Photo is of the Michael Lomonosov - our ship - in the Sevatopol Harbour. A busy day. First we visited the Khan's Palace in Bahkchissaray, about an hour out of Sevastopol. The Tartar Khan ruled the Crimea during the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. In the afternoon we visited the submarine tunnels in Balaklava where the USSR built a complex of tunnels under the mountain to protect submarines in the event of a nuclear attack. The complex stored and maintain...

Arrived in Sevastopol on the Black Sea this afternoon. During USSR days, Sevastopol was the base for the Soviet Black Sea fleet. After the breakup and independence of Ukraine, the status of the Russian fleet was a major issue for the two countries. Ukraine wanted the fleet out, but Russia was not about to leave. The temporary solution was a lease to Russia to use some of the facilities. This part of Ukraine is over 70% Russian so sympathy toward Russia is ve...