Wednesday Sep 1 — Tirospal
We exit Ukraine :( and enter into Transnistria. Our passports are not stamped and we are given an entry piece of paper. We check into room 312 of Russia Hotel. It is quite nice. Afternoon lunch at USSR canteen and then a walk to the train station, and along the Dniester river. It rains a bit. Dinner at the Russia Hotel Terrace including a chopped beet, carrot and apple salad, gazpacho soup, shrimp tempura rolls, grilled sturgeon, olives and 2 shots of local vodka.
Thursday, Sep 2 — Chisinau
Breakfast at the hotel, Indendence Day Military parade in the morning and walk to local market and pictures with an elder solder. I walk by the Dniester river. We drive to Chișinău and check in to the City Park Hotel. Dinner at Vatra Neamului. Desert Delice d’Ange and then we walk around a bit.
Friday, Sep 3 — Chisinau
Breakfast at the Crème de la Crème. We then take a driver and visit the Mileștii Mici winery at 11:00am and then the Cricova winery at 3:00pm. Dinner at Karl Schmidt.
Saturday, Sep 4 — Chisinau
Breakfast at Crème de la Crème; chilaxing. We walk over to the National Museum and then to Havuzul Palatului National where by chance we find the Beer Mania Craft Beer festival. At one point, Cuibul, a legendary Modovan band takes the stage and everyone is having a good time dancing and listening. Bed
Sunday, Sep 5 — Chisinau
Breakfast at Crème de la Crème . Walk around the hotel and then to Valea Morilor Park and around the lake in the late aftenoon. Snakc dinner at La Taifas and then we head over to the Butcher Meat & Beer cafe for another dinner of fish, salad, and sauage (and beer.)
Monday, Sep 6 — Chisinau
We wake at 5:30am, take a car to the Chișinău International Airport for 250 Moldovan leu. We check in, clear immigration and have a slight issue becuase as we entered Moldova through Transnistria, we don't have an entry stamp into Moldova (because the Transnistria officials don't consider itselft part of Moldova, so why would they give us a entry stamp? Anyhow, when leaving the country, the immigration offical asks us, "What day did you enter Moldova?" The correct answer, whcih we gave, was Sep 1. But someone mistakingly excluding Transistria from the day they entered Moldova would have failed this question and probably have further explaining to do. We check out the Priority Pass lounge, which is small but good. After going through the boarding agent for our flight, we all stand around on an apron bus for about 15 minutes, exchanging germs and eventually drive to the plane on the tarmack. We board our FlyOne flight 5F 325 and depart KIV Chișinău International Airport at 8:50amm