Yalta

This weekend Olia took May, the Australian intern, and I to her grandmother's house in Yalta. Yalta means coast in Russian which is appropriate because Yalta is a city directly on the Black Sea. (see below)


Olia's Grandmother (Babushka) is a very sweet lady. She was constantly feeding us and she left out old fashioned night gowns for May and I. (see below) We thought they were pretty great!



Babushka's apartment was very near the water. Below is a view from the guest bedroom window.



We started off our Yalta adventure with a trip to Massandra Winery for a taste testing. (see below) Massandra is one of the two most famous wineries in Crimea. The wine is very good, but incredibly sweet! We tried eight different types of wine ranging from dry to sweet; by wine number four my eyes were watering. The wine is similar to our dessert wine or an ice wine rather than our dinner wines. And in case you were wondering, yes I bought a bottle to bring home.




After we were nice and sauced...I mean, completely sober...we went to downtown Yalta to catch a boat to Sparrow's Nest, a small castle built on a cliff. But before we made it to the boat we encountered something that only pictures can describe. Here they are! These photos also show a nice view of the main stretch of Yalta.



We boarded the boat with many other tourists. We sat at the very back of the boat. Meanwhile, from the deck above, people began throw little fish to the seagulls. The seagulls were hovering directly above us, and we were in their line of fire. Needless to say, we ducked. (see below)



We arrived at Sparrow's Nest seagull poop free! Sparrow's Nest (see below) was built in the early 1920's by an oil tycoon. Today it is a restaurant, a tourist destination, and one of Crimea's most recognized structures. To reach Sparrow's Nest we had to go up some stairs. On our way up we were accosted by two men each holding a giant golden eagle. They wanted to charge you 20 hyrivnas for a picture with the eagles. The men were quite pushy and really wanted to draw you in so you'd take a picture with the eagles. To make a long story short, I did not pay for a picture, but I got to pet an eagle. The men also invited May, Olia and I to have champagne with them. We did not take them up on the offer.



The next day we went to a castle that belonged to a count who was a good friend of the tsar. Unfortunately I forget his name, but his castle was beautiful. I took a tour, but it was in Russian so Olia translated. The most important thing to know is that the castle is very expensive and so is everything in it. This castle is also a symbol associated with Crimea.



Below is Olia by a bust of Catherine the Great.



Below is a picture of a fountain in the grand hall that was used to chill champagne.



After a long weekend of playing tourist, we went to a local market and bought sweets. (below May and Olia eating a kind of crepe like pastry rolled into a cigar shape with reduced condensed milk) I'm not sure if a sweet tooth exists everywhere in Ukraine, but it certainly does in Crimea. Everyone has a ready supply of sweets and baked goods. They rarely drink tea without a cookie and dessert is served regularly throughout the day.