Bored with my inactivity, last week I began walking during the day to discover what there is in Chisinau. The first day, I headed west. I was looking for a gym that someone had told me about. I did find the gym, but what I discovered before that was the most lovely lake. This lake is Lacul Valea Morilor. There is also a park. The sun was setting as I arrived, and it was beautiful. People were strolling or fishing from the walkway. Finding such a beautiful place in Chisinau, I felt like Columbus must have when he set eyes on land.
After spending sometime exploring Chisinau via Google Maps, the next day I headed northeast to look for the Circus. The Circus is just over the river and not far from our apartment. Sadly, it is a shadow of what it once was. It has become derelict and abandoned. This drum-shaped building must have been fabulous in its day.
The next day, I went southwest to the "Armenian" cemetery. It is called "Armenian" because it is situated where Armenian Street begins/ends. While I was there, another person quietly strolling suggested I visit Dendrologic Park. He told me it would be a beautiful place to take photos. On Saturday, Dan and I headed toward Dendrologic Park. We didn't know where the entrance was but found a hole in the fence--that we crawled through. Once inside, we realized that there is only one entrance/exit gate because an admission is charged. The park is huge and beautifully landscaped with paths, lawns, gardens, and groves of trees. When we finally found the official exit, we slinked out.
Then I took Dan to the lake I had found a few days before. Again, it was stunning and the sun was shining. We ran into a bachelorette party group and took their photo. We chatted with them and they shared a bottle of champagne with us. The bride, with the white veil, is getting married next Saturday. The ladies had already finished 2 bottles of champagne before we met them. They were strolling around taking photos of themselves and the bride to be before they finished their party at a restaurant for dinner and more drinks.
On Sunday, Dan and I went south toward the train station. Before we found the train station, we stumbled upon a weekend market of used clothing, ephemera, and treasures. It went on for maybe a couple of kilometers before the train station and then circled it.
The Chisinau Train Station has been restored, but the interior is mostly empty. It is not busy or grand in any way. There is a poignant monument in front of the train station remembering those men, women, and children who were deported during the Communist regime.
Chisinau is not a large city, but exploring the compass points by foot does make a long, tiring day. We took our first bus which, unfortunately, ended up turning off quite far from where we wanted to go. Dan and I were hoping to see a garden of sculptures created in Soviet Moldova. We didn't find it, but we ended up at yet another park and lake. This one is called Parcul La Izvor and is located in the northwest part of the city. We got there just before the sun set and had an enjoyable walk around the lake.
We caught the correct bus back to the city center.
Great pictures! I especially like the last one.
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