Saint Lazarus Leper Wine

Saint Lazarus Leper Wine Leperwine, latest from the leper colony of Tichilesti on the Danube Delta in Romania <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian.]]> <![CDATA[Â© EuroPics [CEN] - Pic: Grainger Laffan - europics@cen.at - +431812128723 LEPER WINE FROM EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY PICTURED: Cristache Tatulea (73), the unofficial mayor of Europe's last leper colony in Tichilesti, Romania makes his own wine every year. Pictured with companian, Aurelia (67).]]> <![CDATA[Â© EuroPics [CEN] - Pic: Grainger Laffan - europics@cen.at - +431812128723 LEPER WINE FROM EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY PICTURED: Cristache Tatulea (73), the unofficial mayor of Europe's last leper colony in Tichilesti, Romania makes his own wine every year.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian. PICTURED: The colony`s mayor Cristian Tatulea, 71, with the woman he calls his girlfriend, Maria Radulescu, 67 and Ilarion Cripacov, 73.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian. PICTURED: One of the 26 lepers at the last leper colony in Europe - 76-year-old Ioana Miscov, who has lost her hands and her feet to the disease. She is cuddling her four-year-old tom cat "Cutchi". Leprosy doesn`t stop her keeping a little house and garden that is so well cared for it could have been painted for a fairy tale. She has to crawl on her hands and knees to care for the neat rows of plants in her garden, yet apologises for the mud outside her gate that gets on the shoes of visitors. Taking care of her flowers and vegetables is her greatest passion, together with her cat.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian. PICTURED: The mayor of the last leper colony in Europe, Cristian Tatulea, 71.]]> <![CDATA[Photo: Â© EuroPics - europics@cen.at - +43 1 812 1287 23 EUROPE'S LAST LEPER COLONY A leper colony which for decades Communist officials denied existed is being reintegrated into society thanks to the campaigning work of a British man. Jonathan Scheele had never heard of Europe's only leper colony at the camp on the Danube Delta when he took up his post as EU ambassador to Bucharest, and he was not alone. Even people living nearby claimed to know nothing of the colony because the regime of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu kept lepers off its official records in a bid to back up official claims that it had eradicated the disease. The reality was that at one point there were more than 200 lepers living in conditions of extreme poverty in the small valley, although now there are only 23. Mr Scheele has now made two visits to the colony, although on his first trip he had to walk the last few miles to reach the colony surrounded by a thick forest because his Romanian driver refused to go any further. With his help more than 100,000 euros has been channelled into improving life at the colony, providing conditions for many of the lepers are arguably better than for the average Romanian. PICTURED: The mayor of the last leper colony in Europe, Cristian Tatulea, 71.]]>