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So, we escaped the clutches of the Ukranians.  Sandy picked up the car this morning, it started first time, and we were away from Izmail before midday.  The border going south is quite an odd one, if you are sad enough to want to look at a map, we left Reni in Ukraine, crossed a tiny bit of Moldova where they were very keen on checking all our documents and spoke to us in French, then drove into Galati in Romania with no checks at all.  Ukraine made us believe everyone is out to get us (on borders, anyway) so we breathed a huge sigh of relief once we were in Romania, and it feels like the best place on earth.  Well, almost.  We are in a truck stop in a place called Albini where the chap speaks Italian and nobody speaks English.  I just ordered some tea and was given something luke warm and frothy, so I am now following Sandyâs example and having a beer.  They claim to have a pizzeria so the world is really looking rosier!