One last errand....

Tomorrow Gio and I leave for Italy.  Paolo and Enzo headed off yesterday morning for the drive.  Yes, Paolo could not bear to leave Enzo behind for the long break so off they went through a snow storm.  To say we have fallen hard for this dog is an understatement.  Of course, it was also nice to be able to load up a car with everything that I might want for our vacation, including all of Santa's gifts for Gio!  And it will be equally nice to be able to load it up again with goodies from Italy to bring back here.

Yesterday I dismantled all of our Christmas decorations and put our living tree out on our balcony with hopes that it will survive.  It is eerily quiet to be here without Enzo, though I must say I did enjoy my first chance to sleep in (until 7:45!) in what seems like forever.  Today is a typical winter day here in Kiev/Kyiv- some snow and a LOT of gray skies.  Of course, today is the shortest day of the year, so I hope to see evidence of more daylight when we return on January 9th.  Today I had one task- to get the last batch of Christmas cards to Paolo's office so that they could be sent in the diplomatic pouch this evening.  Below is a series of shots I took as I traveled between our apartment and his office on the metro. I hope it gives you more of a feel of our lives here, or at least what Paolo's daily commute is like (when I do not let him have the car!).  I am not sure I will have internet access while in Italy, but I will certainly post pictures when we return, so in the meantime, Happy Holidays to all of you!

Here I am standing in the park that divides our street.  Our alley is to the left in this pictures after the red-roofed building.  This used to be a trolley line but is now a narrow park with benches and is very popular with dog walkers.  

Same place, but this time I am facing up Gorkogo to Shevchenko Park.  This is the route we take with Enzo multiple times a day.

The parking mafia.  Water bottles filled with sand and water are used to keep riff raff (like me) from parking in front of fancy shops and salons along our road.  Loud honking from Mercedes/Range Rovers/Bentleys brings a man scurrying out to move the bottles aside. 

This is one of a bazillion coffee shops in Kiev.  Most are blatant copies of Starbucks. 

I am at the top of Gorkogo now with the park ahead on the left.  Notice that drivers really park wherever they want.  These three in front are parked in the middle of a very busy intersection.  And they wonder why gridlock happens here so quickly?

Yes, that car is parked on the sidewalk. 

The stairs up to the park.  Gio loves to go up the "slide-y mountain" on the left.  Enzo likes to leap up onto the grass on the right to begin his sniffing adventure.

Middle of the park, middle of the day, looks like dusk.

When I walked by this small house in the middle of the park, I saw that Gio was inside with Laryssa.  This is a small space where they offer free art lessons to children.  Afterwards they usually head to the restaurant on the left for a jam pancake.

I do not know if you can see the advertisement in the window, but it struck me, as much of the advertising does here, as rather suggestive.  Even at McDonald's.

Down the long, very fast escalator to the train.

Nope, still cannot read a word.

Soviet-style metro station glam

One view of the Lavra (monastery) from Paolo's office

And another view from the deck outside his office.  Across the river is where most citizens of Ukraine live, in giant apartment blocks.  

Paolo's office is on the second floor.  Below is a nightclub.  Seems fitting for a World Bank office in Ukraine.