Hotel Balada Suceava

... frescos. Each is surrounded by a fortification and flowers growing around its courtyard. In our last monastery, the nuns are beginning mass. They are chanting. It is only us as observers in the tiny interior. Pretty amazing.

Since the nuns get out rarely and transport costs are very high relative to local salaries, Monica turns out to be the transport provider for many of them as they send goods to/from their ...

Before I leave the hostel, I get my laundry back. It has been 24 hours and the laundry is folded but is very wet. I am guessing that they had it had been drying outside when the rain hit last night. Yuck!

I am crossing the mountains to get to the Northeast section of Romania, apparently an uncommon path. There is only one mini-bus per day. The availability of such buses is difficult to ascertain until one is actually at the departing location. The hostel is able to ...

... de molid
uscat 18 %. Lemnul poate fi tratat clasa IV ( la etuva ), cu vopsele
sau lacuri ecologice pe baza de apa , acestea asigurand o rezistenta
foarte mare in timp ( nuante pentru vopsele si lacuri la alegere din
paleta noastra de culori ).





Modelele pot fi diverse si se pot executa pe orice dimensiuni. Tansportul si montajul pot fi ...

... distinctive because they are painted on the outside as well as on the inside. They are rather unique and charming and we had the good fortune of visiting some of the most famous: Putna, Voronet, Sucevita and Moldovita. To do that, we had to drive around rural roads, in a bucolic region where the houses are new, huge and gorgeous, but where the local people still dress like they did a century ...

... in that painting. Nor does it have anything to do with members of the gentler sex being the guardians of hell. It might be that the Orthodox priests weren't comfortable with all these nuns running the place. Painted monasteries are very nice. But mostly it's the settings - like the absolute magic of a Japanese temple settled in the mist of mountains and pine trees, these places are sublime. So quiet and peaceful - except for all the funny dogs!!

... on the exterior paintings of all. Each was built with the "altar" in the eastern part (toward Jerusalem/rising sun). Entrance was always on the west side. Usually had a transitional area with lots of openings to outside world - transition between the secular and spiritual place. This was usually where the rive of fire to hell was painted - as a reminder of where your mind should be while in church. The southern facades tended to be sheltered the most from weather, and tends ...

... Final". Our mission director is Abby Hayo and she is one of the reasons why the mission is a success. Abby is usually up late having a glass of wine somewhere in hotel. We all migrate around the hotel as it gets late and we usually end up in Abby's room for "A Final Final Final" drink. Final Final Final ! Good afternoon from Botosani. This will be my last entry from here. Tonight, it is off to Bucharest after some tearful goodbyes and many hugs from our hosts.

... people. Back to Suceava in only 30 minutes and for almost no more money than I'd spend getting out! Easy as pie. The next stop I had in mind was the little market town of Radauti, which sits about 40km northwest of Suceava (whereas Botosani lays about 40km to the east). Getting to it basically necessitated a stop back through Suceava, so I didn't mind having to return and then leave again. I went to the bus station last night to write down the bus times, and the last one bound for ...

... and Solca, but most people don't bother with those. Anyhow, I was originally going to try and do them all on my own, navigating the confusing and inadequate public transport between them and hitchhiking where I couldn't come up with anything. However, in light of my increasingly cramped schedule trip-wise, I've decided to splurge and do a tour tomorrow. The owner of the hostel where I'm staying does her own tours, and she's arranged one for tomorrow ...

... couple with a campervan who kindly gave us a lift nearly 250kilometres into the region of Bucovina - they even made us lunch by the river along the way! Meeting nice people like these is one of the best parts of travelling... In Bucovina we stayed at Sucevita where they have an amazing Monastery with the outside walls painted with scenes from the Old Testament. A community of nuns still live and work in the Monastery which ...