Seems I just can’t stay away. Fourth visit to Lviv 🙂
Came in on Thursday after an easy border crossing.
With an easy ride to my hotel, except for the penultimate 200metres, with the worst cobblestones………in the world ! ! !
Booked in.
TLC for the bike.
Unpacked.
Walked over to the market.
Sorted out my phone. 20HRV per month. Includes 6GB. Now that is a reasonable rate plan.
Picked-up some fruit at the market.
Early supper at a typical cafeteria style place, serving home cooking.
Back to the hotel.
Start looking at my next leg of Ukraine’s roads. “If you haven’t got a sense of humour, you shouldn’t join”. hahaha.
Shower.
Wash my riding shirt.
Bed.
.
.
Friday morning up before the alarm.
TaiChi.
Out to do some shopping.
Then let out some air from the tires. A lighter load, and rougher roads need less air. Rode off to Borshchovychi.
Now you have heard me say how useless TomTom can be. The main road was blocked for major repairs. The detour was poorly signed. That or I missed a sign whilst avoiding all the potholes and traffic 🙂 Along the way, TomTom tried to send me on a road that made Noto Antica look easy. I kid you not.
Turned around. Found a safe spot. Checked the route using NavFree. I led TomTom, until it clicked into line with rational routing.
And why Borshchovychi?
Mother and her family came from here. None there anymore. All shipped off to Siberia, after World War II. No-one returned. The family had a farm, with 30 field-hands, which was collectivised twice. But, as my Gran told me, some people are hard working farmers, and others are not. This was some 70yrs ago, so had to assume that the village had changed a bit.
Did I make it? Yes…..
And here is the centre……
Photo taken outside the little shop, where I had a lemonade and a nice chat with Roman (who grew up here).
Celebrating Ukraine’s Freedom Day. Church service finished, the villagers were parading to the cross, on the lawn outside the town hall. All dressed in their best embroidered shirts, and blouses.
I would have joined in, but had to go back. Meeting Olesh.
The 15km had taken me 2hrs.
Getting back was a little quicker, as I found the detour better signed. Though I did find parts of the route challenging. LOTS of unpaved portions, potholes and sand. “No sympathy for volunteers”. hahaha.
Called Olesh. Told him I was back. He said his computer guy was over fixing his notebook. So I popped out to thank my KievStar guy, and had a light lunch of ratatouille, liver and ‘shrooms……
Olesh came over to the hotel where we had the traditional “stoh hrammi” and salo 🙂 🙂 🙂
Then hopped a trolley-bus downtown where we caught up on the Freedom Day service, held at Lviv’s huge Shevchenko monument.
Then onto the hotel where Olesh introduced me to Irene from Buenos Aires. Here they are, outside Irene’s hotel …….
Did you notice the name of the hotel, and what the shop is selling ? We went for coffees and a chat.
Irene is part of a tour-group from Argentina. Her family publish books, magazines, and newspapers.
The group visited the Beer Museum. Hmmmm. I’ve missed that.
Then Irene was off to a concert.
Whilst “mi kozaki” went for a scotch.
Trolley-bus home.
Watched the rest of the festivities on TV. Think Canada Day, meets May Day, meets Easter.
.
.
Saturday up for breakfast.
Called Olesh, to help me with my shopping. We arranged to meet by the trolley-bus stop.
I arrived early, having found one of the items on my shopping list enroute 🙂
We walked around the downtown area looking for sunblock-on-a-stick. No luck. But got to see lots of downtown.
For refreshments, we had coffee and cake at the “coffee mine“. Coffee good. Cake so-so.
One place that I have not visited yet, is the famous cemetery. So we caught a tram.
Lots of famous people there.
Eg: Dr. Oleksander Tysovsky. I still have his book !
Surprised, pleasantly, to find Hnizdovsky……
Huge place. Nice to have a “guide”.
Saddest part? Hard to choose. Polish section reminded me of the World War cemeteries across France and Belgium. Then there are the many sections holding Ukrainians who died fighting for a free Ukraine, in different eras. And the new section for the troops who died, and continue to die, in the current war. Some things never change 🙁
Then Pani Stefa’s for a very late lunch.
There was lots. All good.
We were a tad hungry, so I forgot to take photos. haha
Trolley-bus home.
Start planning my next run.
Is harder than I thought. Google seems to be the only map that has a clue. Road closures do not appear on either app on my phone, and NOT on my TomTom.
Will need to spend more time planning, on Sunday.
Next update will be on Monday.
Keep well.
“Shche ne vmerla Ukraiina!”