Black Sea Blast: Romania, Crimea & Istanbul
Nov 28th, 2012, 06:47 AM
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https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...ureshBukovina#
Thse have also been updated by adding several pics of my earlier 1980's visits, especially to Ieud (yay-ood) which is the epitome' of rural Romania. You can scroll down to Maramuersh and will come across the old scanned pics I mention. My late wife Judy is seen in those particular 1980's pics. Roz is seen in the 2005, etc. pics. Just to clarify.
stu (on with the report, please, Mag.)
Thse have also been updated by adding several pics of my earlier 1980's visits, especially to Ieud (yay-ood) which is the epitome' of rural Romania. You can scroll down to Maramuersh and will come across the old scanned pics I mention. My late wife Judy is seen in those particular 1980's pics. Roz is seen in the 2005, etc. pics. Just to clarify.
stu (on with the report, please, Mag.)
Nov 28th, 2012, 10:38 AM
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<i>The government at one point in time disallowed any new churches from being made of stone, so not to be deterred, the peasants made them of wood instead. </i>
Post W.W.II but many of the churches are much older than that, built out of traditional materials and similar to other churches in the northern Carpathians.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623046345988
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57630700966746
Post W.W.II but many of the churches are much older than that, built out of traditional materials and similar to other churches in the northern Carpathians.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623046345988
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57630700966746
Nov 28th, 2012, 05:07 PM
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stu -- I loved seeing your pictures of the Popa Museum - especially the one of Neculae Popa. I am sad to tell you that Neculae passed away, not sure when, maybe in the last year or two (not a very long time ago). His son gave us the tour when we were there. I had the feeling that they were really struggling to keep the place going.
As far as what's next -- We usually travel spring and fall and tend to do one traditional trip and one more exotic. This spring we are headed for Paris (for the Independent Wine-makers Salon) and then to Turin and the Piedmont. Pretty much a wine-drinking trip!
As far as what's next -- We usually travel spring and fall and tend to do one traditional trip and one more exotic. This spring we are headed for Paris (for the Independent Wine-makers Salon) and then to Turin and the Piedmont. Pretty much a wine-drinking trip!
Nov 28th, 2012, 07:07 PM
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On the Road to Sighisoara
After Bucovina, our driving tour took us southwest through the forests of the Carpathian Mountains to the medieval town of Sighisoara. We always hate to leave home when the leaves are changing, but this year we got a full dose of fall foliage splendor in Romania.
Based on Stu Tower's recommendation on this forum, we made a visit to the Popa Museum. Even our guide Andrei had never heard of the place, so it was a bit of a crapshoot, but we were all impressed by this gem of a collection dedicated to the peasant way of life. Neculai Popa was a sculptor and a collector of all kinds of local artifacts and especially anything related to the old Romanian peasant traditions. For those of you familiar with the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Neculai was like the Henry Mercer of Romania.
The museum consists of several traditional Romanian farm buildings, and the courtyard displays Neculai’s whimsical sculptures inspired by Romanian folktales. Neculai spent 19 years in prison (one of many people arrested for political reasons) and his passion for collecting helped him to recuperate from that horrible experience.
One of his favorite collections is a strange and unusual group of masks. In a traditional Romanian village, no one talked about or criticized their neighbors or the whole village would turn against them. However according to Neculai’s son (who gave us a heartfelt tour of his father’s work), on one day of the year “the gates of heaven opened,” and people were allowed to tell each other what they really thought. To encourage people to really open up, the “advice” was given from behind the anonymity of a mask. So once a year, the entire village donned masks and told each other the truth. The intention was that people would learn and improve, but we have to wonder how many hurt feelings (and personal grudges) may have resulted.
The rest of the museum consisted of a series of small rooms displaying farm implements, household items including an extensive collection of old irons, pistols, and family Bibles. Sadly, the museum has no funding and is struggling to survive – if you ever go to Romania, we highly recommend a visit here.
Our scenic drive took us past the idyllic Red Lake and through the craggy Bicaz Gorge. This was a peaceful drive that gave us the opportunity to ponder everything we have learned here in the countryside. As much as we might want to romanticize it, these people have hard lives struggling to survive. And yet, we can’t help envying their simple existence and their strong attachment to the land.
We made another stop at the Praid Salt Mine. Lonely Planet (who seldom lets us down) described the ride into the underground salt mines as practically apocalyptic, but for us, the site was a disappointment. The salt mines have been turned into a playground for children, a great place if you are under the age of 12. It was interesting to see the giant cavern carved out of salt, and the kids having a ball on a salty “rock” climbing wall, equipped with rope harnesses, helmets, and carabineers. We also got a kick out of the incongruous sight of fathers working on their laptops as their kids played in this immense gymnasium !
We said la revedere (goodbye) to our fabulous guide Andrei in Sighisoara and struck out on our own. The small town atmosphere of Sighisoara offered a perfect spot to relax and wander on our own. In addition to its medieval charms, Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, aka Dracula.
After Bucovina, our driving tour took us southwest through the forests of the Carpathian Mountains to the medieval town of Sighisoara. We always hate to leave home when the leaves are changing, but this year we got a full dose of fall foliage splendor in Romania.
Based on Stu Tower's recommendation on this forum, we made a visit to the Popa Museum. Even our guide Andrei had never heard of the place, so it was a bit of a crapshoot, but we were all impressed by this gem of a collection dedicated to the peasant way of life. Neculai Popa was a sculptor and a collector of all kinds of local artifacts and especially anything related to the old Romanian peasant traditions. For those of you familiar with the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Neculai was like the Henry Mercer of Romania.
The museum consists of several traditional Romanian farm buildings, and the courtyard displays Neculai’s whimsical sculptures inspired by Romanian folktales. Neculai spent 19 years in prison (one of many people arrested for political reasons) and his passion for collecting helped him to recuperate from that horrible experience.
One of his favorite collections is a strange and unusual group of masks. In a traditional Romanian village, no one talked about or criticized their neighbors or the whole village would turn against them. However according to Neculai’s son (who gave us a heartfelt tour of his father’s work), on one day of the year “the gates of heaven opened,” and people were allowed to tell each other what they really thought. To encourage people to really open up, the “advice” was given from behind the anonymity of a mask. So once a year, the entire village donned masks and told each other the truth. The intention was that people would learn and improve, but we have to wonder how many hurt feelings (and personal grudges) may have resulted.
The rest of the museum consisted of a series of small rooms displaying farm implements, household items including an extensive collection of old irons, pistols, and family Bibles. Sadly, the museum has no funding and is struggling to survive – if you ever go to Romania, we highly recommend a visit here.
Our scenic drive took us past the idyllic Red Lake and through the craggy Bicaz Gorge. This was a peaceful drive that gave us the opportunity to ponder everything we have learned here in the countryside. As much as we might want to romanticize it, these people have hard lives struggling to survive. And yet, we can’t help envying their simple existence and their strong attachment to the land.
We made another stop at the Praid Salt Mine. Lonely Planet (who seldom lets us down) described the ride into the underground salt mines as practically apocalyptic, but for us, the site was a disappointment. The salt mines have been turned into a playground for children, a great place if you are under the age of 12. It was interesting to see the giant cavern carved out of salt, and the kids having a ball on a salty “rock” climbing wall, equipped with rope harnesses, helmets, and carabineers. We also got a kick out of the incongruous sight of fathers working on their laptops as their kids played in this immense gymnasium !
We said la revedere (goodbye) to our fabulous guide Andrei in Sighisoara and struck out on our own. The small town atmosphere of Sighisoara offered a perfect spot to relax and wander on our own. In addition to its medieval charms, Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, aka Dracula.
Nov 29th, 2012, 05:10 PM
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Brasov and Bucharest – Magnificent Castles and the Megalomania of Ceausescu
BTW, I highly recommend our hotel in Sighisoara, Pension am Schneiderturm. The hotel has been lovingly restored -- it's a beautiful property with small, but comfortable rooms, a very helpful owner, and a wonderful breakfast with smoked meats, local cheeses, elderberry juice -- very special.
While Sighisoara doesn't have a lot of sights, we really enjoyed the old town, roaming around the old German cemetery, and climbing the Clock Tower with its interesting history museum. We especially enjoyed lunch at the Rustic Restaurant -- loved the goulash with polenta & a fried egg on top.
I am a “trainaholic” and thought it would be fun to ride a Romanian train from Sighisoara to Brasov. After a 70-minute delay I wasn’t so sure. The train ride was fine (once it arrived!); Romania acquires and refurbishes old trains from Western Europe and our train was the old style with individual compartments holding 6 passengers in each one (like you may have seen in the old movies).
Brasov is an attractive town with an historic Old Town. We were very happy our room at Casa Albert which is perfectly located right on the pedestrian main drag. We had the gold room, and it was really lovely, spacious and gracious, with a gold mural of Brasov's famous Black Church on one of the walls!
Our favorite restaurant in Brasov was Sergiamo, a fun place in a vaulted basement with friendly waiters and waitresses dressed in traditional clothes. Excellent Romaninan dishes and an incredible dessert -- cheese bread sith sour cream and cherry confiture (I know it doesn't sound exceptional, but it was divine!)
Our main goal was to see the famous castles nearby. Rasnov Castle is a ruined fortress with an imposing location high on a mountain. During times of siege, the entire town would huddle in the castle – including all their farm animals that would be hustled into a large courtyard.
Our favorite castle was Bran Castle even though it turned out to be much different than we expected. Bran is also known as Dracula’s Castle even though Vlad Tepes, the historical figure who became the inspiration for Dracula, never even resided here. This romantic castle seemed perfectly suited to Bram Stoker’s legendary tale, especially when a secret passageway was discovered (that would have allowed the blood-sucking Dracula to come and go as he pleased). And the local people saw an opportunity to open up souvenir stands selling Dracula memorabilia.
Speaking of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, here are some interesting facts, or so we were told. Bram Stoker, author of the infamous Dracula tale wrote it in the mid 1800’s and never even visited the area for any research. Also, this popular fictional book is the second most printed book, exceeded only by the Bible.
Beyond the fake Dracula legend (which is now downplayed here), the castle was the home of Queen Mary, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and a favorite of the Romanian people (they gave her this castle as an expression of their appreciation). I became enthralled with this enlightened queen who our tour guide told us “became more Romanian than the Romanians.” During communism, it was a crime to say anything good about the royal family; but now the people are rediscovering the contributions of these benevolent rulers.
The castle actually feels like a cozy family home and reflects Queen Mary’s feminine touch. Interestingly, what my husband enjoyed the most was the “Torture Museum” with its gruesome collection of authentic (i.e. actually used!) instruments of the most hideous tortures.
When we left Brasov for the capitol, Bucharest, we had a driver guide who took us to two stops along the way. Rhein Cellars was a low-key winery with a small but dedicated staff. This winery was originally established by the Rhein family of Germany who were encouraged to come here as part of an effort by the Austro-Hungarian empire to establish industries in the Romanian backwater. Their specialty is German-style sparkling wine (champagne!!) which was a favorite of the Romanian royal family.
After the arrival of communism, The Rhein family returned to Germany. The communist government actually allowed Germany to “buy back” their citizens (as a moneymaking scheme – of course, no true Romanians were permitted to leave the country). The communists expanded the winery (and no doubt lowered the quality of the wine) – they also exported all of it to Russia! Today the winery is owned by a British company who is re-establishing the original methods of the Rhein family.
We had a great tour with the hardworking winemaker who, like most Romanians, appears to do almost everything himself. Our guide had to translate for us, but no language differences could hide the winemaker’s passion for his craft. For example, he does all the riddling by hand (champagne bottles have to be turned a 1/8 turn every so many hours during the process called “riddling”). He showed us how he turned them (man this guy was fast, working 2 rows at one time) and told us he could turn 4,000 bottles in an hour! Of course, we got to taste the goods at the end of the tour – a marvelous bubbly!
Our second stop was supposed to be Peles Castle, one of Romania’s most elaborate castles, but it was closed for restoration, so we had to settle for Pelisor, the “Little Peles.” I was pretty disappointed until I learned that the Pelisor was the home of none other than Queen Mary! This relatively small castle had Queen Mary’s distinctive homey touch and an impressive array of different architectural and furniture styles. Art Nouveau was a favorite and many elegant Mucha paintings graced the walls. Queen Mary’s favorite room is called the “Gold Room” with walls and ceiling covered with a thin layer of gold leaf.
Bucharest was our last stop in Romania, and although it lacks the charm of other smaller places, it is rich in history. Our Christina Hotel was bright and cheerful. Very colorful -- we especially enjoyed the light show in the shower (changing LED lights in the showerhead!)
The staff were very helpful particularly when the city tour I had arranged with Jolly Tours stood us up. I had booked this tour months ahead of time, and reconfirmed one month prior, but they asked that I reconfirm again 3 days before -- which I did, but we were having some computer problems and apparently the email never got thru.
When I called Jolly Tours, the woman I talked to was not the least bit sympathetic. Her attitude was, you didn't email us so you don't get a tour -- very brusque. She did offer a tour later in the day, but she was so rude, I didn't want to do business with her. So at least for us, Jolly Tours were anything but jolly.
Luckily, the staff at Christina Hotel came through for us and arranged a city tour (same itinerary) with their guide/driver. This was a private tour and the price was less! Definitely the better way to go.
Our day tour gave us a sense of this city and the revolutionary events that took place here. We saw buildings still scarred by the bullets that flew when the Romanian people finally had enough of the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who was arrested and executed along with his wife, Elena. Surprisingly, the Ceausescu duo were not at all well-educated. Our guide told us that Ceausescu could read the speeches others wrote for him, but Elena could not even read or write. How do people like this get such power?
Nicolae and Elena owned numerous villas across Romania, and since they liked art, they stole whatever caught their fancy. (Today their art collection is displayed in the National Art Museum). But the best example of their ridiculous extravagance is the Parliamentary Palace, the second largest administrative building in the world (right after the Pentagon). While their people were starving all over Romania, Nicolae and Elena decided to build what they called a “People’s Palace” at a cost of over 3 billion euros. The inside of the palace is all chandeliers and tons of marble used for both massive columns and graceful staircases. Knowing the history, in hindsight, it feels really creepy to walk thru the opulence garnered by the greed of the Ceausescu’s. The only poetic justice is that all of the many palace meeting rooms are now named for revolutionaries, who had a hand in overthrowing this uncaring despot!
Nicolae’s dream was to address 100,000 people from the Palace’s balcony, but it never happened. He was deposed before even spending one night here. Our guide told us the first person to ever address the multitudes from the balcony ended up being Michael Jackson who made a famous flub saying, “Welcome Budapest!”
BTW, I highly recommend our hotel in Sighisoara, Pension am Schneiderturm. The hotel has been lovingly restored -- it's a beautiful property with small, but comfortable rooms, a very helpful owner, and a wonderful breakfast with smoked meats, local cheeses, elderberry juice -- very special.
While Sighisoara doesn't have a lot of sights, we really enjoyed the old town, roaming around the old German cemetery, and climbing the Clock Tower with its interesting history museum. We especially enjoyed lunch at the Rustic Restaurant -- loved the goulash with polenta & a fried egg on top.
I am a “trainaholic” and thought it would be fun to ride a Romanian train from Sighisoara to Brasov. After a 70-minute delay I wasn’t so sure. The train ride was fine (once it arrived!); Romania acquires and refurbishes old trains from Western Europe and our train was the old style with individual compartments holding 6 passengers in each one (like you may have seen in the old movies).
Brasov is an attractive town with an historic Old Town. We were very happy our room at Casa Albert which is perfectly located right on the pedestrian main drag. We had the gold room, and it was really lovely, spacious and gracious, with a gold mural of Brasov's famous Black Church on one of the walls!
Our favorite restaurant in Brasov was Sergiamo, a fun place in a vaulted basement with friendly waiters and waitresses dressed in traditional clothes. Excellent Romaninan dishes and an incredible dessert -- cheese bread sith sour cream and cherry confiture (I know it doesn't sound exceptional, but it was divine!)
Our main goal was to see the famous castles nearby. Rasnov Castle is a ruined fortress with an imposing location high on a mountain. During times of siege, the entire town would huddle in the castle – including all their farm animals that would be hustled into a large courtyard.
Our favorite castle was Bran Castle even though it turned out to be much different than we expected. Bran is also known as Dracula’s Castle even though Vlad Tepes, the historical figure who became the inspiration for Dracula, never even resided here. This romantic castle seemed perfectly suited to Bram Stoker’s legendary tale, especially when a secret passageway was discovered (that would have allowed the blood-sucking Dracula to come and go as he pleased). And the local people saw an opportunity to open up souvenir stands selling Dracula memorabilia.
Speaking of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, here are some interesting facts, or so we were told. Bram Stoker, author of the infamous Dracula tale wrote it in the mid 1800’s and never even visited the area for any research. Also, this popular fictional book is the second most printed book, exceeded only by the Bible.
Beyond the fake Dracula legend (which is now downplayed here), the castle was the home of Queen Mary, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and a favorite of the Romanian people (they gave her this castle as an expression of their appreciation). I became enthralled with this enlightened queen who our tour guide told us “became more Romanian than the Romanians.” During communism, it was a crime to say anything good about the royal family; but now the people are rediscovering the contributions of these benevolent rulers.
The castle actually feels like a cozy family home and reflects Queen Mary’s feminine touch. Interestingly, what my husband enjoyed the most was the “Torture Museum” with its gruesome collection of authentic (i.e. actually used!) instruments of the most hideous tortures.
When we left Brasov for the capitol, Bucharest, we had a driver guide who took us to two stops along the way. Rhein Cellars was a low-key winery with a small but dedicated staff. This winery was originally established by the Rhein family of Germany who were encouraged to come here as part of an effort by the Austro-Hungarian empire to establish industries in the Romanian backwater. Their specialty is German-style sparkling wine (champagne!!) which was a favorite of the Romanian royal family.
After the arrival of communism, The Rhein family returned to Germany. The communist government actually allowed Germany to “buy back” their citizens (as a moneymaking scheme – of course, no true Romanians were permitted to leave the country). The communists expanded the winery (and no doubt lowered the quality of the wine) – they also exported all of it to Russia! Today the winery is owned by a British company who is re-establishing the original methods of the Rhein family.
We had a great tour with the hardworking winemaker who, like most Romanians, appears to do almost everything himself. Our guide had to translate for us, but no language differences could hide the winemaker’s passion for his craft. For example, he does all the riddling by hand (champagne bottles have to be turned a 1/8 turn every so many hours during the process called “riddling”). He showed us how he turned them (man this guy was fast, working 2 rows at one time) and told us he could turn 4,000 bottles in an hour! Of course, we got to taste the goods at the end of the tour – a marvelous bubbly!
Our second stop was supposed to be Peles Castle, one of Romania’s most elaborate castles, but it was closed for restoration, so we had to settle for Pelisor, the “Little Peles.” I was pretty disappointed until I learned that the Pelisor was the home of none other than Queen Mary! This relatively small castle had Queen Mary’s distinctive homey touch and an impressive array of different architectural and furniture styles. Art Nouveau was a favorite and many elegant Mucha paintings graced the walls. Queen Mary’s favorite room is called the “Gold Room” with walls and ceiling covered with a thin layer of gold leaf.
Bucharest was our last stop in Romania, and although it lacks the charm of other smaller places, it is rich in history. Our Christina Hotel was bright and cheerful. Very colorful -- we especially enjoyed the light show in the shower (changing LED lights in the showerhead!)
The staff were very helpful particularly when the city tour I had arranged with Jolly Tours stood us up. I had booked this tour months ahead of time, and reconfirmed one month prior, but they asked that I reconfirm again 3 days before -- which I did, but we were having some computer problems and apparently the email never got thru.
When I called Jolly Tours, the woman I talked to was not the least bit sympathetic. Her attitude was, you didn't email us so you don't get a tour -- very brusque. She did offer a tour later in the day, but she was so rude, I didn't want to do business with her. So at least for us, Jolly Tours were anything but jolly.
Luckily, the staff at Christina Hotel came through for us and arranged a city tour (same itinerary) with their guide/driver. This was a private tour and the price was less! Definitely the better way to go.
Our day tour gave us a sense of this city and the revolutionary events that took place here. We saw buildings still scarred by the bullets that flew when the Romanian people finally had enough of the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who was arrested and executed along with his wife, Elena. Surprisingly, the Ceausescu duo were not at all well-educated. Our guide told us that Ceausescu could read the speeches others wrote for him, but Elena could not even read or write. How do people like this get such power?
Nicolae and Elena owned numerous villas across Romania, and since they liked art, they stole whatever caught their fancy. (Today their art collection is displayed in the National Art Museum). But the best example of their ridiculous extravagance is the Parliamentary Palace, the second largest administrative building in the world (right after the Pentagon). While their people were starving all over Romania, Nicolae and Elena decided to build what they called a “People’s Palace” at a cost of over 3 billion euros. The inside of the palace is all chandeliers and tons of marble used for both massive columns and graceful staircases. Knowing the history, in hindsight, it feels really creepy to walk thru the opulence garnered by the greed of the Ceausescu’s. The only poetic justice is that all of the many palace meeting rooms are now named for revolutionaries, who had a hand in overthrowing this uncaring despot!
Nicolae’s dream was to address 100,000 people from the Palace’s balcony, but it never happened. He was deposed before even spending one night here. Our guide told us the first person to ever address the multitudes from the balcony ended up being Michael Jackson who made a famous flub saying, “Welcome Budapest!”
Nov 30th, 2012, 04:45 AM
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Oddities of Romania
Now that our time in Romania has come to an end, we wanted to share a few more insights. Here are some strange and unusual facts about this fascinating land:
Although Romania is second to the last in GDP of all the European Union countries, Romania has more millionaires than any other EU country! (Corruption is a huge problem, unfortunately!)
80% of Romanians smoke. Plus the rare “No Smoking” sign that you see occasionally in a restaurant is generally and totally ignored. (No wonder we couldn’t escape the fumes!)
Bucharest was once known as the “Paris of the East.” It has an Arc similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and a boulevard that was supposed to mimic Champs Elysees (although Ceausescu made his a bit wider and a bit longer!).
Most of the newer Romanian houses are painted in such bright colors that they look radioactive! One of our guides told us that during communism, all the buildings were painted grey since that was the only paint color available. And all clothing was drab too, greys or black, since that was the only material for sale. So now, some of the people want to “break out” and express their freedom from the old ways; one way to do this is by painting their houses in the brightest colors they can find, announcing a new (and hopefully) bright future.
Even the paper products are bright colors: hot pink toilet paper, orange napkins, and green paper towels!
Now that our time in Romania has come to an end, we wanted to share a few more insights. Here are some strange and unusual facts about this fascinating land:
Although Romania is second to the last in GDP of all the European Union countries, Romania has more millionaires than any other EU country! (Corruption is a huge problem, unfortunately!)
80% of Romanians smoke. Plus the rare “No Smoking” sign that you see occasionally in a restaurant is generally and totally ignored. (No wonder we couldn’t escape the fumes!)
Bucharest was once known as the “Paris of the East.” It has an Arc similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and a boulevard that was supposed to mimic Champs Elysees (although Ceausescu made his a bit wider and a bit longer!).
Most of the newer Romanian houses are painted in such bright colors that they look radioactive! One of our guides told us that during communism, all the buildings were painted grey since that was the only paint color available. And all clothing was drab too, greys or black, since that was the only material for sale. So now, some of the people want to “break out” and express their freedom from the old ways; one way to do this is by painting their houses in the brightest colors they can find, announcing a new (and hopefully) bright future.
Even the paper products are bright colors: hot pink toilet paper, orange napkins, and green paper towels!
Nov 30th, 2012, 06:51 AM
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Mag..so sorry to hear that Popa passed on..he had an amazingly colorful (and difficult) life. I met the son when I was there. Did he "march" his little troopers around in costume as I recorded in my pix? I thought that was the highlight.
You have given the Forum a most detailed and complete TR on Romania. For that, anyone thinking of undertaking the adventure will be most grateful.
stu tower
You have given the Forum a most detailed and complete TR on Romania. For that, anyone thinking of undertaking the adventure will be most grateful.
stu tower
Nov 30th, 2012, 08:14 AM
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Magister, my interest in Romania was first piqued at Expo1986, when the World's Fair was held in Vancouver. Romania had an exhibit, and we spent some time talking to the people manning it.
So, I've been waiting a long time to go there, but I may have to wait a little longer, until Romania catches up in the area of non-smoking hotels and restaurants. Thanks for adding that detail.
Got a kick out of the neon tp.
Thanks for all the great details, you've put a lot of work into this report.
Stu thanks for posting those pics.
So, I've been waiting a long time to go there, but I may have to wait a little longer, until Romania catches up in the area of non-smoking hotels and restaurants. Thanks for adding that detail.
Got a kick out of the neon tp.
Thanks for all the great details, you've put a lot of work into this report.
Stu thanks for posting those pics.
Nov 30th, 2012, 09:56 AM
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Thank you so much for this trip report. It caught my eye originally because we're planning to visit Turkey / Istanbul in the next year or two, but based on your trip report, Romania may be in the picture too.
Nov 30th, 2012, 10:04 AM
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sundried and mag:
Back in the early 80's, what I wouldn't have given for any kind of tp, neon or otherwise! Same for simple food and petrol..hard to come by..and RRB's (Romanian Road Blocks) were ubiquitous. Nothing like having a kalashnikov stuck in your face. My 2005 trip was like a day in dreamland by comparison.
Sundried:
Sure hope Romania tightens up it's no smoking "laws" for your sake..wouldn't want you to have to miss this fascinating country. But rest assured there will always be "law" breakers puffing away.
Back in the early 80's, what I wouldn't have given for any kind of tp, neon or otherwise! Same for simple food and petrol..hard to come by..and RRB's (Romanian Road Blocks) were ubiquitous. Nothing like having a kalashnikov stuck in your face. My 2005 trip was like a day in dreamland by comparison.
Sundried:
Sure hope Romania tightens up it's no smoking "laws" for your sake..wouldn't want you to have to miss this fascinating country. But rest assured there will always be "law" breakers puffing away.
Dec 2nd, 2012, 11:55 AM
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Lexma90 -- I would definitely include Romania in your trip to this part of the world id you can. I adds quite a nice contrast. My favorites spots on our trip were Instanbul (now one of my top 10 cities in the world) and the countryside of Romania, particularly the Maramures.
sundried -- Never heard of magister before either, but I like it. Thanks!
sundried -- Never heard of magister before either, but I like it. Thanks!
Dec 2nd, 2012, 12:27 PM
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Yalta and Sevastopol: Shades of the Cold War Era
Note that I have switched the order of this trip report so that I can keep all of the Istanbul info together. We actually flew from Bucharest to Istanbul than to the Crimea and back to Istanbul for a few days. But for the purposes of this report, I will cover the Crimea now and then come back to cover Istanbul in its entirety.
Turkish Airlines flew us from Istanbul to Simferopol, home of the Crimea’s only international airport. After breezing through Passport Control in this tiny airport, we were surprised to find that our luggage had to be x-rayed a second time before we could enter the country. Even more intimidating was the sign overhead the exit: “Attention: Once you cross the white line, you are rensible for all the lows of the Ukraine.” To make sure we were “rensible,” the airport was crawling with stocky, officious, military types strutting around wearing what looked like old Russian Army uniforms. No way would we even think about breaking any “lows” in this country!
Inside the terminal, the Simferopol International Airport was more like a crappy third world bus station. And don’t even get us started on the bathrooms – the worst, smelly squatty potties we have seen since we left the primitive outskirts of China!
Yalta
Our latest driver (Lenor) was waiting for us and drove us over the mountains to Yalta, a 100 mile trip give or take. We were relieved to see that Yalta was a pretty resort town sitting on the Black Sea – a welcome change from Simferopol. We had rented an apartment with BlackSea-Crimea overlooking the sea for our 3-night stay. It was good to have some room to spread out and so peaceful to fall asleep lulled by the waves breaking on the beach below us.
The main action in Yalta is centered on the promenade that runs along the Black Sea. It was lined with an odd mix of designer boutiques (for the wealthy Russians who vacation here), amusement rides for the kids (tacky stuff like you would see at a low budget carnival), and souvenir stands filled with the lamest trinkets you can imagine (probably all made in China). What everybody enjoyed the most was watching the waves crash against the sea wall and sometimes throw a massive spray on unsuspecting tourists. Kids screamed and everybody with a camera, including my husband, tried to capture the powerful blasts of seawater.
I had arranged a one-day tour for us to see the sights outside of Yalta with Sergey Sorokin (http://www.mt.crimea.com/crimea-private-guide.html). Sergey drove us to several palaces where Russian royals like Nicolas II, the last czar, enjoyed the seaside atmosphere. We had hoped to see the inside of Livadia Palace where FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met for the Yalta Conference, but the building was closed for renovations. We did learn that Livadia Palace was the favorite home of Nicolas II and Alexandria along with their five children. In fact when he was deposed, Nicolas II asked if they might retire there; however, fate had something else in store, and as you know, the whole family was executed by the Bolsheviks.
Have you ever heard of “Potemkin Village?” When Catherine the Great first acquired the Crimea, she wanted to show it off to all her royal buddies (even though the area was rural and completely undeveloped). She gave her underling Potemkin just four years to turn the forests into a colony fit for a queen. The clever Potemkin built facades with happy peasants waving from these fake villages as the Queen and her entourage passed by. The phrase “Potemkin Village” is now used to describe an impressive façade designed to hide the true (undesirable) facts.
Sevastopol
A taxi driver took us from Yalta along the stunning coastal route to our next destination, Bakhchisaray, with several stops along the way. In the town of Sevastopol, we viewed the famous “Panorama,’ a 360 degree painting in a special circular building depicting the siege at Sevastopol during the Crimean War. It was quite remarkable the way that the artists incorporated actual items (like wooden huts) positioned in the foreground with the painting behind. It added a 3-dimensional ambiance to the painting.
Near Sevastopol, we visited a surprising sight called Khersones -- Greek ruins dating from 420 B.C. beautifully situated along the Black Sea. Amazingly, nothing is protected or roped off here. We pretty much had the place to ourselves and roamed all around the atmospheric ruins. The town was sacked by the Khans in the late 1300’s becoming a ghost town that slowly sank beneath the sands of the beach for the next 500 years. The first excavations only began in 1827, and continue today with a lot of work yet to be done.
Balaklava
The Soviet Naval Museum in Balaklava was a real highlight for us. This cavernous museum was a cleverly hidden “submarine factory”, situated at the sea’s edge inside an innocuous-looking mountain. It was once a top secret Soviet submarine base where subs were built, updated, overhauled, restocked with more torpedoes, and fitted with the latest hardware. In the 1950’s during the Cold War, the Soviets built this base beneath the mountain to hide it from sight.
Once again, we were some of only a few visitors and were able to wander about on our own. Perhaps we were being watched(?), but it was not detectable to us. This is one eerie place with lots of “tough-guy” stuff on display, like torpedoes from the era, handguns and machine guns, equipment used by dolphins to plant mines, other curious ordnance, and submarine support equipment (like electrical control panels) in long vaulted corridors. Deep inside the complex, we walked alongside the manmade canal that allowed submarines to move from the open Balaklava Harbor into the hidden facility, out of sight from prying eyes.
The museum was a warren of endless concrete corridors with posters describing all the different classes of submarines and a history of Soviet international relations (including lots of pictures of U.S. presidents with their Soviet counterparts). Some corridors were blocked off from access; we were told there are still secret documents down here that will not be reopened for another 50 years. An amazing photo showed two smiling California models in an ad from the 50’s showing off a “Family Bomb Shelter.”
We emerged from this dark and dank exposé of military times past with new enlightenment about those cold war days; even tho we lived thru them back in the 50’s and 60’s, this museum really helped us to understand those times better.
Note that I have switched the order of this trip report so that I can keep all of the Istanbul info together. We actually flew from Bucharest to Istanbul than to the Crimea and back to Istanbul for a few days. But for the purposes of this report, I will cover the Crimea now and then come back to cover Istanbul in its entirety.
Turkish Airlines flew us from Istanbul to Simferopol, home of the Crimea’s only international airport. After breezing through Passport Control in this tiny airport, we were surprised to find that our luggage had to be x-rayed a second time before we could enter the country. Even more intimidating was the sign overhead the exit: “Attention: Once you cross the white line, you are rensible for all the lows of the Ukraine.” To make sure we were “rensible,” the airport was crawling with stocky, officious, military types strutting around wearing what looked like old Russian Army uniforms. No way would we even think about breaking any “lows” in this country!
Inside the terminal, the Simferopol International Airport was more like a crappy third world bus station. And don’t even get us started on the bathrooms – the worst, smelly squatty potties we have seen since we left the primitive outskirts of China!
Yalta
Our latest driver (Lenor) was waiting for us and drove us over the mountains to Yalta, a 100 mile trip give or take. We were relieved to see that Yalta was a pretty resort town sitting on the Black Sea – a welcome change from Simferopol. We had rented an apartment with BlackSea-Crimea overlooking the sea for our 3-night stay. It was good to have some room to spread out and so peaceful to fall asleep lulled by the waves breaking on the beach below us.
The main action in Yalta is centered on the promenade that runs along the Black Sea. It was lined with an odd mix of designer boutiques (for the wealthy Russians who vacation here), amusement rides for the kids (tacky stuff like you would see at a low budget carnival), and souvenir stands filled with the lamest trinkets you can imagine (probably all made in China). What everybody enjoyed the most was watching the waves crash against the sea wall and sometimes throw a massive spray on unsuspecting tourists. Kids screamed and everybody with a camera, including my husband, tried to capture the powerful blasts of seawater.
I had arranged a one-day tour for us to see the sights outside of Yalta with Sergey Sorokin (http://www.mt.crimea.com/crimea-private-guide.html). Sergey drove us to several palaces where Russian royals like Nicolas II, the last czar, enjoyed the seaside atmosphere. We had hoped to see the inside of Livadia Palace where FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met for the Yalta Conference, but the building was closed for renovations. We did learn that Livadia Palace was the favorite home of Nicolas II and Alexandria along with their five children. In fact when he was deposed, Nicolas II asked if they might retire there; however, fate had something else in store, and as you know, the whole family was executed by the Bolsheviks.
Have you ever heard of “Potemkin Village?” When Catherine the Great first acquired the Crimea, she wanted to show it off to all her royal buddies (even though the area was rural and completely undeveloped). She gave her underling Potemkin just four years to turn the forests into a colony fit for a queen. The clever Potemkin built facades with happy peasants waving from these fake villages as the Queen and her entourage passed by. The phrase “Potemkin Village” is now used to describe an impressive façade designed to hide the true (undesirable) facts.
Sevastopol
A taxi driver took us from Yalta along the stunning coastal route to our next destination, Bakhchisaray, with several stops along the way. In the town of Sevastopol, we viewed the famous “Panorama,’ a 360 degree painting in a special circular building depicting the siege at Sevastopol during the Crimean War. It was quite remarkable the way that the artists incorporated actual items (like wooden huts) positioned in the foreground with the painting behind. It added a 3-dimensional ambiance to the painting.
Near Sevastopol, we visited a surprising sight called Khersones -- Greek ruins dating from 420 B.C. beautifully situated along the Black Sea. Amazingly, nothing is protected or roped off here. We pretty much had the place to ourselves and roamed all around the atmospheric ruins. The town was sacked by the Khans in the late 1300’s becoming a ghost town that slowly sank beneath the sands of the beach for the next 500 years. The first excavations only began in 1827, and continue today with a lot of work yet to be done.
Balaklava
The Soviet Naval Museum in Balaklava was a real highlight for us. This cavernous museum was a cleverly hidden “submarine factory”, situated at the sea’s edge inside an innocuous-looking mountain. It was once a top secret Soviet submarine base where subs were built, updated, overhauled, restocked with more torpedoes, and fitted with the latest hardware. In the 1950’s during the Cold War, the Soviets built this base beneath the mountain to hide it from sight.
Once again, we were some of only a few visitors and were able to wander about on our own. Perhaps we were being watched(?), but it was not detectable to us. This is one eerie place with lots of “tough-guy” stuff on display, like torpedoes from the era, handguns and machine guns, equipment used by dolphins to plant mines, other curious ordnance, and submarine support equipment (like electrical control panels) in long vaulted corridors. Deep inside the complex, we walked alongside the manmade canal that allowed submarines to move from the open Balaklava Harbor into the hidden facility, out of sight from prying eyes.
The museum was a warren of endless concrete corridors with posters describing all the different classes of submarines and a history of Soviet international relations (including lots of pictures of U.S. presidents with their Soviet counterparts). Some corridors were blocked off from access; we were told there are still secret documents down here that will not be reopened for another 50 years. An amazing photo showed two smiling California models in an ad from the 50’s showing off a “Family Bomb Shelter.”
We emerged from this dark and dank exposé of military times past with new enlightenment about those cold war days; even tho we lived thru them back in the 50’s and 60’s, this museum really helped us to understand those times better.
Dec 2nd, 2012, 01:36 PM
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<i>In the town of Sevastopol, we viewed the famous “Panorama,’ a 360 degree painting in a special circular building depicting the siege at Sevastopol during the Crimean War. It was quite remarkable the way that the artists incorporated actual items (like wooden huts) positioned in the foreground with the painting behind. </i>
If ever you go to Poland, you might want to visit a similar painting in Wroclaw and compare.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57630751237938
If ever you go to Poland, you might want to visit a similar painting in Wroclaw and compare.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57630751237938
Dec 3rd, 2012, 08:25 AM
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You know, I said earler that my favorite places on this trip were Istanbul and the Maramures, but I would also inlcude Bakhchisaray in the Ukraine. It's a really special place with a lot to offer (as you can read below):
Bakhchisaray – A Story of Exile and Return
A Sad History
Bakhchisaray was once a proud Tartar town filled with mosques and tall minarets with a long history dating back to the Khans (descendants of Genghis Khan). Actually, the Tartars are a broad mix of Moslem peoples including Central Asians, Turks, and Europeans (Greeks, Poles, even Scandinavians). On May 13, 1944, every Tartar in Bakhchisaray was deported on Stalin’s orders. The people were sent to places like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, taking with them only what they could carry.
Since the 1990’s when communism began to decline, the Tartars have been returning to Bakhchisaray, starting up new businesses, rebuilding destroyed mosques, and trying to preserve their local heritage. However, considerable tension exists between the returning Tartars and the Russians (mostly poor and uneducated) who moved into the Tartar homes at the time of the deportation. What a sad story, and unfortunately, one that occurred throughout much of Europe where forced migrations were common. The dislocation that results and the ongoing issues it creates are impossible for us, as Americans, to comprehend.
Wandering the Old City
We roamed the rugged back streets of Bakhchisaray’s old city looking for remnants of the Tartar’s former existence – a once elegant fountain, the ruins of a mosque. Then, we headed north to climb the limestone cliffs that form a dramatic backdrop to the town. Along the way, we discovered an old Russian cemetery where soldiers who died during the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) are buried. The place is all but forgotten, totally overgrown and derelict – perfectly creepy, and of course, we loved it. Further on, we hiked up to the top of the cliff (no easy feat for us 60-something-year-olds) for incredible views of the town and jaw-dropping close-ups of weird limestone formations.
Chufut-Kale
On another day, we made an outing to Chufut-Kale, a cave city settled beginning in the 6th c. The hike up here was also far from trivial; the path was steep and littered with rubble making it slow going as we stepped gingerly among the jumbled chunks of loose stone trying to avoid wrenching an ankle. The limestone cliff is dotted with cave dwellings, and we were able to scramble all around, climbing inside the old caves where “shelves” were carved out of the interior walls and holes were dug into the floor for cooking, storing food, or collecting water. This mountain is called the “Jewish Fortress” because it was once inhabited by a group called the “Karaites” (a Jewish sect). Under the Muslim Khan rule, the Karaites could do business in the city during the day but had to return to their mountain hovels at night. What a wearing commute that must have been!
Khan Palace
When Catherine the Great arrived here in the Crimea, she destroyed all evidence of the Khans who had ruled before her – except for the Khan Palace that she found hopelessly romantic. The story goes that a hardhearted Khan king fell madly in love with a new concubine. She did not return his feelings, and in fact, she hated harem life so much that she died within a year. The Khan was so devastated that all he did was cry. Concerned that the crying Khan was failing to rule, the people built “The Fountain of Tears,” designed to “cry” continually so that Khan, their ruler, could get back to the business of running the region. The Russian writer Pushkin even wrote a famous poem about the story.
The palace is quite lovely, incorporating all the necessities of sultan life: fountains, a mosque, a graveyard, and a harem. With artifacts and recreated rooms, the museum gave us an idea of what life was like back in the time of the Khans.
The Soviet Communist Mentality
We were fortunate to stay at Villa Meraba where the staff spoke English and the owner, Paul, went our of his way to help us with our sightseeing and also spent an evening with us explaining the history of Bakhchisaray and painting a vivid picture of the bureaucracy and bizarre non-work ethic of Soviet Communism.
He explained that people make a big deal about “going to work,” but what they do there is of no importance. For example, Paul and his wife needed a specific document when they returned to live in Bakhchisaray. They visited the town administration to obtain the form and were told to go to a certain room. In that room, two women were filing their fingernails. The women told them they were in the wrong place, that they knew nothing about this form, and that they needed to go to another room. But Paul’s wife refused to leave and eventually one of the women turned to the other and said, “Remember that CD we got? I wonder if the form they want is on it.” After much rummaging around the women found the CD and guess what? The required form was on the CD! Everyone was ecstatic – at least until one of the women said, “Come back in a month and we will have the form ready for you.” Can you even imagine????
Other Quirks of Life in the Crimea
In Yalta, our guide Sergei had a small camera attached to the front windshield of his car. He explained that he was videoing his driving – in case the police tried to charge him with something he didn’t do! Police corruption in the Crimea is so common that, according to Sergei, about 20% of people video their driving everywhere they go.
Buying groceries can be an odd experience too. In one of the larger grocery stores in Yalta, nothing was self-service, and we had to get into different queues within the same store to request different types of items. For example, we waited in one line for cheese, told the clerk what we wanted, and paid her for it. Then, we waited in another queue for bread and butter, told that clerk what we wanted, and paid her for that purchase. So inefficient! We figured it must be a throwback to the communist days when people had to stand in lines for each type of product.
Traveling on your own in this country with no Russian skills at all (or no ability to read Cyrillic characters) would be very difficult. Even though my husband spoke Russian, he ran into a subtle difficulty in that the people of the Crimea speak both Russian and Ukrainian – using both (or either) at the same time. While similar, the Russian and the Ukrainian languages have word and nuance differences that are not shared, making the Crimea a difficult place to hear pure Russian or pure Ukrainian.
Here is one unusual food highlight that we need to note. In the Crimea, we were introduced to a delightful Tartar dish called “Lagman” soup. While the name does not connote an exciting experience, Lagman soup was some of the heartiest, most thrilling soup we’ve had -- we ate it every day we were here! It is not an eloquently presented dish, but more like one of those “depression” dishes from the 1930’s days in America, where everything but the kitchen sink is included. The soup consists of a dense portion of meat, potatoes, carrots, and other veggies, plus fabulous handmade noodles in a delectable broth.
Sergei told us that most Crimean men die by the age of 58, usually as a result of alcoholism. A favorite sport is “Literball” (drinking liters of vodka). People also say (cynically) that this situation is good for the pension system because most men die before age 63 when they can collect!
Overall, the atmosphere is somewhat depressing -- so many people look defeated. When we say we are from America, many of them get this sad, wistful look. Paul believes the biggest problem is that people here don’t want a better life. He said, “The people have forgotten how to dream.”
Bakhchisaray – A Story of Exile and Return
A Sad History
Bakhchisaray was once a proud Tartar town filled with mosques and tall minarets with a long history dating back to the Khans (descendants of Genghis Khan). Actually, the Tartars are a broad mix of Moslem peoples including Central Asians, Turks, and Europeans (Greeks, Poles, even Scandinavians). On May 13, 1944, every Tartar in Bakhchisaray was deported on Stalin’s orders. The people were sent to places like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, taking with them only what they could carry.
Since the 1990’s when communism began to decline, the Tartars have been returning to Bakhchisaray, starting up new businesses, rebuilding destroyed mosques, and trying to preserve their local heritage. However, considerable tension exists between the returning Tartars and the Russians (mostly poor and uneducated) who moved into the Tartar homes at the time of the deportation. What a sad story, and unfortunately, one that occurred throughout much of Europe where forced migrations were common. The dislocation that results and the ongoing issues it creates are impossible for us, as Americans, to comprehend.
Wandering the Old City
We roamed the rugged back streets of Bakhchisaray’s old city looking for remnants of the Tartar’s former existence – a once elegant fountain, the ruins of a mosque. Then, we headed north to climb the limestone cliffs that form a dramatic backdrop to the town. Along the way, we discovered an old Russian cemetery where soldiers who died during the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) are buried. The place is all but forgotten, totally overgrown and derelict – perfectly creepy, and of course, we loved it. Further on, we hiked up to the top of the cliff (no easy feat for us 60-something-year-olds) for incredible views of the town and jaw-dropping close-ups of weird limestone formations.
Chufut-Kale
On another day, we made an outing to Chufut-Kale, a cave city settled beginning in the 6th c. The hike up here was also far from trivial; the path was steep and littered with rubble making it slow going as we stepped gingerly among the jumbled chunks of loose stone trying to avoid wrenching an ankle. The limestone cliff is dotted with cave dwellings, and we were able to scramble all around, climbing inside the old caves where “shelves” were carved out of the interior walls and holes were dug into the floor for cooking, storing food, or collecting water. This mountain is called the “Jewish Fortress” because it was once inhabited by a group called the “Karaites” (a Jewish sect). Under the Muslim Khan rule, the Karaites could do business in the city during the day but had to return to their mountain hovels at night. What a wearing commute that must have been!
Khan Palace
When Catherine the Great arrived here in the Crimea, she destroyed all evidence of the Khans who had ruled before her – except for the Khan Palace that she found hopelessly romantic. The story goes that a hardhearted Khan king fell madly in love with a new concubine. She did not return his feelings, and in fact, she hated harem life so much that she died within a year. The Khan was so devastated that all he did was cry. Concerned that the crying Khan was failing to rule, the people built “The Fountain of Tears,” designed to “cry” continually so that Khan, their ruler, could get back to the business of running the region. The Russian writer Pushkin even wrote a famous poem about the story.
The palace is quite lovely, incorporating all the necessities of sultan life: fountains, a mosque, a graveyard, and a harem. With artifacts and recreated rooms, the museum gave us an idea of what life was like back in the time of the Khans.
The Soviet Communist Mentality
We were fortunate to stay at Villa Meraba where the staff spoke English and the owner, Paul, went our of his way to help us with our sightseeing and also spent an evening with us explaining the history of Bakhchisaray and painting a vivid picture of the bureaucracy and bizarre non-work ethic of Soviet Communism.
He explained that people make a big deal about “going to work,” but what they do there is of no importance. For example, Paul and his wife needed a specific document when they returned to live in Bakhchisaray. They visited the town administration to obtain the form and were told to go to a certain room. In that room, two women were filing their fingernails. The women told them they were in the wrong place, that they knew nothing about this form, and that they needed to go to another room. But Paul’s wife refused to leave and eventually one of the women turned to the other and said, “Remember that CD we got? I wonder if the form they want is on it.” After much rummaging around the women found the CD and guess what? The required form was on the CD! Everyone was ecstatic – at least until one of the women said, “Come back in a month and we will have the form ready for you.” Can you even imagine????
Other Quirks of Life in the Crimea
In Yalta, our guide Sergei had a small camera attached to the front windshield of his car. He explained that he was videoing his driving – in case the police tried to charge him with something he didn’t do! Police corruption in the Crimea is so common that, according to Sergei, about 20% of people video their driving everywhere they go.
Buying groceries can be an odd experience too. In one of the larger grocery stores in Yalta, nothing was self-service, and we had to get into different queues within the same store to request different types of items. For example, we waited in one line for cheese, told the clerk what we wanted, and paid her for it. Then, we waited in another queue for bread and butter, told that clerk what we wanted, and paid her for that purchase. So inefficient! We figured it must be a throwback to the communist days when people had to stand in lines for each type of product.
Traveling on your own in this country with no Russian skills at all (or no ability to read Cyrillic characters) would be very difficult. Even though my husband spoke Russian, he ran into a subtle difficulty in that the people of the Crimea speak both Russian and Ukrainian – using both (or either) at the same time. While similar, the Russian and the Ukrainian languages have word and nuance differences that are not shared, making the Crimea a difficult place to hear pure Russian or pure Ukrainian.
Here is one unusual food highlight that we need to note. In the Crimea, we were introduced to a delightful Tartar dish called “Lagman” soup. While the name does not connote an exciting experience, Lagman soup was some of the heartiest, most thrilling soup we’ve had -- we ate it every day we were here! It is not an eloquently presented dish, but more like one of those “depression” dishes from the 1930’s days in America, where everything but the kitchen sink is included. The soup consists of a dense portion of meat, potatoes, carrots, and other veggies, plus fabulous handmade noodles in a delectable broth.
Sergei told us that most Crimean men die by the age of 58, usually as a result of alcoholism. A favorite sport is “Literball” (drinking liters of vodka). People also say (cynically) that this situation is good for the pension system because most men die before age 63 when they can collect!
Overall, the atmosphere is somewhat depressing -- so many people look defeated. When we say we are from America, many of them get this sad, wistful look. Paul believes the biggest problem is that people here don’t want a better life. He said, “The people have forgotten how to dream.”
