Swan Lake

After writing and publishing this post, the terrible news about a Boeing 777 being shot down in eastern Ukraine broke.  Get BBC live updates on the situation here.


Sorry Mom and Dad, but this post is not about a ballet :p

For a place that looked like this two years ago...

the change is amazing-

Every time I see Gorky Park, there's something new. Last month it was the sparkle of the newest cable cars.

the way it was vs. the way it is

This month I wanted to track down the swan lake, a place that friends have been mentioning for months. It was easy to find; just listen for all the loud oohing and ahhhing over the lake's two proud parents and their pair of cygnets.

After taking our share of pictures, we nabbed a people-watching spot on one of the benches circling the lake. For all the chaos and confusion swirling around in Ukraine these days, this at least is one spot where people come to escape. I didn't hear a single conversation about anything heavier than the diet of swans and weekend plans.

The bow of a flowery ship pointed past us, back towards the water. Who could have guessed that there was an entire ship lurking in this park??

The sky, which threatened rain all day yesterday, looked very dramatic in person (but unfortunately didn't agree much with the dinky camera on my phone... really, really going to get something better one of these days, promise).

Even the "established" part of the park boasted several changes like a miniscule Chinese garden, an Auto School for the young 'uns, and look!-

"A bird's eye view of Kharkov. Binoculars rental- 15 uah. Check out your city, take some binocs with you."

Lena and I didn't rent any binoculars for the Ferris wheel but we still spent our 16 minutes admiring the city skyline and the almost unbelievably green landscaping.

almost at the top!

After landing back on Earth we took a spin on the Roman Coliseum and then a grand finale on the Rockin' Tug ride which, yes, is generally marketed toward people of a slightly smaller stature-

All the fun, none of the sheer terror.

Meanwhile, the construction still continues in this park... a skating / skateboarding rink, an indoor labyrinth, lots of mysterious dirt piles and wooden frames in the distance. I'd love to come back in a year and see what's new and how much the baby swans have grown! 

Metalist pride flower garden.

"The House of Horror, blood-chilling adventures."

It's not summer without one of these : )