Bill

I have been in Ukraine for three weeks already, and have lost some weight, gone to northern Ukraine (with Ann on a business trip), picked up a young Russian tourist, been "accosted" by an elderly town drunk in one of the villages, and been picked up by a Ukranian woman in the park.

Things I have not done:

gone dancing, been arrested, or gotten drunk.

I've taken several thousand photos so far, and am in the process of posting some of them on my Flickr account. Once I upload them, I will add a link from here.

On Monday, 4 August, I leave for Odessa and four days of time at the beach. I'm looking forward to the trip as I understand Odessa is a "happening" place in the summer. Kyiv is a wonderful city in the summer as well. The main street in the downtown area is closed on weekends and folks flock to it to enjoy the sunshine, the shops and each other. Kyiv is a large city, with many office/apartment buildings in the downtown area, many with mini parks in front. If not a mini-park, certainly lovely flowers to brighten the area. Without the flowers, this city would not have the charm it possesses. Seeing the difference just a few flowers makes to the environment causes me to rethink the Columbus Development Department's Urban Overlay plan. Having buildings right on the sidewalk makes for an ugly environment, no matter how "appealing" the developers claim the buildings will be. So much for editorializing for one day.

Ann and Igor are a treat to be around. I really appreciate their opening their home to me for such an extended period. A friend of Ann's was out of town on vacation and her apartment was vacant. It allowed me the opportunity to give Ann and Igor time alone, and me the opportunity to come and go without bothering them.

Friday, 1 August, the mother and sister of Petya Popov (the young man watching my house) came to Kyiv to "visit" Ann on their way back to Tvarditsa. As Ann is working, I offered to be the resident "tour guide" for a day and a half. Petya suggested several places to visi, including the Chornobyl Museum, St. Sophia Church, and St. Adrews Church. Maya and I climbed to the top of the bell tower at St. Sophia's while her mother sat on a bench outside the tower. We walked around the city, enjoying the fountain in downtown Kyiv (Maidan Square), lunch in a nice cafeteria, and walked a hundred miles! Saturday, Ann and I took them to the "Golden Gate", one of the original gates to the city. We had pastries at one of Ann's favorite bakeries, and then walked to one of the parks overlooking the Dneiper River and on to Marinsky Park as well. A bus ride home and a bit of time for everyone to relax, and Ann and I took them to the bus station to catch their bus to Moldova. Today, Sunday, 3 August, we all slept in and are having a lazy day. I'm going to the park in a bit and then on to downtown to check it out (again!). I love downtown Kyiv!