Casa Metamorphosia - Accommodation with Clay Workshop - a creative place in a secluded area, where guests learn to model clay, and the rest of the time they can enjoy nature.
Each day spent at Casa Metamorphosia includes a clay workshop for two people. The activity lasts about one hour, if desired it can be extended or more workshops can be done per day.
We do the workshops in the evening, only when necessary we organize them at other times of the day.
The space
About the Clay Workshop
In the first workshop you will learn how to handbuild a cup using the pinching technique. Then you will learn other shapes: plate, bowl, flowerpot, figurines; through other techniques: clay slice technique, snake technique.
*Everything is hand build, without a potter's wheel.
The steps through which the clay becomes tableware:
- the first step is to model the clay into the desired shape, then it needs to dry at room temperature; a normal cup needs about four days to dry;
- once it has dried, it is fired in the kiln for ceramics; the first firing is at 950 degrees Celsius and lasts about 30 hours;
- after the firing the object is glazed (painted with special paint for ceramic) and fired a second time; than it can be used in the kitchen.
The whole process takes about a week and a half, but the workshop's kiln is quite large and needs to be full to fire it. How quickly the kiln fills up determines the completion time.
What can you do with the modeled objects
- you can take them unfired and keep them as decoration, or you can find a workshop in your town where you can finish them;
- you can leave them with us, we’ll fire them the first time, after that you can come back in the next 6 months and glaze them; after the second firing, we’ll send them to you by courier;
- you can leave them with us, we fire, glaze one color, fire them the second time and send them by courier.
*Firings, glazing and the courier are paid separately; one firing is 15 lei/object, glazing by the host is 20 lei/object.
About the house
The accommodation that I offer is not only a bedroom, it is the entire piece of heaven in which I live every day.
I live in the same house, with my dog Raja, a loving Newfoundland. We are both happy to welcome guests!
The house is positioned in a secluded area with great views in every direction you look.
On the ground floor there is a spacious living room with large windows and views of the Bucegi Mountains, further away the Postăvarul Mountains, the Ciucaș Mountains and the Piatra Mare Mountains. Early risers can enjoy the colours of the sky as the sun rises from behind the mountains. Facing the Bucegi Mountains are the Piatra Craiului Mountains.
In the same area of the house there is the ceramic workshop, where guests work their fingers in clay and can see the host’s workings. (For more details go to our website.)
On the ground floor there is also a spacious kitchen with armchairs, wood-burning stove and dining area. In the kitchen you will find what you need for cooking, and there is a storage room with a fridge for guests. On cold days you can cook on the wood stove.
One of the bedrooms is on the ground floor, the other three are in the attic, where the guests bathroom is as well. (If there is no availability on this post, look for the other ones, or send me a message.)
*For those who wish, we can offer breakfast with local products (cheese, eggs, milk), home made bread and jams, butter, coffee, tea - depending on what we have in our pantry when the guests visit us - all served on hand built ceramics made in our workshop. We provide the ingredients, and we prepare breakfast with the guests.
*If you plan to go for a hike, we can pack some food for a picnic.
What you can do in the area:
- hiking trails in Piatra Craiului National Park - some longer, some shorter;
- hike Piatra Craiului Mountains up to the peak, it takes about 7-8 hours round trip from the house;
- bike trails;
- hikes from the village to the surrounding villages - Ciocanu, Peștera, Fundata;
- easy walks through the village;
- birdwatching;
- during summer there is a sheepfold (they also have cows) close by from where you can buy cheese.
Further away from the village:
- you can visit the Dâmbovicioara gorge and the Dâmbovicioara cave;
- 25 minutes by car to Bran Castle;
- 45 minutes by car to the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Zărnești;
- 45 minutes by car to the Râșnov Fortress;
- from Moieciu and Șimon you can go hiking on the Bucegi Mountains.
