But what are we Moldovans proud of?

The Italians have prosciutto, mozzarella and limoncello, the Spanish have ham, pimientos de Padrón and tapas, the French have cheeses, fine pastries and wines, the Danes have rye bread, and the Dutch have beer, cheeses and herring. And in most cases, no one anywhere can name and sell cheese like mozzarella, a strong drink like cognac or sparkling champagne, unless they come from the regions where they are originally produced. And this because these products enjoy a special status, protected by law.

What do we Moldovans have? If we are to quote ex-President Timofti: "this has not been decided, because we do not yet have, you know, I do not know what we do not have, but it was good to be, I tell you honestly." Yes, it was good to be. Because we want to know our world and to be able to tell strangers when they ask us: what you have here to see, tasted, bought.

The experience that journalist Nata Albot has gained in recent years working with local producers and studies in Montreal in marketing and gastronomic tourism, has given her the courage to try to create a list of local specialities, coming from one specific area, fresh or processed in a certain way, in compliance with the law, could become business cards of the country, with which we can attract tourists and boast with them. So, we Moldovans, what do we proud about?

I think, if I were to collect a puzzle of local specialities, you might discover a curious thing about our country. Moldova is a sweet, aromatic and intoxicating country. Our local specificity is closely linked to what grows on our land and what is found in our traditional culinary culture. Let's begin!

1. Fresh fruits: cherries, peaches, plums, strawberries, apples

Do you know that in Trușeni the largest cherry orchards in the country grow, in Tudora people have been proud for decades with their peaches, the strawberries from Costești invade our markets in season, etc? We have some local fruits in the country, which could become a brand for certain villages where traditionally they are grown, thus increasing their attractiveness and popularity. Around these fruits, geographically linked to certain villages, local authorities could build tourist identity, road signs, village entry facilities, culinary routes, campaigns to promote these villages and the products derived from these fruits.

How it sounds „Cireșele de Trușeni”, Tudora – the capital of the Peaches or the strawberries of Costești.

2. Dried fruits: apples, plums. I think, though, that the greatest potential is dried plums. Because it is rarely consumed abroad, more like a destitute, and to us, they already have a local identity that has become a tradition: plums with chocolate nuts (good to make as a gift), plums cooked in wine (like those prepared at Hanganu's Inn) from Lalova) or served with whipped cream and nuts as a local dessert.

3. Sweetness: rose, white cherries, walnuts, chives

These types of sweets are rarely found elsewhere. They are specific to our area and can become a country brand. At present, the rose sweet from Călărași is already enjoying the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certification, offered by AGEPI.

4. Grapes: Cardinal, Moldova, Șasla, etc.

When the season comes, they become the favourite dessert on the table: an explosion of unique flavours, colours and tastes. Many varieties of table grapes are grown in Moldova. And their aromas are unmistakable.

4. Moldovan fruit trees: blackberries, currants, raspberries, citrus fruits, aronia, goji

Inspired by the way Canadian blueberries are promoted, I can tell you with certainty that our local seedlings also have the power to become a country brand. Including derivative products, such as jams, syrups, honey mixtures or apple pills, so tasty of MoBerry.

6. Honey: lime, acacia, flowers

Not only bees in Moldova make good honey. But to turn honey into a specific national product, with which to boast in front of strangers, nothing prevents us. Simple honey or with various mixtures, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, ginger or mint, as those from Zabriceni Monastery, is a very tender product to be transformed into a culinary route, cognitive trips for children or local festivals.

7. Dried aromatic plants: acacia, rose, lavender, lime, leuștean, hyssop, basil

I smelled of lavender and other parts, and lime and acacia happened to catch flower in other countries. And I can tell you with certainty, that as the lime smells in Moldova it does not look anywhere, and the acacia and lavender. The latter has been cultivated in our country for decades for oil extraction. It is a special variety, Augustifolia K90 (Chisinau 90 or Chisiniovscaia 90) which contains an increased amount of oil and, therefore, is particularly aromatic, even if it is smaller in flower. Small but cheerful, the lavender from Moldova.

Our aromatic plants are a powerful magnet of attention for Moldova. It is important to know how to brand them. We could borrow good practices from the French, who have been doing this for many years. By the way, the monks from the Zăbriceni Monastery have a line called Bio Cămara and they are to be commended for the range of aromatic plants already registered at AGEPI with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

8. Nuts: green, dried, almonds

Did you know that in Moldova we have a very suitable climate for growing walnuts? And not too many countries can boast of such walnut plantations that we have in the country. Almonds also grow well with us. We just need to be aware of this wealth and start working on its marketing. Why not have energizing sticks with nuts and local dried fruits or various nuts pasta for salads with PGI?

9. Traditional pastry: pies, Guguță's couscous, tarts, cherries with cherries, cakes, nuts with condensed milk, black and white doughnut
In the chapter on Traditional Specialties, we can write a good part of our grandparents' sweets. If the French have croissant, baguette and a lot of other traditional goodies, the Germans have the gingerbread cake, so why couldn't we make the corncakes with rose candy from Butuceni or the Plate of the Bride from Crocmaz or the northern tarts of my grandmother, a national product, recognized and presented internationally as a traditional speciality?

10. Festive bread: colac, pasca, cozonac
There are many stories to tell in this chapter. We have a very rich festive bread tradition for various occasions and rituals. Those from Văleni, from the Bread Museum, can freely patent Pupaza, and those from Malovata can claim exclusivity on the wedding cake. So that the whole country has something to be proud of, and how our festive bread looks to become an ornament for home decor, postcards, mugs and calendars.

11. Oils: almond, unrefined sunflower, rapeseed
In addition to nuts and local seeds, which can be our business card, we also have good oils. That is, olive oil can be the pride of the Greeks and the Italians, and ours, unrefined by the sunflower, directly removed from the owl could not? Have you ever eaten any salad better than tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with unrefined sunflower oil, like home-grown, good morning? We have several cold-pressed oil producers, but I don't think any of them have tried to register their products at AGEPI.

12. Cheese: cows, sheep, goat, warp, curd, sheep, cheese
We cannot compete with the French, nor with the Dutch. But anyway we have what! Did you ever find our real cow cheese cut with a knife? I do not. And neither the sheepfold, made in the spring, for Easter. And neither does our chisel. It is important to protect them, as the Italians did with their mozzarella. At present we have Cheese of Popeasca registered at AGEPI with the certification "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO)

13. Pickles: watermelon, apples, quince, cabbage
Let's not talk too much about pickles now, that leaves my mouth water. Have you seen the big eyes of strangers when they find out that we are dying the bush? But what about our chopped cabbage, what does it taste like if it is made from our mother's recipe? As the Germans made pickled cabbage a national product, we could also make our pickles a business card. Should any local producer dare to officially register with the recipe the watermelon, picked as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed?

14. Macerated liqueurs: cherry, shocked, walnut, refined, diced, strawberry
Not that we would be the first or only ones to make local fruit and apple liqueurs, but why not make our own a national proud product. I have the recipe for homemade cherries in the book "Moldova from my mother's kitchen". I recommend it! I know people who make a good nut. In Tudora there is an exceptional knuckle. Only that everything remains for the time being at home, handmade, in small quantities, for own consumption.

15. Wines from local varieties: Rare Black, Black Feteasca, Royal Feteasca, White Feteasca
And of course, our wines from indigenous grapes. I think that in such a great international competition in the field of wines, the local grapes can give us that unique note so sought after by winemakers around the world. In their pure form or in coupage with other varieties, the native grapes, which are not as many and varied to us as they are to the Italians, for example, represent that "you with whom you are particularly proud" on the international level which must necessarily be exploited.

The source: DAR NOI, MOLDOVENII, CU CE NE LĂUDĂM? [online] [citat 29.03.20]. Disponibil: natalabot.md

INFOGRÁFICO / 21 de marzo – Día Internacional del Bosque. ¿Cuántos miles de hectáreas de bosque tiene Moldavia?

Cada año, el 21 de marzo, se celebra el Día Internacional de los Bosques. Fecha en que, se recuerda a la gente, la importancia y los muchos beneficios del bosque. La República de Moldova tiene un área de 379.5 mil hectáreas de bosque, lo que constituye un poco más de 11% del área total del país.

Foto: Natura.md

En 2020, el Día Internacional de los Bosques, se celebra bajo el nombre genérico „Bosque y biodiversidad: ¡demasiado valioso para perderlos!”

El propósito principal para el cual, las Naciones Unidas (ONU), estableció este día es „crear conciencia sobre el manejo, la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible de todo tipo de bosques, en beneficio de las generaciones presentes y futuras”. La ONU recomienda que, los Estados miembros, organicen acciones para restaurar bosques de todo tipo, organizando campañas de plantación de árboles.

La Agencia Moldsilva ha anunciado que organizará una gran campaña de plantación de árboles en esta ocasión.

Según Dumitru Cojocaru, director de la Agencia „Moldsilva”, en la actualidad, en los viveros de las empresas forestales subordinadas a la institución, hay 12 millones de árboles de bajo y alto tamaño, que podrían plantarse durante la campaña de reverdecimiento, bajo las condiciones de financiamiento de Fondo Ecológico del Estado.

A continuación, se muestra una infografía que muestra que, en 2018, se cortaron 26.8 mil hectáreas de bosques. Lo que significa que, cada hora, Moldavia pierde tres hectáreas de bosque. Al mismo tiempo, la regeneración del bosque tuvo lugar en un área cinco veces más pequeña, de 4.9 mil hectáreas, de las cuales, solo un poco más de mil hectáreas representan plantaciones y semillas.

Según la agencia Moldsilva, el área de 26.7 mil hectáreas constituyen el perímetro, donde se llevaron a cabo, operaciones forestales o de tala. Al mismo tiempo, los ambientalistas dicen que los datos son alarmantes y que el estado debería encontrar alternativas a la leña cosechada legalmente.

„Los datos son alarmantes y la situación en el fondo forestal es, más allá de los aspectos ecológicos, un problema de seguridad nacional. He intervenido docenas de veces en instituciones estatales, en la Presidencia, el Parlamento y el Gobierno, he presentado suficientes argumentos para que, los responsables del tema de decisiones, deban incluir el cuidado de los bosques en su agenda, pero va de peor a peor”, dice Alecu Reniţă, presidente del Movimiento Ecológico de Moldavia, para la revista Natura.

La fuente: INFOGRAFIC/ 21 martie – Ziua Internațională a Pădurilor. Câte mii de hectare de pădure are Moldova [online] [citat 25.03.20]. Disponibil: ecopresa.md

INFOGRAPHIC / March 21 - International Forest Day. How many thousands of hectares of the forest does Moldova have?

Every year, March 21st is marked the International Day of Forests. A day that reminds people of the importance and the many benefits of the forest. The Republic of Moldova has an area of ​​379.5 thousand hectares of forest, which constitutes just over 11 per cent of the total area of ​​the country.

In 2020, the International Day of Forests is celebrated under the generic „Forest and biodiversity - too precious to lose them!” 

The main purpose for which the United Nations (UN) set up this day is to „raise awareness on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations.” The UN recommends that the Member States organize actions to restore forests of all types, by organizing tree-planting campaigns.

The Moldsilva Agency has announced that it will organize a large tree planting campaign on this occasion.

According to Dumitru Cojocaru, the director of the „Moldsilva” Agency, at present, in the nurseries of forestry enterprises subordinated to the institution, there are 12 million seedlings, low and high size seedlings, which could be planted during the greening campaign, under the conditions of financing by State Ecological Fund.

Below is an infographic showing that in 2018, 26.8 thousand hectares of forests were cut down. Which means that every hour Moldova lost three hectares of forest. At the same time, the regeneration of the forest took place on an area of ​​five times smaller, of 4.9 thousand hectares, of which only a little over one thousand hectares represent plantations and seeds.

According to the Moldsilva agency, the area of ​​26.7 thousand hectares constitutes the perimeter where forestry or logging operations were carried out. At the same time, environmentalists say the data is alarming, and the state should find alternatives to legally harvested firewood.

„The data are alarming and the situation in the forest fund is, beyond the ecological aspects, a national security issue. I have intervened dozens of times in the state institutions, in the Presidency, Parliament and Government, I have made enough arguments for the decision-makers to include the care for forests in their agenda, but it is worse for worse”, says Alecu Reniţă, President of the Movement Environmentalists from Moldova, for Natura magazine.

The source:  INFOGRAFIC/ 21 martie – Ziua Internațională a Pădurilor. Câte mii de hectare de pădure are Moldova [online] [citat 15.03.20]. Disponibil: ecopresa.md

Romanian radio: Radio Bessarabia

Radio Chisinau is a radio station from the Republic of Moldova, belonging to the Romanian Broadcasting Society. The first radio station from Chisinau was inaugurated by the Romanian Broadcasting Society on October 8, 1939, under the name of Radio Basarabia, and after 72 years, SRR relaunches Radio Chisinau on December 1, 2011.

Radio Basarabia in 1940

History

The years 1937-1940

Chisinau City Hall ceded to the Romanian Broadcasting Society, in 1937, the building of the former Pushkin Auditorium on King Carol I street (corner with Sfatul Country Street) to open the first radio station in Chisinau, to counter Soviet propaganda. On October 30, 1930, in Tiraspol a radio station began to broadcast whose main purpose was anti-Romanian propaganda to Moldova between Prut and Dniester; the transmitter put into operation in Tiraspol in 1930 had 4 kW. In 1936, the new broadcast station, M. Gorki, was also built in Tiraspol, which allowed a much greater coverage of the territory of Bessarabia. This is the context in which, in the winter of 1937, the planning works of the former Pushkin Auditorium began and the contracts for the restoration of the facilities and the technical equipment were awarded to companies from Romania and abroad. Marconi company was to install in Chisinau the 20 kW transmitter. which became the best in Romania due to the modern anti-fading antenna that reduces radiation and promotes the propagation of waves travelling close to the surface of the ground. The measurements made after the installation of the station showed that Radio Basarabia covers with very good results the territory between Siret and Dniester. The reception was clear and strong, both day and night, virtually eliminating the influence of Russian stations in Tiraspol and Odessa. The experimental broadcasts started in the first days of June 1939 but the daily program was reduced to 2 hours, between 21:00 and 23:00. The first radio station in Chisinau was „twice as powerful as the one in Bucharest or Tiraspol”, he wrote Gazette of Bessarabia in July 1939. Radio Chisinau is a radio station from the Republic of Moldova, belonging to the Romanian Broadcasting Society. The first radio station from Chisinau was inaugurated by the Romanian Broadcasting Society on October 8, 1939, under the name of Radio Basarabia, and after 72 years, SRR relaunches Radio Chisinau on December 1, 2011.

The building of the radio station in Chisinau in 1937, at the beginning of the construction work

Radio Bessarabia, lost in 1940

The invasion of Bessarabia by the Soviet armies in June 1940 meant the loss of the Radio Bessarabia station.

However, most of the reserve materials, personnel and archive were withdrawn to Huşi, but not the 20 kW transmitter.

After the return of the Romanian armies and administration to Bessarabia, SRR sent to Chisinau Eng. Emil Petraşcu and Alexandru Hodoş to evaluate the damage caused by the Russian armies in retreat.

The station building, the transmitter and the antenna pillars were destroyed by dynamite and all radio-reception equipment had been confiscated.

The opening of the Radio Moldova station in Iasi in November 1941 allowed the resumption of radio transmissions in the lands of Moldova, Bukovina, Bessarabia and Transnistria.

It will issue uninterruptedly until March 1944, when the realities on the front forced its evacuation.

The source: Radiofonie românească: Radio Basarabia [online] [citat 19.03.20]. Disponible: romania-actualitati.ro, wikipedia.org

Radio rumana: Radio Besarabia

Radio Chisinau es una estación de radio de la República de Moldavia, perteneciente a la Sociedad Rumana de Radiodifusión. La primera estación de radio de Chisinau fue inaugurada por la Sociedad Rumana de Radiodifusión, el 8 de octubre de 1939, bajo el nombre de Radio Basarabia y, después de 72 años, SRR relanza Radio Chisinau, el 1 de diciembre de 2011.

Radio Basarabia en 1940

Los años 1937-1940

El Ayuntamiento de Chisinau cedió a la Sociedad Rumana de Radiodifusión, en 1937, el edificio del antiguo Auditorio Pushkin, en la calle King Carol I (esquina con Sfatul Country Street) para abrir la primera estación de radio en Chisinau, para contrarrestar la propaganda soviética. El 30 de octubre de 1930, en Tiráspol, una estación de radio comenzó a transmitir cuyo propósito principal era la propaganda antirrumana en Moldavia, entre los ríos Prut y Bug. El transmisor puesto en funcionamiento en Tiráspol en 1930, tenía 4 kW. En 1936, la nueva estación de transmisión, M. Gorki, también se construyó en Tiráspol, lo que permitió una cobertura mucho mayor del territorio de Besarabia. Éste es el contexto en el que, en el invierno de 1937, comenzaron los trabajos de planificación del antiguo Auditorio Pushkin y se adjudicaron los contratos para la restauración de las instalaciones, además del equipo técnico a empresas de Rumania y del extranjero.

La compañía Marconi iba a instalar en Chisinau el transmisor de 20 kw., que se convirtió en el mejor en Rumania debido a antena moderna antidesvanecimiento que reduce la radiación y promueve la propagación de ondas que viajan cerca de la superficie del suelo. Las mediciones realizadas después de la instalación de la estación mostraron que Radio Basarabia cubre, con muy buenos resultados, el territorio entre Siret y Nistru. La recepción fue clara y fuerte, tanto de día, como noche, eliminando virtualmente la influencia de las estaciones rusas en Tiráspol y Odessa, regiones usadas como un caballo de troya contra el Rumanismo. Las transmisiones experimentales comenzaron en los primeros días de junio de 1939, pero el programa diario se reducería a 2 horas, entre las 21:00 y las 23:00. La primera estación de radio en Chisinau fue "dos veces más poderosa que la de Bucarest o Tiráspol”, escribió Gaceta de Besarabia, en julio de 1939.

La estación de Radio Basarabia se inauguró en Chisinau, el 8 de octubre de 1939. Inicialmente dirigida por Gheorghe Neamu, se inauguró oficialmente, el 8 de octubre de 1939, al transmitir la liturgia desde la Catedral Metropolitana de Chisinau. Radio Besarabia fue el primer estudio regional de la Sociedad Rumana de Radiodifusión. La estación tenía su propio programa, inicialmente transmitido entre las 14.00-14.45 y las 21.00-22.15, así como, un poco más tarde entre las 14.00-15.15 y las 21.00-23.00. El programa consistió completamente en transmisiones de música y radio en rumano y ruso. La estación tenía una antena ubicada en 3 pilares, no anclados, con una altura de 110 metros, cada uno a una distancia de 150 metros entre sí. La conexión a tierra de la antena era radial y tenía 120 cables. Su potencia de emisión podría incrementarse de 20 kw a casi 200 kw y la recepción fue posible hasta Moscú o Leningrado, debido a la propagación directa de la ola. Los tres estudios (el grande para orquestas sinfónicas, coros de banda y ópera, el medio para música de cámara y solistas, mientras, el tercero para los profesores y el público) fueron equipados y tratados acústicamente con el equipo más moderno. Radio Basarabia tenía seis servicios en su estructura: la Dirección y la Secretaría, el Servicio Técnico, el Servicio de Programas, el Servicio Administrativo, el Servicio de Litigios y el Servicio Comercial.

El edificio de la estación de radio en Chisinau en 1937,
al comienzo de los trabajos de construcción.

Con la ocupación soviética de junio de 1940, la mayoría de los materiales de reserva, el personal y el archivo de la estación de Radio Basarabia fueron retirados a Huși, pero no el transmisor de 20 kw. Los soviéticos no los perdonaron, sus cuerpos fueron encontrados en un pozo dejado por el patio de la estación y el edificio, con todo lo que contenía, fue volado y destruido por el Ejército Rojo invasor. Después del regreso de los ejércitos rumanos y la administración a Besarabia en 1941, la Sociedad Rumana de Radiodifusión envió a Chisinau, el engeniero Emil Petrașcu y el periodista Alexandru Hodoș, para evaluar el daño causado por los ejércitos rusos en retirada. El edificio de la estación, el transmisor y los pilares de la antena, fueron destruidos por la dinamita y todo el equipo de recepción de radio fue incautado. La actividad de radio en Chisinau fue continuada por Radio Moldova en Iași, que se emitió, por primera vez, el 2 de noviembre de 1941.

El relanzamiento de 2011

Radio Arena FM se lanzó en Chisinau, el 21 de julio de 2011, en asociación con la Sociedad Rumana de Radiodifusión. La Compañía Rumana de Radiodifusión, lanza oficialmente, Radio Chisinau, en la República de Moldavia, el 1 de diciembre, el Día Nacional de Rumania, la cantidad invertida por SRR es de 1,500,000 lei, al hacerse cargo de la participación mayoritaria en la estación Arena FM, en la República de Moldavia. El 1 de diciembre de 2011, la estación de radio FM, en la capital de la República de Moldavia, se convierte en Radio Chisinau.

Radio Besarabia, perdida en 1940

La invasión de Besarabia por los ejércitos soviéticos, en junio de 1940, significó la pérdida de la estación de Radio Besarabia. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los materiales de reserva, el personal y el archivo fueron retirados a Huşi, pero no el transmisor de 20 kw. Después de que los ejércitos y la administración rumanos regresaron a Besarabia, SRR envió al ingeniero Emil Petraşcu y Alexandru Hodoş, a Chisinau para evaluar el daño causado por los ejércitos rusos en retirada. El edificio de la estación, el transmisor y los pilares de la antena fueron destruidas por la dinamita y todo el equipo de recepción de radio había sido confiscado. La apertura de la estación de Radio Moldavia, en Iasi, en noviembre de 1941, permitió la reanudación de las transmisiones de radio en las tierras de Moldavia Oriental, Bucovina del Norte, Besarabia y Transnistria.

Se emitió, ininterrumpidamente, hasta marzo de 1944, cuando las realidades en el frente, obligaron a su catastrófica evacuación.

Sursa: Radio Chișinău [online] [citat 19.03.20]. Disponible: wikipedia.org y romania-actualitati.ro

VIDEO / Discover the „Casa Veche” guesthouse - a picturesque place on the Dniester River

The guesthouse „Casa Veche” is a picturesque place, located in the Dniester river valley, which is ready to receive tourists. The accommodation unit is an old house, built 100 years ago and rebuilt from the ground up.

The guesthouse „Casa Veche” has improved its accommodation conditions, expanded its spaces for visitors, thus aligning itself with the highest international standards in the hospitality industry.

The guesthouse has six rooms that can accommodate 20 people and two covered terraces with a capacity of 60 people, being family-friendly with children. The charm of the new accommodation unit is complemented by a stone cellar and a garden.

The „Casa Veche” guesthouse was renovated with the support of the Moldova Competitiveness Project, funded by USAID, Sweden and UK aid, which runs a complex program to support local tourism and to encourage business development in rural areas.

The investments of the development partners exceed the amount of 500,000 lei (25.465,38 euro), money that covered the expenses for services of design, consultancy, branding and logistics.

The new accommodation unit belongs to the Arama family, who returned to the country after living abroad for more than a decade. Inspired by the beautiful stories of the rural pensions opened with the support of the Competitiveness Project in Moldova, but also of the small family wineries, the current owners decided to buy and renovate an old house in the village of Palanca. In addition to the wide range of tourist services offered, the pension generated 6 jobs for the women in the village.

Nowadays „Casa Veche” is part of the tourist hub in the south of the country, the destination is included in the wine tourism route, district Stefan Voda.

Since 2015, 11 rural pensions have been renovated with the support of the Competitiveness Project from Moldova, which has had a significant impact on the increase in the number of foreign visitors. By the end of 2021, another 22 accommodation units will be inaugurated, thus strengthening the sustainability of Moldovan tourism.

The source: VIDEO/ Descoperiți pensiunea „Casa Veche” – un loc pitoresc din lunca Nistrului

[online] [citat 19.03.20]. Disponible: ecopresa.md

VIDEO / Descubra la pensión „Casa Veche”, un lugar pintoresco en el río Nistru

La Pensión „Casa Veche” es un lugar pintoresco, ubicado en el valle del río Nistru, que está listo para recibir turistas. La unidad de alojamiento es una casa antigua, construida hace 100 años y reconstruida desde sus bases más antiguas.

„Casa Veche” ha mejorado sus condiciones de alojamiento, ampliado sus espacios para visitantes, alineándose así, con los más altos estándares internacionales en la industria hotelera.

La pensión tiene seis habitaciones con capacidad para 20 personas y dos terrazas cubiertas con capacidad para 60 personas, ideal para familias con niños. El encanto de la nueva unidad de alojamiento se complementa con una bodega de piedra y un jardín.

La pensión „Casa Veche” fue renovada con el apoyo del Proyecto de Competitividad de Moldavia, financiado por la ayuda de USAID, Inglaterra y Suecia, que ejecutan un programa complejo para apoyar el turismo local y fomentar el desarrollo empresarial en las zonas rurales.

Las inversiones de los socios de desarrollo superan la cantidad de 500,000 lei (25629,20 Euro), dinero que cubrió los gastos por servicios de diseño, consultoría, marca y logística.

La nueva unidad de alojamiento pertenece a la familia Arama, que regresó al país después de vivir en el extranjero durante más de una década. Inspirados en las historias hermosas de las pensiones rurales abiertas con el apoyo del Proyecto de Competitividad en Moldavia, pero también de las pequeñas bodegas familiares, los propietarios actuales decidieron comprar y renovar una casa antigua en el pueblo de Palanca. Además de la amplia gama de servicios turísticos ofrecidos, la pensión generó 6 empleos para las mujeres de la aldea.

Ahora „Casa Veche” es parte del centro turístico en el sur del país, el destino está incluido en la ruta del vino Stefan Voda.

Desde 2015, se han renovado 11 pensiones rurales con el apoyo del Proyecto de Competitividad de Moldavia, que ha tenido un impacto significativo en el aumento del número de extranjeros. A finales de 2021, se inaugurarán otras 22 unidades de alojamiento, fortaleciendo así, la sostenibilidad del turismo moldavo.

Al presente, el 60% de las 33 pensiones rurales abiertas con el apoyo del Proyecto de Competitividad en Moldavia, son empresas dirigidas por mujeres, que ofrecen empleos para personas en áreas rurales, gravemente afectadas por el fenómeno de la migración. En 2018, 160.000 turistas visitaron Moldavia, un 20% más en comparación con 2017.

La fuente: VIDEO/ Descoperiți pensiunea „Casa Veche” – un loc pitoresc din lunca Nistrului [online] [citat 19.03.20]. Disponible: ecopresa.md

Seis ideas para pasar cualitativo el tiempo libre en Moldavia reunidas en la revista Altitude

La uva, asi como veremos nosotros, Moldavia en la mapa, se cubre una distancia de 350 km (del norte hasta al nur) y 150 km (de oeste a este). ¿Cuántos km de estos planeaste explorar?

La verdad es que, la uva tiene mucho más que garullas dulces, más que aquellos lo saben la mayoría de los moldavos (Orheiul Vechi, Soroca, Saharna, galerías con los barriles de vino de Cricova o Mileștii Mici, el desfiladero de Țipova). Está hermoso viajar en países extranjeros, pero es un pecado dejar Moldavia desconocida, cuando lo visitas. Tienes muchas cosas que hacer, ver y experimentar, que tenemos prisa para mostrárselos en este momento, para que pueda explorarlos hasta que llegue a su destino hoy.

Puedes volar con el parapeté. Si estamos en la altura vamos a contar con los lugares más pintoresco de Moldavía, donde puedes volar junto con áquilas o cigüeñas. ¿Suena loco? ¡Es la verdad! ¿Dónde te puede pasar esto? En los pueblos Molovata Nouă y Molovata Veche, distrito de Dubasari, donde el emblemático río Nistru, cruza su camino a través de las colinas rocosas, dejando a la vista, una isla boscosa, para la alegría de los visitantes.

„Hubo muchas cigüeñas en Molovata Nouă y en las regiones elegibles para el parapeté, del distrito Anenii Noi. Pero no hay ningún pájaro más curiosos que las águilas. Se acerca, nos mira y luego se aleja. Desde arriba puedes ver a los zorros ocupados con la caza, es muy interesante” cuenta Vasile Fronea, el piloto que, hasta hace poco, era el único instructor que podía montar en parapeté. Hoy, un ex alumno suyo, ayuda a las personas con un corazón valiente a escalar el cielo para admirar las espléndidas colinas de Moldavia Oriental. Hablando de altura, si pretendes acercarte mucho a las nubes, descubre que puedes escalar hasta solo 900 metros sobre el suelo. En la República de Moldavia, ambos están permitidos y tienes que ir a Dubăsari u Orheiul Vechi para esto. En Anenii Noi y Nisporeni vuelan hasta 300 metros. En cambio, las regiones de Nisporeni (pueblo de Cristești, colina Bălănești, el punto geográfico más alto de Moldavia, 430 metros) disfrutan de sus ojos con un relieve fantástico. Allí te siente al pie de los Cárpatos. Parapente es una buena idea y cuando quieres pedirle matrimonio a tu novia. El piloto Vasile Fronea fue testigo de varias solicitudes como en las películas. Mientras la niña estaba sola en las nubes, los amantes prepararon enormes paneles con la inscripción „Cásate conmigo” y, una vez que llegaron al suelo, la novia vivió una experiencia más fuerte que la de arriba.

Entonces, ¿dónde podemos volar parapeté en el territorio de la República de Moldavia? Solo en los lugares grabado en la empresa estatal para el uso del espacio aéreo MoldATSA: en Anenii Noi (el pueblo de Troița Nouă), en Nisporeni (arriba de los pueblos de Cristeși y Găureni), en Orheiul Vechi, Molovata Nouă y Veche, en el distrito de Dubăsari. ¿A qué hora vuelan? Del amanecer al atardecer. ¿Cuándo no está volando? Cuando la velocidad del viento supera los 7 metros o hay tormenta, llueve y otras condiciones adversas. El peso máximo del pasajero puede ser 130 kilogramos y el mínimo - 45 kilogramos. La experiencia de volar en parapente te cuesta 450 lei moldavos (22,90 euro).

Sube la tirolina. Como comprenderá, descendemos con los pies en el suelo, pero solo por un tiempo muy corto, para subir al Tirol (una cuerda larga, fijada entre dos puntos, ubicada a una altura, puedes trasladar con la ayuda de una polea). La tirolina más larga de Moldavia está en Hâncești, estamos hablando de unos 400 metros. En este caso, sin embargo, el tamaño es lo de menos. Velocidad, mira esto trae placer. Las personas con sobrepeso se divierten más. Porque debido a que la velocidad depende del peso, las personas que pesen más de 85 kg pueden alcanzar una velocidad de 60-65 km/h, llegando al final a 40-45 km/h. Toda la diversión ocurre a una altura de 27 metros y solo aquellos con, al menos 25 kg, pueden participar. Nicolae Cociu, el joven que abrió latirolina en Hâncești, dice que es una atracción turística adorada por los abuelos y algunos se atreven a subir por el bien de sus nietos. ¿Qué admiras? El lago en la ciudad, al que se llega al bosque, este es el punto de partida. La tirolina está abierta todos los días, excepto los lunes, de 11:00 a 21:00. El costo del boleto es de 100 lei (5 euro) y los menores y los valientes que vienen en un grupo de, al menos cinco personas, pagan 80 lei (4 euro). 

Puede practicar birdwatching, una pasión que viene de Occidente, consiste en estudiar aves silvestres a simple vista o usar binoculares, ojos y anteojos. Es una combinación de deportes, relajación y senderismo al aire libre. Al principio, esta ocupación era exclusivamente aristocrática, porque solo las personas con sangre azul tenían mucho tiempo libre y dinero en la bolsa. Sin embargo, no se limitaron a la observación: recolectaron especies raras de aves, hasta que esta prohibida por ley comerciar con plumas de aves exóticas. Hoy en día, la observación de aves es un tipo de turismo „amigable con la naturaleza” („Nature Friendly”).

No necesitas ser ornitólogo para que le guste esta actividad, para seguir a las aves silvestres. Es suficiente estar cansado del ruido de las ciudades o de la comunicación con la gente, para refugiarse en la Reserva Prutul de Jos, es decir, en el pueblo de Valeni, en el sur de Moldavia. Entre los pueblos Văleni y Slobozia, encontrará la parte más fascinante de la reserva. El Prut Inferior alberga 200 especies de aves, de las cuales, 45 están incluidas en el Libro Rojo de la República de Moldavia y debajo protección internacional. En el lago Beleu (un relicto de la liman del Danubio de agua dulce, formado como resultado de las transgresiones del agua de mar), según la época del año, se puede observar: garcetas, cormoranes, gitanos, gaviotas, patos, gansos, cisnes, guadañas, bacalaos, cebos, nada, rocas. En mayo, la reserva se convierte en el paraíso de los pelícanos. Los italianos en la isla de Cerdeña (Italia) tienen flamencos, mientras nostoros, tenemos pelícanos. No es broma, la vista, cuando los pelícanos aparecen de los países cálidos, en su camino hacia el Danubio, es increíble. El lago Beleu cubre 904 hectáreas y sirve como casa para 500 cisnes y 5000 pelícanos. También se pueden encontrar especies raras de mamíferos en el territorio de la reserva: nutria del río, armiño y nutria europea. La administración ha establecido un área para acampar y el costo de una noche aquí, en la carpa, es de 120 lei. El precio también incluye un viaje en barco por el agua.

Puedes hacer kayak. La actividad toma su nombre del medio de transporte que utiliza para viajar en el agua: kayak. Simplemente busque en Google, „kayak en Moldavia” para encontrar más organizadores de giras. Hay demasiadas opciones, rutas que se pueden explorar, por lo que, no las alquilaremos todas aquí. Mencionaremos el recorrido por el río Nistru, hacia los pueblos Sănătăuca ​​y Japca, porque es uno de los más pintorescos, sin exagerar. El pueblo de Vadul-Rascov, una joya de la región, vendrá a ti. Aquí es donde nació el poeta Dumitru Matcovschi, quien dijo que el nombre correcto de la aldea es Vadul-Rașcului y proviene de la palabra „rașcu” en el idioma daciano, que significa "bolsa", haciendo alusión al impuesto que se pagó para aprobar el Nistru.

De hecho, el pueblo aun tiene ruinas de una fortaleza daciana, un cementerio jázaro (agrupación étnica de religión judia) y numerosas cavernas excavadas en la orilla rocosa del Nistru. Sin bajar del kayak, a varias mujeres lavando ropa hoy en la primavera, una imagen más rústica y más auténtica que no puedes encontrar. Entonces, no querrá perderse el monasterio de Japca, una obra maestra arquitectónica que data del siglo XVII, con su fundación en una roca en la orilla del río. Si no desea pasar dos días en las carreteras, pero anhela relajación, deportes y exploración ecológica, en el agua, en las regiones más profundas de Moldavia Oriental, desde el pueblo de Oxentea hasta la Hidrocentrale de Dubasari, le encantarán las escarpadas orillas del Nistru, las playas rocosas y los árboles que crecen en el agua, lo que le dará la sensación de haber llegado a una jungla misteriosa.

Corre el maratón internacional de Chisinau. 

¿Cuándo? El 29 de septiembre. ¿Para que? Mira esta pregunta, no tenemos una respuesta exacta, cada corredor tiene su historia. Algunos corren por una causa noble (por ejemplo, recaudar dinero para personas enfermas), otros, para demostrar que tienen un cuerpo fuerte, pocos quieren divertirse. Nadie puede disputar los sentimientos fuertes de la línea Start y Finish. Para contar con todos los corredores los segundos que faltan hasta el comienzo de la carrera, en voz alta, luego comience con miles de personas a la vez en las calles de la capital, corriendo, es pura magia. Hay tanto adrenalina, que ya no necesitas medallas, ni premios, ni primeros lugares. Al final, tienes emociones positivas durante todo un año simplemente participando en el gran evento deportivo. Al final, estás feliz por la alegría de haber ido hasta el final, de que no has cedido, si haces la media maratón o la maratón no importa, lo relevante es lo logrado. Sí, debemos especificar, se proporcionan las distancias de 42 km, 21 km, 10 km, 5 km y 1,5 km. Por cierto, el 26 de abril, han pasado cuatro años desde la primera edición del Maratón Internacional de Chisinau. Luego, participaron 10 mil personas y, en la edición de 2018, 18 mil personas. En la cuarta edición, se estableció un nuevo récord: 42 km, corriendo en 2 horas, 16 minutos y 38 segundos. El récord pertenece al corredor keniano, Benjamin Kiprop Serem. Éste fue el mejor resultado en la historia del Maratón de Chisinau. Se ha anunciado la inscripción para la próxima edición, así que, nos vemos en la línea de inicio.

Visite Tiráspol, la segunda ciudad más grande de la República de Moldavia.

El nombre de la capital de la auto declarada de manera ultraunilateral, región autónoma de Transnistria proviene de „Tyras” (el antiguo nombre del río Nistru) y „polis”, que significa ciudad, fortaleza. Tiráspol, por lo tanto, designaría la fortaleza de Nistru. Los turistas extranjeros no se pierden este destino, porque quieren sumergirse en la atmósfera soviética, fácil de ver en los amplios bulevares de la ciudad. Los monumentos de los líderes comunistas, la estatua del general ruso, Alexandr Sovorov, ubicada justo en el centro de la ciudad, los bloques grises, el silencio ensordecedor, las inscripciones innumerables en ruso (predominante en la localidad) lo arrojarán a la URSS, en un nostalgismo soviético sin precedentes en la historia contemporánea. No en vano, algunas voces llaman a la ciudad un „museo del comunismo”. El monumento de Alexander Suvorov fue erigido en la plaza central en 1979 y frente a la Casa de Gobierno se encuentra el monumento de Vladimir Lenin. Por otro lado, „guardia” es el tanque soviético T-34, que recuerda a la victoria de la Unión Soviética, en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Los turistas eligen caminar por la calle el 25 de octubre para ver la Casa de los Soviets. Allí puedo tomar fotos del busto de Lenin. Una mancha de color le da a la ciudad el estadio "Sheriff”, un edificio moderno que cubre 40 hectáreas y tiene una capacidad de 13 mil asientos. El parque más grande de Tiráspol es el „Parque Pobedî”, ubicado entre dos calles importantes, Tarava y Mira. No lejos de la capital de Transnistria se encuentra la reserva natural „Iagorlîc”.

La fuente: 6 idei pentru a petrece calitativ timpul liber în Moldova, adunate în revista Altitude [online] [citat 17.03.20]. Disponibil: apostrof.md

SIX SUGGESTIONS TO A QUALITY LEISURE TIME IN MOLDOVA

A bunch of grapes, as Moldova is seen on the map, has a longitude of 350 km from the North to the South and 150 km from the West to the East. How many of these kilometres are you going to explore?

Sursa: Rope Slide Hîncești

The truth is that this bunch has much more sweet grapes then the majority of Moldovans know (Old Orhei, Soroca, Saharna, underground cellars in Cricova and Milestii Mici, Tsypova passage). It is great to travel abroad, but Moldova should not be left undiscovered, both when you are visiting or living here. You have a lot to do, to see and to experience. So, let’s hurry up to show you everything before you reach today’s destination safely. You can go paragliding. Because we are at heigh, we will tell you about the most picturesque places in Moldova where you can fly together with the eagles and storks. Sounds mad? It is true, though! Where could it happen? In Molovata Nouă and Molovata Veche, Dubăsari district, where the Nistru river makes its pass through the rocky hills, leaving at the visitors' sight a forested island.

„A lot of storks appeared in Molovata Noua and in the regions eligible for paragliding flights in Anenii Noi. But there are no more curious birds than eagles. He approaches, looks at us, then moves

away. From the top, you can see the foxes hunting, it’s fascinating.”, says Vasile Fronea, a pilot who not so long ago was the only one paragliding instructor. Today, his ex-student teaches those with the brave hearts to rise in the sky to admire the beautiful hills of Moldova.

Speaking of height, if you are ambitious enough to fly over the clouds, you should know that you can go as high as 900 meters above the earth. It is a limit set for the Republic of Moldova, and you should go to Dubăsari or Old Orhei to fly that high. At Anenii Noi and Nisporeni the allowed height is only 300 meters. And in Nisporeni district (Cristești village, and Bălănești hills – the high est geographic point in Moldova – 430 meters) you can admire the breathtaking views. You feel like at the foothills of the Carpathians there. Paragliding is also a good idea for a marriage proposal. Vasile Fronea has witnessed several romantic proposals, and they’ve looked like a scene from a rom-com. It was marvellous when a young woman literally with her head over hills and her fiancée held a „Marry me” sign in his hands. Once they’ve landed, the couple was happier and closer to each other than before the flight.

Long story short, here are the exact places where you can go for a paragliding experience in Moldova. It should be only the places registered by the state organization MoldATSA with special permission for this activity: at Anenii Noi district (Troița Nouă village), at Nisporeni district (to the North from Cristeși and Găureni villages), at Old Orhei, Molovata Nouă and Molovata Veche from Dubăsari district. When are the flights scheduled? From dusk till dawn. When are the flights forbidden? When the wind speed is over 7 meters per second, or it is a hurricane or rain in the forecast. The maximum weight of a passenger could not be more than 130 kg, and the minimum weight – 45 kg. It will cost you 450 Moldovan lei (equivalent to 22 Euro) to become a

paraplanner.

Climb the Tyrolean. As you definitely understood, now we’re coming back to earth, but not for a long time, to climb the Tyrolean (a long chord fixed between two points, located at a height, on which you move with a pulley). The longest Tyrolean in Moldova is at Hâncești, it has 400 meters longitude. But in this particular case, the longitude matters less. It’s the speed that gives you’re the most pleasure! And those with more kilograms get more fun. Why? Because the speed depends on the weight, and those whose weight is more than 85 kg can travel with 60-65 km/h, and at the end with the 40–45 km/h speed. The entertainment is organized at a height of 27 meters, and only those whose weight is more than 25 kg can participate. Nicolae Cociu, a young man who held the Tyrolean in Hâncești, says that this touristic attraction is open for any age, and some grandparents dare to

climb for the sake of their grandchildren. What to admire? The lake in the city, which you get from the forest, this is the starting point. The Tyrolean is open every day, besides Monday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The ticket price is 100 Moldovan lei (= 5 euro), and children and brave ones who come in a group of at least 5 persons, pay only 80 lei (= 4 euro).

Foto: Rope Slide Hîncești, Facebook

You can go birdwatching. Birdwatching, a passion coming from the West, involves studying wild birds, often with the help of binoculars, glasses, and ribbons. It is a combination of sports, relaxation, and hiking in the open air. In the beginning, it was a purely aristocratic hobby, because only those with blue blood in their veins have had a lot of free time and spare money. But they were not only watching. They were collecting rare bird species until it was banned by law to trade the exotic

birds feathers. Today, the birdwatching represents „NatureFriendly” tourism and is very popular.

It is not necessary to be an ornithologist to admire the wild birds. To be tired of the city noises, of communication and daily routine is enough to escape in Lower Prut reservation in Valeni village in the South of Moldova. Between Valeni and Slobozia villages you will find the most fascinating parts of the reservations. The Lower Prut is home for over 200 bird species, and 45 from them are included

into the Red Book of Republic of Moldova and are protected all over the world. The Beleu lake (a relict of the Danube basin of freshwater formed by transgressions of seawater), depending on the year, can be observed: egrets, cormorants, gipsies, gulls, ducks, geese, swans, pits, corcodes, lichens, nagats, eagles. In May, the reservation becomes a pelican paradise. Italians from Sardinia have flamingos, and we have pelicans. No jokes, the view is breathtaking, when the pelicans leave the warm countries on their way to the Danube. The Beleu lake has 904 hectares surface and hosts 500 swans and 5000 pelicans. You can also meet some rare mammal species there: otter, harmaline and European mink. The managers of the reservation have organized a camping zone there, and to stay overnight in a tent will cost you 120 lei (= 6 euro). The price includes a boat tour.

Foto: Lunca Prutului de Jos, Facebook

Kayaking is a good option. This activity takes its name from the vehicle used to glide on the water – kayak. You can just google „kayaking in Moldova” to discover a lot of tour organizers. We will mention only several. The tour by river Dniester, through Sănătăuca and Japca villages, is one of the most picturesque, without an exaggeration. You will see the Vadul-Rașcov on your way, a real gem of the region. Dumitru Matcovschi, a famous Moldovan poet, was born here, and the village name
means „a bag” in ancient Dacian language, which was a bag for the taxes one should pay to cross the Dniester river. There are still some ruins of the ancient Dacian fortress, an old Jewish cemetery and many cave cells dug into the rocky bank of the Dniester. Without getting out of kayaking, you will see women washing their clothes in the spring, and this is the most rustic and authentic picture, you can find. You wouldn’t want to miss the Japca monastery, an architectural masterpiece dating from
1600, built on a cliff on the bank of the river. In case you don’t want to spend two days travelling, but to relax, do some sport and to explore the nearby places in eco-style, by the water, choose the countryside of Moldova, from the village of Oxentea to Dubasari Hydro Power Plant. You will love the steep banks of the Dniester river, rocky beaches, and the trees that grow in the water, creating a strange sensation of being in the middle of the jungle forest Participate in the Chisinau International

Marathon. When? On the 29th of September. What for? Well, we don’t have a precise answer to that question, it is different for every runner. Ones run for a noble cause (e. g., to collect funds for the sick or people in need), others – to demonstrate their perfect body shapes, and some just want to have fun. No one can challenge the strong feelings from the START to the FINISH lines. To countdown loudly the seconds remaining until the start together with all the runners, then start running with thousands of people once in the streets of the capital, it’s pure magic. A lot of adrenaline, and you just don’t care about these medals or prizes, or podium places. You gain tons of positive emotions only from taking part in this fantastic sports event. At finishing, you are overwhelmed by the joy that you have gone all the way, that you did not give up, especially if you are doing the semi-marathon of the marathon. And yes, we should give you some details about the distances: there are 42 km, 21 km, 10
km, 5 km, and 1,5 km options. By the way, on 26th of April was the fourth anniversary of the first Chisinau International Marathon edition. About 10.000 people participated then, and in 2018,
there were 18.000 participants. A new record was registered during the fourth marathon’s edition: 42 km in 2 hours 16 minutes and 38 seconds. This record belongs to the runner from Kenya –
Benjamin Kiprop Serem. This was the best result registered in the history of the Chisinau Marathon. The registration for the next edition is now open, so see you at the START line.

Visit Tiraspol – the second largest city in the Republic of Moldova. 
The name of Transnistrian capital comes from „Tyras” (an ancient name of the Dniester river) and „polis”, which means a city, a fortress. Tiraspol – a stronghold of the Dniester river. Foreign tourists never miss the opportunity to visit this city, because this is a unique chance to dive into a lost ex-Soviet atmosphere easily felt while walking by these wide boulevards. The monuments of communist leaders, the statue of the Russian general Alexander Suvorov placed in the heart of the city, grey
buildings, the deafening silence, many inscriptions in Russian (predominant in the locality) will immediately throw you back in the USSR. Some name Tiraspol „The Museum of Communism.”
Alexander Suvorov’s monument was placed in the central square in 1979, while Vladimir Lenin’s tomb stands in front of the Government House. On the opposite part, the Soviet tank T-34 is „guarding” a memory of USSR’s victory in World War Two.

Foto: emerging-europe.com

Tourists often walk by the 25th of October street to see the Soviet House. There, you can take a selfie in front of Vladimir Lenin’s statue. The „Sheriff” stadium is another interesting point on the city map. It is a modern construction, placed on 40 ha, which has the capacity of 13.000. The largest park in Tiraspol is named „The Victory park” and it is situated between two important streets: Tsareva and Mira. Nearby the Transnistrian capital, a national reservation „Iagorlîc” is located.

The source: airmoldova.md

Here you come guest, you leave friend. „House from the river meadow” – the first tourist pension in Moldova

Imagine it is morning and you wake up at the „House from the river meadow” (in Romanian: „Casa din Luncă”) guesthouse in the village of Trebujeni, Orhei district. Through the window of an 80-year-old house, even in your bed, the sun's rays penetrate, which tickles you on the face. Stretch out lazily, without hurry, then go out on the porch of the house to admire the ancient rocks on the banks of the Răut river. You don't have to think about what to cook this morning, the hosts already bring you breakfast – a platter of cheeses from the village's farms, baked pies in the oven and strong coffee or tea from the herbs picked from the wooded hills.

As you catch power, ride a bicycle or get on a horse-drawn carriage, explore the canyon carved over thousands of years by water and wind. In the evening, pleasantly tired, you will return to the guesthouse, where a dinner with traditional Moldovan dishes awaits you. You will not be able to abstain and eat everything: sarmale, homemade bread, butterscotch, a stew can. You will hardly accept that the time has come for you to leave home, but you will easily and quickly return to your pension. Here is the heart of Moldova – warm and welcoming, with people in one piece, chosen cuisine, spectacular views. There's no time here.

I asked for pies, one of the days, at the pension. This is not the case here. If you enter the gate, the host will necessarily invite you to the table. Nobody comes out of the yard hungry or with lusts. I spoke with brothers Adrian and Oxana Benzing, but also with their mother, Ala Benzing, about this flourishing guesthouse, always visited by tourists, regardless of the season.

You three are indistinguishable, you always hold together. The pension connects you, you spend a lot of time here. Adrian is busy with wood carving, furniture manufacturing or on the masonry site. My mother is in the kitchen or with the tourists, and Oxana is busy with business plans and accounting. These would, in short, be your pension responsibilities. Why would a 35-year-old geography teacher, accountant and economist with clever carpenter hands want to do rural tourism? What served as an incentive to launch this family business?
Oxana: It was a soul project, a pleasure for parents. Three or four years ago, my brother and I got involved. Then we decided to develop the project, to become a business, otherwise, we risk to stand for another two years. Our pension started with a house, my father's parental home. We had two bedrooms, a traditional room called a "big house", where we received guests and a living room. In 1990, our yard was flooded. The house, built by parents in the 1980s, suffered and needed repairs. Then we decided to renovate the house and open a guest house to welcome guests. I didn't know what that meant. We were the first.

How did the history of the „Casa din Luncă” pension begin?
Oxana: My father was a farmer, and my mother was a geography teacher. My father, Mihai, was a very hospitable man, people loved him and liked his company. Mom welcomed everyone with tasty dishes. So the tourists came to us before we founded the pension. They came as a family, in celebration. And then the mother decided that she would like to try to open a pension here, in Trebujeni, on the banks of the Răut river, in the Orheiul Vechi cultural-natural reserve.

Ala: We were the right partners, because the location is successful: in Trebujeni, on the banks of the Răut river, in the Orheiul Vechi cultural-natural reserve. My husband, Mihai, gave up farming, sold the land, and I, being a geography teacher, considered that our places would conquer tourists. The Orheiul Vechi reservation is historically interesting. Trebujeni Land is a treasure. Nature, the rocks covered by the forest, the river meadow, the animals and the birds lure those looking for peace and hiking trails. Not in vain has a bird's path been made. You can do birdwatching, meaning you can watch the birds with the binoculars: the gazebo, the cuckoo, the eagle, the swallows. Also in our region, you can see squirrels, foxes, wild boars. Even the wolf sometimes comes here.

Oxana: The years 2016–2017 have come with a new motivation for us. We received subsidies from the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture, which allowed us to build the terrace we are on now. Then, huge support came from the Competitiveness Project in Moldova, funded by USAID, Sweden and UK aid. The financial and logistical support from the project has become a turning point for us. They told us: „You have huge potential in Old Orhei, but improvements are required.” And it followed a list: the conditions of accommodation, the extension of the area for serving the table, we were suggested to install an air conditioner for the comfort of the tourist. The people in the kitchen were trained on how to make food, how to serve wine. The Competitiveness project made us a connection with foreign journalists who came to know us and told us about the pension. The financial support amounted to 26 thousand dollars, but just as important was the moral support. For the first time, an authority said to us: „Good on you! You are good, you will succeed”.

That is if you are smart, hard-working and knocking on the doors, is it good to do business in rural tourism in Moldova?
Oxana: No doubt there is demand. We were visited by tourists from all five continents. Travellers from Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia visited us. Most often we break the threshold of Italians, Russians, Romanians. Lately, I have been welcoming the Chinese and the Japanese.
Ala: We work 24 hours a day, around the year, of course, at the request of tourists. We are also asked for meals at one o'clock at night. If the tourists arrive, for example, at the airport and they call us to tell us that they arrive over two hours in the pension, we receive them. In 10-15 minutes, as the tourist walks the territory, we put everything on the table.

Adrian, let's get you involved. I understood that you have golden hands and that you did not learn the woodwork somewhere. I understand that it is not from the textbooks that you have learned to manually make furniture, doors, wooden washbasins, mirror frames and much more.
Adrian: As a kid, I like to hit targets. I learned on the go-to process the wood. Oxana, as a rule, is the designer, and I - the carpenter who executes the work. As for the pension, it brings me great satisfaction. In Trebujeni I grew up, I made school, here are my friends. I had the opportunity to go to the UK, I worked as a restaurant manager. I was able to see a business inside, which allowed me to come up with improvements to our guesthouse.

Oxana: We happen to work together on our own, adds Oxana. For example, we put the brick in the bathroom one night, in two. If we have to install the heating system in a house, that's not a problem. We already know how to do it. We work as a team and assemble it. We saw this in the family, that everything is done in a team. Mom and Dad were always doing everything together.

Newer, you have a newly restored old house. Whose idea was it to buy when you were in the process of building a terrace?
Oxana: I was just passing by and dreaming of a guesthouse. We had no money to buy it. The childcare allowance saved me. I worked as a chief accountant, and the money I received for prenatal and postnatal leave I invested in this old house. I found it in a deplorable state because it is 80 years old. Initially, the roof of the house was covered with pots. Unfortunately, the pots have been replaced with slate. Inside, I even kept the beams as they were. I replaced the windows, but they have the same texture, they are also made of wood. The cellar I think is 60 years old. There we keep the preserves, the wine, the compote. We opened it on December 13 and we already had many tourists who stayed overnight.

Therefore, the pension „Casa din Luncă”, today, means hospitality, kitchen as a grandmother's, but also: an 80-year old old house, seven accommodation rooms, watchtower and two rooms for dining (for the cold time of year, a covered terrace, overlooking the rocks and a fireplace, and from spring to autumn, guests can descend to the terrace covered with reed). When you think that it all started with one house, you understand that you worked, not a joke.
Ala: It is true and we are glad that we are not the only pension in the village. We, the Moldovans, have a proverb: „With a swallow, it is not spring.” Here we have shown the opposite, we brought spring to the village. We were the first to open a pension, and now, in Trebujeni, we have eight pensions and two others are about to open. At first, people didn't think we could develop rural tourism. The villagers were very sceptical.

The pension requires a lot of sacrifices. Most importantly, to me, is time. Time is neither bought nor sold and cannot be recovered. Not many, but you provide non-stop service. That means you have to be at the pension all the time. What about your family, your personal passions, your vacations, your travels?
Oxana: We are here and we do our job smiling because of the tourists. They give us power and motivate us. Then, I personally consider myself patriotic, you don't get me out of this country with one, two, that's why I like the thought of doing something that benefits many people from us. I try to influence my friends in the village, I encourage them to develop various projects at home. My childhood friends, with small exceptions, are here in the village. They didn't leave town. We want to do something good in our country. In a pension it is important every man, no one is easy to replace, and tourists come back also for communicating with us.

Ala: But tourists are giving us the energy and joy to continue. A few days ago, I accommodated 20 French tourists. All 20 were satisfied. Each one of us embraced us. One cook exclaimed: „Look! Guests came, friends left.” You know, this pension is first and foremost, out of love. Tourists will not allow me to lie; we do not trade here. We want to give positive emotions, as those who choose to stay with us give them. Then, the pension „Casa din Luncă” is the symbol of the family. That's the value we believe in.
And this feels full. Guests entrust their most important events in life: wedding requests, weddings, marriages, anniversaries. Also at the „Casa din Luncă” boarding house, I arrive without a special occasion: to rest, to replace the noise of the city, the crowds, the bells, the nervousness that floats in the air next to the dust, with the smell of freshly cut grass, the trill of the viewers, the air clean and spring water.

* I made this article for the magazine „Altitude”, which you can find onboard the „Air Moldova” aircraft.

The source: Aici vii oaspete, pleci prieten. „Casa din luncă” – prima pensiune turistică din Moldova [online] [citat 14.03.20]. Disponible: apostrof.md