I am travelling to Odessa, a heaven real close distance, I swear it is a paradise!
The morning of December 8th, my close friend Gülfem from Barbaros Village, Izmir and his boy friend Asaf came to pick me up. We are heading to the airport.
We were such a good travel companion to one another in Izmir and Sarajevo that we decided to travel together to Odessa.
Our flight with Ukraine International Airlines is a business class and to fly business with Ukraine International Airlines is much more economical than all other airlines and go figure how cheaper is economy class! One may easily prefer Ukraine International Airlines for that reason.
Ukraine International Airlines started to spoil us already at the airport.
We ate, we drank and we had all the comfort possible
then we headed to our flight...
Our seats are right at the first row, I seat by the window and Gülfem is a corridor fan.
Beautiful Ukrainian stewardesses are welcoming the passengers politely.
So comfy at the front row...
As soon as we take off, the service starts.
We both adore white wine...
The stewardess keep asking whether if we would like to have coffee or tea and we keep on rejecting soft drinks and asking for more wine instead and voila as we are nearing landing time that's the way we look...
Hello Odessa... Just a bit more than an hour flight, finally we are getting ready for landing.
Remember I flew in October 2015 with Ukraine International Airlines to Kiev with Haluk and Pınar. We were about to give a kiss to our pilot for the soft landing and imagine this time our pilot was more talented than the Kiev pilot for smooth landing. Gülfem had a surprised look in her eyes, I winked at her, I was already used to this landing style. What can I say! Congratulations.
After having travelled comfortably on wonderful wide seats, received amazing service, landed softly we were welcomed by gentle sunset lights of Odessa. We have such a pleasure.
Whenever things are so pristine one always gets some kind of trouble maker joy ruiner and this time was a taxi pirate called Khaled from Egypt who was trying to rip us off us for 7,6 km distance an astronomical amount of 800 Grivna which is equivalent of 30 Usd, almost 100 Turkish Lira... So if you ever take a cap from the airport be alert!
Gulfem bargained for 15 Usd which I strongly objected. Than Turkish passengers in the same flight offered us a ride to our hotel which we took gladly, so we are riding for free! Truck loads of thanks to brother Ümit!
This is Lotos Apartments located in Primorsky.
It has got two bedrooms costing 400 Turkish Lira/137 Usd for 4 nights.
We even got washing machine in our bathroom and I ve got a mini kitchenette with basic utensils. All is mor comfy that way.
I unloaded all the fruit and sandwiches I took with from the airport lounge.
We run out to the street in the search of a supermarket for food and drink shopping and look! It looks like it's written su-per-mar-ket right?
But! Not at all, apparently this is a goldsmith center and we have a great issue dealing with the local alphabet!
Lotos lift is old and works noisily, for a clostrophobic girl like me this alphabet is maddening enough so I crawl the stairs of 7 floor during 4 days of our stay. Well that's life.
There are message boards on the streets of Odessa for rentals, jobs, sales. Everybody does their personal businesses via these boards.
We hang around in the city a little and we food shopped for basics.
We completed the long day with a peaceful quite dinner.
The dinner was peaceful but who the hell did finish up this big bottle of vodka?
I made use of kitsch dekor objects in the room to decorate my tipsy head and Gülfem is not the type not to join in!
New days starts with little kids. There is a saying Ukraine girls are the most beautiful but you better forget about it... Indeed this should be said for the little kids, click on and magnetize the picture, check out their cuteness and beauty for God sake...
In Odessa there are big public parks. Let me correct. Odessa is located in green public parks.
Our first goal is Pryvoz Market. As far as I could observe from the map it is an enormous big market place.
We walk in, we are amazed to see first catch the Black Sea fish sorts.
Frozen vegetables are eye-catcher with colorful display, the prize them accordingly. 100 Grivna=4,16 Usd...
The butcher hall is troubling, I mean troubling to me, it would feel great for a meat lover.
Usually women work there. They smash, break and hack the bones.
The vendors tables are meticulously organised.
The cheese are delish! You may lose your mind, so watch out! Fill up your luggages with it, if ever they make a problem on your return trip be nice and smiling the'll let you pass.
There are open parts and indoor parts of the market, we checked it all around.
All of the lady vendors wear this aprons. I regret infinitely it did cost a simple 5 Usd only, if ever anybody goes there please get me one.
Check out the cigarettes prices. The most expensive is 50 Grivna, meaning 2 Usd. Local vodkas litter costs 2 to 3 Usd. Your liver can rot in this gorgeous country.
The freak next to me asks for a "Odessa Memory Picture..." So how can I reject!
We finalize our breakfast out on the street from this market bakery.
There are authentic enamel dishes. My mind is stuck with them.
An auntie did set up her mini sex shop. We start to dig in her variety and discuss the use of certain ones
Gülfem exaggerates and takes in hand one of the mini package, this move enrages the auntie, she pulls the package back to the tray, the picture clearly shows Antie's finger. Hey Gülfem! I am telling you, these purple "things" are not what you've said they were. You are just making it up.
The back end of the market is packed with second hand or new hardware stores, god only knows why we went there so enthusiastically. Check out the video:
Once we were done with hardware section of the market we went back to food section.
The market vendors are adorable, smile on the face and looking happy.
If you would see a beautiful auntie in your local market, wouldn't you buy from her these pumpkins,
wouldn't you gulp down these eggs from this egg vendor?
The far right she is Natasha from Turkmenistan, so we could communicate little in Turkish. We purchased pickels and cheese from these beautiful ladies.
We've got back home to discharge our food shopping. This is the amazing view from our window .
We rushed back to the streets. This is famous Deribasovskaya Street and is only open to pedestrians.
Then we move to Opera House and to Odessa Theater building.
We intended to watch a performance but our only possible day was whited out. Did someone got ill from artists?
Then we headed to Potemkin Stairs, this is the gate of the city. The harbour behind us is the main harbour. The original name is Odessa Stairs, one can watch the "Bronyenosyets Potyomkin" to remember the story of these stairs. The most touching part of the movie was the ongoing massacre on this location.
Once looking from up, it looks like there are no stairs, this might be an architectural success, or else can all these stairs looks like this, anyone among you who is an architect must come forward and explain!
We came down these stairs like a bird.
Gülfem appears great here.
Once we were done climbing the last 192th stair, Gülfem realized her mistakenly hightemperature washed wool sweater, turned to a hand sewn wool hat had fallen to the ground while I was taking her picture.
Once she fetched the hat and came back up again she nearly passed out.
Above the stairs there is a beautiful park.
We are guessing about the style of the buildings, some are from Soviet era, few are from Tsar era. It is wonderful that Tsar era buildings are all well kept during the Soviet era and afterwards.
This marvelous artdeco building on Deribasovskaya Street will get all your attention.
The view of the same building that I shared on Instagram...
These gorgeous metal telecom or swage closings are everywhere. The relief of anchor is a sign of loyalty to the sea.
I loved the most Deribasovskaya Street and this park is located there.
Watch out for this stylish Barber Shop for man, on the left a bar can be seen clearly.
These fabulous traditional embroidered shirts are everywhere and their prices around 8-25 usd.
This is a shopping mall... The architectural ornaments are amazingly detailed, who could have done such work?
Gülfem freaks once she sees the Russian printed wool shawls. She buys some for herself and wants to buy even more so she can sell in the Alaçatı new years kermes...
I have an old friend called Zafer... He also planned to come and join us during this trip but he had last moments engagement. He rented a boot in a mall and he plans to expand his business in Odessa but the invasion of Russia did cause an economical depression for the time being, foreign currency overpowered the local currency.
In our second night in Odessa we dine out in Corvin.
We order salad with haring, accompanied with varieties of dry fish
At last together with this desert with ice cream
We only paid 18 Usd. In addition we had 4 beers and if we also add up tip it is very cheap.
Watch out the wool hat on her head this not a hat this is a wool jumpers neck... She is a freak...
Voila, this is our morning breakfast... Then again market place.
We are back at the Pryvoz Market, because Gülfem purchased 27 pairs of socks to sell in Alaçatı Kermes...
Here you see the socks mentioned.
After the market place we walk straight back to the core of the city. We walk in a random church just by curiosity, but it was no big deal.
If you are asking me Odessa or Kiev, I would go for Odessa... I am very certain about this, I just loved it here. Perhaps other cities are also beautiful such as Kharkiv, Lviv. One should see them as well...
Check this wonderful ornaments detail from a corner building.
Looks like a there are architectural reforms here as well, and this place is better off without these. The tradition of putting down historical buildings was done on 1960 with a minimum concern about ruining the cultural inheritance but here it is so well kept and protected.
Check out the beauty of the tourism firm sign.
If ever I come back to Odessa again, I would stay in one of these old historical buildings located on large avenues.
If you ever come to Odessa do stay in old buildings. Our hotel room where we stay is fairly newly constructed and hasn't got historical feel.
We arrive by walk to Schevchenko Park and sits the statue of Taras Schevchenko right on our back. I didn't know him back before coming to Odessa and I researched him and found out that he was an orphaned by age 11 and slaved and he became a pilarstone philosopher about humanism, painting and literature. My heart fell in pieces for what he has done for others.
I took out my cognac bottle from my handbag and I tossed to Taras Schevchenko. It is in Odessa that I learned how to warm myself up with local produced Odessa Cognac.
In the proceeding hour this picture titled "Careless" that i shared on Facebook did break likes record.
We dined in Kompot Restaurant on Deribasovskaya Street and of course it was dumplings. The one on the left is baked in the oven till it became crispy and so it tastes better. The yogurt they serve doesn't have a crushed garlic in it so I requested extra garlic and beware they charge you for it. They charged us for 3 pieces 15 Grivna which equals to 40 cents.
We choose to have a white Odessa Wine.
We are mellow happy. You ve got to go to Kompot...
In addition we decided to honor the dinner with dessert. We have been sitting in there nearly for 4 hours and he'll yes we couldn't believe our self we did it.
However they brought us as a dessert, a local specialty dumpling with cherry fillings which Gülfem refused to eat and I ended up gulping down them all...
This kid behind me was quite hyper.
He couldn't have enough of action, his mum was quite relax about it or may be unaware..
At Kompot's door I took this picture and shared it on face book and wrote down:
Do not let go or waste friendships that are dear to you. Do not pretend to be wise and so certain about your self, present yourself with your complexities failures and weaknesses and love your dears also with their similar character failures if you have any! Cover up their weaknesses. Do not submerge them with your expectations, do not abuse their feelings. If they are sick be there for them if they are happy share the joy. Friends in general are great and some are beyond great...
And right at this point I felt praying like my daughter Nil does "Please dear God let us preserve the harmony"
You ve got to watch the video.
As we were walking out on the streets we come across to the sprayed pavement add of the famous Ukranian girls. Turks, Azerbaijani and Arabs are world known for coming over here for a special visits. Be wary if your husband finds excuses to come over here for a frequent business meetings, hold their leash tight, don't believe in them.
While on our high energy walking tours out on the Odessa streets i come across to a picture of a lady in a half broken picture frame. She just looked like my deceased auntie Fatoş. What was she doing in Odessa? On 1980 she passed away aged 46, she looks like she is thinking about her orphaned son of age 10 on this picture. My heart hurts Fatoş! No I won't take you with me! I rushed away from there.
My proposition of excursion for the next day is to take local tram line to the last stops.
Gülfem wouldn't ever say no to this... The ticket costs each way 2 Grivna and you pay it strait to the conductor.
As we depart from the center of the beautiful town, Odessa starts to appear sad.
But this shouldn't discourage you from coming here.
I am certain that these parts of Odessa has got a story to tell. If one does hang around a bit here, a great literature, music, art will flourish.
In tram line we came across to this little boy, I weighed his backpack and it was pretty heavy, I feel sorry for him.
I stood up to let him sit.
After a while he steps out at his stop, this pale skinned little girl and his mother steps in and I can't let go of little girl I let her sit on my lap, Gülfem makes fun of me for the way how I grabbed the little girl, just like I would my own kid.
They also step out at their stop, the oldest lady in town steps in and now she stood right by me of course and I can't sit while she stands, I leave my seat at once again and I announce to the world:
The most good hearted traveler of the world
Is our crazy "Ev Bezgini"
We see a dumpling cafe and we walk in.
The dumplings with potatoes are full in size.
They seal the dumplings and line them. As soon as I get back to Istanbul I ll try this at home.
We decided to go souvenirs shopping. This sailors hat from the north of the Black Sea will fit perfectly to my captain father from the south of Black Sea.
And guess what I am performing here! Just a sentence long dubbing revision for an add. Only thing available that would make my voice not echoes is this hotel blanket. Gülfem witnessed this before once again while on vacation in Izmir. She gigles "What an easy job to make money, I want one too that I can do under blankets"
Last day of our stay we jam packed our food shopping in our luggages. Let me tell you how cheap everything is over here. Vodka of 3 litter, 1 bottle of local brandy, 2 bottle of Cider, 3 sorts of cheese, 4 mini packs of dog treats, 10 cans of fish did only cost 30 Usd. Be careful at the airport! Do not exceed 5 liter limit of alcohol. The Odessa custom is tight...
We once again had the sheer luck to be driven for free to the airport thanks to my good friend Zafer the parfum store owner in Odessa. He arranged our transfer which made us very very pleased. Truck loads of thanks to Zafer and Eren.
And finally we are at the airport once again.
Check-in,
we are bussed,
climbing the stairs,
one last gaze,
and there we take off...
We tried to fix a plain selfie but couldn't control the ray of lights, so we arranged it all according to the nature of the situation.
Our return flight is economy class, we are offered delicious mini sandwiches free of charge...
Let me present my Odessa trip to you in a mini video...
Farewell my gorgeous Odessa, may God be with you in cold, starvation and depression. You are such a beautiful, kind, polite young lady. My amazing girl.
I say goodbye by Martin Tilman's Odessa.
Please call me back soon!
Love You...
Cuma, Ocak 08, 2016 tarihinde yazıldı.
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