YALTA

YALTA IN THE CRIMEA AND SITUATED ON THE BLACK SEA, IS THE LA JOLLA OF THE UKRAINE. NICE STORES, NICE PLACES TO LIVE, SOME SPECTACULAR SCENERY AND GORGEOUS WEATHER. WE WERE MET BY OUR PRIVATE GUIDE, NATASHA, AND THE DRIVER AND MINIVAN AND ALONG WITH OUR TOUR COMPANIONS, SHELLY, ELLEN AND CHERYL, WE WERE OFF ON ANOTHER ADVENTURE. THIS WAS A FUN, INTELLIGENT AND HAPPY GROUP. OUR FIRST STOP WAS A BEAUTIFUL SCENIC OVERLOOK FOR PHOTOS OF THE SWALLOWS NEST CASTLE, PERCHED HIGH ON A CLIFF OVERLOOKING THE BLACK SEA. IT LOOKS LIKE CINDERELLA'S CASTLE AT DISNEY WORLD. IT WAS CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS BECAUSE OF EARTHQUAKES BUT IT WAS STILL A SPECTACULAR SIGHT.




THEN IT WAS ON TO VORONTSOV PALACE UP IN THE HILLS. THIS WAS BUILT IN THE STYLE OF A LATE TUDOR ENGLISH CASTLE AND APPOINTED LAVISHLY. THE BACK FACADE FACING THE WATER IS BEAUTIFUL TOO, DONE IN THE STYLE OF AN ORIENTAL PALACE OF THE 19TH CENTURY WITH MAGNIFICENT GARDENS AND A CONSERVATORY. THE COUNT, RICHEST MAN IN RUSSIA, OWNED EIGHTY THOUSAND SERFS TO CARE FOR HIS MANY PROPERTIES. NO WONDER THEY REVOLTED. THE AMOUNT OF PURE OPULENCE WAS DISGUSTING. AFTER LOLLING AROUND THE CASTLE WE HEADED FOR THE LIVADIA PALACE, SUMMER RESIDENCE OF THE LAST TSAR, NICHOLAS II. IT WAS BUILT IN THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE STYLE AND IS STARK WHITE. THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE WAS SO THICK YOU COULD CUT IT WITH A KNIFE. IT WAS THE SITE OF THE CRIMEAN CONFERENCE DURING WW II. THERE ARE PHOTOS OF THE CONFERENCE EVERYWHERE. YOU COULD ALMOST HEAR ROOSEVELT,HILL AND STALIN CARVING UP THE WORLD. T HERE WERE ALSO DOZENS OF PHOTOS OF THE RUSSIAN ROYAL FAMILY AND IT WAS SAD TO SEE THE FACES OF THOSE FIVE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN WHO WERE MURDERED BY THE BOLSHEVICS. IT UPSET ME.



OUR TOUR ENDED BACK AT THE SHIP WHERE WE HAD A QUICK LUNCH AND WERE OFF AGAIN TO EXPLORE THE SEASIDE AREA OF YALTA. SINCE IT IS SATURDAY EVERYONE IS OUT EITHER WALKING THE PROMENADE OR AT THE BEACH WHICH IS ALL STONES AND ROCKS. NOT TOO PRETTY. ALL SIZES AND SHAPES, BUT ALL LOOKING VERY RUSSIAN . MANY PEOPLE STOPPED TO SPEAK TO US IN RUSSIAN AND WERE TRULY SURPRISED WHEN WE ANSWERED THEM IN ENGLISH. SOMEONE TRIED TO SELL US CAVIAR FOR $20. WE ARE BACK ON OUR BEAUTIFUL SHIP NOW, TOTALLY EXHAUSTED. WE MET SOME LOVELY PEOPLE TODAY AND HOPE TO CONTINUE OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH THEM. THAT IS ONE OF THE NICE PARTS OF CRUISING. ONE MEETS SUCH NICE PEOPLE MANY OF WHO REMAIN LONGTIME FRIENDS.



THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS EXCELLENT AS IT HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT . JERRY INFORMED THE CAPTAIN THAT HE WILL NOW SAIL WITH NOBODY BUT HIM. THE CAPTAIN CHUCKLED. GUESS HE HAS HEARD THAT BEFORE. WHAT HE DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THAT JERRY MEANT IT. THIS CAPTAIN IS AMAZING.. HE IS EVERYWHERE. WE WONDER SOMETIME IF HE HAS A TWIN ONBOARD. HE HAS A TERRIFIC SENSE OF HUMOR, IS GRACIOUS, SMART AND CHARMING AND HAS ACTUALLY BEEN KNOWN TO DRIVE THE SHIP OCCASIONALLY WHEN THIS DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH HIS SOCIAL ACTIVITIES,

WE ARE HEADING FOR ISTANBUL, TURKEY, WHERE THEY ARE RIOTING IN TAKSIM SQUARE, ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES IN TURKEY. THE CAPTAIN WILL INFORM US AT THE NOON BRIEFING WHETHER OR NOT THINGS ARE GETTING STICKY. WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE SHIP'S TRANSPORT TO OUR HOTEL FOR SAFETY REASONS. WE HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE TO THE ACTION IN PAST TRAVELS, WHAT WITH SWINE FLU AND TAHRIR SQUARE. SO THIS TIME WE GOT SMART. I GUESS JERRY HAD A GUT FEELING. I BELIEVE IN THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRAVELLING IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD..ONE NEVER KNOWS AND EVENTS CAN LITERALLY TURN ON A DIME SO IT IS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY..