The Digs - A Pictorial Tour of a Moldovan Flat

Bun Venit!  A look through the entryway 

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The door nearest to you is the infamous thrice door, the next door on the left is what I thought was a closet but is actually my neighbor's.  At the end of the hallway you can see the bathroom door with the light on.

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A view of my second entry door, from the inside looking out.

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This padded metal door is the door with the lock that turns twice, as well as a push-lock dead-bolt (not to be confused with the "push, half-turn-pull" lock of the outer door.)

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And if you now turn to the left from looking back out at the entrance you see into...

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...my living room.  You can see the mighty shrub I share the sunroom with, as well as a "dulap" on the left.

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A better view of the dulap and bush.  I just this moment decided to name it "George the Bush III."

And if someone were to get through my flat's stout defenses, made up of feisty locks and padded metal doors, this is what they would see if they hid behind George the Bush III...

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And speaking of hiding, what exactly does that couch look like?  Why should it spend eternity covered by that hideous red patterned sheet?

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Oh, of course... it's nice, pliable, Italian leather.  Yeah, I would cover that too. 

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One final look at the entertainment zone on one side of the living room, and the Zune zone on the other...

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The speakers were my only major purchase in Moldova... my computer tweeters just did not get the job done.  As you can probably tell by the blue-groove that is screaming out of that picture, the Zune was playing B.B. King's "Why I Sing the Blues" when the picture was snapped.  Cool.

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Now, further down the hall (and on the right) is the kitchen...

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Complete with a stocked fridge, dishwasher and washing machine...

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Special note:  You will notice that the fridge is stocked with yogurt, eggs, milk, cream, sour cream, iodinated mineral water, salami, ham, bread and (in the bottom half) about 20 lbs of fruits and vegetables:  red and white grapes, green onions and dill, tomatoes, apples, potatoes, onions and more tomatoes.  I can say that this is typical of what Moldovans consider essential to their kitchen, given that my landlords were kind enough to fill it before I arrived (so that I could sleep without worrying about finding a market the next morning.)

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..and, of course, a coffee center.

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I'm sure you all want to see the flowers:

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(Yes, that is a basket loop coming up out of the flower pot... still looking for some kitchen shears.)

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Leaving the kitchen and turning to the right, we're now to the end of the hallway.  Here you will find two little doors (and a half light-switch for each room within)...

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...the door to the left houses the toilet (complete with giant jugs of water in case the water is ever shut off... just another piece of helpful instruction from Ana, which is going to be henceforth added as Lesson #27 to Brian's Guide to Living in Moldova) and the door on the right (visible from the entryway) houses the skytub and sink with a mirror.  I call it the skytub because it is raised a good 2 or 3 feet.  Also of note, I have to "shower" sitting down... no curtain, rod, or any other sort of barrier.

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So, to the right of the bathroom-toilet combo rooms is the guestroom.

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And across the hall from the guestroom is my bedroom.  (I'm almost done unpacking, but still need to hang my dress shirts, pants and ties...)

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And that concludes your tour...

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Thanks for stopping by.  La revedere!