My visit to Ivano Frankivsk started a lot earlier in the day than I would've preferred...to get there from uzhgorod, I had to take two trains; the first to Lviv, and from there to Ivano...my second train arrived at 0415...ugh...even at this time of year, the sun isn't up at that hour...since I barely slept on either train (1828-0043 and 0114-0414) I was completely out of it and really need some sleep...I sat in the waiting room in Ivano for a couple hours, trying to fall asleep while at the same time holding into my belongings in a way that prevented anyone from taking anything...it didn't work well, but helped a bit...it was hard to do in a regular chair, not spread out at all...
Around 0630, a police officer came through the room, waking people up and kicking all of us out...he came over to me twice, apparently I wasn't moving fast enough...booo...
I started walking, since there were no other choices...it was sunny, but chilly, and because of the hour (on a Sunday morning!) there was no one else on the streets...
I found a big WW2 memorial...i should be used to it by now, but it still amazes me to see these memorials in almost every city or town it visit in Ukraine...the US could learn something from the way Ukraine and other countries actually memorialize their dead, and soldiers who are still living...
(Memorial Day in the states is more about family BBqs and shopping sales)...memorials here are big, with many individual names listed...
I kept walking, finding my way to the city center...along the way I walked through quiet residential neighborhoods, and past the regional government building...in front of that building was the Ivano version of the protest camp set up on maidan in kyiv...the Ivano version is a bit smaller, with just one tent and a truck...there was also a memorial area (with photos, candles, and flowers) of those who died on maidan, in February...the flag (see the photo to the left) looks like angels are flying...
I passed two lovely churches, and found city hall in the middle of the square in the city center...city hall is a very modern building, looking nothing like anything else I've seen in Ukraine...hard to explain..as I was walking through this area I could see people setting up a market...
I walked to a pedestrian area, looking for a place to have breakfast...since it was still before 0800, nothing was open...one of the places listed in lonely planet wasn't there anymore...I ended up at a place called street coffee, having tea (with lots of milk) and cherry strudel...they had free wifi, and I found a plug with which I could charge my iPhone :)
After wasting two hours in the cafe, I walked again...I failed in my mission to find a place that seeks postcards, booo...by this time, the market (which seemed to be spread all over the city centre area) was in full swing...I'm still kicking myself for not buying any of the honey I saw...lots of places selling 'traditional' shirts, and so much else...I don't know if this is a weekly market, or a one time thing, or a holiday market, etc...
I walked along a street, eventually making my way to the city lake...I'm guessing it is man made, but I don't know for sure...there is a small island in the middle, connected to the 'shore' by a pretty little bridge...
I walked all the way around the lake, which didn't take me long as the lake isn't big...I saw a lot of people fishing off the edge, I wonder if anything was biting? Bugs loved me, so I didn't stand still anywhere for long...
Back into the city centre, just wandering...eventually I found a place for lunch...it wasn't a great experience, as the guy who originally took my order had to come back and ask again, as he had forgotten what I ordered...then, two more waitresses came to ask for my order, not knowing I'd already been asked...this restaurant didn't seem organized at all...when my food came, only half of it was correct...
I said so, but they left the wrong food on my table and in my bill...I showed the waitress what it was I had actually ordered, and I thought she would bring it to me, but that never happened...when I asked for my bill and found the wrong item still listed, I was really irked...how many mistakes can be made in the order of one particular item??? I only had to pay for the item I did order, and eat...
I went back to street coffee, as they knew what they were doing :)
My train left Ivano at 1700...for over an hour I was stuck sitting next to a couple alternately talking and making out...GET A ROOM!! Ewww...
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