The North Yorkshire market town of Knaresborough, about five miles east of Harrogate, perches precariously above a deep gorge through which runs the river Nidd. "It's an emerging economy and a very cultured land with a rich folklore and many artists. I want to contribute in some way.McIntyre-Brown plans to complete the restoration next summer. "I want it to be a haven, a place of healing, perhaps for people to come while recovering from cancer, because it's so peaceful and restorative. The interior needs complete renovation, and the first job is to build a septic tank and install a loo. For the furnishings, McIntyre-Brown plans to employ local craftspeople. From there it's two hours drive to Zarnesti, and then on to my village by taxi or, failing that, horse-and-cart."The three-storey house is of traditional wooden construction, clad in hand-carved wooden shingles with a modern terracotta pantile roof.

But the legalities were simple and the local bank very efficient.""Now, I can't think of any disadvantages. It's a bit of a trek to get there, but that's also its charm. (She lost £2,000 on currency fluctuations.) "It was all done in cash, which was nerve-racking, and there were a few 'what have I done?' moments. "But somehow Luminita worked magic and I got a phone call in September saying, 'Come and get your house!'."McIntyre-Brown paid about £23,000 (1.3 billion lei) for her house, a stable and hayloft, and the land. "It's paradise in summer but under snow for five months of the year, and it hit -38C last winter. There was no way I wanted somewhere I could only use half of the year. But we went anyway, winding up hairpin bends and along stony tracks.

We stopped about 100 yards away and walked through the gate into the meadow And that was it It was like a gift that dropped from the sky. It was my house and I couldn't not have it.'The price was set at £21,000, which included two-thirds of an acre of pasture, but then a protracted process involving Romanian inheritance laws and family politics threatened to abort the sale. "Ginny left me a generous legacy and I wanted to do something different with her money. It suddenly occurred to me that she would have loved this idea. Ran agreed - I wouldn't have done it without his backing."So, in May last year, McIntyre-Brown rang her Romanian friends to ask them to look for a house for her in the area for £10,000-£15,000 She flew out in June to see what they had lined up for her "It's all done on hearsay and informal networks. You won't see a 'for sale' sign or even an estate agent in a small town like Zarnesti," she explains.But nothing grabbed her. On her previous visit she had been to a Carpathian village near Zarnesti, and Dan said he'd heard that there may be a house for sale up there McIntyre-Brown was adamant that she didn't want it.