Over 300 Romanians volunteer to host Brits in gandul”s „Why don’t you come over” campaign. Meet Rodica from Dolj. VIDEOSTORY

The „Why don’t you come over?” campaign by Romanian online newspaper gândul and advertising agency GMP has expanded. Over 300 Romanians have volunteered to host British couchsurfers who want to visit Romania. For free. Among them, Rodica Florentina Ciutureanu, of Bârca commune in Dolj county, southern Romania.

The woman put up her couch and has already set up two rooms of her house for guests. Moreover, she got her mother-in-law to join the campaign and offer two more bedrooms for potential guests. Rodica Ciutureanu wants to promote Romania.

„Too much was spent on that leaf,” says Ciutureanu, 52, when asked what she thinks about Romania”s promotion as a tourist destination. „They haven”t done enough,” she says. „It”s this bloody politics. They”re all fighting each other instead of fighting for the country. Romania can be promoted with tourism and sports, not politics.”

She”s not into politics but she is somewhat of a local celebrity where she lives. „Florentina, you”ll be the death of me,” as mayor Popa Marian would say, because she can”t sit idle for a second.

My husband calls me Mrs. Internet

„I don”t like sitting around doing nothing,” she says. „So I get involved in all kinds of things. I like to get involved, learn things, see things. I”m curious.” She got an internet connection installed at her house four years ago and set up her own Facebook account. „I did it myself because my youngest daughter wouldn”t help,” she says, smiling at her daughter.

Rodica Ciutureanu joined gândul”s campaign / Photo: Mediafax, Florin Ceaușu

She posts everything on Facebook – photos of clothes, food. „My husband calls me Mrs. Internet,” she says, amused.

Mrs. Ciutureanu found us on the internet and said Yes to our campaign. She won us over when she posted a few representative photos taken in her yard on the gandul Facebook page and wrote „I would like to join your project to invite Brits to Romania.”

Part of the messages posted on the newspaper”s Facebook page

What could Brits see in Bârca

Now she wants to see foreigners in her native Bârca. It may not have sewage and running water, but the commune is worth the trip, she thinks. So is Romania. „If Brits were to come over, I”d show them around the flatlands. They could see traditional houses, our customs and interests. There are things to see here. I”d take them to people”s households to see crafts and traditions,” she says.

She is fond of traditions and she loves to sew. For 30 years, Mrs. Ciutureanu has been making a living sewing children”s costumes and dresses and she has recently turned entrepreneur.

Mrs. Ciutureanu has been a seamstress for over 30 years / Photo: Mediafax, Florin Ceaușu

She won a project on the internet and she will set up a sewing workshop in the commune. „I think they (tourists) would like to see my craft,” she says, running her hand over the cotton cloth turned traditional Romanian shirt.

Photo: Mediafax / Florin Ceaușu

She has other plans, too. She wants to rehabilitate the 800 wells in the commune. They too are a sight. They”re old and the water in them is great. She would never exchange it for city water. She couldn”t live in the city anyway. She loves her 40-year-old country house.

Mrs. Ciutureanu”s yard / Photo: Mrs. Ciutureanu”s personal archive

She lives there with her husband, Aurel, and her youngest daughter Elena, a highschool senior.

Elena, Mrs. Ciutureanu”s youngest daughter. Elena wants to leave Romania and join her siblings in Italy. „You can”t really make something of yourself here,” she says. She wants to return to Romania after a few years and live in the city of Craiova and go to nursing school or study pharmacy / Photo: Mediafax, Florin Ceaușu

Her mother-in-law, whom she persuaded to play host in case Brits come over, lives nearby. „She”s an open-minded, modern woman. She loves having and entertaining guests,” says Mrs. Ciutureanu.

Romanians as seen by a Romanian

She doesn”t see any reasons why tourists would avoid Romania, especially if they”re looking for an authentic lifestyle „with homegrown organic vegetables, cheese made with cow”s milk, free range eggs, fresh air.”

Tourists will be served traditional Romanian meals in this room / Photo: Mediafax / Florin Ceaușu

This photo, posted on newspaper Gândul”s Facebook page, came with the caption: „Our vegetables are organic and chemical-free”

She”s not concerned that Romanians would flee to Britain in large numbers starting 2014. „I don”t think Brits have any reason to fear us. They should see the good things,” she says. „Romanians are good, talented people, well trained in nearly any field. Take Romanian doctors, for example. They”re brilliant but they can”t earn decent wages here.”

Mrs. Ciutureanu knows what it”s like to face prejudice.  Two of her children have left Romania more than 11 years ago. Both her eldest son, Irinel, and her daughter Carmen, are in Italy. They work 10 km away from Rome, in San Cesareo. Her son works in construction and her daughter works in a furniture showroom. But „they are well seen, they know the language, their children go to kindergarten there, they have friends there.”

Rural tourism, even in Romanian

Her plans for the future? Mrs. Ciutureanu wants to learn at least a few words in English so she can speak to the foreigners she expects to host. But she”s mostly counting on Elena, who knows some English. Anyway, „all we need is good will. Romania is worth promoting,” says Rodica Florentina Ciutureanu.