Traveling gives you the opportunity to get a glimpse into somebody else’s life.
I’m fascinated by homes around the world. You can tell a lot by a person’s home, and front yard for that matter.
Therefore, I’ve compiled ten photos of front yards from around the world. What can we glean from them?
This first house was the house Jim and I owned in Alaska. Alaska front yards contain a lot of snow, and usually the machines and tools that help you remove the snow or at least a couple of four wheel drives to get you up that [...]
Continue reading Front Yards From Around the World
Situated in the middle of the downtown area of Chișinău, the capital city of Moldova, stands this statue and memorial to their best loved king, St. Stephen.
St. Stephen ruled for 47 years, longer than any other monarch dedicated to their country, not part of another power. Surrounded by very powerful enemies such as the the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Kingdom of Hungary, Stephen was able to maintain his independence by fighting numerous wars and building strong fortresses on his borders.
He was sainted in 1992 by the Romanian Orthodox church because of his dedication [...]
Continue reading Reflection #524 – Statue of St. Stephen in Chișinău
Moldovan Barn Door
When I was younger I loved to read spy novels. Invariably these spy novels took place in cold, barren Soviet countries. Moldova is such a photogenic country, full of my visions from old spy novels. There was scene after scene of trees with no leaves, frosty sidewalks, creaking grass underfoot in the park. Cold. Barren. Scary. I went to Moldova during the winter. It was reminded me of all of those old spy novels. The air was crisp, the cars seemed to leave smoke or mist in their wakes, and the people were all bundled up [...]
Continue reading Reflection #505- Barn Door in Moldova
A woman peeks a look from her gate in Moldova.
Traveling around the Moldovan countryside, you see so much more than you do in the city. The houses are always bigger. There is a yard, farm animals, and curious people. People are not usually so curious in the city, because they are too busy. This woman couldn’t help but come out to see what the foreigners were up to. I love that she is peeking out from an ornately painted gate. She had a young goat tied up in front, and I think she was worried we would bother [...]
Continue reading Reflection #500 – Woman in Moldova
Even though there was no snow on the ground, this village north of Chisinau in Moldova really was cold. You can see the young boy all bundled up but still playing outside. If you haven’t had a chance to make it to Moldova, put it on your list. You won’t be disappointed.
Other posts about Moldova…read on!
Moldova? Where’s That?
Orhei Veichi, The Site to go to in Moldova
Moldovan Hospitality
Reflection #505- Barn Door in Moldova
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Continue reading Photo of the Day – Village Scene Moldova
Isn’t it funny how such a small gray city bird can cause so much joy or frustration depending on the person. Take my husband, pigeons drive him mad, especially when they want to roost on our balconies. I, personally, like watching people feed them, little kids chase them, and watch them strut across roads when the light turns green.
This photo was taken in chilly Chisinau in Moldova. How much fun to chase the birds and watch them flap all around you.
This sunset photo was taken in the evening when the sun just started to sink. Traveling at the end of November has its challenges with few daylight hours, but at least you’re still out and about when the sun begins to set. This is a handheld shot, and the bus was ready to go, but I think it’s a pretty good one.
One of the other major sights in Moldova is the Milestii Mici wine cellars. The Moldovans were very proud of the fact that it is in the 2007 World Book of Records for having the most underground wine caves. The caves were impressive. There are 207 kilometers of caves, but today they are only using 55 kilometers for wine storage. 55 Kilometers! That’s a lot of wine!
When I hear the word “cave” I’m expecting a rough interior; this was not rough at all. Well, at least not the parts that we visited which, of course, was only a fraction [...]
Continue reading Happy New Year! Milestii Mici (Moldovan Wine)
One of the main reasons we chose to visit Moldova is that we knew a couple of families that had kids at our school in Ankara. Both of us had taught both children, and we were excited to see where they lived and have a visit with them. On Saturday night, we were treated to a traditional Moldovan dinner with the families. We ate at a restaurant in Chisinau called Salcioara, and as we entered our private room, the table was laid with all manner of appetizers, meat dishes, and vegetables, and there was one area with various liquors [...]
Continue reading Moldovan Hospitality
Interior of the Pestere Monastery
About an hour north of Chisinau is one of Moldova’s most famous and important tourist sites. Unbelievably, it is not yet on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List, but it is on the list of tentatives. I fervently hope it will soon be included on the list. Orheiul is an area, in the Raut River valley, lined with limestone shell cliffs, that has been inhabited for thousands of years. Even though it is close to some old-world forest (the Codrii), it has very few trees right there, but along the river is evidence of [...]
Continue reading Orhei Veichi, The Site to Go to in Moldova
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