2012, SEPTEMBER 19: UKRAINE, YALTA TO KIEV

We arrived at Simferopol airport two-hour early for our 4:20 p.m. flight. After waiting there for a long time, we discovered that the flight had been delayed. As usual passengers standing in the line did not seem to care to find out the reason or duration of delay. An American gentleman in the line went to the main terminal to gather information, while I watched his luggage. Anyhow, after three-hour delay our flight left Simferopol.

Upon our arrival, we hired a prepaid taxi at Kiev airport. It was dark by the time we traversed the 25-mile distance to our hotel, Hotel Bratislava.
 

For some reason, the driver parked the taxi behind the hotel, and dragged our luggage around the whole block, through the parking lot, and up the short flight of steps to the lobby.
The reception people were friendly and helpful. After check-in and dinner, we went to bed. We were looking forward to see the city sights next day.

Kiev is the capital as well as the largest city of Ukraine. It is colorful and vibrant in spite of the sheer brutality faced by its people through the various wars, revolts and revolutions that have crowded the millennial history of this one of the oldest city of Eastern Europe.

 

Kiev has some of the Byzantine, Soviet and Modern architectural and sculptural wonders can be found side by side. There are splendid palaces, as well as...

Mariinsky Palace

...beautiful parks and monuments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Its avenues and streets are lined...

 

...with attractive buildings.