Day one of my 2009 GrandParent RoadTrip began with a 300 km drive from Comarnic to Piatra Neamt. There we had lunch at the Colibele Haiducilor restaurant (EN: “Hoods' Huts”) and took the local “gondola” to the top of the local hill. More notably we managed to get Grandma on the gondola as well.

Driving further up north we arrived in the area of Targu Neamt where most of our objectives for the day were located. First stop was the house of Romanian children's tales writer Ion Creanga, hence the name of the post. I was very happy to finally visit those places that contributed to creating some of the best stories I'd read and heard as a child. I was also pleased to find that everything was in very good condition and to meet an enthusiastic guide who helped us with very many details concerning the remainder of our objectives.

Based on the guide's indications we took a slight detour to visit Cetatea Neamtului, recently restored and full of history. This was our first unplanned bonus achievement of the trip. It was indeed great to see one of the most important medieval Moldavian fortresses shining in the sun reminding us of its glory of old.

We had three monasteries in our plan, Agapia, Varatec and Neamt. We visited all of them in close succession and we were duely rewarded for our effort with amazing sights and history-filled places. A short walk away from the Varatec Monastery, in the yard of the village church, we visited the grave of Veronica Micle (famous lover of Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu). Another bonus objective that we just narrowly missed was the Bogdan Voda zoo, very close to the Neamt Monastery, which hosts some of the remaining ancient inhabitants of these Moldavian lands, the buffalo-like “zimbri”. It closes at 6 pm.

Nightfall caught us en route to Suceava where we stopped to spend the night at an amazing B&B called Brandusa. Great sleep, great food, exceptional people.

Day one totals:

1 gondola trip

1 memorial house

1 medieval fortress

3 monasteries

2 restaurants

570 km

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