Kurt has finished the house at Vișagu and started renovating the old barn

When we got out of the car on the hill where I could see Kurt's house in the distance, I understood the expression "deafening silence". For the first few moments my ear, accustomed to the honking and clanging of Bucharest, refused to hear anything else. Slowly, it understood that what was happening to it was for good and began to hear the crickets, the locusts, the rustle of the grass moved by the geese and the muffled sound of the cowbells somewhere in the distance. It was getting difficult for the car so we decided to leave it on a small plateau and continue on foot. We weren't far away and before long Kurt greeted us like old friends, happy to visit. Ever since last year when we discovered him in this corner of paradise in the Apuseni, the Austrian "pensioner" from Vișagu stuck with us with his infectious enthusiasm, optimism and fantastic hard work.

Corner of paradise

The small alley connecting the house to the forest road is lined with all sorts of pots and objects that announce Kurt's wife Melanie's artistic inclinations. In the middle of the alley, seemingly forgotten there, is an old metal lawn chair. Sitting on it, however, opens up the valley in all its splendour and below, Kurt's new project - the pond. At the back is a meadow that seems to have millions of flowers.

We were curious to see the finished house. When we went in the spring of 2020was in the middle of a construction sitethe walls had been cleaned, the house reconfigured and the attic insulated with wood fibre insulation from Gutex. Now the house is ready and has made it through the winter. It is cosy and pleasant, with everything needed for civilised living. In keeping with Melanie's wishes, only natural products were used to finish and insulate the house. The supplier was Naturalpaint. The walls were plastered and painted with white lime paint from Kreidezeit, spruce flooring finished with hard oiland in the bathroom the walls in the shower area were covered with Tadelakt. Very good choice, because in addition to its strength, the Moroccan finish has a nice silky sheen that gives the place an exotic feel.

The terrace, a pleasant place to relax, has also been completed. Here we were invited to sit around an old wooden table for stories and a glass of cold water. They told us about their new life, about their concerns and plans for the future, about their little grievances (the town hall has not yet made the road). They have 8 cows and would like to have chickens, but they can't keep them because of the hawks who steal them. They like the place, they like the quiet and the little noises of the community, they are happy here, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Melanie, the artistic and creative side of the family

Melanie is such a fragile and delicate presence that it's hard to think of her as a mountain girl. But she has adapted to the place and even though she only knows a few words of Romanian she is happy to share her impressions. As soon as we entered the house we noticed a work table with brushes and boxes of Annie Sloan paint of all colours. When I mentioned this she immediately pointed me to an old stool brought back to life with stencils and chalky paints.

In fact, all the furniture is very artistically finished, giving the pieces personality. The shelving unit in the entrance hall is also beautifully finished, and there are all sorts of decorated and patinated boxes inside. I didn't realize they were shoeboxes until I was told. The patio was also her work, including the wood carvings with traditional patterns. She is also keen on knitting and crocheting, and the roundels put on the chairs as cushions demonstrated this. She has favourite shops in Cluj from which she sources her dyes or yarn, and the fact that she calls the ladies there by name proves she is a loyal customer. 🙂

The house is full of old objects that bring warmth and make it a home. Kurt proudly showed us the wooden table he gave his wife when they got married, a table that is over 100 years old. Around the house are all sorts of makeshift pots and decorative objects that personalize the place. Everything is beautifully blended, the old and the new, the comfort and traditional elements are very well balanced.

The old barn will become a creative workshop

For the barn a few steps from home the plan has changed. Kurt discovered it could be salvaged so he removed the old, damaged wood boarding the building and exposed the original beams framed by chisel cuts. Inside, it was cleaned and prepared for transformation, and soon the barn will become Melanie's creative studio.

Kurt plans to convert it himself and do it the traditional way. Since in the past the barn was used for animals he wants to raise it up because the ceiling is too low. He will put two more rows of beams and fix the ceiling to them. The roof will be replaced because it has rotten ashlars and will be covered with tiles. The necessary wood has already been purchased and is out at "dried up" (dry). Plastering and insulation between the joists will be done traditionally, made of clay mixed with straw.

We'll definitely see each other again, Kurt has many other plans

Kurt is full of energy and has lots of plans for the future. Even though he enjoys the peace and quiet of the place, it's obvious that he's an active person who needs to be doing something all the time. Apart from the workshop, he has now also started work on the pond. He has almost finished digging the pit, which he is going to reinforce the banks and then fit out the whole pond. He wants to enjoy its coolness as soon as possible at the end of a hot summer day.

The landscaping around the house will continue. At the entrance will be a small platform straightened and covered with stone. It has been decided to also lay out the forest road leading up to it. He has already bought the stone. He obviously comes from a culture where, if it's not there and someone else isn't doing it, you roll up your sleeves and get to work. He already feels part of the community, a local.

After almost two very enjoyable hours together we parted with Melanie and Kurt with a firm promise that we would return. We slowly drove off up the road, which occasionally climbed steeply, spent by Kurt's friendly greeting. There was a peace stretched across the hills. In the valley, a woman was gathering hay. From nowhere, the sound of the thundering of the tundra comforted the ear.