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When we landed in Odesa, we were met by the guy from Unitours travel. He was right there with a big sign. He took us to the train station and gave us our tickets and explained how to get on the train and he also showed us how we could store our luggage at the station so we could walk around Odesa.

The luggage storage place was packed and we didn’t have hryvny yet, so I watched the luggage and Natalia whipped over to the money exchange in the train station to get some hryvny. The luggage people were quite amused that Natalia spoke Ukrainian and not Russian and wanted to know where she learned it.

After ditching our luggage, next thing on the agenda was to find a toilet. There was a pay toilet at the train station and it was clean, although the squatting type. After that, we walked around the city for a couple of hours.

We had dinner in a quaint Ukrainian restaurant in the main part of town – Lasynka – we had green borcht – which was amazing! And perch Odessa style, which was really delicious as well. Green borscht is made with sorrel, egg, potato.The perch was HUGE, and was served over top sliced fried potatoes and cooked thin onions. It was topped with what they call mayonnaise but what tasted more like crème fresh.

We walked back towards the train station, stopping on the way to get water and also to send email at an internet cafe. It began to rain and we didn’t have anything to do but wait for the train for several hours so we went to a little lunch place and had water. Everyone else was drinking beer. It was a clean and new lunch place – and that’s what really was striking – so many new businesses serving everything and selling everything. Tons of western products, lots of food venders everywhere. People looking prosperous. Buildings being renovated.

When it was finally time to stand on the train platform, we were two of hundreds. This is the last holiday weekend and a very busy time. Had we not preordered our train tickets we woudn’t have got them.

The first class compartment was surprisingly nice and clean with comfortable pillows, sheets and blanket and even towels. The bathroom was strange. We were dying for a good wash but couldn’t do that there. The sink was tiny and with a strange push device to get the water. But the toilet was a sit down and clean.

The lulling of the train made for good sleeping.

Here’s our train:

The train pulled into Simferpol at noon. We kept on sleeping til almost noon and then got ready and repacked quickly. Eugene was waiting for us as we got off the train. He gave us each a rose and corralled our luggage. His car is a sort of station wagon SUV – Ford Freespirit – and it was spotless and roomy. We asked if he could take us to a place to eat, as we hadn’t had breakfast or lunch.

He took us to a small outdoor cafe called Silver Century and we had delicious Turkish coffee to start and then chicken noodle soup, mushroom soup and a really nice salad with local fish, greens, mushrooms, and the ubiquitious “mayonnaise”.

After lunch/breakfast, Eugene took us on a walking tour of downtown Simferpol, pointing out various historical sites as we passed them.

We popped into a department store to by a hair blower, which was 76 hryvny ($16 Canadian) – phillips brand with a two year warranty. The store was filled with every imaginable consumer item and they didn’t appear to be too expensive.

As we left the store is was pouring rain. Not a problem. We kept on walking. Natalia and I were so grungy anyway that a bit of rain was not an issue. We got some more Euros changed to hryvny and then went back to the car – they park cars all over the place here. A favoured place is on the sidewalks.

We drove to Bachisarry and walked through the khan’s residence, the harem, the courtyard. It was fascinating.

Then we had dinner at Karavan sarai salalachic which was a restaurant at the base of the cave monastery. We had a lamb soup, deep fried turnovers – one with cheese and one with meat – and a kind of shortbread for dessert. Again, absolutely fresh and delicious and cheap – 117 hryvny ($25 Cnd) for the three of us.

Then we drove to Sevastopol and stayed in a private apartment. It was on the fourth floor and there was no elevator, but the apartment was lovely. A comfy pullout sofa in one room and a double bed in another. Best of all, a bathroom with a great toilet and a tub. We couldn’t figure out how to get the shower head to work so we each had a sponge bath and washed our hair, and used the new blow dryer.

We also each had a chance to wash out some clothing and there was a computer with internet access, so I got to check my email. Natalia couldn’t get into her email though. It was a very slow connection.

The best part of the apartment was the spectacular view of the harbour. There were fireworks at night and a Silver Seas cruise ship came in. After a good night’s sleep, we packed up and headed out first thing the next morning. Eugene told us that the apartment had been built in the 1950s so wasn’t as utilitarian as some of the newer Soviet era apartment buildings.

We drove to Yalta Sunday night, stopping on the way for various sights, including a cemetery for German WWII soldiers that was funded by Germans. The apartment we’re staying in here is amazing. Absolutely spotless and three bedrooms. And a working shower.

On Monday morning, Eugene cooked us a breakfast of ham, eggs, bread, apple juice and coffee and then we walked along the boulevard of Yalta. It was the first day of school and so the kids were all dressed up in black and white outfits which is traditional. Some were in sparkly outfits and little boys were in suits. All were variations of the same thing. The girls wore giant white organza bows in their hair.

Driving in Yalta is quite something. Narrow streets and people having to back out as others go forward. We went to the Massandra Winery for a tasting and I bought a port from 1944 and also Tsar Nicholas’ favourite wine.

From there we drove towards Koktobel, through the mountains – twisty turny and amazingly beautiful. We stopped for soup along the way. I had kvas soup which was interesting. Natalia thought it tasted like coca cola. We continued along the twisty road with breathtaking scenery.

Before we got to Sudak, Eugene turned off towards a beach area and we parked in front of a restaurant owned by a friend of his who is a Tatar. We had Turkish coffee

and then went on the most amazing hike, which started along the beach – which is tarry coloured sand and lots of round smooth stones – and continued up the rocks. It was quite a climb but not as difficult as yesterday’s. We saw spectacular views.

When we came down, we had more coffee and paklava – which was quite different than any I’ve had before. It was crispy and sweet but not cloyingly so.

We continued on the winding road to Sudak and visited the Genovese fortress and walked up to the top.

It was interesting to see the scale of the fortress and to get a sense of what it would be like to live in it. We also found the first bank machine and I successfully withdrew hryvny.

We continued our drive to Koktobel and checked in to the first hotel of our stay. It had a great bathroom and lots of hot water and there was even a blow dryer in our bedroom.

We talked along the boulevard in Koktabel and it was like being in Port Dover. All sorts of souvenirs, Ukrainian tourists, music, kitchy things to do. We went to a quiet restaurant where jazz was playing and had a dinner that consisted mostly of meat but also a dessert that they called bisquick but tasted like trifle, and a bottle of Eugene’s favourite wine. The service was slow but the food was good when it finally came, albeit a bit heavy on the meat. The wine was nice too. The jazz musicians were quite entertaining and they even dedicated a song to us.