I'm going to Moldova...who wants to go? What do you know about it? Any famous Moldovans?

Liberty_Bear

I spend a good bit of time going to random off the path places to satiate my curiosity on travel. Was messing about on Skyscanner and wanted to look for something different and plugged in a few dates in March to finish off some annual leave I had and Moldova came up. Admittedly I know only a few things about it (gleamed from their football teams, Eurovision and reading about Transnistira - an enclave of Russians that want independence). In the spirit of light heartedness, I figured what do we all know about Moldova. Have you been? The wine is meant to be amazing. Very turbulent history. Russians could come into north of Ukraine via Transnistria. Country is very cheap as well but then I realised after it has one of the lowest GDP's in Europe. Few words of Romanian should help or Russian if I go to Transnistria. National dish is Sarmale, same as in Romania which I had before Xmas .

Would you go?

CGI_Livia_Soprano

I’d go without a bother. Though I would probably ask not to sit next to anyone on my flights over and back: those parts of Eastern Europe are rife with sex tourism and I wouldn’t want to risk sitting next to someone popping over for a “work trip” away from the wife.

goldenmick

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Moldovans

https://www.britannica.com/place/Moldova

Now that wasn't too difficult was it.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612533#Comment_118612533

I guess you don’t know what a discussion forum is for so?

EmmetSpiceland

Tony Hawks’ book ‘Playing the Moldovans at Tennis’, while funny and interesting, did not paint the country in a very attractive light.

Now, maybe things have changed in the intervening years but it wouldn’t be on my own, personal, “bucket list”.

Liberty_Bear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612580#Comment_118612580

I read it about 20 years ago and his other book on getting a one hit wonder in Albania with Norman Wisdom! Quirky covers it!

goldenmick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612554#Comment_118612554

OP asked does anyone know any famous Moldovans. I doubt anyone on here knows more than Wikipedia.

OP asked does anyone know anything about Moldova. I doubt anyone on here knows more than Britannica.

Happy? Or do you want another attempt at sarcasm... your first failed you badly.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612600#Comment_118612600

Bang of neckbeard off you, pal. 👃 Take a shower and chill out before you do yourself a mischief.

HalloweenJack

Watch out for this lad:

https://youtu.be/6iFbuIpe68k

• It's a nice spot if you're content occupying yourself
• Not a place I'd be travelling if I was a woman
• Stay away from the ATMs

Liberty_Bear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612660#Comment_118612660

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612494#Comment_118612494

Been reading the latest travel advice on it - DFA is woeful

Seems a perfectly pleasent place for a few days

Not looking for anything major anyways

goldenmick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612650#Comment_118612650

That's some sax playing.

bennyineire

Have you watched the Bald and Bankrupt guy on YouTube, very entertaining. He went there and has a few good video's on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnDxHTaeNX0&t=6s

Liberty_Bear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612712#Comment_118612712

Cheers for that link - going to give that a watch!

bennyineire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612749#Comment_118612749

He has more than one on Moldova, there are all good craic

Collie D

Been to Chisinău. A shithole but a fun shithole was the consensus amongst our group. Or as the guy sat next to me on the way back said “A country with suggestions rather than actual laws.”

Very cheap drink, terrible food, taxi drivers who have no clue where anywhere is. No real city centre (that we found anyway), footpaths that just end all of a sudden leaving you walking on poorly lit roads, the footpaths that do exist have craters rather than potholes.

In short..good craic for a two night football trip but your wife will divorce you if you bring her for Valentine’s

Fr Tod Umptious

Kerry footballer Stefan Okanbour is from Moldova.

ancapailldorcha

I've been. I liked it but it's really a 1-day place. Chisinau is barren for a country capital. About one in five buildings looked used. That said, the Chisinau beer was nice. A friend and I had several beers and breakfast at a small bar-restaurant beside our digs and were out a score each at the end. It is Europe's poorest country and very much looks the part. We saw half a man trapped in a door at the bus station with a bin bag where his legs should have been. People just stepped over him.

Burt Renaults

Not a country that I ever gave a lot of thought to, apart from catchy Eurovision songs and a handy 6 points when Ireland face them in football qualifiers. But my most recent girlfriend was from there, and she spoke about home a lot because she missed it. So much so, that she dumped me and went back there. So it must be absolut frumos.

I'd definitely recommend learning a bit of conversational Romanian because most people, especially older people, don't speak English. Outside of Chisinau (which is far from wealthy), it's a very poor country. Safe enough though - comparable with Ireland, I would think.

bennyineire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612780#Comment_118612780

He's from Kerry, Tralee to be exact

cj maxx

I knew a man who travels, on holidays, to Eastern Europe. The more far flung the better. He loves seeing and meeting people he never would otherwise. Plus beer and prostitutes are cheap. Not my thing but fair play to him.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612712#Comment_118612712

He’s a very dodgy character, I’d recommend anyone who is interested to do some Googling. There’s been more than one non-trivial accusation thrown over the years about his behaviour around women.

Capt'n Midnight

You'll have to learn the national anthem.

Liberty_Bear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612906#Comment_118612906

Tend to follow that path, have done Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine etc. Fascinating countries with their own intrinsic cultures.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612891#Comment_118612891

It was called Moldavia when it was a Soviet Republic. I think a majority of the population would favour being united with Romania. In the Eurovision Romania always gives Moldova 12 points and vice versa, just like Greece and Cyprus.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612903#Comment_118612903

But he was born in Moldova and lived there for a few years.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612712#Comment_118612712

been watching a load of them vids all over eastern Europe and I found that they are very interesting and even a bit informative but the dude is a bit of a tool.

Been to a few of the rural areas of Romania and the Carpathians but not Moldavia , from what I know its similar but poorer.

road_high

I often noticed flights between Dublin and chisinau on flight radar and in the airport so there’s clearly a big enough migrant community over here. Not surprising given the vast difference in wages

Burt Renaults

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118613567#Comment_118613567

Even without unification, it's very easy for a Moldovan to get Romanian citizenship and all the benefits it provides.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118612494#Comment_118612494

They’re hardly going to jump you on the plane now are they?

Liberty_Bear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118613648#Comment_118613648

Romania adjusted their nationality laws to take account of their heritage and a lot more are applying.,