Riding through the streets on rickety 10-speed rentals

A Romanian church...Eric repentant

oh yeah...you know, weird architecture

Dazed and confused

A printed fence outside an art school. These babushkas haven't changed in years.

Happy Eric on the Sea

Mosque in Constanta

central city in Constanta

Spot the beached whale

Beachcombing in front of the old communist playhouse

Well well well, writing this last entry minutes before jumping into the 1987 chevy van and heading northwest to...you'll never guess...Slave Lake Alberta. We've returned and are on the road once more, albeit a much more familiar road. Gone are the stilettos, zebra-apholstered Ladas, babushkas selling bruised apples on street corners and the constant street hustle of Ukraine. But before we sit and reminisce, there's one little voyage we want to share...Romania!!!

Realizing we had mere days left in the east, we hopped on a train that chugged oh-so-slowly southward to Bucharest. We stepped out of the train station and were welcomed by 40 degree heat, latin culture, old Europe city mixed with Ceaucescu opulence (and by opulence I mean gargantuous unfinished Romanesque palaces). Very very different from the slavic land only a few hundred km's away. Anyways, we blitzed through the city on a pair of bikes, weaving through the traffick-clogged streets and somehow fitting in a few luxury coffees and PASTAS! (Hey...we've had borscht and potatoes and instant coffee for 4 months straight...throw us a bone man!)

So much to say about Constanta, the old Greek city sitting on a peninsula that juts into the Black Sea. Massive port on one side, endless beach on the other, and streets that are "littered" with ancient Greek, Roman and Ottoman remains. (Mary signing off to shower - clean Eric signing in)

Well. More importantly, is that I got the chance to speak with some old relatives by the sea. That was incredible. We drank homemade wine and I heard all about the south east edge of europe in the 20th century. This trip was definitely worth it.

Now its off to northern alberta. The goal this season is to plant enough trees to pay for tuition for school next year. We shall see.

Anyways, my conclusions are to go to Ukraine if you get the chance. The story here is completely unwritten and i guarantee much food for thought. Central Europe is moving away and south europe is heading in the same direction but nobody knows where Ukraine will go. Not to mention that the people here will treat you very very well.

Hopefully see some of you soon.

Love Mary and Eric