2nd and 3rd of December, 2021.
Bobi and Basil stop the car. Bobi tells me they are not going to Vatra Dornei but when I ask if it is in the way, he say “yes”.
It is a beautiful drive, when we stop in the Rosu Lake, I don’t realize that would be out of route. I am only not impressed, even more, surprised, by the fact that this lake is so well recommended to be visited in Romania. Actually, the mountains we pass by, just after the lake, they are gorgeous! Unfortunately, I am not prepared for them and we pass really fast so I couldn’t take a photograph. The place is called Cheile Bicazului.
After some hours passed, I start to wonder why they still didn’t drop me somewhere. By this time, we could have already reached Vatra Dornei. It is when checking the maps I realize they are going in a kind of circle, not following the road directly to Vatra Dornei or “in the way to it” as Bobi had told me.
So basically I lost the whole day because now I have to hitchhike again when it is already late so I will not manage to visit the town, or better saying, to hike one of the mountains to get a nice view of the area.
Bobi apologizes for the inconvenient. They drop me in a gas station. They seem like nice people but they just need to be more careful.
While I am waiting, a taxi driver tell me he can drive me there if I pay him. I tell him I don’t have money. He leaves. But then he comes back and start to talk with one of the workers from the gas station. The worker is a nice guy, by the way, and speaks a great English. We talk a little bit and he translates to me what the taxi driver was saying. He said I could ask someone in Vatra Dornei to bring me the money so I could pay him there. No comments.
A friendly man come and tell me he is going just before Vatra Dornei, about 10 Km. I say “yay!”
Vlad and his wife, Julia, are going to spend a few days in a nice spa, just before Vatra Dornei, so they can also explore the town. He is super friendly but she not so much. She is grumpy. I don’t understand why somebody would be grumpy while going to have some days in a spa in the mountains plus with such nice guy for a husband, like Vlad. Plus he is charming!
Anyway, they decide to drive me there because it is getting dark. They search for a monastery and find one near town. The monastery is Sfantul Dimitrie, and for my big surprise it is a monastery of nuns. Before leaving, Vlad try to give me some Hazelnuts and chocolate. But since I have some peanuts and chocolate, I kindly refuse. Then he insists I should take at least some apples because they are from his garden. He gives me three.
The Maicas (sisters) don’t think twice to accept me. They are so happy to see me and to have me since the first moment. The mother ask me to stay with them in the first five minutes we are talking. Sister Parashiva is doing the translation and she is super kind. All of them are! I also meet the mother, Andreea (she is at the monastery since she was 14 years old and now she is in her fifties) and Sister Arsenia. There is another sister leaving with them, Sister Fanuria, but she is away now. Which is a shame because according to Parashiva, she loves to travel.
I am overwhelmed by the sister’s kindness. They want to know about my travels, the mother even try on my both backpacks to know much weight I care. And they offer me everything! The mother even comes with some good amount of money in her hands, which I immediately refuse. But they give a wonderful pair of wool socks, a super strong one. And some of their homemade products: a mix of 36 herbs with alcohol, which is good for preventing flu, breathing problems, cleaning the body and boosting your immune system; two different creams for mussel pain and remautism; and a syrup good for coughing. The mother also gives me a bag full of walnuts! Walnuts being my favorite nuts I couldn’t refuse.
After taking a shower I have some delicious soup for dinner with their delicious homemade bread. I also have some cabbage steal and a great raw vegan cake with tea.
Unfortunately, soon after eating, while we are talking and I am showing my blog to Parashiva, I have a strong migraine crises. It is still early and I wish to send an email to my host in Bulgaria but I imply couldn’t. I apologize with the sisters but I must go to bed. They are lovely so they understand.
Next morning, after a great breakfast and coffee, we make a plan that I will leave my backpack in there, hike the mountain and then come back. They offer to drive me to town and Parashiva come together with he driver.
When I am going up, it starts to rain. Luckily I have my rain coat but I didn’t bring a cover for the backpack. So I improvise a bag around it. It is very steep and it takes me forever to get to the top. Because of the weather, the view is not the best. Which is sad because I came all the way here only because of the view. Everybody was saying to me how I should see this region, Bucovina, and when I searched about it, I saw a photograph of Bucovina area, somewhere near Vatra Dornei, and it was such a beautiful and peaceful place. I just wanted to be there. Well, at least I tried.
I find my way back and arrive after midday back to the monastery. A bit later than I expected. Now, the sisters offer to drive me again, this time to my hitchhike spot. And Parashiva comes along again. I love to talk to her. She is so kind and docile and patient. It is like she is a being made only of love.
On the way starts to snow a lot. And they decide to drive me to a village which Parashiva likes the view of it a lot, Ciocănești, but unfortunately we cannot see anything because of the heavy snow. When they leave me it is snowing really strong. But have spent the night in such a wonderful place, in the company of so great souls like my Maicas, it worth any snow flake.
