Lviv

I am struck by the difference between Poland and Ukraine. Even though Poland appears to be progressing at a faster rate than Lviv, we saw some beautiful landmarks and witnessed some unique local customs in this western Ukraine city.





With the rare exception, we have chosen to walk the cities' centre to get a feel of the area. Andriy's tour was a continuation of this method of sightseeing. We visited churches, statues, art markets and even a bohemian bar. The bar was an interesting site as it followed no rules in planning or decorating and a breathtaking spiral climb for a beautiful rooftop view of Lviv. We had a great time - even with a surprise in the WC! Alice can explain this one...


Fred went to his first opera in this Opera House with his family in 2002 - he politely declined on this trip. (Darn, and I really wanted to go!)


Jim,just trying to blend in, much like he did in Turkey.

Lviv, Ukraine

We had to check out of our apartment at noon so it was a long wait until we could get on the sleeper car.


We caught the overnight train on July 15th from Krakow to Lviv - leaving at 10:39 pm and arriving at 6:03 am.



We met with Andriy (Fred's aunt's cousin), Andriy's niece and father for a whirlwind tour of the centre of Lviv. Andriy speaks a little English - Alice and Fred speak a little Ukrainian, so all went well. "Ok, let's go!"

Computer Problems

We have 18 minutes left on this charge and unless we can find an Apple Store in Krakow, we will be without a blog until we get home - computer battery may be kaput! Keep your fingers crossed!

Happy Anniversary

We celebrated Alice and Jim's anniversary today with flowers and a nice meal in the Main Square. Happy fourteenth!

Experiencing Auschwitz

The extreme heat settled one question for us - we took a hired car with AC instead of the train or bus.

George, our driver has lived in Krakow all his life and he saw first hand the destruction at Auschwitz. His parents took him to the camp when it was first liberated [he was eight] and he has vivid memories of the chaos, especially in the barracks.

I think the most noticeable thing about Auschwitz was the eerie silence - even the tour guides spoke in subdued voices. Some areas asked for complete silence.

In Birkenau, we walked the tracks where the hundreds of thousands of Jews were brought to the death camp. We also walked the road to the gas chambers where they led the Jewish people to their death. George told us 1.1 million people were put to death at this camp and the Auschwitz camp.

We saw huge displays of women's hair, children's shoes, hair brushes and eyeglasses, all taken from the Jewish prisoners.

Pictures are not allowed in many areas so our memories will have to suffice. Taking pictures of some of the displays somehow seemed wrong!

It was an exhausting day, partially due to the heat and partially due to the emotional impact it had on all the visitors.

Krakow's Heat

The heat is getting us down! No air conditioning in our room means no sleep. Heading to Auschwitz right away and will post when we return.

The Last Day

Istanbul has been a place of constant walking and exploring. Our last day was much the same as our first - walk, walk some more and finally accept the fact that we didn't know where we were [even though Fred liked to pretend he knew all the shortcuts].


We toured the spice market, taking in some incredible smells.

On the walk home, we passed through unknown territory and eventually saw the slums of Istanbul first hand. Not pretty, but safe enough.




We watched the making of flat bread the old fashioned way!





Our hotel was on the tram track and there wasn't much walking room when two trams met. The tracks were no more than one metre from the sidewalk. Great fun!


Our last meal in Istanbul on a beautiful terrace restaurant, overlooking the Bosphorus Sea.


We even found time to visit with one of the Red River Pub employees during the final World Cup match. It was a busy day and I'm sure all four of us will miss this wonderful city.