After my five nights in Chişinău I took a train to Iași, just across the border in Romania. That short journey merits a blog post all of its own.
Romania is another country I had not visited before and for some reason the idea of starting in a provincial city appealed to me. Bucharest can wait.
Iași is still part of historical Moldova. I was curious to find out what would be similar and what would not. I spent two nights there, but travel timings meant I only had the one day… and I was tired after that train journey.
Certainly it shares Chişinau’s contrasts between the modern, the Soviet/Communist inheritance and what survives from before. Would I go back? Yes, if the opportunity comes along.
I stayed at the Hampton by Hilton which was lovely in lots of ways, although breakfast was a bit of a battle. That was down to the other inmates as opposed to hotel management.
I never did find out why so many Romanian family groups were there midweek at the end of October.
I left from the local airport on a Wizzair flight to Basel. The airport was excellent. So was Wizzair. I used Bolt to get to the airport, and I used that app for my taxi from railway station to hotel as well. Safe. Guaranteed prices. Great service.
One memory I will hold onto was eating a fabulous burger at a street truck outside the Palas Mall.
Not only was the food superb, but I ate it sitting outside about 7pm. That was on 30 October.
ⓒ iain taylor, 2025
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