A Visit to Moldova - Photo Album December 1998

At the Apartment

Kim & Judith's apartment.

One view of the apartment building Kim and Judith live in.

Yet another view!

That's their living room, way up there on the fourth floor.

In the front of the living room window, Kim and Judith put a New Years Tree. They're not called Christmas Trees.

Judith making some toast in her kitchen. Notice the window behind her? That's the water closet! The whole apartment has lots of windows--I guess that's so if the lights go out, you can still get around. It's a bit unsettling to look into the kitchen when you're doing #1, but, well, hey.

And Judith's pleased as punch that she has a big bear in her kitchen! When Kim and Judith moved in, they paid for a hot water heater to be installed. Since this is a concrete building, redoing the plumbing was a bit of a chore... Tap water isn't really safe to drink, as it contains heavy metals and other contaminants. For cooking and other uses, the Peace Corps has given them an electric distiller that takes up a small corner of the washroom.

Enjoying catching up in the sala, or living room. Like most homes in Moldova, there's a rug hanging on the wall to provide a little warmth. Those concrete walls seem to radiate cold! Nonetheless, there is plenty of heat in the building. You just have no control over it, as there aren't any thermostats in any of the apartments. All or nothing--and it was nothing until mid-November!

The New Years Tree strikes again!

When we first arrived, we were greeted with a traditional greeting of champagne (or wine) and bread!

But that first night, we thought it'd be a good idea to go to a local restaurant in Chisinau, so we trundled over to El Paso, the local Mexican restaurant. They make a killer guacamole there.

Judith enjoys a placinta that Tamara's made. Placinta is basically filo (flaky) dough, like in a croissant, with potatoes and cheeses baked in. Yummy!

Alas, this is the last picture from Moldova! Chris and Judith put on their boots at the front door, as we prepare to return to the airport. In every home in Moldova, you take your shoes off at the front door.

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