Finally...an Australian take on Moldova...

Last year I married a Moldovan.

After 18 months living in the capital Chisinau, I can offer some Australian reflections on this place...and new perspectives on the world.

In a nutshell, Moldova is an amazing place...full of contrasts: poverty, BMWs, corruption, beauty, vineyards, sovietic apartment blocks, great art, kitch, hospitality, rudeness, Russian-speakers, Romanian speakers, mosquitos in summer, frost bite in winter, stray dogs, stray supermodels...

It was Nicholas Thorpe, of Digerati fame, who first pushed me into this... and I resisted, for many many months. But finally I give in.

Moldova? Is it real? Ahhh...yes, really. The Republic of Moldova is a small country of 3-4 million good folk situated between Romania and Ukraine...(Eastern Europe, that is). On a map, it's to the right of those familiar names like France, Germany and England.

Did I mention that it's an amazing place? Well it is. Blackest soil I've ever seen. And that's not all... But that's all I'll say for now. I'm off on a roadtrip to Switzerland and Sweden with my wife, Cristina, and her parents and sister... Madness!

Back in September...

See ya!