Friday, Feb 5 in Chernivtsi

Trying to get caught up here folks but the weather is terrible and thus my internet connection is as well...I have pics that accompany this I will add later!

Today (Friday the 5th) was a great day. We decided that instead of following the to-do list of sightseeing (I am notorious for planning these), I would just walk the town, as I have done everyday, and wander around and in and out of stores. For the women reading this blog, this means that this was the day when I actually had carte blanche to go in all the stores I have been passing.

It was colder today than it has been. The highs have been in the 20s since we got here. Today was a few degrees cooler. I expected this, however, and was prepared.

About 3 blocks towards town there is a pedestrian street named Vul Olgy Kobylyanskoyi (mouth full, I know). I find myself on this street a lot. The city recently had a face lift in preparations for its 600 year anniversary in 2008, and many of these buildings were cleaned up nicely from what I understand. I love this pedestrian street. It is very snowy (which means it is easy to walk on), there are benches, the buildings are colorful and pretty, there are lots of cafes, and the shops are nice. Today I saw a tiny tent with stars and stripes on it in red, white, and blue with a small band in it. Elections are coming up Sunday and the people seem very concerned about eliminating corruption from the voting.

I went into some of these shops, which sell a lot of European brands. Then I walked to City Hall and wandered around Place Tsentralna. Lots of pretty, colorful buildings everywhere. This place reminds me of a little Vienna, which isn't surprising given the history of this place. One of these days I'll devote a blog entry to that, but for now let me just say that from 1775-1918 this city and the surrounding region (Bukovyna) were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Some of the places are still referred to be their German names, and there are lots of German restaurants and Vienna-style cafes. I LOVE it. One of my guidebooks informs it readers that Chernivtsi is known as "Little Vienna" and I believe it. I read an article yesterday that described Chernivtsi as being unlike anywhere else in Ukraine and everywhere else in Ukraine being totally unlike Chernivtsi. I'm a bit conflicted about this, since evidently I am getting more of a "Central European" experience than a "Ukrainian" one, but regardless, I love Chernivtsi so far and am happy to be here.

Back to the day's events...At one point, I walked into this tiny market where these women were selling food. I bought something and ate it. I have no idea what it was, but it looked like a piece of fried fish. It wasn't. It tasted like fried dough on the outside with potato inside. It was good. I walked more, had coffee (cava) at this cute little place, and then found this great church. They were selling beautiful icons inside and I bought some. I have to say that I often feel that I am robbing some of the places where I spend money. The 2 icons were less than $5.00 total. I felt like telling the lady to keep the change and donate it to the church but I knew I could never have communicated that.

Then we walked more. It was COLD. I ducked into a bar. Jeff ordered some cognac for me bc he thought it would warm me. Me, congnac? I wondered if he and I had ever met. I knew I did not like it, and of course when the drink arrived I remembered why I do not like it. I didn't really drink it....oh, well. It was 1 dollar and a few cents in USD.

Then I went to Knaus for dinner. This was the first time I have eaten out for dinner in Chernivtsi and I was looking forward to being out at night. Traditionally, the largest meal for Ukrainians is lunch, and restaurants are full at lunch and not as full at night. But, that is changing. It was nice to see the city at a different time of day. Knaus is a super cute restaurant with its own courtyard and deck that will be SO FUN if this place ever warms up to a point where I can sit outside.

I ordered a class Ukrainian dish that I had never had before: borsch. I LOVE borsch. I'm already thinking of where and how I am going to get it when I return to Gvegas...may have to learn to make it myself. I never knew beets and beet soup could be so good.

Knaus is great and I will return.

Btw, it was 50F in Rome today. 50 DEGREES! Awesome. I am really looking forward to being there in April and perhaps even showing something of myself other than a portion of my face out of doors.