). He sobered up enough to introduce himself, pledge undying fealty, and asked which part of Germany I came from. I explained I came from Scotland.
" Scotland? Which football team do you support?"
Now at home I would never answer this question, but here in Romania, I felt I could say I was not a great football supporter.
" You don't support Glasgow Rangers or even Celtic? Are you an atheist?" It transpired he was a Rangers supporter, as well as Steaua , Manchester United, Barca and Liverpool.
It seems religion is alive and well, even if not in the churches.
The only other item of note was a clothes washer. Not like we have. You filled it with water, threw in some soap, turned it on and it spun half backwards and half forwards. Then you took the clothes out and unplugged the bung at the bottom to let the water out. An elderly lady, dressed very definitely in her Sunday best, gave us GBP20 for it - to be paid after 15th September ( when the next lot of pension money was due). She went away and reappeared ten minutes later in her working clothes.
" Well," she said, "I have a lot of clothes that need washing - can I take the machine away just now?"
How could we refuse...