Eastern European Food

cabbage soup with "mulled" red wine

Potato Dumplings w/ Bacon Garnish

Birch "Juice" w/ Eclairs 

Coffee w/ sugar, cinnamon, meringue

vodka before dinner

dumplings for lunch 

vodka before breakfast 

breakfast donuts with sour cream and jelly

fresh mushrooms

pork dinner

steak w/ mushroom side

chocolate w/ pepper and lemon 

Night Train from Chisinau, Moldova to Bucharest, Romania

We traveled on a very old night train from Chisinau, Moldova to Bucharest, Romania on a very old night train that required us to wait 2 hours for the train mechanical crew change the "wheels" on the train to fit the Romanian track size. The track size was different to prevent Russia from invading Romania back in the day.

Cricova Winery

Morning trip to Cricova Winery to see the wine making process at Moldova's second largest winery  and sample some of Eastern Europe’s best wine! The entire winery is underground. It's huge. It was originally established as a state-owned winery during the USSR period and it is still state- or government owned.

National Museum of History of Moldova

Very much a old soviet style museum and very underwhelming. There wasn't much to see, but we had a free afternoon.

City Tour of Chișinău, Transnistria

City Tour of Chisinau, Moldova

Grigorii Kotovskii - statue outside of Cosmos hotel  

Park near hotel - early morning jog

Ciuflea Monastery

Interior of Monastery 

Chișinău Hotel

National Hotel - once popular, now closed due to lack of guests

Tolstoy's House 

World War 2 Monument build by USSR  (aka Eternity Memorial Complex)

Cemetery 

Prior Stadium

Street Cars 

Open Air Market 

Nativity Cathedral 

City Tour of Bender, Transnistria

Transnistria War Memorial, Parkany

Tunnels, Bychok 

Old amusement rides such as bumper (above) and a spinning wheel (below). It looks right out of the 1950′s, but the rides still operate and are very cheap.

Beautiful Autumn Day

Monument Dedicated to the Works of the Railroad

The train station (above), renovated and well maintained.  However, it was completely empty because only a few trains stop here, and there are almost no passengers.

Inside Train Station

Soviet Style Bus Station 

"Sheriff" the riches man in Transnistria

Plastic Transnistria Money