ULIM

It was fitting that my first meetings on Monday morning were at ULIM (the Free University of Moldova). It was so nice to be back on campus! (This is where I taught as a Fulbright Scholar in 2010.)

Although I must say that walking up the 7 flights of stairs without the hustle and bustle of students in between classes wasn't quite the same.

My colleague Larisa (a professor of International Relations) and I met with her Dean to discuss ideas for a joint course for ULIM and USFSP students when I return to Moldova with my Study Abroad course in the spring.  We are planning joint seminars, lectures and guest speakers for a course on the politics and government of Moldova.

After meeting with the Dean, we stopped by the Library to visit the Library's Director, who we'll also be collaborating with on this project.

Both the Dean and the Director of the Library were Fulbright Scholars to the US. It is truly remarkable,the international network of scholars developed by the Fulbright Program!

It turns out there is now a "yellow chair" restaurant, Galbenus, at ULIM! We had time for a quick bite after our meeting. More zeama and salata shopski!

For more information about ULIM, see  http://www.ulim.md/

Aventura Parc

After our rest at the lakeside cafe, we were up for more adventures at Aventura Parc.

Parcul Valea Morilor

We took 2 trolleys to get to Parcul Valea Morilor. We got off on Mateevici Str., near the American Resource Center, and walked down the long staircase towards the lake.  This lake had been drained when we were here in 2010, but it was recently filled to be enjoyed once again.

When we were last in this park, we were sledding with Peggy's friends Maya and Leo.  On this Sunday afternoon, it was 100 degrees. Such a contrast!

As we made our way towards the beach, we found a lakeside cafe for refreshments. Salata shopska!

You can visit this link to learn more about the history of the park -- and to see some great old photos:

http://www.ecology.md/md/section.php?section=history&id=8008

trolley ride down Stefan cel Mare

Settling in to Chisinau

We walked around the City Center, visiting many of our favorite spots

There are jungle gyms in the courtyard of our new apartment

We also visited one of our favorite parks/playgrounds. Monkey bars are great for stretching after 3 long plane rides/21 hours of travel to get to Chisinau

We discovered children's programming on Naroc TV-- children's music videos -- Peggy loved it!

 http://www.noroc.tv/emisiuni/foto/muzica_copii

The Art Market. We found the artist who made crocheted dolls I bought for Peggy on our last trip!  (We met her through the IWCM)  She'll be making a new ballerina Peggy doll for Peggy (with purple tights and a pink tutu!) and will also do the needlework on a linen shirt for Peggy.  

http://www.lucrumanualmoldova.blogspot.com/

And, of course, the zama at the "yellow chair" restaurant on Pushkin Street

Peggy rides a dune buggy in the park around the cathedral

Yes, we went to McDonald's and upstairs to the play area

We can still see ULIM from our apartment, but this time, a different view

We arrived at our apartment around 2 pm local time. I began unpacking the suitcases and settling in to the apartment. Then we decided to walk around the City Center and to visit some of our favorite spots. Of course we walked towards Peggy's favorite park/playground.  We had dinner at Andy's Pizza -- a new one that just opened in Sun City. It is quite nice and has a great view. More upscale than the others we remembered. We also made our first trip to the Nr 1 grocery for supplies.   On Saturday, we did more of the same. After breakfast, we headed out for more adventures in the City Center.  We started at the Orange store, so I could add minutes to my cell phone (THANKS AGAIN, Lorraine!). Then, to the park/playground (we were THRILLED to see my friend and colleague Larisa and her husband in the park!), the Art Market, the book shop (in search of the Russian paper dolls), lunch at the "yellow chair" restaurant, dinner at McDonald's, another trip to the Nr 1 for more supplies.  After we got home, we had a nice long skype session with Ramsay....and then a bath in the spa/whirlpool tub. A great ending to what felt like a long day. Hoping that by tomorrow we'll be feeling more adjusted to the time change and recovered from the journey. It's time for me to get to work!

  

Traveling to KIV

The last time Peggy and I traveled to Chisinau, we flew out of Orlando. From Orlando we could fly non-stop to Germany, and then to Chisinau:  one layover.  From Tampa, in order to get to Europe, one must fly first to a "US Gateway airport" and then on to Europe.  Last time we drove to ORL and then had a mini-holiday at Walt Disney World before our Moldovan adventures. This time, we had special birthday celebrations for Ramsay in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine immediate prior to our trip, so we decided to fly out of Tampa, even though it meant a 2nd layover/3rd flight each way.  The travel time is still the same. We had/will have 2 short layovers instead of one long one.

Our journey was about 21 hours, from the front door of our little beach bungalow to our apartment in Chisinau's City Center.

As our journey was coming to an end, and we were heading up the 4 flights of stairs to our apartment, I had to laugh when after we opened the door to our apartment, we were greeted by our own private/interior staircase as well. Our 4th floor walk-up is actually a 5th floor walk up in disguise. This provides a good (and much-needed) workout, especially when carrying groceries.

A few photos from the travel to KIV

Peggy riding the luggage cart in TPA

The gate announcing Chisinau flight in MUC

The view of Moldova as we approached our descent into KIV

The stairs that greeted us inside our new apartment 

"My Life in Florida"...liberated from the video camera 2 years later

I pulled out the video camera that we had brought to Moldova back in August of 2010. The camera traveled with me to Moldova...and on other excursions in the region. 

I brought this camera with me on my trips to the painted monasteries in Bucovina.....to "Dracula's Castle" on Halloween....to Odessa....but, sadly, it stayed in my bag and captured no videos.

I thought I would try again to bring the video camera to Moldova, once again with the hopes of posting videos on this blog. 

In the process of trying to remember how to record a video, save it, and upload it, I found that I had taken a video during Peggy's presentation, "My Life in Florida," which she delivered in her Kindergarten class at the International School in Chisinau, c. September 2010.  I can't wait to show it to her in the morning.