We took a flight with my friend to Kiev, rented a car and made a road tip from north to south Ukraine – Kiev, Chernobyl, Odessa, Zatoka, Shabo, The Black Sea.
Top 3 reasons to visit Ukraine:
1. Probably the most beautiful girls in the world.
2. Vereniky with cherries.
3. Architecture – some buildings are huge, some royal, some the “Soviet-Ludwig” style, some modern. It’s definitely interesting.
Before departure, we heard some strange things like: you two alone? You won’t make it, especially with a car. Roads are not good. Some say that Polish and Ukrainian do not like each other, and so on… Well, of course, we had some adventures, but in general all went smoothly, people we met on our way were nice, the food was tasty, the route we took was in good condition (except the part under construction). I think it’s time to say that our nations like each other 🙂 After all, it’s better to build long tables than tall walls.
Kiev is a big city with a long and very tough history. When I wrote “big” city I really meant it, it is literally and visually big. Some buildings are massive, spacious squares & parks, roads with many lanes, and golden cathedrals. There are also many great designer boutiques with unique, eclectic fashion.
Odessa is a charming city where you can feel the Anna Karenina vibe, in a positive and elegant sense 😉 The opera house and numerous cafes are great for this purpose. In summer it’s also good to take a walk to the beach (e.g. Langeron) and jump into the Black Sea. Odessa reminds me a bit of Sopot (North Poland).
Further along the Black Sea coast you can get to Zatoka, the capital of sunbathing. For some it is a great vacation place, for others (like me) a nightmare 😉 The reason is: too many people, tourist attractions, noise, chaos, fast foods and very little vegetarian or vegan food, and you know how some people behave when hungry 😉
Hearing a lot about the hospitality of neighbouring Moldova and seeing charming, traditional vineyards and new hotels in the middle of them, I really wanted to go there. I did the research, I learned that there is also a country that does not exist! It is called Transynistra, where the time has frozen in the Soviet era. Unfortunately, you can’t get there by car rented in Ukraine, so instead we went to Shabo vineyard, but it’s not the best idea if you don’t speak Ukrainian or Russian. I also had this idea of idyllic vineyard, wine tasting (I don’t know much about wines and wanted to learn something) in the middle of nature, wearing a hat and dress like “the real housewives…”, however it turned out to be an industry and I didn’t see anything charming 😉 We broke into the vine field though.
As I mentioned earlier, we were also in Chernobyl – a place of nuclear disaster. This is not a place for sensitive people, yet I am like that, so it was a strong experience. Entering the radioactive area requires a special permit and long clothes, but this is a topic for a separate post. I have traveled all over the world, but when my mother found out from Instagram where I was, she called to inform me that she doesn’t talk to me 😅 because she is so angry. I do not recommend anyone to go there, but I recommend taking care of our Earth that went through a lot after the catastrophe and is contaminated for the next thousands of years.
Malvina Dunder 
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