Monastery trip

We have access to a car for just 2 more days, so we decided to take one more trip out into the countryside to see what we could see.  And man, did we find some sights to behold!  The hillsides and farmlands are beautiful around here... so many vineyards and orchards.  And we drove through a few different small villages that were lovely with their painted gates and ornate houses.

And then, after jostling on rutted roads at 20 mph for awhile, we arrived, with no fanfare at all, at Capriana Monastery.

This country doesn't seem to do tourism much; a place as old or as beautiful as this in America would be surrounded with neon-lit signs, high-rise hotels, timeshare deals -- or at least multiple souvenir stands.  But, when we came across this place, we couldn't even tell if it was open.  There was a small parking lot out front which was empty.

At the entrance

No one greeted us, charged us admission, offered us tour-guide headphones, or even tried to sell us a Coke.  In fact, the only people we saw were a handful of Russian-speaking uniformed soldier/guards, and a few robed monks walking around (which seemed like a strange contrast).  Later on we spotted a few other people that fit in neither category, which we presume were other tourists.

One of the monks is walking way up on the left side...

Needless to say, it was a very quiet place --- and very peaceful.  Pete and I both had thoughts about how nice it would have been to be there without our 4 rambunctious children who were trying to climb everything.

Capriana is the site of one of the oldest monasteries in the country -- it was built before the 1420's!  There are also a few churches on the grounds, and for a long time, this was where the bishop of Moldova resided.  In the 1960's, after 500 years as a monastery/church complex, it was closed and then re-opened as a children's hospital.  Then, more recently, it has been converted back into the monastery/church site again.

The inside of the church we were able to explore was astonishing.  I did not expect the level of detail or brightness of colors on the walls and ceilings.  It was interesting to see the portrayals of the men and women from the Bible, right alongside pictures of people like Stefan the Great!

Pete trying to tell everyone to be quiet!

All of the pictures we took here were with my iPad since our camera is broken.  But what a beautiful spot it would have been to get some real portraits with a good camera (if I knew how to do that, that is).

Strider singing for us (not really)

Afterwards, we walked across the street to the prettiest little alimentara (grocery store) we've ever seen.

Rayna dancing in front of the front door (there was music playing)

Some of the village children came over to talk to us and practice their English... they were very friendly.  I kept trying to imagine what life would be like in that village.... in a lot of ways it looks very appealing.  I told Pete next time he applies for a grant, he should get assigned to this place.  He pointed out the fact that there are no universities anywhere nearby, so the chances of that happening are nil.

Anyway, we all agreed it was a gorgeous spot and a wonderful afternoon out!  I wish we had known more about this place before.... but like I said, this country doesn't seem big on tourism.  Maybe that's a good thing, though.