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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 🙁

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.

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.