Одесса!

I really love Ukraine. I would encourage anyone with an American passport to come here, because you don't need a visa. So, I can only speak for Kiev and Odessa, but they are incredibly beautiful. I believe relationships are stronger with the US and Ukraine than they are with Russia, so makes it nice for an American. I am pretty sure I will be going here again...

One thing to say first - I really do believe the Ukrainian people - both men and women - are some of the most beautiful people I've seen.... Their features - something about the eyes, and it works on the men here, somehow, not so much in Moscow...

The people are friendlier, and will smile and talk to you, and when usually when I would try to speak Russian, they would tell me they could speak English. They also speak Ukrainian, but I am not sure I ever heard it.

So, here is a picture of me with the seahorse from the fountain outside the hotel... I always wanted a seahorse... but they require saltwater tanks, and that was too much trouble...

A picture of the front of our hotel. I think it had 26 rooms. Was quite expensive - although everything else in Odessa was not :)



First view of the Black Sea. You can see the soccer (football) field. These people really are in good shape. Bicycling, rollerblading, and the men must have some secret for developing 6 packs and upper arm muscles - very nice!

Dolphin Beach. I think it cost $4 for a chair, cushion and zont (umbrella)

Very nice view.

массаж (massage) on the beach... A bit different than in the US - but I tell you, I had a really good one at our hotel for $30.

Other unusual things......... So, there was no туалет (toilet) at our private beach....We had to pay 1 grivna to use the squat toilets.

Something much nicer - the flowers here are incredible. This was from the courtyard at the hotel where the pool was. I hope Katie has some more pics. My batteries were dying.

Here is a map of the Black Sea

It is really a sea for transporting oil and you can see the tankers on the horizon.

The weather was perfect...

Sunday, we took the cable cars up so we could get a good view..... very nice!!!!!!!! The cable cars seemed a bit dodgy,but it was fine.

An interesting bit of graffiti - a clothes line??

I wish I would have taken more pictures.... I am borrowing this from a restaurant we went to... So much outdoor seating here. And they bring you blankets if you get a bit chilly.

It was on a very nice pedestrian street they had blocked from traffic. Very charming.

Some of the architecture is amazing. Like nothing I have ever seen - but it was dark by then.. So, I have no pictures. I really need to do some research on the influences to this country.

Perhaps I'll have a few more pics to post soon.