Weekend in Kharkov

I went to Kharkov (pronounced 'Harcove') with a few friends last Saturday and Sunday...just in time for the end of all the crazy festivities of Euro 2012. I have to say we were all blown away by the city. It was quite laid back, without the usual hustle and bustle you ordinarily feel when visiting a good-sized city (2nd largest city here). It was calm, extremely clean (for all the tourists visiting for Eurocup, we were told by a long-time resident) and a city I would not hesitate to return to. I was told Kharkov was once the capital of Ukraine, so I did a little bit of research and found it to be true. In 1917 the city was the first in Ukraine to acknowledge soviet power and therefore was proclaimed the capital of the USSR (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) until 1934 when the capital was moved to Kiev. It was a 5 hour train ride and we arrived in mid-afternoon. We spent the night in a nice hostel, which was actually a converted apartment in a high rise on the outskirts of the city. It was clean and quiet but a bit far from the center and I quickly found myself exhausted and hot after the long walk to the city center. I think I need to acknowledge my age in these instances because I was with a group of people all under 40 who seem to have no problem negotiating the long trek and the sloping hills within the city. I never felt 53 until last weekend...and it hurts like hell to admit I felt every single year. Never-the-less it was a nice weekend and my companions were just great to travel with. They are members of my English club (some have become good friends) and I always enjoy their company no matter what we are doing. One of the girls went to university in the city and knew her way around and that was certainly a bonus too.

City Center

Cathedral in the Center

Julia and Me

Do I look like a tourist or what?

On the Train

Irena and Veronica

Irena's husband Vlad