Arrival in Kyiv

Dobroho ranku /Доброго ранку! Good morning from lovely Kyiv.  We're here at last! Just a short note before we head out for our first full day in Ukraine.

It was cloudy right up until we started descending to the outskirts of Kyiv

The travel to Kyiv, via Munich, had it challenges, as every international trip does these days. Seats made for midgits (at 5'2", even I found the leg room wanting), crying babies and antsy kids in the row behind us, an hour delay in the rain on the runway getting out of Toronto, etc. You get the picture. But we're here, the sun is shining, and we all getting back into traveling mode. 

The new airport terminal

We arrived at the new very modern terminal at Borispil Airport, which was built for the 2012 EuroCup Soccer tournament. 


Lev and I have our first introduction to Ukrainian signs everywhere; happily Lev can read the language and I have learned the alphabet so I can at least transliterate.

Flight arrivals - all in Ukrainian

We were thrilled to be picked up at the airport by our long-time friend Myron Spolsky (and his driver  in a separate vehicle for all our luggage ... too much, as always) who drove us though extraordinarily heavy traffic to our hotel. The hour long trip was spent with an invigorating discussion of the history of  Kyiv and Ukraine, its architecture, and recent local and national politics.

The aforementioned traffic jam, the local Metro stop, and an impromptu market!

It was a great introduction to the city, the country, and our travels ahead.

To be continued