Delightful and Charming Lviv

Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014--Lviv

I had read that Lviv is a wonderful city--probably the most charming in Ukraine.  Well, I imagine that is true after a day of sightseeing here.  It's not a city that is almost completely restored like the others I have visited on this trip.  In fact, many of the elaborate buildings in the city are NOT restored.  But they aren't crumbling masses either.  They have a patina of faded, intact elegance.

I spent about 6 hours today just wandering throughout the center of the city and some of the areas just beyond it.  My apartment is only about 3 blocks from the edge of Old Town.  I started photographing there--at the long park that was the location of the city walls at one time.  I houses the Monument to Taras Shevchenko and the Ivano-Franco Opera and Ballet Theater.

From there, I just started wandering up and down streets.  The center of town has only narrow streets with lots of atmosphere no matter where you go.  I visited at least 8 churches, all masterpieces in great condition--Transfiguration Church, Armenian Cathedral, S.S. Peter and Paul Church, St. Andrew Church, Assumption Church, St. Michael's Church, etc.  I saw sections of the ancient walls around the city which still have the wooden catwalks on the side and above them.  I saw wonderful shop signs indicating the products being sold--one especially cute one of a sofa shop.  I wandered the main square of old town where every building is listed as a World Heritage Site and buildings were allowed to be only 3 windows wide unless an exception was obtained (by persons with connections).  I wandered by the Ivan Franco Lviv National University and through Ivano Franco Park which brought me back to my apartment one block away.  In all these areas of town were magnificent buildings to be seen.

There are certain observations I made as I wandered also.  There is no concentrated shopping district in the center of town.  Stores are scattered here, there, and everywhere.  I found only one fast-food franchise--a too small McDonald's having trouble handing the crowds.  Supermarkets are not a part of normal life here; people shop in small stores that still have the wares behind the counter and at street markets.  (I did find one supermarket, small and rather expensive, after asking at the tourist office.  Since I did not know how to communicate via language, it would have been difficult to have tried to shop in one of the small stores where you name what you want and the owner retrieves it from the shelves.)  Lovers go to the parks to be together; almost every bench is occupied by a man and a woman being quite intimate considering the circumstances.

Another observation was the patriotism being shown apparently due to the war with Russia on the southeastern border of Ukraine.  Flower arrangements in the blue and yellow colors of the flag were everywhere.  Flags were flying from windows, balconies, cars (like the Spurs banners in San Antonio during the playoffs).  I saw a great t-shirt for sale:  "Hasta la Vista, Separatistas!"  (I forgot to mention yesterday that there was a troup train in the station on the adjacent platform when I arrived, and there was another station we passed where tanks were lined up apparently to be shipped to the border area with Russia.)

Brides and their grooms were also everywhere I went today.  They were being married in churches as I peeked inside.  They were being photographed at different locations throughout the city.  What was most interesting was seeing the different forms of dress for the supporting cast--the groomsmen and the bride's maids.  I think my favorite was the couple who had their ensemble dressed in traditional Ukrainian costumes--the men in white shirts with colorful embroidery, and the women in bright blouses and skirts with embroidery.

The day was sunny and warm, so it was a perfect time to be out and about.  Unfortunately, it is now the weekend.  I find it frustrating to be in a nice city on a Saturday afternoon and Sunday, since everything closes and the city becomes quiet.  Still, tomorrow I will get out and do more in this interesting and beautiful city.

My other big accomplishments of the day related to travel planning.  I got approval to stay in my apartment rough Monday evening.  I bought my train ticket to go to my next destination, Ivano-Frankovsk, on Tuesday.  I reserved a hotel room there in I-F.  I reserved an apartment in Odesa where I will go after that.  And I reserved an apartment in Kiev, my last stop in Ukraine.  That means that everything related to housing is arranged to get me all the way to Armenia now.  Whew!