Wednesday, August 30, 2006



In the morning, we walked to the Sucevita Monastery with its impressive red and green frescoes. In our opinion, it is one of the finest of the Bucovina monasteries. Oddly enough, the western wall is incomplete. Legend has it that the artist fell from the scaffolding and no other artist dared to complete it! The last one to have been built, Sucevita is credited to Ieremia Movila (one of the few Bucovina monasteries not to be built by Stefan cel Mare). But the real treasure is the hike up the hill behind the church’s graveyard to view the monastery. It was a rare moment being able to sit for more than an hour enjoying the valley and hillsides.




We headed north to Marginea known for its black earthenware and pottery. A workshop permits visitors to see potters in process and then make purchases at the adjoining shop. As always, we were happy to have the luggage to carry a few special treasures home!




Radauti was only a brief visit for us to capture our driver’s photograph with the statue of Prince Bogdan the Great! It is a market town near the Ukrainian border. It was one of the few towns where we saw store signs advertising second-hand clothing by the kilogram (so how many kilos of jeans would you like today?).



We backtracked on the past evening’s ride through Sucevita and Vatra Moldovitei on scenic 17A enroute south to Campulung Moldovenesc. Campulung Moldovenesc is a 14th century logging town set in the Moldova Valley at 621 meters.

Our challenge was the E576 road to Vatra Dornei with its 40 kilometers of extensive construction – taking us two hours! In the midst of our frustration, we recognized the intense labor of the men who were laying wire and moving concrete blocks with their backs, mixing and pouring concrete by hand, and moving ground and digging trenches with hand tools. This scene has been common across Romania – but most striking in this area, as the spring and early summer floods had devastated much of the aging infrastructure.





Finally, we arrived into the resort town of Vatra Dornei. Vatra Dornei is a popular skiing destination for Romanians and Ukrainians. It is home to Dorna, one of Romania’s largest mineral water bottling facility (and a personal favorite).



Enroute to Lake Izvorul Muntelui south on scenic 17B, we stopped roadside for a picnic of bread, cheeses, tuna, mackerel, pufuleti (the natural Romanian alternative to the cheese puffs), and Joes (delicious cappucino wafers). With mountains surrounding the 90 kilometers drive, we were happy to see the lake after surviving very poor quality road.





Enroute to Reghin on 15, we passed through Borsec, another mineral water bottling facility. Next was the logging and aged resort town of Toplita. The route was scenic with much variety of landscape from forests to mountains to creeks alongside small villages and farms. Yet it was very poor quality road with mixtures of gravel and asphalt. With the sun setting, we arrived into Reghin, home to Romania's popular Silva beer. Of particular note, Reghin is well known for its violin factory. It is located in the Gurghiu valley because of the abundance of flamed maple (very grainy curly sycamore). –BGR & HSR

Founded in the 15th and 16th centuries, Southern Bucovina's painted monasteries are indeed masterpieces of historical art and architecture. (Note this region is really northern Moldova.) Considering that these exterior paintings are only 0.25 millimeters in thickness, they remain well preseved after more than 500 years! The Bzyantine style paintings (with a hint of mythology and local folk art) were for the faithful illiterate. Only exterior photographs are permitted with an additional photography and video tax.



Outside of Gura Humorului is the peaceful Humor Monastery known for its reddish brown color (as well as blues and greens). Unlike the other monasteries, it is surrounded by wooden walls and has no spire. It has a traditional Moldovan open porch which was the first to be built in Bucovina. The atmosphere is serene and the church's interior is spectacular. The tower with its steep, narrow stairs provides an excellent vantage point to take in the beautiful grounds.




Not far down the road is the Voronet Monastery – a sharp contrast to Humor with its swarming tourists and souvenir stands. Known as the "Sistine Chapel" of the East, its distinct blue hues and Last Judgment scenes are its main attraction. The weather has erased much of the frescoes on the north-facing wall. It was built by Moldovan prince, Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) out of gratitude to God, then abandoned in the 18th century due to the Austrians. Since 1991, it has been inhabited by nuns.




North to Vatra Moldovitei, we arrive at the Moldovita Monastery known for its yellow colors and unique fortified quadrangular shape with impressive towers and gates. The original throne of King Petru Rares is housed in the museum onsite. We also noticed two other motorcyclists inquirying from one of the nuns of lodging in the area.





After the monastery visit, it's 7:30 p.m., again, and we are on a spectacular stretch of road through the mountains. We both open the motorcycle helmet visors to smell and feel the fresh, crisp air. The twisty road seems to be only for us with hardly any traffic. We simply enjoy every moment!




We arrive into Sucevita and search for lodging. We like Casa Andrea at the first drive-by, so decide to stop and inquire of availability. It was perfect – a locked garage for the motorcycle, balcony, king size bed (rare for Europe), and complete with a traditional dinner of trout and sour cream sauce with mamaliga (polenta) and cheese. Unfortunately, we were so hungry that we forgot to take a picture of this culinary delight! We spent the wee hours of the morning listening to the nearby creek, taking in the night sounds of the wildlife, and watching the stars.



Expect to pay between $20 - $50 Euros for lodging in the Bucovina area. It is well worth a week or two in one of Romania's treasures! – HSR & BGR

Greeted by the morning sunshine (and a wallet), we were anxious to hit the road enroute to the famous painted monasteries of Bucovina to our north.



Our first visit was to nearby Targu Neamt (German Market) with its statue of Ion Creanga, house of Veronica Micle, and 14th century citadel. Creanga is considered one of Romania's greatest writers. A poet, Micle lived in Targu Neamt for 39 years and was the lover of Mihai Eminescu, considered Romania's greatest writer and poet (who incidentally, couldn't afford to marry her after her husband's death). The citadel (Cetatea Neamtului) is perched on the hillside overlooking the city and is considered one of Moldova's finest fortress ruins (if a ruin can be called that).




The next stop was the Neamt Monastery, the oldest monastery in Moldova. It is the largest male monastery with 70 monks and several seminar students (we caught more than one inspecting the motorcycle from every angle!). The monastery resembles a fortress with its high walls and one remaining tower. A large pavilion outside the monastery houses the blessed water which can be bottled and taken home.




Leaving the grounds, we met a friendly Austrian couple with their Toyota 4X4. They had inquired from several tourists who had the motorcycle with the US license plate and were waiting to talk with us. We exchanged our Romanian adventures, and found out that they had developed a love affair with the mountains and back-country roads of Romania. They were spending lots of weekends off-roading with their vehicle through the Romanian countryside, and were even leading 4x4 tours. In fact, they had organized a yearly 4x4 rally in the Carpathian mountains, drawing drivers from Austria and Germany for the event. If interested, check out their nice web site--www.superkarpata.com.



With good asphalt and beautiful weather, we headed north to Suceava. The highlight of our travel was the German motorcycle touring group we followed with their BMWs and Hondas (and even a scooter). It was a pleasure to see other riders!



At a first glance, Suceava could be overlooked with its apartment blocs and strange smell emitting from its factories. (On a sidenote, the apartment balcony windows are old train windows!) In the 1980s, the factory supposedly put out 20 tons of cellulose and fiber waste a day which caused respiratory and nervous disorders known as the Suceava Syndrome. Fortunately, filters have been installed to reduce the levels of pollution.




Its beautiful churches and lively center made us decide to stop for lunch on the terrace of Latino. For the brief time we spent eating at the restaurant, we both thought we were in San Francisco--the waiters were sharply dressed and pressed, wearing name tags (an oddity for Romania), displaying a high level of professionalism and conversing in at least two languages. We were impressed with the level of customer service while enjoying salads, pizza and pasta at our best restaurant dining experience in Romania (so far)! – BGR & HSR

This is the real story of the missing wallet. A wallet containing my driver's license, contact information and ALL the money for our trip (several hundred dollars in USD and Romanian Lei). We were near Agapia, in the heart of northern Moldova, which was a good 8-10 hours away from our belongings and the rest of our money.

At 8:45 p.m., after we found lodging with the Toader family and were headed out the door for dinner, I discovered that my wallet was missing. I searched my motorcycle jacket pockets--and it has a lot of them, believe me. Nothing. Then I searched my motorcycle pants and my jeans. Nothing. Then I moved on to the bags, the tank bag, and the trunk. Nothing.

At this point, I realized that the last time I had handled the wallet was at the Rompetrol gas station that afternoon at 4:30 p.m. After that stop, we had also stopped at two monasteries. Where could I have lost the thing? I am very particular about the place I keep my wallet, especially when I travel. This was very unusual. At almost 9 p.m., I realized that we had to travel back to the gas station in order to attempt to locate the wallet.

We left our bags with our new hosts, mounted the bike and with the impending darkness rode those 98 horses to their capacity retracing our route back to the gas station in Piatra Neamt (40 kilometers south). Along the way, we remembered a couple of roadside stops we made for photography, so we checked those spots as well. Nothing.

When we got to the gas station, I talked with the manager on duty and told him my story. He was gracious enough to pull up the entire afternoon's video surveillance and review it. Sure enough, there we had been--rather odd to watch yourself on someone else's video monitor going about your business. We had gassed up. We had placed an order for the sandwiches. The cameras had even recorded our exit on the terrace where we had eaten. At this point, the surveillance system had a blind spot, and did not record our eating (somewhat comforting, I guess). But, it showed us leaving the premises all geared up. Nowhere along the way was there a hint of a falling wallet. They also assured me that no one working at the station had found a wallet. So, I likely lost it and someone probably found it. And with the stash of money in it, they would have long been gone. So, still nothing.

Depressed and exhausted, we returned at 11:45 p.m. to the quiet village of Agapia. I had made a few phone calls (thankfully, I still had the cell phone) and was promised an emergency postal money transfer in the morning. Thankful to have a bed, each other, and at least our passports, cell phone and motorcycle, we crashed for the night.

Yet, we clearly could not find sleep. Something did not make sense. I had a clear memory of the entire afternoon and evening -- of every stop and of the last moment I had the wallet. I even had a distinct memory of having taken the wallet at the gas station, after ordering the sandwiches, and placing it in my motorcycle jacket inner pocket. Why was it not there?

So we started recounting the events out loud. Well, we had stopped... we had gassed the bike... we had ordered the sandwiches... I had paid for them and walked over to the terrace... where I had placed the wallet in my motorcycle jacket...

At that exact moment, while laying in bed in the dark, we both realized that our motorcycle jackets were identical except for the size! And I had clearly not paid attention in whose jacket I had placed my wallet.

While the room was still dark, a little past midnight, we both bolted out of bed to inspect the pockets of my wife's jacket. EUREKA! There was the wallet tucked inside with all of its contents intact! Yes, if the wallet could only tell its story… it would have been laughing at us!

Actually, in its own way, the wallet was probably laughing at us. Here we had gone stir crazy, rode around the countryside in a frenzy, agitated gas station attendants into reviewing video footage, and basically wasted 3 good hours while the wallet was going for the same joyride in my wife's jacket, unable to say a thing or make a single noise--hey, fools, I'm here, can't you see?!?!?!

Yes, it was one of those life moments when you stop. Yes, you really stop--your thoughts, your movement, your rush for the next moment. And you just sit there.

After that, you ask yourself what was the lesson to be learned from this adventure. Clearly, check the jacket you place your wallet into to make sure it's your own. Next, realize that most events have a reason or a logic of their own. Sometimes, it is difficult to see the thread connecting the individual moments that make up an event because we're too busy with other thoughts, rushing here-to-there.

It is difficult to achieve, yet stopping, relaxing the mind, and letting go of our expectations, fears, and anxieties will likely yield a different perspective - one that might even reveal new threads of reality and new horizons. Or at the very least, it might reveal the unexpected location of a "missing" wallet. - BGR
Enroute to Piatra Neamt, we passed numerous villages and rural countryside. In particular, the town of Bicaz was a dreary sight with its ugly concrete and asbestos plants.



Arriving into Piatra Neamt, we waded out the drenching rains at Rompetrol's HEI restaurant over two sandwiches. On a side note, Rompetrol has become our gas station of choice over the past four months for fill-ups, bathrooms, and sandwiches reminiscent of Subway! Piatra Neamt (German Rock) is a valley with hills surrounding it.



Since night was moving in, we decided to head north to Targu Neamt. Our first stop was at the Varatec Monastery (1785) where more than 600 nuns reside. The exterior resembled a villa with the interior closed and reminiscent of a botanical garden. A man sitting in his car outside the confines offered us lodging with no shower for 10 Euro!




Our next stop was at the Agapia din Vale Monastery where more than 400 nuns live. Surrounded by walls and a gate tower concealing the 17th century church and a lovely garden, the monastery is a pleasure to walk the grounds. We arrived for prayer time and heard a medley of pan pipes and bells.




We stopped at a pleasant house with a cazare sign out front to inquire about lodging. After a long day of riding and soaking in the sights, we were happy to meet the Toader family (and even happier at the price?!). – HSR & BGR

Tuesday, August 29, 2006



Past Gheorgheni, a beautiful stretch of twisty, mountain road via the Bucin Mountain pass provides a nice introduction into Moldova. Moldova makes up the eastern part of Romania and is known for its medieval, fortified painted monasteries, gorges, village traditions, and unparallelled tranquil landscapes. The region is bordered by the Republic of Moldova to the east and Ukraine to the north.




Enroute to the famed Bicaz Gorges, our first stop was the Lacu Rosu. One of Romania's weirdest natural wonders with its protruding dead tree stumps, the Red Lake (1838) was formed when a landslide dammed the Bicaz River and flooded the valley. Legend has it that picnickers were killed from a slide and crushed to death (hence its name, "killer lake"). A resort developed in the 1970s and it remains a popular vacation spot today.



Part of the Hasmas-Bicaz Gorges National Park, the gorges are truly a spectacular sight with their 300-meter high limestone cliffs rising above the river and cutting through the mountains. It is amazing to consider the labor of carving a road through these gorges!




As motorcyclists, the real attraction was in carving the fantastic hairpins and mountain twists. As the "Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" book so aptly states, the opportunity to not have the car frame around this majestic image was indeed powerful. We were reminded visually of the immeasurable beauty of the natural wonders of the world and what a small element we are in the grand scheme of life.




It was back to reality with traffic and tour buses maneuvering the road, and tourists flocking to the souvenir stands lining the underneath rock crevices roadside.



We will soon have more pictures in our Bicaz Gorges Photo Gallery. – HSR & BGR