Tour of Kiev

A giant traditional Ukrainian painted Easter egg made of actual painted Easter eggs. A modern artist created it for the courtyard of a Kiev church.

A Crimean Riesling. Unfortunately not very good.

A very tall monument in Kiev. That's a giant woman up there.

Poppy seeds are very popular around here. So popular that one restaurant stuffed blintzes with them.

We were not permitted to enter the famous cave monastery of Kiev until we purchased head garments. These were the cheapest. The cave monastery itself was creepy. You lit your way with a candle and were surrounded by glassed-in mummified bodies of monks. They were generally covered but the occasional mummified hand was visible in the half-darkness. Everyone around us would crouch by each glass box, murmur a prayer and then kiss its top. Creepy all around.

Food in Odesa and Kiev

After Odesa, Amy and I took a considerably longer ride -- this time on a train -- to Kiev. Since we got the tickets the same day the only kind of sleeper seats left were the extra cheap variety which required special gymnastics to get into our bunks. On a good note, the whole ride cost just under $11 each, cheaper than the cheapest hostel!

A traditional Russian salad. Primary ingredients: beets and mayo. So many stereotypes confirmed.

Another delicious piece of fried dough with sour cream. Also traditional.

A very popular Russian cake called Napoleon (not to be confused with "Death of Napoleon", an entirely different Russian cake). It consists of layers of dough soaked in condensed milk.

We interrupt the food blog to bring you a close-up of the Black Sea to finally prove that it is not actually black.

Back to the food blog. This dish's name translates to "hot". There is another dish whose name is "cold" and is comprised of pieces of meat floating in a meat jelly. It is served cold and in slices, like pie. Katie hates it because it is also very popular in Moldova. Unfortunately, we haven't come across it in our trip.

Some pics from Odesa

Amy and I got into Odesa after a quick and painless border crossing from Moldova and a 3.5 hour bus ride. That now seems like an awfully short bus trip. Odesa is a Ukrainian city right on the Black Sea known for its liberal bent and carefree attitude. I referred to it as the "San Francisco of Ukraine". Amy thought that was too much. But seriously, we saw actual hippies with dreadlocks (in plural!), a circle of young people dancing capoiera, guys with earrings and Afro-Russians (in plural!). Where else in Ukraine could such a liberal town exist?

A bridge in Odesa is the traditional place for a couple to place a padlock declaring their love. If they break up they are obligated to return and take off the lock.

Look! Even English-speakers.

Nice view of the Black Sea.

Inexplicable sculpture