Train riding
Riding the Romanian trains is a bit of an experience especially the night trains. There were no sleeper car or anything like that on the train but the train was half empty so I had a full bench in a compartment to myself which meant I could more or less lie down only a few inches short of being able to stretch out.
The sleeping arrangement was as good as one could hope for on this train but I think the steward of the train wanted to check whether or not the heating worked on the train - so he had turned it to maximum. Which meant the compartment was transformed into a something resembling a steam bath. The inside temperature were soaring really fast making it hard to sleep. To counter the heat from the heater I tried to open the window in the compartment - which cooled the place down really fast.
After a long night which seemed almost endless I finally arrived in Suceava and hurried to my hostel. I got there had a quick coffee to help me feel a bit human again along with a bit to eat. Then what I really really really wanted this morning was a shower. After the night in the steam train I felt like I was covered in a half inch thick layer of sweat and dirt. But just at this time the water stop - after a quick call to the water supplier it turned out they had an accident and the water would be out for hours. Great. Just to make matters worse the lack of water meant - only one flush per bathroom - and there were several people in the place.
So instead of a shower I volunteered to go on a water collecting mission. Just behind McDonalds (of all places) there was a small stream with water running. We went down there with two giant buckets which could hold
Just 
Afterwards I head out to see if there is anything interesting in town. It is not the most exciting of places in Romanian - it is remodel as a modern communistic town which means they have removed most of the old interesting buildings which used to be in the centre of town. But there is a few places - at the top of 1241 steps (I did not count but read it on a map) there is an old fortress of town which is virtually abandon by visitors. I go up there and walk through the old walls.
I head back down the steps to the centre of town. There is an old monastery in town - 
After the walk around town I get back to the hostel where Monica and another guest are doing some cooking for dinner. I probably should volunteer to help but on the best of days I am a mediocre cook and right now my vision is semi blurred because of lack of sleep from the train ride - so I better go to sleep.
At night we enjoy the Romanian speciality - which shall remain nameless since I forgot the name - of cabbage stuffed with vegetables and bean soup. This time of year it is 7 weeks before Easter and according to Romanian tradition you should eat some special diet which is totally vegan. For me vegan means no meat, no diary products, no fish and absolutely no taste whatsoever. But I got to admit that the meal they have prepared actually is really nice and a cake to finish it of also fully vegan.
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We start of early (nine) in the morning to go to the first monastery since it is a 200k drive during the day. We get into her old car which gives it all a bit of a personal feel instead of getting into a big minibus. If you are too many she will get a minibus to follow you along her own little car.
Driving along the small roads of the country side of this little corner of Romania will take a long time given the huge number of horse carriages on the road. But the timetable is pretty much prepared for the slow traffic so the tour will not seem too rushed.
At the different monasteries Monica will give a bit of info about what you are seeing. For people very well versed in the stories from the Bible this may all seem pretty familiar - but there is a bit of a local twist to the paintings and some local legends will be mixed into the biblical stories. And you will get a bit of these as well.
Lunch stop is at a small restaurant which will serve local specialities of the area. The food is eatable - but unfortunately it does not quite live up to Monica's own cooking skills.
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All this should indicate that the hostel is just an average place to stay - which is often the main thing you want when go - a reasonable cheap place to sleep.
What makes this place different is the manager Monica. She got a constantly cheerful personality and will go out of her way to make your stay a pleasant one. I guess this is especially the case when you get there just in the beginning of the season where Monica is still remembering the long boring winter without guest.
There is no mentioning of it on the homepage of the hostel or in the brochure but when I stayed I had the pleasure of Monica's traditional Romanian cooking free of charge. I have no idea of the exact recipes I just know it took forever to prepare and where really delicious.
One thing you should be aware of is that the hostel has moved location since the 2007 version of Lonely Planet Romania and Eastern Europe. According to those the hostel is outside of town which is no longer the case it is in the centre of town. Apparently the new occupants of the old location is using Monica's name to promote the hostel telling people that Monica is currently in Canada. Hence make sure you go to the new location of the hostel and not the old one.
