retiredmartin

March 2025. Chisinau.

Well, Mrs RM has finally published her first (excellent) blog post on the Moldovan trip (here), typically for a woman it’s all about trainspotting.

She was still planning the night train to Bucharest when I left her for a third and last night of craft beer check-ins. It started disappointingly, Keller Holz (one of two Untappd approved venues) saying “We’re full“,

and seemingly considering standing at the bar a mortal sin. Which it is.

This was a Saturday night, though you wouldn’t have guessed.

The restaurants around the west bank looked full enough,

but where were the people on the street ?

Too cold (it was the same weather as in Sheffield), with just a handful braving the barrels outside the Czech bistro.

Quiet but classy, the few bars wouldn’t look out of place on Sheffield’s Division Street, and if I had one disappointment it’s that language apart I could have been in any major city in England, or Thessaloniki, or Pristina. Actually, those Kosovan bars were very different.

Our driver Vasili had recommended Craft Baza when I asked him where the Old Boys went in the evening for a pint. They don’t, they stay in their flats and drink wine and vodka.

And while Vasili was probably only 30 (he’d returned back from London during COVID), it was hard to imagine him in these determinedly young folks craft bars. Me ? I’m young, mate.

The Nagrani Stout (£2.80 a half litre) was tasty enough, but I could never quite feel comfortable. This felt like a Moldovan Vocation or Brew Dog, all beer boards and burgers and beer pong,

but as long as it’s more Vocation than Brew Dog that’s OK, yeah.

I didn’t feel like staying for another so popped in the mini-supermart across the road where students were dropping bottled of Moldovan road and buying snacks.

This was my collection delivered to Mrs RM;

Yes, we ate very badly that day.