A series of unforeseen events led us to a charming place

The day hadn't started well. The presence of a car outside the garage irritated me a little. I tried to ignore the incident, especially since we were going to go out into the country, shoot at clients, meet homeowners and talk about their houses. I usually really enjoy such country visits. But the irritation remained and I couldn't get rid of it. It seemed a sign that the bad times were not over.

Change of plan with drone in the foreground

The first stop was in Voinești, where we were going to film episode 4 of the cycle The way home - House between the apple trees, house built by Litarh. The work is progressing visibly, the roof is due to be finished this week and the insulation and finishing of the exterior walls will begin. Compared to the initial project, there is a slight delay due to the changes that have occurred on the terraces and staircase. We thought we'd film something at the beginning of the journey, and then we'll come back and film the progress of the work.

It wasn't meant to be! We didn't even get off to a good start and the drone got stuck in an apple tree. We got it down safely and continued, but after a few dozen minutes of filming, on the last turn, it wouldn't come out of a walnut tree. The big, bushy walnut tree hid it perfectly, so for almost 3 hours we all sat with our eyes in the walnut leaves, scanning them. Even the poor drone couldn't help us. As we were at the end of the shoot, it was almost out of power. It buzzed for a while, but not enough to tell us where it was. And the color didn't help at all, her bluish-gray perfectly lost in the blue sky. Eventually Andrei, the owner of the house, spotted her at the top of the walnut tree. It was hard to reach, and the only possibility was for John, one of the Litarh carpenters, to climb the walnut tree as far as possible and shake it, hoping the drone would fall. Fall it did, but in the fall it hit the branches. What the twigs didn't damage, finalized the impact with the ground.

With the drone damaged, the first impulse was to abandon the planned visit. An important point on the route was the Saranis Pension, built by Doralnic in Beliș, between Cluj and Huedin. We wanted to film the surroundings, not just the chalet. We knew the area was superb and the log house was close to the lake and the ski slopes. We had already covered a few kilometers on the way back, when we remembered our pre-drone days and the movies we had made with the other cameras. One of our first movies, made without a drone, is the most-watched on youtube channel Wooden magazine. So we changed the plan again and left for Cluj. It was quite late which prompted us to think of an accommodation option en route. From Gutex work-shop in the fall, made by Naturalpaint in Cisnădioara, I had very pleasant memories. This is how we ended up in a place that totally changed our mood.

Pension Casa Belvedere

From the outside, the guesthouse looks like the medieval houses of central and northern Europe, with the white of the whitewash streaked through the exposed wood of the structure and painted in dark colors. It has wooden shutters painted green and painted with bouquets of flowers, as is the custom in Saxon villages. Next to it, the high gate hides the courtyard, enclosing it like a fortress. The picture is completed by window boxes with mosses flowing from the windows. In the courtyard, the house stretches long and keeps the same look with beams, painted shutters and flowers. There are two entrances to the house, one immediately next to the gate, a balcony pierced by a wooden picket fence like a peasant's porch, concealing a staircase leading down to the basement, and another halfway down, with a terrace-like appearance. Behind the gate begins the courtyard, as wide as a car. In front of the green fence that flanks the courtyard parallel to the house is a tall structure on which vines stretch. The whole place I'm telling you about is 12-13 meters wide, but it's a marvel. It slopes slightly downhill which allowed the owner to play with the plans, delineating the spaces.

When we arrived in the evening, there was not enough light to explore the courtyard and we were also very tired. So we quickly left our bags in our rooms and went out for a bite to eat. We found a nearby restaurant online - Apfelhaus - and we hurried to get there because the kitchen was closing shortly. Once there, we were treated to a truly outstanding gourmet dinner with a German twist. Just 2 examples: beef cheek with pumpkin puree and mutton chop with celeriac puree. If you get in the area, try it, I don't think you won't regret it. The quality of the products and the experience far exceed the price on the menu. Of course we finished with an Apfelstrudel!

With our mood totally changed for the better, we returned to the hostel. The Saxon-style rooms, with their rustic furniture made of painted resinous wood, brought us back to the peace that had swept over us, lulling us instantly to sleep.

Morning surprise

If you imagine that was the whole experience, you'd be wrong. It was just the beginning! In the morning we woke up determined to move on quickly. We met our host, told her about our fall experience and congratulated her on the place. At the work-shop, everything was fast forward and we didn't get to meet. We asked what was in the back, where there appeared to be a barn, and the lady invited us to explore. And this is where the surprises began! In the guesthouse there is a meeting and conference space, discreet lounges for parties, barbecue places, open swimming pool, basketball court, picnic spots among the trees, trampoline for children, playgrounds and sports fields. Don't imagine a huge property. The property juts out a long way to the back, but up to the halfway point it's still 12 meters wide. After the pool the width doubles, making picnic, play and sports areas more generous.

Although it offers so many leisure possibilities, the space doesn't feel crowded. It's all down to the different planes on which each space is built. The interplay of planes demarcates so well that, although they're so close together, each place has a certain intimacy. You can barbecue very close to the pool without seeing the bathers. Not to mention the sports courts that get lost among the plum and apple trees. The space is organized in such a natural style that it feels like an inherited house and garden that's been spruced up, painted and just put to use after a little refurbishment. Nothing fake, nothing forced, a perfect blend of understated elegance and authentic rusticity.

From our discussions we learned that it was the lady's husband who created this wonderful place. An ethnic German, a construction engineer and an artist at heart, Mr. Peter Heutschy designed and realized this whole space. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet him, but I'm planning to contact him to set up a meeting the first time we come to Cisnădioara again. Afterwards, I promise to tell you in detail how the meeting went. And I promise to get the movie of this fairy-tale place out as soon as we can. Because, yes, we filmed it (with the frustration that we can't do it and it's up).

Finally, I have to tell you that on the hill opposite the guesthouse you can see a beautiful fortress illuminated in the evening, which I think is worth a visit. Cisnădioara is a place to include in your travels. It's surprising in a pleasant way, very offering and particularly interesting. We left with the feeling that we would like to stay, but we still had a lot to do. About our experiences in the Apuseni, about Kurt and old peasant houses, rescued and restored, in the next episode.