It pains me to admit that almost three months have gone by since our Black Sea adventure came to an end.
Being a few days behind on my blog did not seem too much of an issue as we landed back at home but, before we knew it, life had taken us for a wild ride and as the days, and then weeks went by without an opportunity to finish this tale, I began to feel bad for abandoning not just this blog but those of you who had followed it and given me an opportunity to share the wonderful places and people we had seen and met during this wonderful trip.
So here I am again, enjoying a few days off during the Christmas holidays, and for the first time since our return with the time and energy to complete the story.
Odessa
This was our last port before ending the cruise in Istanbul. As an overnight stay, it was a welcome opportunity to enjoy all this city has to offer. Our plans for the day were simple. An early morning run on the Promenade Deck, a late risers breakfast and a shuttle ride to the city centre for a self-guided tour.
I honestly didn't know what to expect of this city. If pressed, I would have said that Odessa brought to mind images of cold-war spy movies and of a grey industrialized city. Nothing could have been further from it. Odessa exudes old-world charm and culture, its wide tree-lined streets offer a mix of magnificent structures in varying degrees of restoration and a multitude of restaurants and cafes.
That first day we got off the shuttle bus in across the street from Transfiguration Church. We walked into this grand church, all white and gold. Understated and beautiful, peaceful and bright. We spent some time walking around admiring its simplicity and marveling at this sea of white marble and restraint.
Leaving the church we tried to make sense of the street map we'd been given. The map looked great, showing a familiar grid-like format with clear landmarks. The problem was that the names of the streets on the map did not match the names on the street signs! The anglized names on the map looked very different in cyrillic. After a while we gave up trying to figure out exactly where we were and just let our feet take us back across town in the general direction of the port. We took our time, meandering the streets and looking up to admire the beautiful architectural detail that abounds.
We bought some hand-made chocolates at a "Chocolate Cafe" and sat on a park bench in the City Garden admiring the grace surrounding us and marveling at the number of wedding parties that seemed to be everywhere. We walked and walked managing to find most places of interest without ever being exactly sure of where we were or where we were going. Finally we recognized the statue of Catherine the Great and knew we were close to Primorsky Boulevard and the Potemkin steps. Catherine stands tall in the middle of a round-about, presiding regally over her beautiful city. At the end of one of short streets leading off the round-about we reached Primorsky Boulevard and walked along under the canopy of locust trees. The City Hall, the Opera House and the Archeological Museum flank one end of the boulevard, Voronstov Palace flanks the other side.
Eventually we made our way down the Potemkin Steps and back to our ship. The prospect of having another day in Odessa made it easier to enjoy a leisurely afternoon on board. It's been so long that the details are a blur. Our evenings on board followed a similar pattern of a drink or two at the Avenue Saloon listening to Marci at the piano followed by an always outstanding dinner with friends, followed by a show, followed by dancing in the Palm Court. Most nights we were the only ones there but that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun on the dance floor, the Crystal sextet receiving us with big smiles and our favourite songs.
Odessa, ruled by the Ottoman Turks for over two centuries and finally lost to the Russians in the late 1700's, prospered with the Russians in power and eventually became the leading city and capital of what was called New Russia. In the early 1800's the Duc de Richelieu, who had escaped the French revolution, took up residence and was appointed Mayor of Odessa. He set about to create commerce and industry, but also culture and comforts for the community. In time the city grew to be the second biggest port in Russia.
After years of Marxism during which widespread unemployment and years of poor harvest took their toll on the city, the workers of Odessa rose up to join the budding revolution. Harsh, extreme reprisals and prosecutions resulted in almost fifteen percent of the population leaving in a terrible exodus from what was then the centre of Ukrainian and Jewish culture. During the civil war the city was occupied by a series of armies including the French, the Bolsheviks, the Germans and Austrians, the Ukrainian nationalists and the allied forces. The city finally fell to the Red Army in 1920. Years of misery and famine followed and then a brief period of resurgence until WWII broke out. The city was mercilessly attacked by the Germans, over a quarter of a million people, mostly Jews, were massacred or deported. Today Odessa is a major seaport and naval base with strong, massive industries which include shipbuilding and oil refining. It is also a very popular tourist destination.
Our second day in Odessa revealed the answer to a mystery, the mystery of what seemed like dozens of bridal parties. We learned that the official wedding registrations must all take place in City Hall; the problem is that apparently City Hall is only open for wedding registrations on Friday and Saturday. We saw scores of brides negotiating the cobblestone streets on impossibly high stiletto shoes in bright colours, grooms being tossed up in the air, elaborate bridal photo shoots. I have never seen so many weddings in such a short time.
On this day we felt more assured in our expanded exploration of the city, relying less on maps and more on instinct. We discovered many treasures and made a few purchases, mostly brightly coloured souvenirs to take back home. Odessa is not for everyone. It is charming in its decaying splendor, the language is a daunting barrier even tough English is widely spoken in stores and restaurants, and the locals are friendly but reserved. We loved it.
