Afternoon in Zaporozhye, an industrial city with two features --- the second largest lock in the world (34 meters) and the historical home of the main Cossack sect. (See the photos section for both). The tour took us to a Cossack show that featured Cossack(?) horsemen. The show was good, but it was a bit Disneylike. Nevertheless, good horsemanship. I have posted a few pictures and will try to post a short video, but I am not sure our wifi connection will all...

Lazy day sailing on the Dneiper River south from Kiev toward the Black Sea. This is the heart of the Ukraine, quite flat and not very exciting. Mainly agriculture. Several dams on the river, including the one near Kremenchuk. One of the photos in the album shows a lock we passed through. Weather is surprisingly pleasant in the low 20s and sunny.

A day of touring, both organized and on our own. Tourist sites are mainly churches and monasteries. We did visit the museum of Ukrainian history. A great deal of green space in Kiev. The city does have some run-down areas but there is a lot of restoration taking place. Traffic is absolutely horrendous in the downtown. Many central square areas have no lights and it is every car for itself (kind of like the traffic around the Arc de Triomph in Paris). Weath...

Arrived in the Ukraine (Kiev) yesterday after a day in transit in Frankfurt. Today was a relatively relaxed day. we did a bit of a walking tour of the centre of Kiev this morning and moved to the river cruise boat (Lomonosov) this afternoon. tomorrow we tour Kiev and then begin cruising down the Dniepper River tomorrow night.

We did the Golden Circle Tour today. Good tour and reasonable weather (about 7C.). The tour included the area where the American and Eurasian continental plates are pulling apart, the site of the first parliament (about 930AD), a great waterfall and a geyser (not as high as Old Faithful but more frequent performances). The geothermal plant, supplying all the electrical, heating and hot water needs of Reykjavik was a highlight. We have posted a number of photos in...