We are currently having a ‘down week’ in between teams so we
drove to the capital city, Chisinau. A muffin and a cuppa in McDonalds felt a
luxury! The morning was spent exploring the National
Art Gallery and History Museum. It was so poignant to read about World War II
from a non-British perspective. Once again we were reminded of what a brutal
past this country has and how it has been passed about from pillar to post for
decades. You can really appreciate the Russian and Romanian influence among the
people, as Moldova only became an independent country 20 years ago.
The Lonely Planet guide suggested the caves and monastery of Orheiul Vechi as a highlight of the country, so we drove to see them as they aren't too far from Chisinau. Considering it was one of the biggest tourist
attractions of the country, no-one else was there! It just shows how
undiscovered Moldova is as a holiday destination. The only restaurant in the
area only catered for weddings so we raided their resources of crisps and
biscuits as a makeshift (and highly nutritious!) lunch. We then walked up to
the caves which had quite a view from the top, however the most dramatic part
of the afternoon was disturbing a wasp nest, our driver came of worst, poor
thing!
