Sunday, 23 February 2014

History and Religion

The churches and cathedrals in Ukraine are some of the oldest in Europe.
Some have original painted walls dating back hundreds of centuries.
Some even have church bells that date back as far as the 14th century.







Religion is such an integral part of Ukrainian culture and history.
It's beautiful, really.
The customs, traditions, colors, holidays...
Most have some traces stemming from within religion.

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Opera Theater

The Opera Theater is one of my favorite places in all of L'viv.


The architecture of this building is incredible.
Everyone who has seen an opera or ballet here says it's incredible.
It's one of the best places to people watch from.
And there's a fantastic bazaar just around the corner.


But the people watching... that's the thing I love best about this place.

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

L'viv Coffee House

Cafes have popped up all over the place in L'viv.
This one, as much as I think it is touristy, is actually quite good.


It's pretty big.
Great coffee menu.
Has a souvenir shop.
An underground museum-like dungeon.
Creative outdoor/indoor/underground seating areas.
And not too busy either!





You walk in and first thing you see is coffee beans roasting right in front of you.
There are bags of coffee beans from all over the world piled high everywhere.
And you can buy little paper bags of freshly roasted coffee beans right over the counter.





The menu is extensive.
Everything from black to alcoholic coffees, hot chocolates and teas, cakes and deserts...
This place is pricey by Ukrainian standards, but it's also one of the most upper scale coffee shops.


There are three seating areas available.
One is upstairs (where we sat) and has a coffee/book shop feel.
The other is the picture above, in what I believe is an old train station.
And the third is underground in the coffee "mines"



Plenty of hidden tables, nooks and crannies to sit down here.
You can take a walk through even if you decide not to sit here.
Highly recommended.
You get an old school, Soviet style, battery powered lit up hard hat.
It's probably the only light you'll have.



There's an extensive gift shop here too.
Good if you're a coffee fanatic.
"L'viv" souvenirs though are more expensive than other places in the city.


Tip: It's near City Hall. If you see City Hall, you'll see this place. Tours offer to take you here. But really, why would you pay someone to take you 10 feet up the road?

Coffee Manufacture     |     Address: Rynok Square, 10, Lviv     |     Phone: 067 670 61 06

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Maidan in L'viv

In my last post I said that the protests were peaceful.
They were uniting and fun too!
People gathering over cups of tea about being proud to be Ukrainian.
Concerts. Chanting.
Good old fashion bonding in the streets.









I'll post some fun recommendations of things to do in L'viv tomorrow!

Thursday, 13 February 2014

I Am a Ukrainian



The situation in Ukraine is heartbreaking.
Thousands of people in the streets, in suz-zero temperatures, protesting for freedom from dictatorship and political blackmail.

Every news outlet will spin this differently.
But the truth will come out.

Peaceful protests in the streets for over 2 months when the President decided to back out of a EU deal day of.

Then President Yanukovych passed a bill making anti-government protests illegal and commanded the police to beat anyone and everyone in the street.

Since then the people have been fighting back, fighting for their lives and their freedom.
For a better future, if not for them then for their children.

Pass this message along.
Contact your representative.
And tell them you want to show your support for a free Ukraine.

Don't think someone else will do it.
Be that person to make a difference.

Exploring L'viv

I cannot believe I haven't done any posts on Ukraine yet.
And I cannot believe nobody has mentioned it to me yet!

Good thing I realized, hey?

L'viv.
I love this city.
I love the cobblestone streets.
I love the cafes.
I love the fashion.
I love the food.
I love the weather.
I love the feelings it evokes.
I love the people.
I love the transport.
I love the squirrels.
I love every. single. thing. about L'viv.


















It's a perfect city. 
A city I call my home.

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Disorganization and Moving House

I can't find my camera cable which is why there have been no posts lately.
I'm so disappointed!
I've searched near and far, and I have no idea where it can be.

I can't remember ever moving so many times within such a short period of time.
I've probably moved around to at least 13 different places in the last 9 months within Singapore.
Everything from hotels, to Couchsurfing, to friends, to apartments.
And I realized I really, really dislike having such transient "homes".


Real estate here differs quite a bit from the other places I've lived in.
The cost per square foot ratio is massively disproportionate.

For example, how much you pay to rent a full 3 bedroom house in Pennsylvania (say $1,500), you pay that much for 1 room in an apartment that you share with 3-10 other people.

Granted land here is scarce and potential for a great job is high.
Which makes the above equation completely logical.
However, I just can't get my head around those numbers emotionally...

And in the midst of all the moving and packing and repacking, I can't find my cable and a few other items.

I'll scour my computer for photos from adventures I may have not written about yet.
And now that I have just moved into yet another place I will unpack everything and see if my missing items show up.

If not, I promise to get myself a new cable by the weekend so you can see what Chinese New Year was like!