A Good Day to Blog Hard...Pt. 3: Photos from Ukraine

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon in Kiev.  I’m running a low grade fever and struggling to get through a persistent case of jet lag.  I’m also counting down my final weeks in Ukraine, so it’s a good opportunity to reflect and share some thoughts and photos.  Enjoy the third of three blog entries on this good day to blog hard.

This post includes a collection of photos I've taken while in Ukraine.  Enjoy!

Famous Monuments:

The Golden Gate (ancient entrance and secure border to Kiev)

St. Micheal's Cathedral, Kiev

St. Andrew's Cathedral, Kiev

Mother of the Motherland, Kiev

Ornately decorated building in Kiev

 Art Around Town:

 Bicycle Race on Kreschatik Street:

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I was surprised to happen upon a bicycle race rushing up and down the main street in downtown Kiev.

A second later, cyclists buzzed by only a few feet from me

This is a permanent protest encampment in support of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko...

...which cyclists pedaled by at top speed

Miscellaneous:

A train passenger relaxing during a pause in the trip

Springtime in Kiev

And finally, a lonely motorcycle in southern Ukraine

A Good Day to Blog Hard...Pt. 2: 10 kilometers in Beregovo

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon in Kiev.  I’m running a low grade fever and struggling to get through a persistent case of jet lag.  I’m also counting down my final weeks in Ukraine, so it’s a good opportunity to reflect and share some thoughts and photos.  Enjoy the second of three blog entries on this good day to blog hard.

On a not-too-recent but not-too-distant Saturday morning, I arrived at 5am in the western Ukrainian city of Mukachevo after a 14-hour train ride and overpaid a taxi to deliver me 30 minutes south to Beregovo, which is about as far west in Ukraine one can go before spilling into Hungary.

Odd decoration in the train bathroom

Inside the train--windows to the left; cabins to the right

A colleague was waiting for me at his hotel when I arrived just before 6am.  He welcomed me into his room and offered me his accommodations while he went out to run errands.   Sleep had been difficult for me during the 14-hour train ride, so I took the opportunity to rest for the next hour.  Eventually, though, it was time to get ready for main reason for my visit—jogging 10 kilometers through Ukraine’s wine country as part of the annual Beregovo ½ marathon and 10k run.

You could be generous and say my legs were fresh; or you could be realistic and recognize that I haven’t run much lately.  I’ve been exercising at home, but hadn’t hit the pavement much except for a few short runs in preparation for the 10k.  Despite some light cramping during the run, I felt good and was able to enjoy the beautiful countryside.  My colleague served as my pacer (and inspiration), and we finished the race side-by-side in just over 50 minutes.  

With rolling hill lined with grape vines behind us, the finish line is only steps away

After the race, I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in Beregovo and helped hand out prizes at the award ceremony.  

Canopied cobbled street in Beregovo

Post-race awards ceremony

My appetite was healthy that evening, and the meal I had at my hotel was fantastic.

Pork, potatoes, salad, bread, and beer--a perfect post-race meal

The following day I returned to Mukachevo and spent a sunny afternoon at a small wine festival in the center of town.  

Mukachevo wine festival on a beautiful Sunday afternoon

By early evening it was time to board the train for the return trip to Kiev.  The train snaked through the Carpathian Mountains as the sun dropped in the western sky.

The long ride through the mountains east to Kiev

A Good Day to Blog Hard...Pt. 1: Everything you ever need to know about Ukraine

It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon in Kiev.  I’m running a low grade fever and struggling to get through a persistent case of jet lag.  I’m also counting down my final weeks in Ukraine, so it’s a good opportunity to reflect and share some thoughts and photos.  Enjoy the first of three blog entries on this good day to blog hard.

I’ve been living in Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine for about 4 months and will be here for another 3 weeks.  So I think the time is now to open my vault of Ukrainian insights, knowledge, and wisdom.  Gems like these are too precious to keep to myself (and will likely fade from memory soon after my departure from these ‘borderlands’):

·        Ukrainian men love the Man Purse

Sleek leather pouches strapped over the shoulder are a common accessory for the Ukrainian businessman, merchant, and blue collar worker alike.  The other day I saw two men doing light construction on a building with their man purses securely strapped diagonally across their torsos.  It seemed to be the kind of work for which you would remove your purse…but not in Ukraine! 

The Man Purse--I have to admit it's not bad looking...

 ·        If I owned a hair salon here I would call it “Bang-bang Ukraine”

Ukrainian men have their man purses—the women have their bangs flowing generously over their foreheads.  In addition to bangs, they rarely shy away from opportunities to wear high heels and tight fitting clothing.  As the weather warms, some women sacrifice what I would consider common decency for…what?  Fashion?  Comfort?  I’m not sure, but then again I’m not a young Eastern European woman.  And all done up, it's not uncommon to see women striking elaborate 'glamor shots' poses in the parks as their friends click away with expensive cameras.

 

·        BEER HERE!!

Baseball fans sitting in the stands enjoying a ball game can relate to boisterous vendors announcing the opportunity to purchase cold, frosty beverages.  If Ukrainian beer vendors would employ a similar strategy their cacophony would drown out all other sounds. Simply said, beer is sold at every turn—sidewalk kiosks, gas stations, grocery stores, corner markets, etc.  And although public consumption is technically illegal, draft beer is sold and consumed at public parks, at metro stations, and on the sidewalk.

Walking to work? Getting on a train? Just hanging out? You can grab a beer at every turn

         Look both ways before crossing the sidewalk!

Pedestrians benefit from crosswalks that most drivers respect—when you begin to cross the street, traffic generally slows or stops so you can cross the street safely.  The real danger for pedestrians is on the wide sidewalks, where cars are likely to drive and park.

·        PDA? OK.

Perhaps because my tenure in Ukraine has coincided mainly with the spring season, there has been an abundance of young Ukrainian couples expressing their affection.  My afternoon walk home takes me through a botanical garden where any number of young couples enjoy the pleasant weather and the opportunity to share a kiss under the flowering trees. 

Perhaps it’s the allure of a strapping young man with his shiny leather man purse who is attracted to the flowing bangs and glamorous style of his mate…add a cold beer to the mix…and the thrill of dodging sidewalk traffic…and I can understand how the gravitational pull of two young lovers is irresistible.