“Let life be a moment and turn from moments, we have eternity in our hearts” Ivan Franko

Another quick city tour. This time Ivano Frankvisk in South West Ukraine. Judy 90-190 miles from Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. January weather typically can range from 19-34 F, July highs above 70 F.

The city has undergone many changes since it’s beginning in 1662, including a name change. 1962 Stanyslaviv was renamed Ivano Frankivsk after the famous poet Ivan Franko. Franko was a frequent visitor. Reflective of city’s and Ukraine’s changing rulers, he wrote in Ukrainian, Polish and German. Half of the city was destroyed by fire in 1868., If was occupied by Russian troops during WWI. Taken over by Austria in 1918, Poland in 1921 and the site of battles between Germany and Russia in 1941. Because of the need to rebuild, the city has a newer feel than Lviv.

Utilizing Framents of the old city’s defense wall they created an entertainment center. “Bastion” as they call it, is full of shops, restaurants and an indoor walkway gallery.

I loved walking on the pedestrian part of the Nazalezhnosti Street. It was fun seeing all the sculptures.

The city is continuing to grow, with a population close to 230,000. You can see some of the changing history in the variety of architecture. The photo above is the largest hotel in Ivano-Franvisk. Hotel Nadiya is a 3 star hotel, has 244 rooms and 2 restaurants. When I first saw it I wondered if it was a casino, because it is so big and bright. No sure when it was built but know it wasn’t here in 1662.

I plan to go back to Ivano- Franvisk soon. It is surprisingly more artsy than I had remembered.

The word “Yaremche” comes from Turkish word meaning little half. Like much of Ukraine the city has been occupied by different countries through the centuries.  Today it reminds me of places in Michigan like Petoskey and Traverse City. There are health spas, waterfalls, hiking trails and water sports like kayaking in the Prut River. During the winter it is a popular ski resort.

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Yaremche is also known for it’s unique wooden architecture. Glad I had a chance to get a glimpse.

Ivanna and I in Yareche

A trip through Yaremche would not be complete without a enjoying some local food and visiting an art market with Hutsul artworks.

Traditional Restaurant

Ivanna wearing her Hutsul Gerdan

Bukovel is more than a ski resort

I was a bit nervous when my cousin Ivanna and her husband Sasha ushered me to the ski lift. I have many memories of skiing in Northern Michigan. Some fond memories when I mastered the “bunny hill”, reserved for beginners and children. Then there are the terrifying memories. Times when at the top of the “mountain” or hill, I realized how high up I was and remembered I really was kind of afraid of heights. At this point there was only one way down. The thought of loosing control would cause me to freeze up and become rigid. I then would turn into to perfect bullet and speed down the hill, with no hope of ever stopping.

Thankfully at Bukovel you can ride the ski lift to the top of the Carpathian mountians, walk around, then hop on the lift back down. Such a fun experience.

The resort is open all year long, with a long list of activities, including “roller coaster” and “bike” zip lining.  As well as trout fishing, horse back riding, water skiing, rafting and scuba diving. Our visit was near the end of the ski season.  Visitors were enjoying the last of the snow.  Above I included the list with prices.  It might be a bit pricey for an average Ukrainian family to spend a weekend or longer here. But it is beautiful.

These frogs were enjoying the lake. I was amazed at how many were there.  The mountain streams of the Prut River wind through Yaremche. We stopped near the river and had a nice picinic lunch.

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On our way to Yaremche we spent some waching some kayakers paddle their way through a short rapids under a bridge. They were well protected with helmuts and wet suits. Some were tossed around a bit before righting their kayaks. One person in an inflated kayak was actually tossed out and his kayak became wedged betwen some rocks.