Odessa.
We are tied up to a working port. The city is actually above, up the famous Potemkin Steps. This is a city famous for its culture, especially its music. Strangely it was fought over savagely by the Germans and their Romanian allies and it was little damaged because the Germans had promised the city to the Romanians and they tried to keep it intact. We walked along the upper area near the steps with young men selling pictures with small eagles or big hawks, down towards City Hall with its hourly chimes past the London Hotel where Chekhov lived. The Opera House has been repaired and is quite spectacular. There is an appreciation of elegance here that is palpable. There is at least one performance here every day.
We followed on to Trotsky's House (a cousin) and it was beautiful. One of the tour played List's piano. A wedding was in the works in the courtyard below and one of the operatic students sang--she was terrific.
We drove around town, a toen filled with memorials, and had lunch in an old tavern by the park with a wonderful troup of Ukrainian singers and dancers.
On the way to the ship I was interviewed by some earnest young women with a camera--I was not sure who they were or if they were news or publicity.
We are tied up to a working port. The city is actually above, up the famous Potemkin Steps. This is a city famous for its culture, especially its music. Strangely it was fought over savagely by the Germans and their Romanian allies and it was little damaged because the Germans had promised the city to the Romanians and they tried to keep it intact. We walked along the upper area near the steps with young men selling pictures with small eagles or big hawks, down towards City Hall with its hourly chimes past the London Hotel where Chekhov lived. The Opera House has been repaired and is quite spectacular. There is an appreciation of elegance here that is palpable. There is at least one performance here every day.
We followed on to Trotsky's House (a cousin) and it was beautiful. One of the tour played List's piano. A wedding was in the works in the courtyard below and one of the operatic students sang--she was terrific.
We drove around town, a toen filled with memorials, and had lunch in an old tavern by the park with a wonderful troup of Ukrainian singers and dancers.
On the way to the ship I was interviewed by some earnest young women with a camera--I was not sure who they were or if they were news or publicity.
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