Viking 'Footsteps of the Cossacks' (Ukraine)

[altiva]

All about borsch today...

Foreigners often call borsch a "beet root based soup". I could never

understand why. If any, it should be a "tomato soup" or something.

In fact, there are many kinds of borsch.

Hot and cold.

Among hot, there is a red borsch, green borsch, borsch with

mushrooms, borsch with Crucians (Crucian carps, a species of fish).

Green borsch is made always in spring. It's main ingredient is

sorrel. If you are in Ukraine in spring, it's a must to try it.

Gourmands describe green borsch as a "spring freshness which came to

your table". It also contains eggs.

On this photo, they used boiled eggs to add to the green borsch.

 

Frankly, raw eggs, beaten with the fork while the borsch is still

cooking is much more tasty. But, boiled eggs are more photogenic.

Here is a photo of a green borsch with beaten eggs in a bread. You

are supposed to eat your plate, also. The plate is a home-cooked

bread, with the soft core removed.

Home made green borsch. You eat it with sour cream, of course.

[altiva]

Ordinary borsch:

 

Borsch with mushrooms:

[silkismom]

Gee, now I'm hungry again--really wish you wouldn't print those yummy photos--I really hate drooling on my computer. Come on Sept!!

[altiva]

How borshch grows:

 

Map of Ukraine in Ukrainian dishes:

 

Kyiv, a restaurant, called "An inn on it's side"

[Peregrina651]

Website for St. Sophia of Kiev. Gorgeous pictures of the interior. Lost of information about the interior and helpful to read before you go.

 

Just a sample:

 

Edited March 15, 2013 by Peregrina651

[Peregrina651]

-I really hate drooling on my computer. !

 

To dry out your keyboard, stick it in uncooked rice for a week.:D

[silkismom]

Ya sure, like I could go w/o my computer for a week.

[ocean999]

As always, thanks Peregrina for the info! It helps with the packing!

[ocean999]

Peregrina, looks like a great site! I will read up on it this week! Thanks! Gorgeous! Altiva, hope we get some red cabbage borscht and fresh bread on the cruise! Thank you both for the beautiful pix!

[Peregrina651]

Someone asked about delivery of travel docs. Viking sends them out so that they arrive three weeks before the trip.

[silkismom]

We paid extra and got our flt ticketed, they had said 60 days out, but we got it Tues, now I could get my economy plus seats taken care of--it's not business class, but I should be able to cross my legs. Hopefully no cramps like the last time I flew long distance.

[Peregrina651]

We paid extra and got our flt ticketed, they had said 60 days out, but we got it Tues, now I could get my economy plus seats taken care of--it's not business class, but I should be able to cross my legs. Hopefully no cramps like the last time I flew long distance.

 

My SIL uses the pressure stockings when she flies. I'm so short my problem is that my feet don't reach the floor so I end up using my carry-on as a footrest so that I can get some circulation.

 

The big question is whether you have been issued a ticket that is upgradeable. From following these boards I have learned that one of the reasons that Viking is able to offer such good prices on flights is because they offer seats that may not be eligible to earn miles (rules differ from class to class and from airline to airline) and may not be upgradeable (even with cash). This comment might be too late for silkismom, but for those who haven't booked yet, these are questions to ask as part of your planning.

[silkismom]

I just paid for econ+, $109 pp on UA from ORD-MUC. I had wanted to use my UA FF to upgrade to Business, but they would have to use a different booking code and it was several thousand more. I guess this will do. I'll save my FF for flying to Asia in Feb. Can hardly wait to hear from the people who are on the cruise in Apr.

[Peregrina651]

Can hardly wait to hear from the people who are on the cruise in Apr.

 

First cruise departs on April 21--just a month away!

[altiva]

Today is a holiday in Ukraine. It's called "Forty sainted martyrs".

It's dedicated to the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia.

Forty saint martyrs were forty Christian warriors. They served in the

army under Roman emperor Licinius. They were killed because they

refused to perform Roman pagan rituals.

But, in fact, it's a very old Ukrainian holiday, which comes from the

pre-Christian times. When Ukraine was christened,the church tried to

incorporate the old pagan holidays into Christian rituals.

This day, people asked the spring to come, and

to come quickly. They sang special songs, and danced.

They also made buns or cookies, shaped like birds. They took the

pastry outside, and paraded it throughout. People believed, back

then, that the spring came on the wings of the birds. So, they

reasoned: if we showed the baked birds outside, the real birds would see

it and they would bring the spring quicker.

After the ritual, children were given these cookies to play with, and

eventually, to eat.

"Forty" is pronounced "sorok" in Ukrainian language. It sounds similar to

the word "magpie". So, the holiday is called also "magpies". Also, "larks", "birds",

"little storks".

It's a holiday about the birds, after all.

 

[ocean999]

Altiva, Thx for the story, going to read it all to my DH on the way to the shore today. The pix look yummy! Wish we were there for t his!

 

Silkismom, we are going on the trip April 20th, 28 days!!! I will write about the trip when we return.If you want to ask questions or get info while I'm on the ship, please send me a private message with your email, and I will email you what you wish. Ocean999

[altiva]

In Ukraine, traditionally, there was three types of footwear:

1. Barefoot (if you were very poor, or tried to save your shoes).

2. Postoly (everyday wear).

3. A holiday wear, red boots, made from the softest goatskin

(sapyan). They had to be red, all the time.

Here are postoly, a traditional every day wear. They

are made from leather, and afterwards, embroidered. Postoly came in

different sizes. These below are made by a master called Taras

Dzvinchuk. He lives in a Ukrainian town, called Kosmach in Carpathian

mountains. His father taught him how to make postoly. After his

father's death in 1977, Taras started on as an independent

postoly-maker. Since then, his postoly were worn by local population,

a children folk group, and even travelled abroad, as far as

Australia. Taras also makes belts. The narrow belts are for everyday

wear, the wide belts are for weekends and holidays.

 

 

 

[altiva]

These are Ukrainian lizhnyky. The word "lizhnyky" derives from the

word "lizhko" - bed. These are blankets, or bed covers, however you chose to use

them. They are hand-made in Carpathian mountains, from sheep wool.

100 per cent pure wool! In Carpathian mountains, people keep sheep.

They cut their wool, and then they made threads and fabrics out of

it, bu hand, using looms. This woman is a renown maker and designer

of lizhnyky. She lives in Carpathian mountains, in her house. She has

9 children! To get to her house, you have to walk up the mountain for

2 hours by foot (like the girls on the photo).

Her family uses horses to ride up and down to the

town. There is no road, because it's not possible to build one there.

So, you can tell that these covers are really echo-friendly.

If you go to Carpathian, you can buy such a cover for about 100 euros

(sometimes more, sometimes less, it depends on the colour, the

design, the designer). On souvenir stalls and markets they sell them

for 150-200 euros.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2013 by altiva

[silkismom]

Altiva, you have such an interesting and rich culture. Thank you for sharing it with us.!!

[altiva]

It's my pleasure to open Ukraine to anyone genuinely interested.

And here is the wooly sheep that contributes to the bed covers.

Carpathian mountains.

 

[silkismom]

Aren't they cute, would love to cuddle one.

[altiva]

I already told you about the last week before the Lent, eating

pancakes and celebrations.

There is a museum-culture centre in Kyiv, called "Mystetsky arsenal"

(Arsenal of Arts).

It used to be an arsenal, a place to keep arms, explosives and such.

It was built in 1784, on the place of a nunnery. At first, they just

kept arms there, but later, used it to repair cannons and such as

well.

In 2006 it was decided to open a museum-culture complex there. During

the restoration, they found many graves on nuns.

It's called "a window to Ukraine". It's situated not far from Kyiv

Lavra, and you can get to there by metro. They have a museum,

exhibitions of arts and antiques and much more.

During the celebrations before the Lent, they had an art week, with

music, dancing, Ukrainian arts exhibitions, master classes, pancakes

tastings.

Here are some photos.

Also, don't be upset that you missed this event. There will be plenty

more.

What: Mustetsky arsenal (Arsenal of Arts)

Where: 28-30 Ivan Mazepa street. The nearest metro station: Arsenalna.

Not far from Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

When: every day from 10.00 to 19.00. Day off - Tuesday.

 

 

[altiva]

 

 

That was called "funky textile".

[altiva]

 

 

[altiva]

 

 

More photos here:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=12