October bike trip in Transylvania (part 1)

On 8th of October 2009, me and my good friend Razvan Anton who came from Canada to join me on this wonderful trip, set out on an interesting adventure on 2 wheels in Transylvania.
My father Dan takes a picture of us in my courtyard before we leave.


We start our trip in Ineu where I live. The weather is perfect for cycling, the temperature is OK, the sun is shining, the sky is blue.
Our first stop is at Onyx restaurant in the small town of Sebis where we eat a tripe soup and we drink a beer. The restaurant is situated in a lovely place next to a lake surrounded by some karstic hills.


We cycle another 1okm till we get to Dezna township where we enter the Codru Moma Mountains, the remotest western range of the Western Carpathians.


After we get out of this locality the asphalt ends and we have to cross a mountain pass. This route is quite scenic and wild, but we have a steady climb about 20km long till the pass.


In a few hours the night overtakes us and we get lost on some forestry roads but finally we get to Camp township where we find a pub and have something to eat and to drink. The son of the patron of this pub is very kind-hearted and after we have a nice and long chat, he invites us to sleep in his house, he gives us a room.
We sleep very well and the next day he refuses to accept Razvan's money for the accommodation and for the plum brandy we drank last night. He shows us his courtyard which is quite traditional.
Then we have a picture with Horia, our kind host and we have to say good-bye.


In this village we run into a lot of dogs and the road is in a very bad shape.


From here we have a steep descent, but the road is so bad that we prefer to walk a bit rather than lose our bags while going down.


Razvan is very excited and likes a lot this kind of terrain and this traditional village that reminds us of our innocent childhood.


After we leave the village behind we see a lot of hay stacks.


Soon the road gets very sandy but is still rideable.


After just a few minutes the road gets very grassy. So this route is quite variegated.


In a few minutes we enter another traditional village and we meet asphalt again. We are in the county of Bihor, in quite an interesting region of Romania.


In this village we find a cycling boy that is happy to overtake us.


Now we are heading for Izbuc Monastery. As the weather is quite hot for this period of the year, Razvan takes off his T-shirt as soon as we leave this village behind.


We are cycling in a spectacular hilly region and the trees' hues are quite enchanting.


In a few minutes in the distance we can see the Bihor Mountains which are the highest from Western Charpatians with the highest peak Curcubata Mare (1849m).


Soon we get to the monastary which strikes us with her silent and dignified beauty. The wooden church here is a lofty religious monument dating back to 18th century and this church was moved into this place from the municipality of Beius where my late grandfather was a pupil in olden times.


Here we talk to a monk and we arrange to spend a night here in the xenodochium (monastery's guest chamber).
Now it's time for us to visit this place. We go to the most important spot in this area: the wondrous karstic intermittent spring.


The monastery bears the name of this spring that is presumably responsible for many miraculous healings. Here is time for us to raise prayers to the Almighty One.


Romania is quite a religoius country and here it's quite a blessed haven of peace and contemplation. We feel so happy.
The flowers are still in bloom. It's heaven on earth!