People have told me repeatedly that I need to go to Lviv. I now understand why. This city is beautiful with its own flavour and feels very Central European and different from other cities in Ukraine. It is proud for three things according to my friends. Its coffee, its chocolate and its beer. I can testify that it certainly lives up to its reputation. The food is good as well 🙂

Lviv

Lviv

Killing another dragon

Ivana Frank park

The park at Svobody Avenue

The Opera house

Note the statue of liberty on rooftop

Nice yard

This region has an interesting history. Even the Swedes have been here on our ancient violent trips. Charles XII even took the town by force but as he was interested in keeping the people as allies in his war on Russia he did not burn it down as was the normal custom. But he found a good way to get some money – he nailed the nobles to a wall and put a bucket in front of each of them. When a ransom was paid, the noble was then released and everyone was happy. The current Swedish self-taxation using text message feels better…

Church of Holy Communion

Armenian church

Interior of one of the churches

Neptune

Wonderful city to just stroll around in, take a coffee or a beer. There are restaurants, cafes and bars everywhere.

Rynok Square, Lviv

Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacturer

Grinding Coffee gives a fantastic smell all over the cafe

Coffee and chocolate at Lviv Handmade Chocolate

Beer at the Pravda Beer Theatre

The popular cherry liquor bar on Rynok square

Getting the bike cleaned

Sigma has an office in Lviv and Ira at the office has offered her assistance in finding a garage as well as a mechanic who could give the Dnepr some TLC. I go to visit the office which turns out to be a very cool place – top modern with every facility you can think of. My Ukrainian colleagues impress me with their optimism and professionalism and the Lviv office is obviously no different. I join a group of consultants and a client who are down to plan a new release of their software as they went on a city tour and dinner. Feels fortunate to have so many nice colleagues.

The reception in our cool Lviv office

One of the conference rooms

Word!

City tour with colleagues

The Kriivka partisan bar with colleagues. They serve vodka too 🙂

But everything has to come to an end. Since it is the Vyshyvanka Day (traditional broidered shirt), I first go out and buy one that I like and get a lecture of its protective benefits. I need to leave the bike in Ira’s caring hands (it turns out that the bike will stay in her own garage). After a nice last lunch at the restaurant next to the office I step on the plane and go home. But I will be back 🙂

A last cup of coffee could not hurt

Last ride out to the office

Me and Ira

Last day with the colleagues

Banush – Karpatian corn porridge. Fantastic!

Time to get out on the open plains of Ukraine again! Wonderful feeling!

First stop is Uman – some 300 km north of Odessa. A very nice but a bit boring straight road – especially when you sit at a speed at 60-70 km/h. The bike runs as a clock but drinks its fair share of motor oil as usual. Stopping here and there for fuel, oil and coffee but there is no hurry.

The open road….

… and the Mighty Dnepr

Uman is a smaller town than expected and the hotel is located in the Jewish part of the town. Interesting to see the well-established routines but you feel like an outsider when you clearly know nothing about Jewish culture. It also feels strange to be in Ukraine and everything is paid in dollars – more like an international colony.

First thing in the morning is a visit to the famous Sofiyivka Park a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The park has a half million visitors each year and is one of the “Seven Wonders of Ukraine.” Sadly, it starts raining but it is nice to stroll around in this green lung for a while before getting on the bike.

Sofiyivka Park

Sofiyivka Park – black swans

Sofiyivka Park

Sofiyivka Park

Sofiyivka Park

Next stop is Vinnitsa – a larger town and more to see and do than in Uman. I decide to take the backroads since todays trip is shorter. Some nice countryside experience with nice views give a very nice ride.

Backroads on the way to Vinnitsa

Countryside

The Nemiroff vodka factory

Vinnitsa has a fountain that is supposed to be one of the 10 most spectacular in the world with music and light shows but today it is idling and not very impressive. But still is is a nice walk though down at the river and a nice view of the town.

Vinnitsa – church by river Bug

The Roshen fountain

Vinnitsa

Up early in the morning to take the bike just outside town to take a look at the remains of the German headquarters “Werwolf”. Nothing remains of the buildings except scattered concrete blocks but you can see the size of the site and there is a museum at the entrance.

German WW2 Headquarters ”Werwolf”

Roadside maintenance

The mighty Dnepr then rolls on down to Kamyanets-Podilsky that has been described as a must see. As you roll into the city you understand why. The old city is surrounded by a deep valley with steep cliff walls and with a river at the bottom. The way into the town is blocked by a huge castle. The city center is filled with old genuine houses and churches. This area is also one of “Seven Wonders of Ukraine” and I can understand why.

The Kamyanets-Podilsky castle at night

Kamyanets-Podilsky

I get hold of a guide that seemed very well prepared. It turned out that he was a historian and have done a lot of research on the area, got a number of articles published and was specialized in the early Soviet period. A very interesting guide with a deep sea of knowledge to dig out of. The city is known since the early Kievan Rus and mentioned 1062 and was destroyed by the Mongols in 1241. Over the centuries it has belonged to Poland, Turkey, Russia, Lithuania, Austria-Hungary and USSR. He explains the different groups that have lived there, their impact on both the city and the castle and truly knows his stuff. He gets notably excited when he comes into the Soviet period, which is his main period of his research, and you can tell that he studied this a lot. For a researcher like him, this must be a heaven to work in.

THE guide to Kamyanets-Podilsky

Old map showing the city

Motoball. Looks fun!

After a couple of fact-crammed hours, it is time for a more fun based tour on the river on an amphibious vehicle. This is more fun oriented but amazing to get to see the surroundings and everything from below. Very fun experience although they do not allow me to drive this cool thing 🙁

On the way out of the city

Rollin’ on the river!

Da Ride

The armenian church destroyed in the early Soviet times

Streets of Kamyanets-Podilsky

Next stop is Ternopil which turns out to be a nice calm city some 100 km from Lviv and second city in the region. Nice place to walk in and a lake forming on the river Seret.

Ternopil cathedral

Ternopil centre and opera house

Ternopil

Ternopil

Final stop is Lviv and the road from Ternopil is interesting mix of quality. The neat thing about the Dnepr is that I actually go faster than the cars as I am sitting high up and see the potholes better and know exactly where I have my wheels. Riding into Lviv in the evening with the sun setting through the leaves in this beautiful city gives a good feeling even if this is the end stop.

The bike takes a well deserved break in the shadow in Lviv

I have been to Odessa a couple of times and I really enjoy the city. Full of interesting history and an obvious touch of French architecture. Nice parks, good food, street life, beaches and a nice atmosphere.

The main task is obviously to get the bike ready for the road but first day is focused on just walking the city and get the feeling of this nice city.

I love Odessa – city logo

Odessa City Garden

Beautiful Odessa

Beautiful Odessa – City garden

Beautiful Odessa – The Passage

Beautiful Odessa

Beautiful Odessa – evening lights on Derybasivska.

The opera house

Primorski promenade

Worst bartender ever. But nice and good looking 🙂

My friend Konstantin that I met last time has been taken care of the bike very carefully. He and his biker friends have given it a thorough check and changed some worn out parts. Feels good and I will have the possibility to road-check in Odessa before going out on the road. After meeting with Kosta, we go for a ride around town, getting some roadside tools and other equipment and just having a good time. Afterwards, his wife Tania joins us and we go down to the port and eat at the Di Mare fish restaurant.

Kosta with the Mighty Dnepr

Everywhere you go, the Dnepr awakens big smiles. Here I get free parking and a sharp guard for the bike

Me and Kosta

Kosta and Tania

The next day main activity is a visit to the Odessa winery. Beautiful entrance with two heads over the entrance – one of Russia and one of France. The factory was founded in the Russian times by French winemaker Henri Roederer. They make different styles ranging from dry to sweet and white, rose and red sparkling wine. To me the dry is the nicest but their main production is the semi-sweet ones. Interesting fact that they also hold a special line for Kosher wine where only Jews are allowed to be active in the process. Over the factory, red tapes indicate that this is hands-off for us non-Jews. The guide Evgeniy is very skilled and has a good way of explaining both the history and the wines. A very interesting visit.

Odessa Winery. Founded by Henri Roederer in 1898

Odessa Winery. Note the tanks sealed off with red tape. These are Kosher wine only to be handled by Jews

Odessa Winery. The lineup.

After the wine tasting, I needed a couple of hours to cool down and the nice restaurant Dacha is within walking distance. A very nice place that my colleagues took me to a couple of years ago. A lot of Soviet nostalgia paired with good food and a huge outside garden. A good place to relax.

Interior from Dacha

Dacha restaurant

Dacha

The bike

Next stop is Battery 411 where there were heavy battle as the Romanian/German troops invaded in the beginning of WW2. This is a site with an interesting range of different weaponry mixed with entrepreneurs selling ice cream and renting carts. There was a small museum connected to the park. Very quiet setting and a good afternoon.

Display at Battery 411 – a historic site south of Odessa

Katysha rocket launcer

Local entrepreneurs everywhere

May 9 is a public holiday to commemorate the ending of WW2 and my Sigma colleague Evgeniy came along and we first visited an interesting display at the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern art. Nice building and amazing to see these paintings hanging relatively unprotected and close to the viewer. A very good start of the day that continued with a visit to a good grill restaurant where his family joined topped with a visit to a brewery. A very good day!

And I feel well prepared for a nice road trip!

Rubens painting!

Loved this!

A lot of people

One of the Odessa beaches

Me and Evgeniy

Evening lights

This year I kick off summer season with a visit to Transnistria. Very turbulent history throughout the years and into our own days.

For a historically interested Swede like me, this corner of the world is of particular interest. Here, the Swedish king Charles XII was in exile and a refugee after lost the battle at Poltava 1709. The king hoped to get Turkey and Poland to join him and his Cossack allies in a new war towards Russia.

Charles XII stayed in this area around the town Bendery for four years. During these years, it was the de-facto capital of Sweden and was named Carlopolis (Karlstad). This was at the time when the king had all the powers and every decision had to go through him. As he took decisions someone had to ride the long way to Sweden with everything to new laws (like our self-taxation), orders as well as appointments to positions of all sorts from priests to new government officials.

The king stayed with his Cossack ally – Hetman Mazepa who also stayed at the same place and wrote a new modern constitution with shared powers for a state that never came into existence.

The first camp of Charles XII was located at ”wrong” side of the Dniestr river unprotected from the Russians.

The Bendery fortress. Charles XII never stayed within the walls – this was where the Turks stayed.

A model of the Bendery fortress in the museum

The Bendery fortress looking out on the Dnistr river. The second camp of Charles XII was located at the field and forest ahead.

The modern Cossack consitution formed by Hetman Mazepa.

Andrey on a memory cannon ball. This fortress was the fortress that Baron von Münchhausen told that he flew over riding a cannon ball.

After four years, the Turks became tired of the king and his soldiers and decided to throw them out of the country leading to the “Kalabalik” in Bendery where the king eventually was expelled. He then had to ride back to Sweden on a horse. This all happened at the third camp in the village Varnitsa 5 km outside Bendery and across the current Moldovan border. This site is now under reconstruction with help from the Swedish embassy.

The reconstruction site in Moldovan village Varnitsa where the kings house was located. This is the third and last camp where the ”Kalabalik” in Bendery took place.

The Bendery city weapon. This weapon shows the Russian eagle sitting on top of a domesticed Swedish lion.

The modern history of Transnistria is also violent and confusing. Taken by Russia from Turkey, this became a part of Russia. After the Soviet revolution this territory formed a borderline of the early USSR and then taken by Romania during WW2. After the new borders set after the WW2, this region together with the main area of former Bessarabia became Moldovan SSR. When USSR fell apart, MSSR decided to form Moldova as an independent country and come closer to Romania. In Transnistria, they decided to stay in the USSR, which eventually led to a civil war. As USSR disappeared, they found themselves literally as the last Soviet republic recognized by noone except two other states in the same situation. This country is still a disputed area and there has not been a formal cease-fire between the neighbours. However, the country is very calm and the border crossing to Moldova is very undramatic with a bunch of guards standing smoking and gazing at the passports.

The city hall

Promenade by the Dniestr

Tjeburaska (”Drutten”) soda.

PMR logo

The city hall at night with hotel Russia in front.

Having herring and vodka. Life can be worse.

Party boat on Dniestr. Interesting colours

Party boat. Interesting colours

Nice to have your own breakfast restaurant.

One of the industries is one of the largest sturgeon farms in the world producing tons of Caviar. Interesting to see this industry and the amount of work put in this. 150 people working I 3-shifts and huge halls of fish pools. The Belugas are huge fishes and the prices of these fishes are staggering. The regular Russian sturgeons form the main part of the farm and the huge Belugas are not as common and is priced different depending on characteristics. The guide told that the rare albino Beluga could cost up to 500000 EUR (!).

The Aquatir Sturgeon farm

Getting ready for a Sturgeon Fish Farm tour!

The cool pools where the female Belugas are resting and growing caviar.

Caviar directly from the farm

If you decide to go here – and I certainly recommend it – get in contact with Andrey at Transnistria tours who is an excellent knowledgeable guide and who besides perfect English even speaks good Swedish (!).