Past the Halfway Mark

When I think back on visits to different countries, it can sometimes be hard to pick out a coherent theme or vibe that I got from the place. With many destinations, we arrive with preconceived ideas that may or may not be confirmed. With others, we might start with a much more blank slate in terms of biases and expectations. Towards the goal of visiting EVERY country, there have certainly been a few trips to places that I didn’t know much about ahead of time and also didn’t experience anything memorable. That unfortunate combination really feels like “checking a box,” so I try to minimize them. Fortunately though, Moldova, my 100th country visited, was absolutely not that combination.

Shobana & I stayed primarily in Chișinău and took multiple day-trips to the countryside. Pastoral serenity in many places. Maybe not Windows 98 desktop background or Mongolian grasslands but nonetheless beautiful open countryside. We were surprised by the quality of the wine tours in Moldova. We had just come from a wine-drinking Mecca with near-daily tours in Georgia. We both actually preferred (and enjoyed!) the wine in Moldova more. In particular, the Branesti winery was the best I’ve ever visited. The food in Moldova was great… very hearty homestyle cooking.

The geopolitical situation has certainly changed significantly since our visit, but I still wouldn’t mind visiting again.