A series of unforeseen events led us to a charming place

The day hadn't exactly started well. The presence of a car in front of the garage irritated me a little. I tried to ignore the incident, especially as we were about to head out into the country, filming clients, meeting homeowners and talking about their homes. I usually enjoy such visits to the country. But the irritation remained and I couldn't shake it. It seemed a sign that the unpleasant moments were not over.

Change of plan with drone in the foreground

The first stop was 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 has progressed visibly, and this week the roof will be finished and the insulation and finishing of the exterior walls will begin. Compared to the original project there is a slight delay due to changes that have occurred along the way to the terraces and staircase. We thought we'd film something at the beginning of the journey and then come back here to film the progress.

It was not to be! We didn't even get off to a good start and the drone stuck in an apple tree. I got it down safely and continued, but after a few dozen minutes of shooting, on the last lap, 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 tree's leaves, scanning them. Even the poor drone couldn't help us. As we were at the end of filming, it was almost unloaded. It buzzed for a while, but not long enough for us to figure out where it was. And the colour didn't help, its bluish grey fading perfectly into 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 option was for John, one of Litarh's carpenters, to climb the walnut tree as far as possible and shake it, hoping the drone would fall. Falling it did, but in falling it hit the branches. What the branches didn't damage completed the impact with the ground.

With the drone damaged, the first impulse was to cancel the planned visit. An important point on the route was the Saranis Pension, built by Doralnic at Belis, between Cluj and Huedin. We wanted to film the surroundings, not just the cottage. We knew the area was superb, and the log house was close to the lake and the ski slope. We had already covered a few kilometres on the way back, when we remembered the pre-drone period and the footage we shot with our other cameras. One of our earliest films, made without a drone, is the most watched on youtube channel Wooden magazine. So we changed the plan again and headed for Cluj. It was quite late which made us think of an accommodation option along the way. From Gutex work-shop in the autumn, made by Naturalpaint at Cisnădioara, I had very pleasant memories. That's how we ended up in the place that changed our mood completely.

Pension Casa Belvedere

From the outside, the guesthouse looks like the medieval houses of central and northern Europe, with the white of the lime pierced by the wood of the load-bearing structure, left exposed and painted in dark colours. It has wooden shutters, painted green and painted with bunches 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 the flytraps "flowing" from the windows. In the courtyard, the house stretches out to the length and retains the same appearance with beams, painted shutters and flowers. There are two entrances to the house, one immediately next to the gate, a balcony pierced by wooden railings as in the peasants' porches, hiding a staircase leading down to the basement and another halfway down the house, with a terrace 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 m wide, but it's a wonder. It slopes slightly which allowed the owner to play with the plans, thus 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 soon closing. Once we arrived, we had a truly remarkable gourmet German dinner. Just 2 examples: beef cheeks with pumpkin puree and mutton chops with celeriac puree. If you get to the area, try it, I don't think you'll regret it. The quality of the products and the lived experience far outweigh the menu price. Of course we ended with an Apfelstrudel!

With our mood totally changed for the better, we returned to the hostel. The rooms with their typical Saxon style, with rustic furniture made of painted resinous wood, broke the peace that had come over us, instantly putting us to sleep.

Morning surprise

If you imagine that this was the whole experience, you are wrong. It was just the beginning! In the morning we woke up determined to move on quickly. We met our hostess, told her about our experience in the fall and congratulated her on the place. At the work-shop, everything was fast forward and we didn't get to meet. We asked what else was out back, where it looked like a barn, and the lady invited us to explore. And that's where the surprises started! In the guesthouse there is a meeting and conference space, discreet party rooms, barbecue seating, open swimming pool, basketball court, picnic spots among the trees, children's trampoline, playgrounds and sports fields. Don't imagine a huge property. The property advances a lot in the back, but up to the middle is still 12m wide. After the pool the width doubles, making the 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 floor plans on which each space is built. The play of planes delineates so well that, although they are very close together, each place has a certain intimacy. You can grill 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 you get the feeling it's 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 rustic.

From the discussions we learned that the lady's husband is the one who created this wonderful place. Ethnic German, a structural engineer and an artist at heart, Mr Peter Heutschy designed and built the whole place. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet him, but I have made a point of contacting him to arrange a meeting at the first opportunity when we arrive in Cisnădioara again. Afterwards, I promise to tell you in detail how the meeting went. And I promise to get the film of this fairytale place out as soon as we can. Because, yes, we filmed it (with the frustration that we can't do it and it's upstairs).

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