Toward the end of summer, we posted an article about heading to Paris and keeping expectations high. It’s an interesting notion, because most of us would never dream of being disappointed by such a city. But that’s just the point. There’s a sort of phenomenon among travellers whereby people can occasionally feel let down if ...read more »
Sri Lanka is becoming increasingly popular as a travel destination, attracting more and more visitors every year. And that’s for a good reason! The thing is, this small island country has plenty to offer to everyone – from the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Sites (all eight of them!) to mesmerizing places of natural beauty, from ...read more »
I haven’t been fortunate to visit Paris yet, but the City of Light has always been on my bucket list. And no, I’m not romanticizing the capital of France, but I do keep my expectations high. There is no way a city with rich historic and literary heritage could be disappointing, and I can hardly ...read more »
Almost every nation has a revolutionary poet who belonged to the poorest section of society and whose passionate poetry sounded like a voice of the whole nation. Ukraine is no exception. Every Ukrainian is familiar with Taras Shevchenko‘s ‘Testament': When I am dead, bury me In my beloved Ukraine, My tomb upon a grave mound high Amid the spreading ...read more »
Easter is coming, so I thought it would be apt to tell you a bit of Ukrainian traditions. Like most religious holidays, Easter in Eastern Europe is a mix of Christian and pagan elements. It’s celebrated after vernal equinox, when the day finally becomes as long as the night, and the consequent days keep getting ...read more »
My family back in Ukraine is celebrating Maslenitsa at the moment – it’s a week-long festival celebrating the arrival of spring. Maslenitsa is celebrated not only in Ukraine, but in all eastern Slavic countries. Most of our festivals represent intertwined Christian and Pagan traditions, and this one is no exception. In Christian Orthodox tradition, it’s the ...read more »
So it's St. Valentine's Day once again - a day when we're officially encouraged to show some love. I don't know whether it's a coincidence, but today I feel like posting this collection of photos. The idea behind the images is to show you the beauty of Ukraine, and perhaps they'd light a flame of ...read more »
To explore Ukraine of the 18th century, there is no need for a time machine to be invented – only a half an hour away from Kiev there is a huge territory of Pirogovo open-air museum. If you want to see how my compatriots lived a couple of centuries back – this is the place. ...read more »
I had a very brief acquaintance with Odessa – it was a one day visit, but it created a long lasting effect, and years later I still go back to this city in my thoughts. The city was sunny, hospitable and very European in the best sense of this word. And very beautiful – it’s ...read more »
I wouldn't say Mimosa salad is a traditional dish of the Ukrainian cuisine, but it's become extremely popular in the post soviet time as one of the alternatives to an overused Russian salad (or, as we call it, Olivier 🙂 ) Mimosa is tender and delicious, but if you're trying to lose weight, perhaps it's ...read more »