Our morning started at the top of the Potemkin Steps that lead down to the sea where our ship is docked. In 1905 the 192 steps were the scene of a brutal massacre that further fueled the Russian Revolution.  The crew of the ship, Potemkin, mutinied and killed their Russian officers.  As the ship sailed into Odessa, citizens gathered on these steps to cheer home the sailors.  Russian army men stood at the top and shot down on the people, killing many men, women, and children. 

      The steps are also of architectural importance.  From the bottom one looks up and sees only the steps.  From the top, one sees only the landings.  Since the bottom is twice as wide as the top, it looks like the sides are perfectly parallel when viewed from the top.

Potemkin Steps

Potemkin Steps

        Next stop on our city tour of Odessa was at the Opera House to which everyone on the ship can go this evening for an exclusive ballet performance.  At that time we will see the inside.  The Opera House and Ballet Theater was built in 1887 and has some of the best acoustics in the world – their opinion.

Opera House and Ballet Theater

Street scene

       We walked across the street to the Archeological Museum.  Our visit to this museum needed commentary although some signs were in English.  The museum was built in 1825 but recently the first floor displaying 5th and 6th c. Greek artifacts was refurbished with money from the Leventis Foundation of Cyprus that aims to preserve ancient Greek culture.  The exhibits were collected from all around the Mediterranean and the Middle East and much of the collection belonged to one man (Anastasios George Leventis).  The items are in wonderful condition and included gorgeous Greek black and red urns and bowls with mythological scenes and many beautiful small figurines.  

       Downstairs were relics from ancient Slavs, Scythian (from ancient Iran) nomads (7 to 6 BCE), Egyptian cultures, and a Golden Room of ancient jewelry and coins.  We even found another set of ankle bones used in the game we learned to play when we were in Mongolia!  All of the pieces were in extraordinarily good condition and make us glad that all of the Egyptian or Greek artifacts are not all in their original countries.  As Egypt continues to exist in a state of political unrest and tourism is nearly suspended, we can still see and learn about these ancient wonders in safe, well preserved sites.  This was a magnificent small museum.

Archeological Museum

Archeological Museum (Ukrainian alphabet)

More ankle bones

Gold jewelry

Archeological Museum

Archeological Museum

       We walked to the City Hall Building that was originally a stock exchange.  In the city hall square is a statue of Pushkin, giving him curly hair because one of his grandparents was African.  We walked along the historic Primorsky (or Maritime) Boulevard lined with horse chestnut trees and aristocratic palaces of the 1900’s.
       Next we visited the Transfiguration Cathedral.  The building was completely destroyed by the communists and was rebuilt in two years in 2000.  The interior is still being decorated with more frescoes but is impressive in its clean design. 
       We had 20 minutes free time, which we spent at a bank/money exchange across the street.  The teller took a photostat of my passport, printed out seven forms from her computer, wrote everything in duplicate using carbon paper!, and had me sign four pieces of paper to exchange $15 US into local Ukrainian Hryvna!!!

Alexander Pushkin

Musician playing the Bandura, a Ukrainian plucked folk music instrument, on Primorsky (Maritime) Boulevard

Transfiguration Cathedral

Transfiguration Cathedral

          We walked through the very elaborate Passage Department Store built in one year in 1899.  There are shops on the first floor and a hotel on the second and third floors.  Out on Deribasovskaya Street we walked through the Odessa City Garden and looked at the "humor chair” and fountains, flowers, and an iron band shell.
          We ate lunch at the 5-star Londonskaya Hotel in a beautiful large room.  We had traditional Ukrainian sweet rolls, borscht soup, chicken Kiev (of course!) and cherry blintzes (or crepes).  It was very good.

Inside the Passage Department Store

“Humor chair” in the Odessa City Garden

Playing Backgammon

Manhole cover

Londonskaya Hotel (lunch)

Busy shipyard

Tues., 9/10/13 – Odessa and at Sea
       We did not take this morning’s optional tour to the Odessa Catacombs. Instead we wandered into the city on our own.  We walked up the Potemkin Steps and around some of the city blocks.  We visited a food store and bought some delicious Roshen Brut fine chocolate (78% dark).  We will have to look for this brand at the World Market in Ft. Collins.  We strolled and enjoyed the buildings and trees and people and then walked down the Potemkin Steps and back to the ship for lunch.  We set sail for Bulgaria at 1 PM.

Statue of Catherine the Great

Old car with a problem

Statue at the dock

Street cleaning

OSHA would not approve!

Market

Market

Interesting restaurant sign

Interesting restaurant sign

Wonder what this all means?

Flag of Bulgaria

Nessebar - Harbor and entry to town

St. John Aliturghetos Church

Typical house overhanging the street

Very rough cobblestone streets

St. Stephen Church

Interesting stonework

Interesting stonework

Christ Pantocrator Church

Interesting stonework

            I think we have absorbed all of the ruins and archeological museums we can handle and we were glad to get outside again.  We walked the causeway to look at the windmills, which milled corn or flour and an interesting statue of Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen.  We walked back to the ship through the small old town, which lost all of its appeal because of the steady line of souvenir shops all selling the same things.  It is time to head home!

Windmill

Statue of St. Peter

Nessebar shoreline