Romania > The beautiful monasteries of Bukovina

At the reception, we meet the young man from the hotel who speaks English. He apologizes for not being present yesterday and asks if our check-in went smoothly. He shows us the breakfast room. The buffet is much better than what we had become accustomed to in Moldova. Not so much in terms of presentation, but especially the cold cuts, cheeses, and various breads are far more generous.In the Bukovina region, where we are staying, there was a monastic outpost in the sixteenth century. Due to frequent Ottoman attacks, the monks built fortified monasteries in the mountains. These monasteries also provided protection for the villagers during attacks. The monasteries are characterized by the beautiful frescoes on the exterior walls of the churches. To protect the frescoes from the elements, the monastery roofs were built with a significant overhang.Near our hotel is the Moldovita Monastery. Walking under the gateway of the fortified wall, we already see the decorated church.

Romania - The colorful Moldovita Monastery in the Bukovina region

The nine-meter-high church is covered from top to bottom with magnificent paintings. On the side wall, the siege of Constantinople—modern-day Istanbul—is depicted. The frescoes are still in good condition (or have been well restored).Inside, the monastery church may be even more beautiful. The small, somewhat dark space is completely covered with frescoes. In the high dome, Christ looks down. A Romanian woman venerates the icons in the church. One by one, she touches and kisses them. We have already visited many monasteries and small churches, but this one ranks among the most impressive.A little further along the route is a second monastery, Humor. We drove past it yesterday afternoon.

Romania - The interior of the Humor Monastery

This monastery also has beautiful frescoes, although the exterior paintings have not been as well preserved. The most famous monastery is Voronet. The paintings on the exterior walls feature strikingly beautiful blue tones. The church is even called the "Sistine Chapel of the East." We admire the Tree of Life on the outer wall. Although this church is also stunning inside, the first church remains our favorite.It is half past eleven when we are back at the car. We still have a long drive ahead. Today we want to continue to the border with Hungary, which is another stretch in the direction of the Netherlands. The road passes through villages that merge effortlessly into one another. In short: progress is slow. We drive between fifty and sixty kilometers per hour, even though we plan to cover over three hundred kilometers today.Along the way, we see many stork nests. In the enormous nests on top of power poles, the young storks are being fed. For lunch, we stop at a small guesthouse. Just to be sure, we ask if we can pay by card, because we only have slightly more than three euros in cash. This is possible. When the omelets are served, the girl explains that the card machine is not working today, but we can also pay in euros.Around half past six, we enter Satu Mare. The city center mainly has one-way streets. Probably the street plan was recently changed, as the navigation repeatedly sends us down streets we are not allowed to enter.

Romania - The church in Romanian Saru Mare

Eventually, we reach the Cardinal Hotel. We drive the car under the archway and park in the courtyard. Around the square, we have a beer and later in the evening order something to eat—a beautiful farewell to Romania.