Leaving Ungheni
The Style Hotel in Ungheni was somewhat unusual. On the third floor of a multi functional building, with a large gym and cafeteria. It was only small, about 6 rooms, very modern, but despite air conditioning, it was still hot and I had a very poor sleep. I think Dennis slept better, though. After breakfast in Poki, we set off at about 10.30.
Drive to Chisinau
It was a very pleasant drive of just over 100 kilometres. The E58, the main road, is a good one with very little traffic, until we reached the outskirts of Chisinau. Along the way were numerous EU signs with some saying EU by 2030. Obviously, Moldova is very keen to join and align themselves with the west and away from Russian influence.
As we have progressed eastwards the housing in the countryside seems poorer. We have noticed houses with wells in the front gardens and people drawing water from the wells. So, no running water. Some of the things I have noticed here in Moldova are that they like ornate iron gates. There also seems to be a great wish for clean cars. There are so many car washes in evidence. Mechanical car washes, not a man who jumps out at you at a traffic light with a bottle of soapy water and a squidgy.
Chisinau
Chisinau is a very leafy, green city. A mix of older, Soviet blocks and modern architecture. Large green, flowery parks too. It feels like a modern, forward thinking place. Fashionably dressed, smart girls, coffee shops and expensive cars. Parking is a bit of a nightmare.
We, fortunately, found a parking space, in the shade, next to one of the parks and decided to have a walk around. We hoped we might find a tourist information office, but there doesn’t appear to be one. We managed to obtain a city map from a travel agency. At the moment we have no wifi. It’s not worth us buying a SIM card just for a couple of days, as we can get wifi in cafes and at hotels.
Some sights in Central Chisinau
Triumphal Arch
We found a coffee shop and stopped for a drink and to use their wifi to find the location of the hotel I had booked for tonight. Our sat-nav refused to recognise the address. Google Maps revealed it wasn’t far away and enabled us to see how to reach it on the map we had been given.
We found the hotel at 2pm, which was check in time, but their parking was full and the entire street was packed with cars, some even double parked. I asked the receptionist where we should park. It is always risky relying on Booking.com’s information on parking. It is often misleading. The receptionist suggested the next street, we would just have to look for somewhere. There don’t, hopefully, seem to be any parking restrictions, so we are two streets away, in the shade of a tree. We hope Poki will still be there and in one piece when we return to her.
Having spent the afternoon relaxing watching YouTube clips, we decided at 6 pm it was time to go out for dinner. We had needed a rest having been continuously on the road for 10 days and felt all the better for it. When we left the hotel, all the parking was free, so we collected Poki and brought her back to park outside the front door.
Dinner at a Moldovan Restaurant
Having eaten dinner in Poki since we left, we decided it was time for a change. We wanted some local Moldovan cuisine. The walk from the hotel to the centre of the city was about 20 minutes. We passed some bars and closed coffee shops, but other than MacDonalds, if you can call that a restaurant, few eating places. Once in the centre of the city, we asked a lady who looked rather like a tour guide if she spoke English. She did, perfectly. Asking if she could point us in the direction of some restaurants, she asked what sort of cuisine. We said something typically Moldovan. She directed us to a place just past the park where we had been parked earlier in the day. It was just what we wanted. Not expensive and all locals eating there, local music playing too.
My choice stroganoff, Dennis’s, I have no idea of the name, but a chicken dish, topped by cheese and egg.
Tomorrow we will turn back to Romania.
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