A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-5)

   


                                                             ~ODESA~


(Part-2)

I would like to talk about Odesa's transportation before I mention about the park which is the entrance of Deribasovskaya Street...

The transportation  in Odessa is currently supplied by trams (streetcars), trolleybuses, buses and fixed-route taxis (marshrutka). Odessa also has a cable car, cable-way, and recreational ferry service…When I was in Odessa, I used trams, trolleybuses and for sure marshrutka (fixed-route taxis)…When we consider that Odesa has over than 1 million population…it is normal to have these kind of transportations...

And let's turn to talk about this park...This park is Odessa's first park, which was after the foundation of the city in 1803 by the De Ribas brothers (Joseph and Felix). This park has a fountain, several monuments (especially a sculpture of a lion), a famous book about chairs-The Twelve Chairs and monument of Leonid Utyosov...

The Famous Chair

The monument of Leonid Utyosov

Leonid Utyosov was a famous Soviet jazz singer and comic actor...There is a nice monument of him in this park...It is a very nice touristical monument which hosts many tourists from all around the world...People come there and sit on this chair and take photos with him...

Kisa Vorobyaninov

Ostap Bender and us

Kisa Vorobyaninov and Ostap Bender are two important characters from The Twelve Chairs book...and there are two sculptures of them in this park too...

After a nice excursion in this park I turned the left and started to walk...after 15 minutes...I came across with the "Monument of Orange"...

Rodion Jakowlewitsch Malinowski

Monument of Orange

When I just turned the right from Monument of Orange, I had started to witness of beauties of Odessa...just imagine a long way under covered by huge trees...It was such a spectacular way for me to walk...

A different view of Port of Odesa

Me and Port of Odesa

In front of "Colonada"

I will continue on mentioning about Odesa especially "Potemkin Stairs" with the next part...



                                            ~TO BE CONTINUED~

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-5)

                                                         
                                                          ~ODESA~

(Part-1)

And now it is time for Odesa: "The city of sense of humour"

Odesa Train Station

When I started my journey...how come I could know that I was going to have one of the most interesting journeys I have ever done in my life :) but as we know from Forrest Gump movie "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." 

When I got on the train I got shocked in a minute later cause it was almost the same train which I used when I was in Georgia between Batumi-Tbilisi...When I was in Georgia, I was with my friend but now...I was alone...and had to pass at least 6 hours :) anyway I just sat on my seat and started to watch outside...a great song С.К.А.Й. - Тебе це Може Вбити was playing in my mp3 player...then suddenly 2 ladies appeared in front of me and after a certain time I realized that I had to seat on another place actually not to seat...to lie down on my place...I tried so much not to pass there in Russian but unfortunately with only verbs how come I could be successful :) after half an hour I gave up and started to go on my unforgettable journey...

I tried to sleep but unfortunately I was too tall then this bed cause my height is 1.84 cm but probably this bed (normally seat) was just 1.75 cm or something...when I realized that I didn't have any chance to sleep...I started to think about what I was going to do in Odesa...

Actually the train was supposed to be in Odesa train station around 6 am in the morning...but unfortunately something happened and there was an accident on the railway...and we reached to Odesa train station almost 8 am in the morning...

I actually didn't worry about my late arrival...I worried about my valuable friend Iryna in Odesa cause she had been waiting for me since 6 am in the morning and almost passed 2 hours...

But finally we met...and when I learned the real reason behind of this delay...it was tragicomic cause a gliding plane crashed on the railway...and almost all trains had delays in Ukraine...it was my luck...but fortunately there wasn't a big disaster except the pilot...this is life unfortunately...

Anyway...my first day first of all I made excursion by my own then she joined and was with me in the other days...

During in my first excursion by my own I started from the city center near to Sobor Cathedral...

The entrance of Sobor Cathedral

After Sobor Cathedral I passed through the passage...This passage was built in 1899 by Polish architect Lev Vlodek..Now the passage is one of the largest auction centers in Odessa...When I first saw this passage I suddenly remembered  Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milano. Cause almost the same architecture with Odesa Passage...

The Odesa Passage

The entrance of passage

After Odessa passage I came across with Deribasovskaya Street. Deribasovskaya Street a very nice avenue named after José de Ribas Spanish-born founder of Odessa...

Entrance of the Deribasovskaya Street there is a nice park...I liked this park so much cause it is also very special park for Odessa's history as I learned from my dear friends Iryna and Vita...

I will continue on with this very special park and other places of awesome Odesa...

              

                                             ~TO BE CONTINUED~

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-4)

                                      

                                      ~KAMIANETS-PODILSKYI~

(Part-2)

And let's continue on from old city part of Kamianets-Podilskyi:

A different view of Kamianets-Podilskyi castle

When we passed to the old part of the city...I thought that I was arriving to a dreamland...cause the atmosphere was awesome...architecture was amazing...

Holy Trinity Church

The Stephen Báthory Gate

While we were watching the gate...some tourists came there as we learned from Poland...This city also had (still have) people from Poland and this gate is so important and attractive place for Polish people cause he was the king of Poland and many historians claim that he was one of the greatest of the elected Kings of Poland...

The City Hall

The Armenian Well

After visiting the city hall and souvenirs bazaar ( I call there as bazaar cause there are so many souvenir shops just next to the city hall...if you go there don't worry about finding some souvenirs for your friends-relatives etc...I have been in many countries and cities but haven't seen so many souvenir shops together (except Odesa) ) we kept on walking...and finally we arrived to St.Peter and Paul's Church...when I learned the history of it from my friend, I was surprised...cause it was a baroque cathedral originally from 1580 and then got a minaret and Ottomans turned it into a mosque from 1672 and when the Poles got the city again in 1699 they putted a guilded Madonna on the top of it...With this way...it looks like a mixture of Christian and Muslim elements...

St. Peter and Paul's Church

A very nice view taken by my friend

 

We rocked Kamianets-Podilskyi :)

                            

                               

After this church...it was time for Kamianets-Podilskyi castle...it was a little bit long road...but I enjoyed so much during the way cause we were almost laughing all time...

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle

On the way of the castle we saw many souvenir shops too but I suggest you going to that souvenirs bazaar :) if you would like to buy something cause the more you reach to the castle, the more souvenirs become expensive...

The castle and Turkish Bridge (Ottomans Bridge)

Istanbul-840 km :)

Inside of the castle

:)

When we entered to the Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle...I just remembered one place...It was Žička kartuzija in Slovenia...cause the entrance and inside of the castle were almost the same with monastery in Slovenia... 

Restoration of the castle

               

I am in danger zone but who scares :)

After visited inside of the castle we went to the museum of the castle which gives historical background of the region also Ukraine...unfortunately it was forbidden to take photos so I cannot have any chance to show something from there but I would like to thank someone from here cause it was very special for me; while we were looking the equipments of the museum, a lady from the museum followed us and asked "if you would like to attend excursion of museum, we will start in a minute"...All of us thought that it was going to be just 5 minutes or something...but unfortunately it wasn't :) we listened all history of not only Ukraine but also all this geography even includes Russia :) it was unbelievably interesting for me to listen but the thing is it wasn't same pleasure for my friend cause the lady was speaking in Ukrainian and my friend (poor friend :) ) was translating them into English for me simultaneously...it took at least 45 minutes and I learned so many new things about Kamianets-Podilskyi also Ukraine even old Russian history...but my friend...my adorable poor friend wasn't taking even a breath after the tour...I just send my warm THANKS-SPASIBO to her from here also :)

For sure after this great tour we went to eat something cause we were starving so much...it was so nice place which we found in the garden of the castle...they were cooking traditional Ukrainian cousine...and I had a chance to drink one of their traditional drinks which is made from bread "Kvas"...It looks like beer but it is not...I liked it so much even brought some bottles to Turkey for my friends :)

Around of the castle

I look like the owner of this place :)

After castle trippin' we followed the same path and we went to a cafe for resting...it was a special cafe...I liked there so much...

Different decor :)

And after this nice day...our Kamianets-Podilskyi trippin' finished...thanks for this nice excursion to my valuable friend also her friend's company...

                                      

                                              ~TO BE CONTINUED~

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-4)

                                                         

                                            ~KAMIANETS-PODILSKYI~

(Part-1)

And now let's meet Kamianets-Podilskyi:

I, my friend and a friend of her agreed on going to that city which is located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine...

This city is the administrative center of the Khmelnitsky Oblast (province) so it is also important for Khmelnitsky inhabitants...

From Khmelnitsky it is only almost 100 km to Kamianets-Podilskyi...We (for sure my adorable transportation way) again used "marshrutka" and arrived there in almost 2 hours...I also would like to claim one thing...If you would like to lose yourself while you will be going from somewhere to another...I strongly suggest you coming to Ukraine cause the country is so greeny and no matter which transportation you use; train or bus or car or marshrutka...you can easily lose yourself among this awesome greeny nature...I lost myself so many times while I was travelling in Ukraine...and for sure when we were going to Kamianets-Podilskyi also...

When we arrived to Kamianets-Podilskyi...I understood that we were going to have an awesome trippin'...cause the city showed itself with its all beauty to us...

A nice park with a fountain greeted us first of all:

After this nice park we went to the canyon at river Smotrych...As I learned from my valuable friend (cause she has been in Kamianets-Podilsky 14 times probably until now it is even more than 14 times :) ) people organise ballooning activities...and according to Annual Cossack Games (Kozatski zabavy) also car racing and various art, drama and music acitivies...When I saw there...I realized that it was normal to organise these events cause the canyon (for sure we cannot compare with The Grand Canyon in USA) was big and large enough to organise that kind of festivals even...

The Eagle Monument

Waterfall ROCKS!!!

The Green Mile :)

We walked around of the river and discovered (for me everything was new) so many nice places...we saw an old bridge which made me feel really excited...I enjoyed from there so much...we even tried to play "who is going to stand?" I was so naughty on that bridge...probably I was in a mood of "Bridge on the River Kawaii" :)

After this awesome playing :) we reached to the old town of the city...there is also a big bridge on Smotrych river...if you would like to pass to the old town of the city...as I know this is the only option to pass there...nice and cool option I think...:)

The observations from old city of Kamianets-Podilskyi is gonna be on the new part...

                                            ~TO BE CONTINUED~