Yalta is blessed with a deep harbour which allows cruise liners to come into Yalta Bay and river cruisers such as ours to moor at the Embankment. The Embankment is Yalta’s main thoroughfare and the centre of all activities.  Locals come here to promenade and Russian holidaymakers flock here to enjoy the sun, the sea and whatever else Yalta has to offer…

River cruise boat at Yalta Embankment

Shops, open-air cafes and restaurants line the main strip along the waterfront and behind these lie layers of more shops and food outlets.  In the midst of summer, with its blue skies and high temperatures, the Embankment is bursting with activities for young and old.  Lenin stands tall in the main square, watching over the Bay.  Unfortunately for the poor man, he also happens to now face that symbol of Americanism – the Golden Arch. 

Afternoon tea dance

We heard music coming from the direction of Lenin’s statue and on approach, we spotted an orchestra playing and were also fortunate to see the locals enjoying their afternoon tea dance. As the people danced around in a large circle, we noted these two ladies who were well made-up and they danced really well.  They looked like they may have belonged to a dance company in their younger days and age has not dented their enthusiasm for performing.  When they spotted Tony’s professional camera, they made a point of posing, each time they swirled past our spot.  It was such a treat to watch the locals enjoy themselves and I envied them that they could dance so well.  The kids had their fun as well.  All around Lenin’s statue was a giant amusement park.

Lenin at Yalta Embankment

Walking westward along the Embankment, one of the icons is the Espacola Sailer from Robert Stevenson’s Treasure Island.  It has for a long time been used as a restaurant and was once the most trendy in Yalta.  Nearby is another landmark, the Golden Fleece Restaurant which was built as an ancient Greek ship.

There’s so much to see and do during the day and nightime is another story.  How fortunate for us that our ship was right where all the action is.

Helen

Travel Signposts Blog

Swallow’s Nest is one of the tourist icons that you’ll see on any visit to Yalta, especially if you are arriving by boat.  The famous Swallow’s Nest was built in 1911 by Baron von Steingel for his ballerina mistress.  It was a trend at that time for men of standing to have ballerinas as mistresses.  In Ukrainian, “Maya Lastochka” or My Swallow is a term of endearment used to refer to your sweetheart.

Swallow's Nest

Baron Steingel was a German oil magnate who lived in St. Petersburg.  His Castle of Love is a miniature castle which resembles a medieval knight’s castle.  Perched precariously on the sheer Aurora cliff on the west of Yalta, it can be accessed by boat or car. 

Swallow's Nest

In 1927 a terrible earthquake caused massive destruction in Yalta and sections of the castle collapsed into the sea, but the most impressive part survived.  The castle was restored in the 1970s and it is now a popular tourist attraction, although there is nothing to see inside.  This tinsel castle has been the scene of many films.  An Italian restaurant now operates there however we were told that the food is expensive and not highly rated.

Our shots were taken from across the bay and we got a different angle of it as our boat was leaving Yalta.

Helen

Travel Signposts Blog

We were on a mission to get some Ukrainian hryvnia this morning and our guide brought us to the Londonskaya Hotel on Primorsky Boulevard.  Did other people wonder, as I did, as to why we would change money at a hotel?  Don’t they normally offer the worst exchange rates?  Anyway not knowing the Ukrainian system nor our way around at this early stage, we obediently followed our guide’s instructions. 

Money Exchange at Londonskaya

As we approached the hotel, it got a little bit more bizzare, the Londonskaya has a huge casino sign flashing beneath the hotel name.  This would be a first for me, changing money in a casino?  We entered the dimly lit lobby, and to the right of the staircase landing, we saw our dimly lit exchange window where a single lady looked after all our exchange needs.  You didn’t have to produce any passport and it was all done quite quickly and efficiently.  The only problem I had was not being able to read the faint receipt that I was given.  Tony actually had to brighten these photos for the gallery.

Londonskaya Hotel, Odessa

The Londonskaya sits on a site that was originally occupied by a private residence in 1826. The building was designed in the style of early Italian Renaissance by  Francesco Boffo, an architect who was responsible for designing many of the classical buildings in Odessa at the time.  Jean-Batiste Karuta, a well-known French confectioner and food connoisseur transformed the building and became the first owner of the hotel. Apparently all the “patriotic” French names were already taken by other hotels so Monsieur Karuta looked to Great Britain and decided to call his hotel “Londonskaya”.  It seems a bit contradictory to go from a choice of patriotic French names to something that is English-based. 

Londonskaya Hotel Lobby, Odessa

The hotel has a beautiful staircase and the grand chandeliers in the lobby are reminders of the charm of the hotel.  During its glory days, Londonskaya Hotel played host to famous artists, ballerinas and influential writers.  Its guest list included famous personalities from the Ukraine and all over the world including Anton Chekhov, Marcello Mastroianni, Louis Aragon, Robert Louis Stevenson, Isidora Duncan and many others.  According to the hotel’s literature, Londonskaya has also played host to many presidents of nations.

The hotel seems to have seen better times and today, there was not a soul in the lobby except a group of tourists in search of hryvnias.  If looking for a room in Odessa, this would be a great location as the hotel is within easy walking distance to the Opera and Ballet Theatre, shops and the Old part of Odessa.  The hotel now has free Wi-Fi internet which is a plus in the Ukraine.

Helen

Travel Signposts Blog