Ukrainian Delicacies

Do you ever feel like in the United States, you have it all?  You can have a breakfast burrito in the morning, sushi for lunch, and finish the day off with some curry for dinner.  This is one of the first times in my life that I have tried almost all new foods.  Claudia went to an open air market before our bus ride out of Yalta and bought some local Ukrainian food and snacks.  It was delicious!  Even if got strange looks from the people after eating in the street next to the stray cats and dogs.

Pea pod shaped candle looking nuts on a string dipped in some sort of jelly candy

Homemade Honey

Pickled everything

I am afraid that I will be constantly craving borsht when I get back to the states.  Russian and Ukrainian food has really grown on me.  I can’t believe that I never had borsht during the six weeks that I studied in St. Petersburg four years ago.  

Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!

One interesting thing about this city is that it is covered in cats!  Claudia suggested it is so they can eat the rats that come off the many boats that dock here.  Some are more aggressive than others.  They run under our tables at dinner, jump into our laps while we are drinking wine and even dig their claws into our thighs while we try to photograph them.

 

OUCH!!!! BAD KITTY!





Hungry Cats looking for their next meal under our table









We enjoyed the duration of our stay in Yalta.  Some of my favorite memories are as follows:

 

Seeing the highest waterfall in Europe

Ukrainian Park

Taken before we ran into the mist!

Finding a piece of Claudia's heritage at the Swallow's Nest





Check out my kitty trying to sneak into my picture!



Lady Claudia Trotch

The views from the Swallow's Nest back to Yalta

The main street in Yalta at night



You can speak English here

We made it to Yalta, Ukraine!!  Besides it being in the middle of now where, I don’t know why more people have not been to this area of the world.  Yes, you might be slightly damned or ripped off trying to get to the city from the airport if you don’t speak Russian.  Even though I speak Russian, our cab ride from the airport to the bus station cost more than three days of food.  Yalta is a beautiful city that I hope everyone will at least consider coming to someday.  I am definitely happy to be in a city that does not require gloves and a hat. 

After eating at a delicious Ukrainian restaurant, we decided to walk via the promenade to the McDonald’s to get dessert and utilize their Internet.  Turns out no one really speaks that much English. - except at McDonald’s.

Claudia: “Два МакСандаi”

McDonald’s Employee:  “You can speak English here.”

Claudia: “Oh, two MaKSUnDaiis?”