ODESSA

ODESSA, UKRAINE, HOME OF MY PATERNAL ANCESTORS. I KNEW I WOULD LIKE IT AND I DID. IN FACT, I LOVED IT. IT IS OLD AND NEW AT THE SAME TIME. WE WALKED UP THE POTEMKIN STEPS FROM THE PORT TO THE CITY, ALL 200 OF THEM. IN FACT, WE DID IT TWICE. IT WAS A CHALLENGE BUT WE DID IT. WE TOOK A FIVE HOUR TOUR OF THE WHOLE CITY. WE WENT EVERYWERE. WE SAW BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDINGS, LUSH PARKS AND SQUARES, LOTS OF INTERESTING MONUMENTS AND STATUES, SCHOOLS, AND HOUSES OF WORSHIP. PEOPLE SPOKE TO ME IN RUSSIAN BECAUSE I REALLY DO LOOK LIKE I BELONG THERE. I KNEW THAT WOULD HAPPEN. UKRAINE IS TOTALLY FREE BUT WITH DEEP RUSSIAN ROOTS AND ODESSA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CENTER OF LEARNING AND THE ARTS. WE WENT TO A MODERN SHOPPING MALL, AN OLD SYNAGOGUE, AND A MAGNIFICENT RESTORED FIVE STAR HOTEL. EVERYONE WAS DRESSED VERY WELL AND THERE WERE VERY FEW BEGGARS AND GYPSIES. THE PEOPLE WE ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TRIED TO BE HELPFUL. I USED MY ALMOST NON EXISTANT RUSSIAN VOCABULARY TO THEIR DELIGHT. I REMEMBERED A


MY LITTLE BIT OF IT FROM MY CHILDHOOD WHEN MY GRANDFATHER SPOKE IT.



I REALLY ENJOYED ODESSA AND FELT QUITE AT HOME THERE, NOT THAT I COULD EVER LIVE THERE. BUT IT WAS A COMFORTABLE AND INTERESTING PLACE TO VISIT.

SOME OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS ARE EYE CANDY AND I AND COME OUT AHEAD.HOPE THEY REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THESE BUILDINGS ARE AND THAT THEY ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR HISTORY. MOST OF THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS STILL HAVE THEIR MAIN ENTRANCES THROUGH COURTYARDS WITH EVERYONE'S WASH HANGING OUT ON THEIR TINY BALCONIES. THE MAJORITY DON'T HA VE DRYERS SO IT'S THE OLD FASHIONED CLOTHES LINE.I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE SOME OF THE MONUMENTS TO SOVIET-ERA HEROES AND OTHERS FROM IMPERIAL TZARIST TIMES. I THINK THEY JUST LOVE MONUMENTS. THERE WERE PLAQUES ON MANY BUILDINGS TELLING WHICH HERO LIVED THERE. ODESSA, LIKE YALTA, SEVASTOPOL AND VOLGAGRAD (FORMERLY LENINGRAD) ARE DESIGNATED AS HERO CITIES BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM IN VARIOUS WARS. THESE PEOPLE HAD A ROUGH TIME THROUGHOUT THEIR HISTORY BUT SOMEHOW MANAGED TO PULL THROUGH AND COME OUT AHEAD. I EXPECTED TOO SEE MANY MORE OLD LADIES DRESSED IN LONG BLACK DRESSES WITH BABUSHKAS ON THEIR HEADS BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AT ALL. IT WAS MODERN DRESS AND SANDALS WITH WEDGES ALL AROUND. ONE MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA.



NOW IT IS ON TO SEVASTOPOL FOR A DAY OF SIGHTSEEING AND AN EVENING CONCERT BY THE NAVY BAND AT THE LARGE NAVAL BASE THERE. THIS IS THE CRIMEA, THE RUSSIAN RIVIERA SO IT SHOULD BE BEAUTIFUL. THE WEATHER IS GREAT WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE THE EXPERIENCE EVEN BETTER.