How it all began

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:37:07 +0100

Michael’s - Erdély / Ardeal / Siebenbürgen / Transylvania - House

In the years from 1995 to 1998, I and my former wife Sue Douglas Torreyson went to Hungary and Romania to live. To be able to study more in depth the folk dances of Transylvania, both the Hungarian and Romanian styles. Over this time we lived in Budapest, and 3 Transylvanian cities of Sepsiszentgyörgy, Csikszereda, and Marosvársárhely (Sfintu Gheorghe, Miercurea Ciuc, Tírgu Mures - the Romanian names).

The last city, Marosvársárhely (Tîrgu Mures), which means “market place on the Maros” is situated on the Maros river, in a beautiful valley of sloping hills and mountains. It has a mixed population of about 150,000, about 60% Hungarian and 40% Romanian. The center of the city is a very busy, double sided boulevard, with a tree lined park in the middle, and lined by interesting old buildings. There are several theaters for culture events and programs. Tîrgu Mures has one of the oldest professional folk dance groups in Romania. Featuring both Romanian and Hungarian groups, which we were able to make friends with, and practice on a daily basis.

While living there we made many friends, one couple Istvan and Klara Balázs were living in her parents’ house in the village of Marosszentgyörgy (Síngeorgiu de Mures) on the northern edge of the Marosvársárhely. On a return visit in Oct 2000, I found Istvan and Klara had bought a piece of land, and were starting to build their own house nearby in the same village. They told me that the piece of land next to theirs was also available to buy. So we talked to the mayor of the village, because it was city land, and he agreed to sell me the land, about 1/4 acre for $2000 USD. But after more than a year and no finial committment from the city and the mayor, I was about to give up.

On my visit in September 2002 we agreed that the land I wanted wasn’t to be. But Istvan and Klara were persistent, saying that there was other land in the village for sale, so we started looking. For two weeks we looked and looked, and like Goldie Locks, nothing was “just right”. Only one piece of land was almost right, but it was too big (4 times to big) and the owner would not sell just one portion. So, with encouragement and support from my friends, I bought the whole thing (I couldn’t believe I bought the whole thing!). The idea was to divide it up and sell off 3/4 of the land and get my investment back. It was a risk, I know, but the land was good, clear, in a nice village, and best of all it was on the other side of the place where my friends were building.

Well after transferring the money though the banks at the end of 2002, Istvan and Klara had found buyers for all the land except mine within only 2 months. So, I went back to Romania in May 2003, to finalize the sale of the land, collect my money, and start the building of a fence around my land, yes My Land! Also, I worked on drawings with an architect for a house, found the right man and company to build the house, and I planted some pine trees. Now this summer they have laid a foundation, and cut wood to let it age and dry for a year, before starting construction in the summer of 2004.

Tanzhaus Update

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:17:34 +0100

tanzhaus-history

How it all began

Michael’s - Erdély / Ardeal / Siebenbürgen / Transylvania - House

Tanzhaus Update