SEVASTOPOL

WE ARRIVED IN SEVASTOPOL AT NOON. IT IS A SMALL CITY ON A PENINSULA SURROUNDED BY WATER. IT IS THE HOME OF BOTH THE UKRANIAN AND RUSSIAN BLACK SEA NAVAL FLEETS SO THERE ARE LOADS OF SHIPS ALL AROUND THE HARBOR. IT WAS PRETTY HOT TODAY SO NO JACKET NECESSARY. WE FOUND A TAXI DRIVER WHO SHOWED US AROUND. WE SHARED HIM WITH ANOTHER COUPLE, A RETIRED BRITISH DIPLOMAT AND HIS WIFE. HE SPOKE FLUENT RUSSIAN SO THAT MADE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR GUIDE VERY EASY. HE TOOK US ALL AROUND THE CITY, INCLUDING VARIOUS GIGANTIC MONUMENTS, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCHES, PANORAMAS OF THE BATTLE OF BALAKLAVA. THIS WAS WHERE FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE GOT HER START. SHE AND ANOTHER NURSE CARED FOR ALL THE MANGLED WARRIORS IN THIS MOST HORRENDOUS BATTLE, THE BATTLE OF BALAKLAVA, MADE FAMOUS BY THE POEM WHICH BEGINS...INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH RODE THE SIX HUNDRED...IT WAS A GORY MESS WHICH WE SAW DEPICTED IN AN AMAZINGLY LIFELIKE PANORAMA ON THE SITE.




I HAD TO PUT ON A COVERUP FOR SHOULDERS AND HEAD TO GO INTO THE CHURCH. I SURE LOOKED FUNNY. ACTUALLY, I STRONGLY RESEMBLED MY OWN GRANDMOTHER. THE THING ABOUT THE RUSSIAN AND GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES IS THAT THERE ARE NO SEATS. EVERYONE MUST STAND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SERVICE NO MATTER HOW OLD THEY ARE AND HOW LONG THE SERVICE IS. THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF BOWING AND KNEELING. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT.



AFTER SIGHTSEEING WE RETURNED TO THE SHIP FOR A QUICK SWIM AND GOT READY FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENING. AND WAS IT EVER SPECIAL. WE FELT LIKE IMPORTANT DIGNITARIES AND THE MOST IMPORTANT VIP'S. AFTER A FOURTY MINUTE BUS RIDE WE ENTERED THE MICHAELOVSKAYA NAVAL BATTERY GROUNDS. THERE WAS A RECEIVING LINE WITH SAILORS DRESSED IN ALL MANNER OF NAVAL GARB FROM THE 1700'S TO THE PRESENT. THERE WERE ALL MANNER OF WEAPONS, OLD AND NEWER, PLANES, AND EVERY WAR CONTRAPTION IMAGINABLE. THERE WERE WHITE TENTS SET UP WITH RUSSIAN AND UKRANIAN FOODS, WINES AND VODKA. IT WAS LIKE A STATE AFFAIR. WE WERE BLOWN AWAY. AFTER COCKTAILS THE NAVY BAND, SINGERS, DANCERS, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE, TREATED US TO A FANTASTIC SHOW OF FOLKLORIC, NATIONAL AND LOCAL MUSIC, ALONG WITH SOME VERY WELL-KNOWN MUSIC WHICH IS UNIVERSAL. AT THE INTERMISSION WE WENT TO THE TENTS AND ATE OURSELVES SICK WITH ALL THE LOCAL DELICACIES INCLUDING FINE CAVIAR. THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW WAS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST AND WE GAVE THEM A STANDING OVATION. WHAT A SPECIAL EVENING AND WHAT A TREAT. OUR CAPTAIN AND HIS OFFICERS WERE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL. IT WAS A PERFECT EVENING. THE WEATHER COOPERATED AND WE MANAGED TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER DESPITE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER. A WONDERFUL TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. THE VODKA WAS POWERFUL!



WE SET SAIL AT MIDNIGHT ACCOMPANIED BY FIREWORKS AND THUNDER AND LIGHTNING PROVIDED BY MOTHER NATURE, RUSSIAN STYLE. OUR NEXT PORT OF CALL IS YALTA, A PLACE REEKING WITH ALL SORTS OF INTERESTING HISTORY AND FAMOUS FOR ITS SPAS AND HIGH-END MEDICAL CLINICS. YOU GET YOUR DOCTOR TO WRITE YOU A PRESCRIPTION FOR A WEEK'S “CURE” AT THE SPA. IT WORKS FOR ME.