Progress!

In these two weeks we have seen so much progress in these little lives! Andre, Judy's protege, started off in the seat; today we all cheered as he sat up by himself for periods of time! Then, when he retrieved a toy from the Sandbox Bully (who shall go nameless!), we added another cheer for his assertiveness!

There were more than a few tears this afternoon as we took leave of our little ones. I thought I was prepared to just walk away - but alas, the last hug and kiss was emotional for me too!

Ron emailed me tonight with a soothing thought, and so I should close this with his remarks:

"You did it. You accomplished what you set out to do. To touch the soil, to meet the people. With all the difficulties and obstacles, in the end, I'm sure it's the connections we make that we remember. "

Thank you Ron, my children, Elissa and Mike, Dave and Fran, and all the friends who helped make this dream come true!

One More Day!

Today was so hot, few of us went outside for afternoon walks with the babies. Marius is still a bit cranky (teething? stomach? who knows?) so we keep shifting spots, activities, position... at least he didn't lose any lunch today!

Tonight we went to Barlad for one last dinner out. It was delicious: chicken kiev, country potatoes, and the wonderful shredded chicken salad for starters. Of course, our favorite ice cream dessert topped it off!

Now back at the hotel to complete paperwork and get rested up for the last day at the clinic. It will be an emotional one for many; several of the babies would have instant homes if we could take them with us - but alas, laws prevail and we must say good-bye.

Monday at the Clinic

The little one in my arms is Andrea, a little girl who is just coming out of isolation at the clinic. She was born prematurely, and is still so tiny! She is learning to suck, and we are using a special nipple on the bottle to help her, but she still doesn't have good sucking reflex and cries too much (all that energy needs to be for growth!). It was fun to snuggle a little baby for a change.

We certainly have variety here at Tutova! The next size up is Petra, as pictured with Becky a couple of days ago. He's a little guy, but eating, sleeping and growing fast! She has given him a great start these weeks.

And we have some bigger girls and boys also! Yesterday it was fun watching them eating scrambled eggs! Some just hold the food, not sure how to deal with solids, others just stuff their cheeks, and some gobble whatever you put in front. Yes, some things are certainly international!!

Tutova Clinic for Babies

These are the front doors of the clinic where we are loving these little babies, feeding them, and hoping that some little spark remains for them. Today was a perfect example of the great desire some of them have to learn; Bonny was shaking out her hair to put it up in a clip and three of the mobile girls were watching with much interest. Afterwards, Ionela started imitating her, pulling her pretty curls up and laughing! Bonny is going to buy some clips for the girls to play "dress up" tomorrow!

I am so grateful to feel healthy again! It made so much difference this afternoon - to be able to move around with the little ones and not feel like a slug! Only five days to help create a little sunshine...what a great life I have.

Becky and Petra (Peter)

This is Becky, one of the volunteers, and her little baby, Petra, who was premature and has recently come out of isolation.  He is thriving under her care!

My roommate, Bonny, and I have sure had our share of sick time here in Tutova! Headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal cramping...nasty stuff! We are both quite a bit better this evening - and plan to keep it that way! Less fried food for me; less dairy for her...I think we'll make it.

So, I haven't spent as much time with the babies as I would have liked, but we'll make up for it this weekend. Hopefully, it will be an even greater benefit, as they have a very short staff on weekends, and the babies get very little time out of the cribs. We'll try to give them as much attention as the six of us can in two days, while the rest of the volunteers are off to other parts of the country.

The clinic itself looks quite nice inside. The rooms are decorated with story book murals, and colorful rugs keep it cheerful. The babies' cribs are six to a room, but when they are up they are in either the mobile (walkers) room, or the non-mobile room (babies). There is also a pre-school room, but the teacher is away just now, so we have been using it as a quiet room for the anxious ones. The hallway is useful as a walker space, and they have several strollers to walk outdoors, weather permitting. There is a playground with some toys, and some baby swings out front.

This week one of the volunteers bought them a new vacuum cleaner. I wish I could afford a rug shampoo appliance...the thought of sitting on that drool-damp rug is creepy, much less their little faces on it. Apparently they take them out and hose them down now and then, but a shampoo would be so lovely.

I'll have to check with Dan or Mihaela about post-contributions, etc. I'm sure that something can be arranged, and I would do that rather than make this long trip again.

So, as night falls on this little village, I am grateful for my restored health and energy, and look forward to tomorrow!

Tutova - July 7th

Here's a little assortment of Tutova babies! Several of them enjoy rolling around together, and even climbing over each other!

Today was a tired day for me. Last night the whole group went to Barlad, the closest town, and had a walking tour, ate dinner, and shopped at the market. Several of us bought tubs of yogurt, as that is a favorite of the babies and they never have enough.

This morning I had a huge headache, so I ate a little breakfast, took two Advil, and went back to bed for a while. Got to work late, but no one seemed to mind. Fortunately, we are a large volunteer group, so there are many hands to do the work. I decided not to go to the Painted Monesteries this weekend because of the fatigue issue. I'll save about $500, which won't hurt me either. Staying here isn't costing much - a soda most days is about it.

I'll try to get more photos tomorrow - the little Petra (spelling I'm not sure of) is only 3 months and so adorable. Some of the dark-eyed, black curly haired children have smiles to melt your heart. There are some truly serious physical disabilities that break your heart, but much of the time we are laughing at their antics, and giving them adoring coos and smiles.

A great challenge, and a promise fulfilled - Mother would be proud!

Tuesday at the Clinic

Marius at Tutova Clinic

I'd like you to meet Marius - or for those of you who have met him before, a little up-date. I have found Marius a pleasant child, but fearful of loud noise and crowded places. We have a great time in the hall in a walker (as pictured) or in the bouncing chair in the non-mobile room. Too often the mobile room frightens him, so we haven't spent much time there. He loves quiet walks in the stroller, as long a we stay in the shade!

Marius isn't walking yet, but he is adept at crawling to get where he wants to be. He's standing with support for very short periods, so my goal is to help strengthen his little legs for future independent walks. He doesn't seem to mind gentle massage, as well as some exercise of legs and arms. I am anxious to see him in the morning! "Pa!" (Romanian for "Bye!")

First Day at the Clinic

Racula Hotel, Tutova, Romania

Monday, July 6th
Today was our first day "at work". I met my little boy, Marius, who is a little over a year. He was fussy in the morning, but this afternoon he was his sweet, docile self. A few smiles later today was my big reward after a lovely walk with the stroller. My co-worker volunteers are all terrific. Hard to imagine 19 more committed people! Each has a story, and each has a purpose here. But all of us, most importantly, want to make a small difference in a small life.

The off-hours are fun and relaxing; good food and great company. I'm excited about this weekend; some of us are headed to the north to see the Painted Monestaries. I'll be anxious to describe more of that another day. For now, sleep!

Sunday Morning

This is NOT Tutova! A last farewell to Bucharest!
Good Morning! The sun was shining brightly and we were up and ready before breakfast. A friendly group with lots to share, a few of us sat out front under the patio umbrellas and chatted, has a very American breakfast (except the granola was served with warm milk - not bad actually!) with very decent bread!! Yogurt, banana...and cold water (tea on request)....yum! At least compared to the last hotel!

Bonnie, my roommate, and I took a short walk to a neighboring store (magazin) looking for more sunscreen - none to be had - and I forgot mine!! I'll stay as covered as possible, but it is getting pretty warm here. We won't be outside too much; early walks will be best. The village has one or two side roads, but the main road is pretty bland...few people or buildings....several cows and horses!

Almost time for our morning orientation meeting. This will be an experience, that much I'm sure of!

On to Bucharest!

On July 1st we left the lovely guest house (Laura) and our driver took us to Brasov to catch the train. That was the end of the rental car (thank goodness?) and the beginning of another long train day! We got to the station an hour early (our choice) but the train had been delayed another hour, so we got to sit and watch trains go by! After three hours on the train, we arrived at Gara Nord and the Elizeu Hotel nearby. It is quite modern and bright, but not a great section of town. We have to travel into the central part of the city for almost everything. So, we chose to have dinner here at the hotel last night - a good salad, and cheese pasta!

This morning we determined to walk to the Cotreni Palace (another Queen Marie site), so after breakfast off we went - with umbrellas in backpack - and with no difficulty found the University Gardens. We paid our leu and walked in to find a rather shabby, unkept garden. After Longwood and many others, this was sad. So, we moved on as I was anxious to see the Cotreni Palace. We got there and found that it is by reservation only (not in the Rough Guide to Romania book we've been using). They could give us an appointment for Friday at 3 PM, but we had planned to see the other side of the city then, so we just walked on to find the Parliment Building.

With tiny raindrops chasing us along, we found our way to that huge site, only to find it was closed (political guests or meetings???) today. We could return tomorrow!! By this time is was pouring rain and the streets were flooded. Our feet were soaked and we were dog-tired, so we hailed the first taxi we saw (a no-no according to the book, but the book hadn't been right yet!) and returned to the hotel. Tomorrow promises to be a bit better weather-wise, and we want to find our way to the Village Museum to the north of the city.

This all gave me a chance to use the wireless in the lobby (small fee per hour) and get the blog caught up. It doesn't seem to want to accept photos - sorry - so I'll add them later. I'm hoping for access in the hotel near Barlad and the clinic. But if not, this could be my last entry for the trip. I'm a bit glad for the downtime this afternoon; we are both a bit tired of fighting the unusually rainy weather (they tell us it is never like this here!) and the traffic, finding our way around strange cities, and looking for good meals (I want some home cooking in the worst way!).

La revedere, my friends!

Bran - Dracula? Nu! Queen Marie

June 30, 2009

This morning after a traditional breakfast of bread, jam, cheese, and scrambled eggs, we left for Bran and the famous castle. Most tourists come here to see “Dracula's” castle – which is based on Stoker's novel, not history. I came to see Queen Maria's castle – given to her by the people of Brasov in appreciation of her kindness and service. She renovated the castle and it was used a summer home, I believe.

When the royal family was forced into exile, the castle somewhat deteriorated; it was returned to the family after the communists lost control, and has been a tourist site for some time now. It was lovely to imagine her gracing the rooms and walking the halls. It made me yearn to do much more research, and to write my novel with it's two star heroines, Queen Maria and my greatgrandmother Lazar. It seems that their parallel lives could be turned into a plot of some interest, yet, the greatest fun will be the research and imagery.

We are staying at “Laura's” guest house, which is quiet, immaculate, and courteous in every way. The other guest is Phillipe, a gracious man from western France who loves to travel. His work in in agricultural counseling, and he assists farmers in developing ecological and productive ways to better their work. A very quiet and self-assured gentleman who is delightful to share a table with (after we moved together last night at dinner!).

Tomorrow, hopefully, a Pan Travel representative will meet us here at 9 AM to drive us to Brasov train station (and take the car back). I hope that small section of travel goes smoothly, and we arrive in Bucharest with nothing to write home about.

Seems a bit unlikely considering the small misadventures we have had so far. The most recent being this afternoon on our way back to Bran from Sineai, where we had gone to ride a cable car to the top of a 6,000 ft. mountain. Another torrential rainstorm hit as we were coming back down the mountain; it let up slightly as we left town and all seemed well. At least until we came upon some backed up traffic and pulled over to find that the road was seriously flooded. Large trucks were cautiously slushing their way through, one direction at a time. Police were doing nothing but standing by. We watched for quite a while, critically evaluating our chances of getting this under-powered Dacia through the hubcap high flood. Ron, every brave and true, decided to take the chance. The map only showed alternate routes of perhaps 100 km – not a great choice at 3:30 in the afternoon in a country we knew little about.

When we carefully made our way through and reached the far side of the “puddle” we couldn't believe that we hadn't video-taped the event! Ron, who takes photos of everything, and me who loves to record life events, with three cameras in the car and at least ten minutes of down time, and not one photo!

But, safe at last, we are showered and awaiting our 7:30 dinner here. The hostess is gracious and tries to satisfy every need, but speaks little, if any, English. The fish dinner was quite good last night, and I can already smell something wonderful for tonight. Only wish I had internet!

Miclosoara

On Sunday, June 28^th, we left Cluj for the long day's drive to Miclosoara and Count Kalnoky's Estate. The traffic was lighter than other days, which was a relief. We stopped before noon at Sighisoara, which was the birthplace of Vlad II, the Impaler, the character that Dracula was built upon. The city was lovely, with a beautiful garden at the foot of the hill. At the top were churches and the tower, which we climbed for quite a view. There were numerous restaurants food court style, but we continued to check out the best of pizza shops! My vegetarian pizza was topped with wax beans, peas, corn, and mushrooms! A little garlic and it would have been heavenly! The best? Ice in my diet coke!! I ordered a second one, I was so thrilled!

We had some difficulty with the directions from the Count's website, but finally found our way to the estate about 3 PM. We were greeted by the young host, who introduced us to two other couples (all the guests were English-speaking!) and with brandy and tea we talked for quite a while before going to our guest house. It was small and rustic, but with village charm. It is a Hungarian-based village, and we soon ventured out for a walk to check out the two or three little dirt roads and the sites and sounds of Miclosoara. I asked a couple of elderly ladies if I could take their picture. When I shared the results, they were smiling and giggling...like little kids with a new toy!

The evening dinner at 8 PM was quite an event. We had met Tom and Louanne earlier, along with the first two couples. Also at dinner was an English couple, a German couple, and a bit later, newlyweds from England also. They served a delicious potato soup, then they had prepared a tofu dish for us, with white rice. The white bread was good, and a cake was served for dessert, but the fun was the almost endless supply of wine that most of us kept sipping and toasting! It was festive and delightful, with Tom's guitar and singing wrapping up a great evening.

We had to leave in the morning, after a filling and tasty breakfast of museli, yogurt and jam, and bread and honey. It was a more quiet, reserved meal, with everyone getting ready to be off for their next venture. Some email addresses were exchanged, along with good-byes, and we were off for the next leg of our journey.

We stopped at Harmon (Honey Hill) and caught the tour group going in to the fortress. After a walk around the inside and outside we drove on to Brasov, a very delightful city which lays claim to the Black Church (due to fire) and a lovely square of stores and restaurants. We found our pizza shop and the young woman offered to make me a cheese sandwich with fries – I never expected the fries to be put IN the sandwich! A few raindrops chased us back to the car and we drove on to look for our guest house in Bran. With even more difficulty, we finally found “Laura's” where the young son greeted us (in English) and carried our bags in for us. We will have dinner here at 7:30 and hope to see Bran Castle in the morning, followed by some hiking in these gorgeous mountains.

Mission Accomplished - Part I

Yes, today our excursion included a drive to several small villages and towns, including Gherla, my grandmother's hometown. A little north of Cluj, it is a small town bustling with small industries and business. We drove around the streets, with no particular destination, and finally decided to move on to Dej, further north. As we left town we noticed an old cemetary on the left. Ron turned the car around and parked in front of the fence. We found an open gate and began to walk around, Ron taking photos and me thinking of the extreme long-shot of finding any family names.

We continued to scan for "Lazar" and Ron found one - but the dates were very recent. Could be a cousin or some distant relative, so we took photos and moved on. Just as we were about to leave, quite near the main gate, I glanced up and saw the names I've been hoping to see: Eugen and Maria Lazar! Even his title, de Purcaret, was on the monument, along with birth and death dates. A bit of new information seemed evident; another woman's name, Ana Lazar n. Buzdugan, born 1889, and died in 1963! Seems like a second wife, after Maria's death in 1924, would be the reasonable conclusion.

I was so emotional; my dream - to walk where my mother had once walked in Romania - was absolutely reality. She had been here when her grandmother, Maria, died suddenly from a stroke, so she most certainly would have stood at the gravesite, just as I did today. It was quite a day for me. Many more days might bring more information, but unfortunately that time isn't available. I should leave something for my children to search for, right?

Turga Gorge

In our new rental car, Ron and I headed south to the Turga Gorge. What a fantastic adventure this was! We were using a GPS for the first time (thank you, Lis) and it was a real life-saver in this part of the country. The gorge was an easy walk along rushing water, but the immense cliffs along side of us are a popular climbing wall (nothing like the one in gym class) and we got to watch a lone climber making his/her way down the wall. I'm still not sure why anyone does this, but it is amazing to watch!

On the way home we watched a black cloud coming our way; and suddenly we were in the center of a tremendous torrent of rain. For a short while it even forced Ron to pull over to the side. We drove through it for quite a while (seemed like an age to me), until suddenly the blue skies reappeared and the rain stopped. It seems that Europe has been experiencing these torrential storms for weeks, with fatalities and great losses. We have been blessed to have as much sun as we have had.

Tomorrow we head north of Cluj, toward the small villages of Bontida, Sic, Gherla, and Dej. It was somewhere in this area that my great-grandfather's family lived, Eugene Lazar de Purceret, and I have longed to just walk where my mother may have walked as a young woman. This entire trip is in honor of her and the goodness she brought to her children and grandchildren.

Romania, the Beautiful!

Below is a photo of the Hungarian Restaurant we enjoyed a couple nights ago in Budapest. Enchanted by the music, we bought a CD to bring home the memory!

The photo on the right is a view of Cluj from the ruins of the citadel above the city. Quite a view of a lovely small city.

Finally sitting still long enough to bring you all up-to-date. We arrived in Cluj last night after a lovely train ride from Budapest. We had a series of mis-adventures earlier in the day - mostly involving missed trains - but once we came to the beautiful mountain country in Romania, it was all worth it.

Hotel Capitol is a modern, clean and friendly place right in the midst of the university area - which is relatively quiet in the summer! The room is small, but air conditioned and pleasant. As I write, the birds are singing away and life is good.

We walked much of the city today. We passed another time zone, so now we are seven hours earlier here. We didn't know that until breakfast - so I got an to sleep in until 9AM! The breakfast is exceptionally nice here. Several choices and very filling, tasty (and familiar) food. We had an equally great lunch at Hubertus'. It was listed as the city's "most refined dining option" and the bonus was an English menu! The service was exemplary, and the price was very reasonable. Everything was a la carte, but we still had a huge lunch for about $25.00 (72 leu).

We saw the Orthodox Catholic church, where I remembered Mom (my grandmother), and took pictures everywhere, including the remains of a citadel. See a sample above.

Tomorrow we rent a car and drive south to Turga (what a name!) to see an impressive gorge where caves are found in the cliffs which used to hide outlaws! Hopefully it will be our wilderness hike for this trip If this internet connection holds up, I'll report on that venture tomorrow.

Budapest - At Last!

Our flight went well; in fact, we arrived in Germany (to switch planes) about a half hour early - and a good thing. The passport inspection line was really bogged down and we waited there for about 45 minutes before being able to get checked in at our gate.

That was a short flight to Budapest and we arrived in a rather small airport about 9:30. Baggage arrived in quick order, we found an ATM to get forints, and we ordered a shuttle bus to take us to our bed and breakfast. The driver was the tall, silent type, but he got us here in one piece and we rang the bell for Ryan to let us in our 4th floor flat. The building is old and in a quaint neighborhood; they have decorated most attractively and are warm hosts. We have a soft, comfy bed in a tidy room adjacent to a bath which is mostly private! Ryan showed us how the door locks work and after a quick cup of tea/coffee, we were ready to explore our part of town (the "Pest" side of Budapest).

We walked to the Danube (nothing Blue about it!) and then found the famous synagogue here and toured that and the garden - which is actually a cemetary for about 3,000 jewish people who died just at the end of the war here in the ghetto. They have a nice memorial, sponsored by Tony Curtis (Hungarian background).

The time shift confuses me; It is 7 PM here, and 1:00 PM (Sunday) at home. We just had short naps, but other than that we have been up since 8 AM Saturday! I hope we sleep well tonight and get adjusted, as we have full plans for our self-guided tour tomorrow! I promise some photos then.

Countdown!

School is out and these are my two "get-ready" days. I've checked the list twenty times, add, subtract, and add again...surely whatever I forget now will be sold in Hungary or Romania next week! I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to begin this adventure of a lifetime. To return to the countries where my family began is a dream come true. To serve these people, even in the small way that I plan (at the Tutova Clinic), is my way of saying thank you to my maternal heritage for giving me life, and making that life so rich and full. So, here I come!

Just A Week Now!

I can hardly believe that in one week we'll be on our way. We have rough itineraries (to be smoothed out this week) and my blog, Shutterfly, and Skype accounts are raring to go! I've created lists for my lists; now if I could only remember where I put them! Our first challenge will be navigating from the Hungarian airport to the bed and breakfast in Budapest. Thank goodness for the travel-pro, Ron! He knows public transportation systems and has a knack for the city world that is so strange to me. I panic when I cross the bridge into Philadelphia; but, I will learn!

This week we finalized plans with the Romanian tour company for our rental car, hotels and guest houses, and maps/routes for our stay in Transylvania in June.  It is an exciting step, as this was my mother's heritage and my dream was to "walk the soil she walked"! Now my dream is only five weeks from coming to life.  

Transylvania follows our first few days in Budapest, in honor of my grandfather Zorgo's ancestry.  We look forward to seeing the Danube, as well as Buda Hill, the Parliment Building, and many other features of the other "Paris" of Europe!

I am particularly pleased that today we got my sister set up again on the internet so that she can follow this trip closely.  I'd love to pack her in my suitcase, but her health does not allow such travel, so we will do our best vicariously!  

Travel Plans Continue

We have hired a tour company in Cluj-Napoca to plan the Transylvania portion of our trip.  From June 24th, when we take the train from Hungary, we will tour for a week looking for Gherla, Jibou, Bran, and many other towns, small and large.   We will be staying one night at a restored "Hungarian" estate, as well as in guest houses and hotels.  

On July 1st we will be taking the train to Bucharest to visit historic sites and gardens.  On Saturday, the 4th, I will be leaving Ron behind, as I meet my team leader and head for Barlad.   Sunday will be a "getting to know you" day before I start my work "loving the babies" on Monday.  It's getting close, and I'm so excited to begin this adventure.  I'll be continuing this blog on the trip, so stay tuned!

Jibou and Gherla, Romania

My research is taking me to the "hometowns" of my maternal grandfather and grandmother in June.  I know that Gherla was the home of Mary Lazar, but it was more difficult to find Zibou, which was actually in Hungary when George Zorgo was born there.  The border changes make this confusing to me, but I have found this little town of Jibou in the northwest corner of Romania - an area that was Hungary for a number of years.  I am hoping to take the little bit of family tree to that little town and ask around (in my wonderful Romanian - or perhaps my even lesser wonderful Hungarian!).

About Global Volunteers

I mentioned Global Volunteers yesterday, but perhaps I should explain more.  I found them on the internet almost two years ago.  They sponsor short term volunteer vacations to every continent (except Antarctica) and have been doing this for many years.  I had a choice of working as close to home as West Virginia, but as I've wanted to see Romania for many years, I selected this trip.  At first the cost seemed prohibitive, but I found a grant opportunity, which matched donations up to a thousand dollars.  Family and friends who were at my birthday party last summer bestowed contributions that were doubled by Global Giving, covering the majority of the volunteer cost for me!  That was certainly the "gift that kept on giving".   If you are interested in a volunteer vacation, please check the website, which I'll post later.  There are many opportunities to serve, in many different capacities.

US Air - here we come!

This weekend we made our flight arrangements for June (only two months away!) and I am so excited!  We fly into Budapest, with a stop in Germany, on June 21 (leaving 6/20) and have booked our first three nights at a bed and breakfast called Budabab. The owners are US citizens who love the city and are so friendly and warm!  They have corresponded several times already with helpful tips.  When we leave Hungary, we plan to take a train to Cluj, Romania.  Then we'll be in Mother's home area and the country part of the trip will come into play.  We are still unsure how to handle those days - car rental, custom tour, but whatever it is, it must include Jibou and Gherla - places that are in the stories!  Imagine walking where my mother walked as a child!