Today is the big day. We eat breakfast and ask the question we’ve been asking frequently of each other: “How are you feeling right now?” Excitement, certainly. Trepidation. Hope. All those things. First, we have to get permission to visit the orphanage, so off we go to the Government Center at 8:30 am to be […]
Aishe Restaurant & Yalta
Our flight to Simferopol is just an hour and a half–much better than a 12-hour train ride (although we may take the train on our return, depending on the prices). So much to tell. We stop for lunch at Aishe, a marvelous Eastern cuisine restaurant in Simferopol, and the director treats us to a wonderful, […]
Cappuccinos, Lattes, and Pizza, Oh My!
Today is our last day in Kiev for a while, since we’re flying to Simferopol tomorrow morning at 9:50. The director and one of his translators are accompanying us. A driver will drive all of us to Yalta for our Monday morning appointment at the orphanage. So, today is scheduled for hanging out, drinking lots […]
Photo Introduction #2
The surprise phone call comes at 8:50 am. “Can you be ready in 15 minutes?” Of course, of course! The director of the adoption program picks us up. He tells us we have another appointment at the Ministry (to receive information on a newly available child) in the afternoon, but he is taking us early, […]
The Caves Monastery
More gold domes, more fantastic paintings. The Kievo-Pechersky Lavra or the “Caves Monastery” is the main tourist attraction in Kiev. The cluster of churches with clean white exteriors and green and gold rooftops is considered the spiritual heart of the Ukraine. The Lavra dates back to when Prince Vladimir introduced Christianity as the new state […]