Brazilians in the Carpathians

On the last days of September, we were happy to host a group of Brazilians who were traveling by car through the Balkans towards Hungary: Hélia, her husband Pedro (Vitória/ES) and their brother-in-law Emídio (Berlin) - in the living room in the picture. It was Emídio's second time in Romania, and each of them promised they will come back to see what little time did not let them see this time. Using the hideaway as headquarters, they were able to visit the most important Bukovina monasteries as well as enjoy the autumn landscape and the tasty traditional food. Interesting enough, they crossed the Carpathians three times but they swear they did not meet the Count...

Working again

Now we are building a warehouse close to the main house, in order to keep firewood during the winter, all kinds of tools and lots of unuseful things we will probably collect through the years! We have also paved the space around the house with stones from the river Suceava, which will also lead to a so-called "summer kitchen", under construction right now as well, a small house that shall be used during the good weather season for cooking and receiving guests for a meal in open-air or under a prolonged roof.

Former borders in Bukovina

Last weekend I was in Cornu Luncii (Suceava), where I visited a tiny museum on the road that links Falticeni to Gura Humorului. Even if you by chance get to observe it and read the indication "muzeu", you would probably not stop. Pity. Its beautiful interior - larger than one can imagine from outside - reproduces a local peasant house, presenting traditional objects, furniture and textiles. But that is not why this museum - inaugurated in November 2008 - is so charged with importance.

Till the end of WWI, this place was the customs office, created in 1809 at the border between Romania and the Austro-Hungarian Duchy of Bukovina. It was through this place that, in November 1918, the first Romanian troops entered Bukovina since it was annexed by the Austrians in 1775.

An "excellent" family

During the weekend of August 8, the current Brazilian Ambassador in Bucharest, H.E. Mr Vitor Gobato and his family (in the picture, holding his grandson in front of our guesthouse), stayed at Fernando's Hideaway in order to visit some of the region's attractions: the former Bukovina capital in today's Ukraine, Chernivtsi, Ancuta's Inn in Tupilati, the cities of Gura Humorului, Suceava and the monastery of Voronetz, after which they left to Maramures through the magnificent Prislop pass. His cousin Roberto de Andrade (right side), for the first time in Romania, had the occasion to enjoy the traditional hospitality and to dive into the local peasant culture.

A special Czech guest

In the period July 20-26, Stanislav Kázecký, current Consul General of the Czech Republic in São Paulo (Brazil), used Draguseni as his headquarters in order to make trips around Bukovina and Bessarabia.

After having visited Kishinev, Tiraspol and Kamenets-Podolsky, we guided Kázecký to the impressive fortress of Khotin at the shore of the Dniester river (picture) and through the former Austro-Hungarian capital of Kronland Bukovina: Czernowitz, today's Chernivtsi, in Ukraine.

The Czech Consul had also the occasion to wander around Draguseni and meet its kind inhabitants, carrying good memories in his luggage about local peasant life mixed to the multicultural past of urban life in this corner of Europe.

Peasant honeymoon

On July 24, we had the pleasure to receive the couple Laurentiu and Doina Antonescu from São Paulo (Brazil), who stayed a night in Bukovina as part of their honeymoon travel through Romania. Based in Draguseni, they were able to visit the most important monasteries of the area and grasp a taste of the countryside atmosphere as well as of an omelette made of real eggs.

From Romania to Brazil and back

On July 19, family Barna from São Paulo (Brazil) spent with us a pleasant afternoon. While the hot summer sun was heating the fields outside, we kept ourselves inside the house, enjoying its coolness and natural air-conditioning - possible thanks to its structure of wood and clay. Marius Barna - in the picture, together with Elena Klabin and his sons Marc and Peter - was born in Romania into a traditional Transylvanian family and brought his children for the first time to his homeland this year.