Your Hosts
One of our best highlights - true bucovinean hospitality - awaits you on top of the hill with some strong characters that will be part of your experience.
Our bunica
First of all, meet our bunica (grandma) Liliana, or as everyone calls her, Chef Lily.
A column of Hai La Saivan since the very beginning, she will delight you with the best traditional recipies from Bucovina. But don’t stop there: she’s also a poet and published writer. Curious to find out more? Ask her to read you some of her haikus and poems.
The “Stapan de munte*”
Grandpa Vistic, Lili’s husband, is the quintessential, real Stapan de munte*, who has been making hay and raising animals at Hai La Saivan for the last 40 years or so. Have a palinka with him and some incredible stories may unleash!
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*Stapan de munte: The “mountain master” is the name given to the person who collects all the sheep and cows in the village and who goes with them to the mountain during the summer (varat), thus taking care of a large part of the community's wealth. In exchange for this service, the owner of the mountain is paid a sum of money by the owners "per head of animal", and in turn the owner pays them in products (cheese, curd, butter), after measuring the milk.
The origin of this institution is less known, what is known is that it was the village community that had the power to choose the mountain lord, following a process reminiscent of direct democracy and old forms of association and governance of the commons. As the person chosen to be responsible for the herd, the mountain master had the freedom to negotiate his own payment, in kind or money, and to hire shepherds to organize the whole activity for a period of about half a year (Prahoveanu, 50:1998).
The Hai La Saivan Crew:
You will also meet our drivers Dumitru and Doru, who will come and pick you up with our iconic Land Rover Defender 4x4,
Sorina (Tuca), our happy soul that takes care that everything is perfect in the houses when you arrive and will await you for a welcome palinka!
And of course, Maestro Sorin will be around, taking care of the property, the fire and the mushroom supply during the season!
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Sorina (Tuca)
CUSTOMER SERVICES & HAPPY SOUL
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Maestro Sorin
CARETAKER & MUSHROOM EXPERT
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Your Rides
OUR 4X4s
From our Family to Yours
Behind all this, there are Raluca and Jorg and their sons Jay and Jago, the Riommi: they first had the vision to create and then shape this magic place and are happy to share its beauty with people from all around the world who can understand its magic and cherish it.