Chernivtsi hospitality

Saturday 5th November
Now in Chernivtsi after a few days riding from the river Dneister.

A wet morning

Is my eyesight getting even wonkier or it this a pedestrian crossing for those 'who have partaken of more liquid fuel than is necessary for their accurate propulsion' as I saw being the worse for drink described in an old motor manual.
A clean stream at last! And Bolashak can't wait to get in there.

I now see the occasional pair of horses put to a cart, always hitched like this to either side of a central pole and wearing breastplates rather than collars.

Another relatively common sight throughout Ukraine are these funny little lawnmower tractors chugging along.

This apple-cheeked fruit seller presented me with a delicious apple and pear from her stall.

We initially stayed near Chernivtsi at a very grand leisure complex in the process of construction - as well as a hotel, restaurant, extensive sports facilities, a tiny zoo with lion, and chalets in woodland set around a small lake, it had stables to house the horses used to pull various carriages to transport visitors. So we all had accomodation for the night....

The photo above shows the restaurant with sign post - you may just be able to see the distance 1137kms to Donetsk - though this will be as the crow flies, and we have travelled a much longer route.

We were taken for a superb Ukrainian evening meal with Crimean wine at the restaurant by Georgi, the President of Chernivtsi Rotary Club, a contact via the wonderful Natalia Radonov in Kiev who in turn I was introduced to by Mary Warnicki from Wales.

Left to right. Georgi, the delightful Natasha who manages the equestrian centre where the horses are now,  Rotarian George Zvirid, and Hua who appears to have sequestered my jacket.

We are now staying at the very grand equestrian centre mentioned above, which is on the other side of town. My fame is travelling before me, as in fact it turned out to be the same one Victor from Zaporrizhia had lined up for us, so when the Rotarians informed the stable manager, they were a little surprised to be told ' Oh yes, we are expecting them'.

Natasha organised a press conference for today which was attended by 2 TV cameras (one for national news) and about 15 journalists. I had to load Bolashak onto the lorry and ride him around a bit for the cameras but he behaved like a Hollywood film star.