In Which Susan Goes To Kyiv Alone

Wow, what an exhausting, up and down roller-coaster few days this has been. I woke up on Thursday with my first really horrible migraine since we left the States – a combination sinus headache and migraine that woke me up at 5 a.m., and went away after about 2 hours and some very heavy drugs!! I slept until about 9:30 and then, very, very slowly, began to get up. Belle had stayed in bed with me while Ed got ready and went to the office. I dragged myself up and around, caught up on emails and before I knew it, it was 1 p.m. and time for my second pedicure, with a manicure of course, my hair color (my roots, my roots!!), and my massage with Oksana, that Oksana (the other Oksana - the one whose father is head of the Law Academy and who lives in Chicago) had told me about. A perfect day for one who is recovering from a migraine!

Everything went okay – I decided to go for a French manicure, and I didn’t like it (especially when I could take my lenses off and get a really good look at those glaring white tips). I tried to tell her I wanted a very subtle white – not so stark – but words and pantomime failed me on this. I just went for it, didn’t like it, and bought some nail polish remover today in Kyiv and took it all off. It looked really cheap and tacky – not at all the way Teresa used to do it for me! The actual manicure and pedicure were good however – no cutting, just pushing back and filing, just the way I like it. The color is a different story. I wanted a darker base for the roots, but it ended up covering all my highlights and low lights and such, so it looks kind of flat now and not at all interesting or even alive! And it’s already getting too long, but I’ve decided I have to wait for Yulia for the cut, even though I was willing to take a chance on someone new for the color.

Then came the massage. Now that was fabulous!! This woman is great – hot stones, some fabulous stuff that felt like a loofa – very relaxing but also energizing. I felt great by the time I left (at 6:30!!) I called the Chicago Oksana to thank her for the referral and also see if I could arrange for Ed to meet her father – he’s hoping to be able to get a lead on someone who can act as the Director’s Assistant at the office because the woman who now has the job is useless (she wants to be a lawyer, not an administrator - she has graduated from the law academy), and her English isn’t that great so her translations are not very useful either. It’s been really frustrating for Ed. He can’t wait to get rid of her – she just sulks whenever he or Gennady asks her to do anything. I’ve also emailed my Ukrainian conversation “teacher” about this job to see whether she has any interest in it – she is way overqualified, but it pays very well by Kharkiv standards ($200 a month) and Ed would be flexible about the hours so that she could continue to teach and have time with her 14 month old. I doubt that she’ll want to do it, but maybe she’ll know someone who will.

I barely had time to make dinner, catch up with the day’s emails, and pack before getting to bed so that I could get up at 5:45 for the train to Kyiv.

Ed and Belle escorted me to the train by metro. Even at 6:15 on Friday morning it was pretty crowded and we had to hold Belle to protect her from the crush. We got there in plenty of time, I got situated in my seat, and Belle and Ed left. I must say it warmed my heart to see Belle looking at me enquiringly as Ed tried to take her away. She is such a sweet girl.

I was in one of the first class cabins that only has 3 seats (instead of 6 with 3 and 3 facing each other, separated by a formica folding table). Since Ed hadn’t come, we had a nice empty seat between us to put things and spread out. I asked the woman in the compartment with me if she would mind if I turned off the awful TV that blares nonstop and repeats and repeats and repeats. She had no problem with that, thank God, so at least the ride was quiet. I was too tired to read War and Peace, and I had an intermittent conversation with the woman in the compartment with me. Her name is Angelika, she is 36 years old, she has an 11 year old daughter who just spent 2 months in the Crimea with her paternal grandmother, and now Angelika's mother is taking care of her daughter. She was on a business trip – she studied to be an economist (which I think is more like an accountant – my manicurist this time, Lila, had been an economist for 7 years and then switched to being a manicurist because she didn’t like the fact that she had no contact with people), but then switched, and is now working for a computer company while studying psychology! She travels a lot – she goes to Kyiv frequently and she’s been to Jordan, Turkey, Malta, Greece, France, Egypt, England and Poland. She works out by doing Akido (some sort of Japanese warfare thing), and she also gets her hair cut and her makeup done at Beatric. I asked who she used and she told me “Olga – in the veep room” – it took me awhile to figure out that the veep room was the VIP room!!

While I was on the train I got a cell phone call from the agent I was scheduled to see on Saturday morning - none of the landlords would be available on the weekend - could she show me the apartments on Monday? No way - I was leaving Sunday. How about this afternoon, I suggested, at about 4:30 (after my 3 p.m. appointment with another agent, and before the 6 p.m. opening of Gilah's show at Soviart). Okay - we both agreed to meet at the Senator Apartments at 4:30.

After I got in to Kyiv, right on time at 1 p.m., I decided to take the subway to the Senator Apartments, which looked to me to be about ½ block from the Universitet station, which was only one stop from Voksall (the train station). I had even considered walking from the train station, it looked that close. My "Kiev In Your Pocket" (a great resource for Kyiv travelers) said it was very easy – just look for the Green M for the Metro to the left as you exit the train station – the only trouble is that there are several exits, including two from the old station and two from the new station that was added on to the old one several years ago!! I had also packed with abandon, thinking that "if it fits in my rollie I’ll bring it," and I had several changes of outfits, my just in case kit, and my laptop, with its heavy battery. So the thing was pretty heavy. And, of course, the escalators in the station were not working. Needless to say I went to every exit but the right one before I finally found it (each try involving several stair cases!). It took me almost an hour to find my way out of the station and into the Metro station, which also involved a few stairs, before the blessed escalator came in view. I got two tokens (total cost, 1 HVA), found my train without any problem and emerged from the metro one stop later, on the wrong side of a very big street (Tara Shevchenko), which meant more stairs down into the underground passageway, and then up again. I finally found the Senator Apartments, about a block away.

I was very curious about the Senator Apartments. When I had first started looking for apartments in the Ukraine, this was the first thing I found that gave me hope that I could find something I could live in. All the other furnished apartments had the most awful furnishings, but these looked really nice. I had booked a studio because I knew we wouldn’t need a kitchen this trip, but I was going to check it out for Jodi and her dad and for other friends who come to visit. It was a bumpy start – I arrived on foot, alone, and with an open umbrella because it had started to rain. There was a guy standing by the door but he didn’t make a move to help me hoist the bag up the stairs or to open the door. So I made my way in and went to the small reception desk. The foyer is very small, with the usual marble/granite that the Ukrainians are very fond of in their renovations. The receptionist told me her colleague would help with my luggage to the elevator (which was literally two steps away), so I said I could handle it myself. She gave me the key to Room 1 – I went down – yes, down – to the basement level!!! The door opened and the room smelled like fish. I went up and asked if there was something else available because my room smelt funny. She said “yes, that is a problem with the rooms in the basement and all the studio apartments (i.e., the one room apartments) are there.” But she thought she might have something better (i.e., no smell), although smaller. It was better (no smell), and definitely smaller (who cares!).

I was rushing like mad because by now it was 2:15 and I was scheduled to meet my first real estate agent at 3 p.m. several blocks away. I just threw everything down, studied my map and went out with my folding umbrella and maps. I ran into the first big difference between Kharkiv and Kyiv – on the Kharkiv map, everything looks like it’s miles away, and turns out to be practically around the corner. In Kyiv, it is just the opposite – and not only is it miles away, it is usually up and down several hills, often very steep and paved with old, irregular cobblestones to boot!! I had started off at a nice pace, but as three o’clock approached I really started rushing, made the wrong turn, found myself hopelessly trying to get my bearings when my cell phone rang. It was the real estate agent. She asked me where I was, and I said I wished I knew, but I would ask someone and ask them to tell her. I stopped a nice woman who was about to go into one of the underground shopping center/pedestrian crossings. She was unbelievable – she spoke to the agent for some time and then gave me back the phone, took me by the arm and led me down to the underground, through some stores, out another exit, and indicated that I should wait and someone would drive by to pick me up in 10 minutes! Victoria soon drove up (she had a car and driver) and I hopped in. We drove around in the rain and rush hour and I saw three or four of the usual depressing apartments. I also saw one that was very much like our Kharkiv apartment (not depressing, cheap laminated furniture, but decent looking - that is, if you don't look too carefully) that was very reasonable for Kyiv ($1500 a month). I felt it was time well spent because she could get an idea of what I didn’t like, even though we didn’t see much of anything I did like.

I was set to meet the other agent at the Senator Apartments at 4:30, but I could tell I was going to be late, so I called her from the car while we were stalled in a massive traffic jam in Podil (the old city district), to ask her to wait for me. I didn’t get there until almost 5 p.m. and she and I barely had time to shake hands before we zipped off with her car and driver. The first place we saw was really terrific. I absolutely loved it - but of course there are a couple of problems. The kitchen is beautifully done with granite counter tops, a built in cook top, a stainless fridge, Finnish wood and smoked glass cabinets (none of those separate pieces that fit together to make a kitchen that I now live with), a great double sink and a brand new microwave. BUT no oven!!!! All of the other furniture is very high quality too, as is the lighting and the bathroom fixtures – really nice pots and pans and dishes and silverware too. There’s an airconditioner in the bedroom and the living room, there’s satellite TV with two TVs (I think there are two), there’s a combo washer-dryer and also a dishwasher in the kitchen (maybe he’ll trade the dishwasher in for an oven!!). The floors are beautiful and the space has a really nice feel. It’s on the first floor, but it’s still high enough above the sidewalk that you don’t feel that you’re part of the street scene, and there are very attractive bars on the windows so you don’t feel like you’re in a prison. I’d need to have another wardrobe installed, there just isn’t enough space for our clothes (the owner told me that it was originally built for short term stays and then the owner changed his mind, and that’s why there is no oven and only a small wardrobe). I would also need a desk for my computer. I was assured that this could all be arranged. I was very encouraged.

By now it was 6:00 and Gilah’s art opening at Soviart was scheduled to start at 6. I had emailed her earlier to let her know I’d be late, but I still wanted to get there as soon as I could. I even called the gallery, but she wasn’t there yet. I asked them to give her a message and let her know I’d be there by 7:30

The agent and I went on to see a couple of real dogs (speaking of dogs, this agent had asked in our email exchanges if I had any pets, so I had told her about Belle, and these apartments all would permit her – a big relief), and then finally I saw a really beautifully renovated apartment in the Podil district, but it has no furniture – that would have to be obtained, and god only knows what sort of crap they’d put in there. But the kitchen and bathrooms were great, as were all the basics. This one was huge – 2 bedrooms, an eat in kitchen – much more space than we need. But at least I had some things to think about.

Meanwhile Ed called to tell me - guess what- the meeting on Saturday with the Chief of Police had been canceled! Big surprise! The reason for the cancellation was, however, a surprise - but so typical of what it's like in this country now that I should not have been surprised. It seems that Yanakovich (the "bad" guy) had finally been installed as Prime Minister, and one of the first things he had done was fire the Kharkiv District Police Chief!! But first he initiated a criminal investigation into the two Cabinet Ministers and investigators who had themselves investigated a corrupt gas/oil deal that Yanakovich had been involved in before the Orange Revolution got rid of him!! Poor Ukraine!

The agent dropped me off back at the Senator Apartments and I turned on the shower first thing to get the hot water going for a quick shower. Except no hot water ever came – it did get luke warm, but that was about it. But when I turned on the water in the sink it was hot!! I jumped in and out of the shower, threw on some clothes, asked reception to call me a taxi and told them about the hot water problem. They said they would fix it while I was out.

I negotiated the price to the gallery (20 HVA) with the taxi driver, and arrived at just about 7:30. Gilah was being interviewed so I went to look at the exhibition (I can’t really comment on her art, as I am a total ignoramous about things artistic), but I could tell that they were very spiritual. Gilah and I finally caught each other’s eye and introduced ourselves to one another. We discovered that we live about 2 seconds from each other back in Venice. Gilah introduced me to her friends Bernard and Susannah who had come from Bratislava (where the exhibition had first been) to see it again. I gather that Bernard is an artist too and I asked him why he was living in Bratislava (capital of Slovenia), and he said “my girlfriend lives there,” and pointed to Susannah. After talking a bit I learned that Bernard has actually been to Kharkiv!!! I was astounded. Why, I asked!!! His girlfriend (a different one - at a different time), of course!!! I was beginning to understand this guy!

At about 9:00 Gilah, Bernard, Susannah, and the curator of the show, Tatiana, and I, went out to dinner. I was absolutely starving, having had nothing since my bowl of cereal at 6 a.m. (not at all like me!). The gallery, it turns out, is right on Alexander’s Descent, right next to the charming little hotel where Ed and I had stayed when we had come to retrieve our baggage. So I remembered that funny little restaurant “Chasing Two Hares” that was a few doors down and suggested dinner there. Done, they all said, and in we trooped. Tatiana found the menu an absolute scream – she was laughing so hard she couldn’t stop. This restaurant takes it’s name and décor from some cult Russian movie, and apparently the items on the menu were written in a similar style (although the English translations were very straight forward). When they asked for her order, she said "I'd llike the menu" - which she really wanted to buy. It had a thick leather cover, and they said it would cost her 200 HVA (or about $40 – actually not bad, just for the leather!). She explained that she didn’t want the leather, and then the waiter offered to sell the menu to her for 30 HVA, but she, apparently, found this outrageous. I thought it was a pretty good price because the paper was very thick, high quality stock!

Gilah and I talked mostly about mutual friends, how to deal with termites in the house - I recommended Home Savings Termite Control which eliminates the termites by injecting this drying stuff in the walls so you never have to tent the house, and it’s guaranteed for 10 years - the trials and tribulations of building a home and making home repairs, and the joys of travel. We tried some Georgian red wine, and split, amongst all five of us (except Susannah ate practically nothing), a rabbit pie, blini with red caviar, potato pancakes with red caviar, and veal with juniper and pumpkin. In addition, each of us ordered the fantastic red borscht with the puffy parker house roll type breads with garlic. We closed up the restaurant at 11:30 and had them call a taxi for us. We were all basically going in the same direction. By this time it was pouring, but when the taxi came I went out to negotiate. The driver came back to the restaurant to read the name of the street on the card from the Senator Apartments. He said it would cost 30 HVA, I said no, it had cost 20 to get there, he offered 25, and I said no, and by the way, we have to drop all these people off on the way. He did his outrage pantomime and then Tatiana said “well, okay, I’ll pay the extra 10 HVA.” Again, that soviet mentality – you do what you’re told. So I just said that we would pay 30 HVA and told Tatiana to forget it – I would pay 20 and the others could pay 10 (she was just going to the metro stop nearby). I hate to nickel and dime these guys, but I also hate to be taken advantage of, the way we were by everyone for about the first two weeks here!

I didn't sleep too well - the pillows are awful at the Senator Apartments and they don't have any feather or down pillows available (at least not for the basement rooms!). And you can hear every sound in the halls - every key that turns in a door, every word said by anyone.

The next morning I didn't have anything scheduled until noon, when I was going to see what sounded like a great (and very expensive) apartment, right smack in the middle of Kreshchatik, which is sort of like being on Fifth Ave and 52nd St in NY. Gilah and I had talked about my joining her and Tatiana (who used to be an official tour guide in Kyiv) for a visit to a couple of monasteries, and I was hoping to be able to meet them at the gallery at 12:30. Meanwhile I wanted to check out all the hotels that Jodi and I had talked about, and I wanted to find the location of an apartment that I couldn't see yet, but which would soon be available at a very good price for a 6 month minimum rental. I wanted to get going right away, so I turned on the shower to let it run and get some hot water going, and of course nothing had been done the night before to fix it - still no hot water. I made do with the luke warm water, had a cuppa (I had bought some tea and milk on my arrival), and wrote a note for the receptionist (who was not there) telling her about my on-going problems with the hot water in the shower, and asking that they either fix the shower or give me a new room.

I set off at about 10, and within a half hour I began to see what Kyiv is all about - and why the most important thing about an apartment is location, location, location!! I walked to the address of the apartment that is in the process of being renovated (of course, I went the very longest way possible), discovered it is on the outer edge of the city center, and that to get back into the center you have to walk up a very big hill. This all took well over an hour. Then I set off to find the Hotel Rus, which was the only hotel I had found so far that would accept Belle. This was really difficult! I ended up walking in a complete circle around it, without being able to actually get to it, for about a half hour. This hotel is one of those real Soviet Uglies - I saw the rooms (also Soviet uglies) and decided that we should not stay there under any circumstances - too ugly and too far out of the city (and up a big hill, by the way). I made my way to Kreshchatik and was about to try and get into the apartment building to see the apartment at 21 Kreshchatik, when my cell rang - the owner of the apartment calling to tell me that he was out of Kyiv and that he couldn't arrange for me to see the apartment that day!!! I told him I was leaving the next day, so it was today or never. He called back and told me that he had arranged for his "business partner," Tanya, to meet me in a retail store located on the ground floor of the apartment building (which is a great, huge, prewar building) at 5 o'clock. He described her as a black woman and so I wasn't worried about having any trouble spotting her! Not in Kyiv! Meanwhile Gilah called to tell me that I had to wear a skirt to the monasteries that they were visiting, so that put the kabash on that expedition for me - no way I could get back to the Senator Apartments, change, and get over to the gallery in time. Besides, I thought it would be a good idea to check out all the other hotels Jodi and I had talked about and also the neighborhoods of the apartments I had seen. The agent on Friday had also told me that there was a new sports center, called Planet Fitness, on the street of the furnished apartment that I really liked, and I wanted to see if they had pilates there.

I managed to stop back at the Senator at about 2 o'clock for a few minutes to see what was happening with the shower. The receptionist apologized for my difficulties and then said there was another room available - that they had checked the shower and that it definitely worked. She showed me the room (still in the basement), and it looked fine, and then she said that she thought she should mention that this particular room doesn't have air conditioning!! Forget it!!! She then showed me another room that she described as smaller yet, which it was, but this one didn't have a window!!! FORGET IT!!!! She then said that if I wanted to, I could use this windowless so-called room to shower in! Not a very good solution, in my view. Okay, she said, they would keep working on my shower! What's really amazing about all this is that there were plenty of vacant apartments (not in the basement), and I had told her when I checked in that we might be looking for a long-term rental(6 to 8 months) starting in September. Why she didn't just up grade me for the one night is really a mystery to me - what great PR, and at no cost to them. Not the Ukrainian way, I guess.

It's too long and boring to describe here, but suffice it to say that I literally walked from one corner of the city center to the other, up hills, down hills, through parks, around parks. I really think I walked about 15 miles. I didn't even stop for lunch - not even a morosivo!! I went down to Podil to check out a couple of hotels there and, after walking up and down Andrew's Descent twice, I decided to take the Funicular back to St Michael's, after checking out Hotel Impressa (I wasn't so impressed with the lobby and they are booked in September). And I did find a hotel that will take dogs, is charming, small, reasonable, in a good location, and has rooms available for September 7 to 12 - Gintama is the name, for all of you who need a reasonable, nice hotel in Kyiv! But most important, I got a much better feel for the city and the different districts.

I still had time before my appointment at Kreshchatik, so I went over to Planet Fitness and got the official tour. It has a swimming pool, a cardio gym, a training gym, a spinning gym, and PILATES!!! I have really missed Jennifer and my pilates - the question is, can I find an instructor as good as Jennifer, and who speaks English??? Unlikely, but at least there is some hope. Even if she doesn't speak English, I know enough that I might be able to understand the corrections without words. I got the prices ($20 an hour for private pilates classes, plus a $400 fee to join the club for 6 months). This is a big plus for the apartment on this street! I'm sure that in the dead of winter, when it doesn't get light until 10 a.m. and turns dark at 3:30 p.m., and it's below zero, I won't be too anxious to walk very far to do my pilates!

I walked over to the Kreshchatik apartment at 5 p.m. Tanya spotted me and came over to introduce herself. A good thing she did! Tanya is not a black woman - she was dressed in black and has black hair!!! I told her that Alexsander had said she was a black woman - and she pointed to her outfit and said "dah" - I explained that in America a black person means someone with dark skin - we both had a good laugh about that. The apartment is on the 8th floor with a small open balcony (with a railing around it of course) right on Kreshchatik. That would have worried me (traffic noise, etc. - this is a very big and busy street), but I was there in the middle of the day on the weekend when they close the street to cars but when people walk en masse on Kreshchatik (at that moment there was a Hari Krishna march going past), and with the windows closed I couldn't hear a thing (the kitchen window was open and I could hear it, so I think these double windows really work). It's a nice place - with all the necessities - high speed internet, 2 air conditioners, 2 satellite TVs, DVD, CD player, king size bed, pretty nice furnishings, but not fabulous, nice floors etc. It's a fantastic location, but it's too expensive, and the fittings don't compare to the first apartment I saw on the same street as Planet Fitness. I'll have to see what I can do about negotiating the price way down.

I decided to go back to Podil to walk around the neighborhood of the nice, but as yet unfurnished, apartment that I had seen there on Friday afternoon. As a result, I definitely ruled out Podil - as charming as it is, it is just too hard to get there and back on foot because of the very steep hill. Also there is massive construction and renovation going on throughout the neighborhood (because of the charm of the old city and the profits to be reaped in renovating it). So basically the streets are a mess, and the traffic jams on Friday were enough to put me off, even though I won't have a car. It's too bad - the as yet unfurnished apartment in Podil is really great. Well, maybe if they offer to furnish it with great stuff and reduce the rent I'll change my mind!

I was working my way back to the Senator Apartments - on the opposite side of town - from the apartment in Podil when I stopped to check my map before making yet another trek up a huge hill. There were three young guys standing there (I thought I had heard them speaking French to one another), and one asked, in English, if he could help me. I shoved the map at him and said "Where am I?" He and the other two guys showed me and I confirmed that the way up was on the street I was facing, and they said they were going that way and would go with me. Turns out that two of them are Italian, from Milan, and the third is from Kyiv. They were just great - we talked about Ed's project, about how much damage I think Bush has done, about the political situation in Ukraine (and Italy), apartments, the cost of living in Kyiv, and on and on and on. One of them had a digital cameras and kept stopping to take photos - some of them with me in them. He promised to email them to me, but I haven't heard from him, so maybe he's just forgotten to do it, or maybe he hasn't had time to do it yet, although he said he would send them right away. Oh well, maybe they were just having fun teasing an old grandmother, but I certainly enjoyed myself.

We parted ways at St Sophia's and I walked back to the Senator, stopping at Fontan, a nice outdoor cafe at the foot of Zoloti Verota (Golden Gate - a stone and wood structure that was part of the original fortification of the city), and had my standby blini with red caviar and a dark beer, before literally limping back to the Senator. The hills had really worked their magic on my right hip and knee, and I was just hoping I hadn't done any permanent damage.

I got back to my room at about 9 p.m., and am now convinced that miracles do happen - there was HOT WATER in my shower!! And, man, did I need it. I was sweaty and stinky and achy. The long hot shower was just the ticket - that and 1000 milligrams of naproxyn and a nexium, that is!

Another sort of sleepless night on Saturday (those pillows really were horrible!), and I took my time getting up and ready on Sunday. I packed, had my tea, watched BBC World News, and checked out at 11, leaving my bag at reception while I went to meet yet another agent to see three more apartments. My appointment was at 1 p.m., so I took a leisurely walk to the apartment's address (on the top of the hill, as is the Senator), and was just sitting down to order a coffee at a nearby cafe when my cell phone rang - big surprise - the real estate agent calling to say that there would be no showing of this apartment today - the owner couldn't do it - could we meet at the next apartment address on Pushkinskaya (in the opposite direction and very close to the Senator) at 1:30. Okay, I was getting used to this by now.

I walked over to the apartment and met Igor there (he was a few minutes late, so this time I did succeed in getting a coffee at a nearby cafe - thank god, there is always a nearby cafe!). The apartment is in a good location (on the same block as the Premier Palace Hotel (where the least expensive room is $450 a night!). It wasn't bad, had some real wood furniture - not my style - very old fashioned but, still, very high quality stuff. And it was big - two bedrooms, eat-in kitchen and good sized living room. There was no air conditioner because it's an old building and it stays pretty cool in summer and pretty warm in the winter, but the landlady would install one if I wanted it. The landlady was really nice - and she loved that I had a few Ukrainian words (as opposed to Russian). Her daughter lives in Tennessee, so she would want the rent paid in dollars, by wire transfer to her daughter's account there. This, believe it or not, would be the easiest and simplest arrangement for us, so that is a plus for this apartment.

We then walked (I should say ran - this guy really walks fast) to the next (and last) apartment. The is one is a fabulous location. It's right behind the center of Kreshchatik, on a small street called Olginstaya. It's really on a little square, with a pretty round garden in the center, with nice benches to sit on. On one side of the square are the back of the buildings on Kreshchatik, on the other side is a lovely pre-war building that houses the Ukrainian National Drama Theater. And then there is the apartment building on the third side. It's just lovely - and even the entrance has been renovated (marble and granite of course - but still, a big plus as I find these unrepaired entrances pretty depressing). The apartment has a lovely balcony on the square, has all the amenities I need (ac, high speed internet, satellite TV, etc.). The furniture is not great, but it's not the laminated fake wood stuff either. I would take it in two seconds - it's not even outrageously expensive - but the kitchen is awful - the same separate pieces that are pushed together with cracks in between each piece that we have in Kharkiv. If only the guy who redid the apartment next to Planet Fitness had redone this one!! Ohmygod, it would be a dream come true. But in any case, we have some real possibilities here - this sure ain't Kharkiv!!

I started to walk back toward the Senator, but I had a couple of hours before I had to pick up my suitcase and head for the train station, so I sat down on a bench in the Botannical Garden and called Ed, and then called Igor to see if I could get in to see that apartment with the beautiful location one more time before I left - he tried to arrange it, but the landlord couldn't make it. So instead I went to the lovely restaurant in the Botannical Garden where we had had dinner with the OSJI gang when we first arrived. This was my last hurrah, foodwise, before the long 6 hour train ride, so I ordered - you guessed it - blini with red caviar and iced tea.

I made it to the metro and the train station easily - with plenty of time to spare for a delicious morosivo (the soft Dairy Queen style) - vanilla dipped in chocolate! I was in 2nd class which, in my opinion, is better than first class - the seats are more comfortable, you are not sitting a claustrophobic compartment with 5 other people and a TV blaring - instead you have the whole car, with seats 2 and 2 (separated by an aisle) and one TV on either end. Somehow the TV is not as annoying as it is in first class. The ride was uneventful (especially since I had Ed's seat empty next to me) and I could work on the Blog until the battery on my laptop ran out.

There was one fascinating couple on the platform as I was waiting to get on the train - an American or Canadian man (with a wedding band on) who spoke very little Ukrainian or Russian, with a Ukrainian woman who spoke very little English. There were lots of kisses and "parashow, parashow" (or is it "harishow"???) or "okay, okay" coming from him, and I thought he was saying good bye after spending the weekend with her in Kyiv. But he got on the train with her and they sat across the aisle from me. I really wish that damn TV hadn't been on, because I would have loved to hear what they (mostly he) were saying. I got the impression that she wants to get married, or at least to emigrate, that he is balking, but still trying to keep her calm so that he can spend the rest of the time he expects to be here with her. Who knows? But I did think she started to weep at one point, and that he said he didn't want to talk any more and went to sleep while she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. It seemed pretty sad to me.

I called Ed at about 10:30 to make sure that he had not fallen asleep or that, if he had, he had time to wake up and meet me at the station, but there was no answer. I figured that he had either forgotten his phone when he and Belle left to pick me up (although it was pretty early to leave - the train didn't get in until 11:30 and our apartment is only about 15 minutes away by metro), or that he was in fact asleep and didn't even hear the phone. So I left a message and told him that if he wasn't there I would just take a cab and see him at home.

Well, he and Belle were there when I got off the train - Ed with lovely flowers in his hand and Belle squealing beautifully! We jammed ourselves onto the crowded subway and got home just after all the street lights switched off at midnight.