Bees do well in the hills around Buciumi, where acacia, linden, wildflower meadows and fruit orchards flower in turn from April to August, and in many gardens a few painted hives sit under the plum trees. Poiana Șeredanilor, which one might loosely translate as the glade of the Șeredan family or people, is a clearing name near the village, about five kilometres from Stârciu. It is a place on a map more than a viewpoint, but it gives you the right country for talking about honey.
Romania is one of Europe's major honey producers, and acacia honey, pale and clear and slow to crystallise, is the national favourite, with linden, sunflower and mixed forest honey close behind. Many villagers keep a handful of hives and sell jars at the roadside, usually with a hand-lettered sign and no attendant, just a bucket for money. Look for a table at a gate with jars of honey, jam, pickled vegetables and a bottle of something stronger. The bees are gentle enough, but when the hives are being worked, a dark leather jacket can excite them, so keep moving.
The area's riding is sociable rather than demanding. Lanes meander between meadows and orchards, with gentle bends and short hills, and most of the surface is acceptable, though there are rough sections where heavy trucks have broken the edges. Villages come with sudden speed bumps and children on bicycles. In hot weather, the smell of mown hay and of wild thyme drifts across the road, and swallows skim the tarmac. Sudden summer storms are common in the afternoon, and the forecast can change fast.
Fuel is not available at Stârciu, a village of just over a thousand, so plan a stop in a larger place such as Zalău before heading up into the hills. A village shop will sell basics, and if you strike up a conversation the owner may offer a spoonful of the latest harvest.
Late May, when the acacia blooms and the air is heavy with scent, is as good as it gets.