"Guide people in such a way that they feel they are visiting their Romanian friends"

Those are the kind comments our guests Katharine Vary-Belanger and James Belanger (US), whom we had the pleasure to guide and accommodate in the period November 24-30, 2008, wrote about their first trip to Romania:

"My husband and I decided to go to Romania on a whim. We found excellent airfare, and a friend had recently been there and spoke glowingly of a private guide she had found to help her to research her family's history there. Though neither of us has any genealogical ties to Romania, our sense of adventure drove us to contact this guide, Fernando, and arrange a trip. Fernando's philosophy is simple - guide people through the country in such a way that they feel they are visiting their Romanian friends. We saw many of the major sites, such as Bran Castle and the painted monasteries of Bucovina, but far more interesting and exciting was the insight we gained by getting to know Romanians. Fernando's wife, Elena, and her brother, Marinel, were our primary guides, and we had many wonderful moments of telling stories, trying new foods, getting drunk, and laughing. I can't tell all the stories which made this trip extraordinary: there was the emergency snow-boot purchase, the drinking of too much champagne and giggling like little girls in the back seat of the car with Elena, the visit to Elena's parents' house, being rude to the statue of Lenin... the list could go on for a much longer time than a one-week trip would normally merit. We were sad to find, at the end of our visit, that we had to return to our daily lives. Everything far exceeded our expectations, and the warmth and hospitality we experienced made this the best, most enjoyable, and most enlightening trip that my husband and I have taken together. I hope that, someday, we will be able to return to Romania; when we do, we will certainly contact Fernando and Elena, in the hopes that we may see more of their beautiful country."

Picture: Bran Castle, Transylvania, by Katharine Vary-Belanger

Guests # 1

In the period 10-13 Oct 2008, we guided Maryellen Pienta and Michael Minning (US) through Romania. They were the first clients to stay at Fernando's Hideaway during this period of soft opening! After 1250km by car, crossing Moldavia, Bukovina, the Carpathians and Transylvania, our guests had a wonderful time, learning a lot about this country and its people and getting to know some of the UNESCO world heritage painted monasteries: Probota, Sucevita and Humor. Maryellen's roots from around Gura Humorului - her grandfather Jakob Szprowski was an Austro-Hungarian officer's aide who emigrated to the US - will probably bring her here again for a genealogical trip. In the picture, Maryellen poses together with Sister Marcela, our guide Elena Klabin and Michael at the nun's cell in Agapia monastery. You may read Maryellen's impressions on the trip at her blog's article The Catania-Bucharest Connection and watch her travel pictures here.

Surroundings of Draguseni

I have divided the area 100km around the village of Draguseni in four different zones, according to the distance the guests wish to reach, leaving in the morning and coming back on the same day to overnight with us. We may propose guided tours according to your personal interests or, if you come with your own vehicle, we may give you orientations about what to see around. Strategically located, Draguseni may serve as headquarters in order to easily prospect all of Northern Moldavia (Suceava, Neamt, Iasi and Botosani counties), Eastern Transylvania, Székely Land, Bukovina and part of Bessarabia.

Path to the Carpathians

On a clear day as this one in which the pic above was taken, it is possible to see, looking westwards through our alley that links the guesthouse to the highway E85, the blue outline of the Carpathian mountains. In the heart of those mountains, that mark the border between Moldavia and Transylvania, Jonathan Harker - the hero of Bram Stoker's Dracula - has met the Count...

Unexpected visitors

In the morning of December 5th, 2008, two visitors (above) appeared in our courtyard, probably looking for some accommodation, carrying their European ID in the ears. Although they were very nice, we had to refuse them... I am sure they will come back, and our guests will be able to witness their kind insistence.

Living & dining room

According to the local peasant architectonic plan, the house has a long room that divides it in the middle, serving as main entrance and distributor to the bedrooms. Decorated with traditional objects, this room is the meeting point of our guests, at the table for breakfast or for a nice evening chat beside the wood-fired oven during the winter. At its bottom, a fully equipped kitchen stays at every guest's disposal.

Bathrooms

The house offers 2 modern spacious bathrooms with shower, toilet, bidet and sink, all fed with tap water provided by the municipal water supply. During the winter, a stove heats the water and both bathrooms as well. During the summer, a solar system heating is projected.