Hilton Gatwick

Radisson Blu Chisinau

Maybe the best Radisson Blu, great breakfast, friendly staff, large room and the room service costs do little. 

Transnistria IV

Here I am ringing the Freedom Bell.

Transnistria III

At the end f our walking tour, we met up with Andrey the boss. He had a nice Dutch and German couple that hbsaud we would join and go to the Monastery. We ended up spending an additional two hours Viking sites and then having a me together. My lunch ended up costing only 6 Euros! 

Transnistria II

Transnistria

I had a great night and breakfast at The Radisson. My drive to Transnistria arrived promptly at 10am, The drive began with him having a fender bender as we were leaving Chisinau. It turned out go be a nothing burger. The drive took about an hour and a half. We went through customs without an issue.
After customs, we drove to the waiting area before the theatre where we met my guide.
The guide was a lovely, young woman named Victoria. She proceed for the next hour and. A half to walk we around to all the historic Soviet and Transnistria sites. Here are the photo highlights.

My Moldova

Independence Day, August 27! In Nice, I decided to visit and knock off Moldova and Transnistria.
The flight was no problem. My arrival in Chisinau was greeted with a bag that had a bottle of Champagne and whiskey as it was their Independence Day.  I attempted to take the bus into the city to the Radisson Blu hotel. I was the only English speaking person on the bus. I felt like everyone was looking at me like I was from another planet. I guess I was being from NYC.

San Marino

San Marino the last of my micro-countries to visit. I took a morning cab from the San Vitale and bought my ticket for the 1 hour and 20 minute train ride to Rimini. From Rimini it was a crowed, not comfortable bus to San Marino. The day was brutally hot so I picked myself up a gelato. It wasn't great but wasn't bad. It is a constant uphill walk so I made sure to hydrate. The fun thing I did here was go to the Vampire museum. Here are some photos of my San Marino Day.

More Bologna....

Bologna's decadent look...

Alberto San Vitale & Antique Cafe

My two old haunts. It has even said that there is somethink comforting about going back to a place and seeing yourself. This is how I feel about Bologna. It is not a pretty city but it is my city. This was my first trip after Fran died. My feelings were that even though I was grieving I needed to travel. I was worried I would be afraid to go alone. I came to Italy, stayed mostly in Bologna and battled the pain and lonlieness to travel.
Where I have my cappuccino every morning..

Bologna

A 5:30 wake up had me out the door in just enough time to catch the 8 am train to Bologna. I made a mistake with the track information as different class of trains post separately. However, the comfort of first class made for a nice ride to Milan then to Bologna. I even caught a little sleep on the ride.
I got in to Bologna at 3pm and even slept a little on the train. I took a cab to my San Vitale which was everything I remembered in 2005.
I showered, did laundry and bought water. I found the amazing Da Maro restaurant just where it was last time. I made a 8 pm time to eat and had a wonderful meal!
Bologna is a city that I would not call pretty but had a shabby chic feel to it. The kind of look people in NYC try and paint on there walls. The crumbling plaster worn old patina look.
I did notice more homeless people.

More from Nice

Nice Last day

My last day in Nice, I decided to go to Monaco. After taking a cab, I found the ticket place for trip to Monte Carlo. Ticket in hand it was time to find a cafe for a cappuccino. Oh, and a fresh orange juice. Every place seems to offer fresh juice and it is excellent. 

I searched the board, found my tract and got on the most crowded train I have ever been on. Packed together like sardines the 22 minute trip was not easy. Mostly all the people were getting off. 

My ankle was hurting me and as a result I decided to cab to the sights. Outside the station there is a taxi call box where you call for a taxi and wait. The cab came rather quickly and my first stop was the Prince’s automobiles. I had a fun time taking photos next to great cars. 

The museum overlooked the beautiful Mediterranean port  with its still water and baits idling away. The taxi drivers in Monte Carlo are the most pleasant I ever met. 

My next stop was the Cathedral where Grace Kelly got married to the Prince. It was barely an average Cathedral. When I left the Cathedral, it was the walking and seeing labyrinth streets as I walked to the palace. I did not care to see the Palace so I bought some magnets and postcards. I called for a taxi back to the train station. At the station, there was this bartender tossing bottles around so we chatted and had him do his thing for some photos.  The train came to take me back home.

SARAH CRISIS: I enter the room to relax and my text goes off alerting me that she could not get Frank to fill out paperwork that was due a year ago. I made the calls, crisis averted as he will fax her the information.