Kiev day one.

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It's been a busy time since we left Moscow early on Monday morning: walk to Park Kultury station, metro to Kievskaya, aeroexpress train to Vulkhovo airport, flight to Vilnius, hang around Vilnius airport, flight to Kiev, packed Skybus coach to Central Kiev station, sweaty heave of suitcases uphill ,...finally to delightful Hermitage hotel.

Now we are installed and had our first day of exploring A city which has some aspects in common with Moscow, but many differences. The main streets are broad, traffic filled boulevards with wide, wide pavements.... But here there seem to be more trees. It's very warm here and a bit dusty.... Moscow was washed with water carts every morning we think. And there are hills here! The streets are quite a heave, in Moscow and St P'sburg every thing was flat. There are many grand monumental buildings lining the streets, but not all so cleaned and newly decorated as in Moscow. Moscow seems to be a city where a lot of money is being spent to make the entire vast centre into a pristine kempt model place. I wonder how that is reflected in the other parts of the huge country it is. We only saw a tiny fraction of it - and that seemed vast. Everything seemed controlled and organised, little destitution visible ( we met only 3 people begging when we were there), protests tightly controlled ( we saw a small protest going on in St P'sburg which we think was related to the fighting in Ukraine and the disappearance of young soldiers there). We felt very safe there and nearly everyone we talked to in the tourist sector was friendly.....there was the occasional grumpy of course.

Today, in Kiev, by the opera house there was an organised outdoor forum about people who have disappeared

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Comments

[Jane]

Pickled human face?!!!
Thought for a second there was a pickled human head amongst your Market Pickles!! beautiful produce photos xx