The waiter serving breakfast smiled. Which made me think of another thing that was strange about the guy I shared the compartment with on the 2 1/2 hour train ride which brought me here last night. He never smiled.
Far from it. There was a menacing air about him when he entered the compartment. Or was it sinister? Later, I decided maybe it was just a very somber mien. Or maybe all three words are accurate.
In his early 40's and of average height and build, he wore a black sweater, black pants, black shoes, black socks. He had a black jacket and a black brief case. His hair was black. I did not dare take his picture.
The train got hot. Both of us took off our sweaters. Underneath he had a long sleeve black shirt.
We exchanged maybe 10 words. When he entered the compartment and assisted me in raising the bunk bed to stow my suitcase beneath it. And when the attendant asked me if I needed bedding which he translated for me and I said no I was only going as far as Ivano-Frankivsk.
He uncharacteristically volunteered he was going there too. Which was surprising since there was no other communication.
I looked for an opening. I knew I would regret not learning who or what he was, His dress and demeanor were so unusual and forbidding. But he buried himself in his smart phone and tablet.
I wondered. Is he a cleric or perhaps a spy? Thinking the latter, I noticed he had a white plastic bag which had black lettering on it saying Top Secret. But these things are not usually advertised.
I looked up www.topsecret.com just now and it appears to be a store for cool clothes Not for a cleric I would think.
An assassin? They do exist you know.
As we approached the station we were standing in the exit compartment. Just the two of us. My last chance. But he was facing away from me looking out the window into the black night.
------------------------
And now it's a bright sunny day.
As it was Sunday. Yesterday in Chernivtsi. I visited St. Nicholas, the "Drunken" church. Went inside during mass and then outside to hear the loud joyous peal of the bells.
Afterwards I took a cab to the train station.
And this morning I am walking around Ivano-Frankivsk. Lots of book stores here. And book stalls. True in all of the cities, now five, I've visited in Ukraine. A lost art form in my country (USA).
A store in which I browse has that real book feel, sense and smell and ageless thought filled atmosphere. I ask the guy for a book about Ivano-Frankivsk in English. There are none. Not here or in the other small book stores and stalls I queried. In Chernivsti I got the perfect book about that city. In Ukrainian. No English there either. But, I can scan it and translate it with Google.
Obviously, this is not a tourist hot spot, at least not for English speakers. Nice.
I'm having lunch in this really cool restaurant across from the huge Soviet Era building which I tried to enter but a burly uniformed guy stopped me and a nice young woman in a hurry leaving the building told me it was lunch time and I could come back in an hour,
I think the Parliament for this Oblast (Province) is in there. I would like to see it and view the discourse if possible. One of the places where Democracy either lives or dies. And perhaps as soon as this year in this Country.
Earlier, I passed a poster for Right Sector. The far right group that has had a strong presence in the war front. The far right in this country has had only a small percentage of the vote. Not of course what the Russian propaganda machine tries to portray. However, it occurs to me that could change if people become fed up with the lack of progress in fighting corruption by the politicians.
So far the indications of dissatisfaction seem to be showing up in the opposite direction, With the return of the influence of previous allies of the deposed President. Not encouraging.
I finish lunch and head over to the huge building. I enter without any questions asked, wander the halls and take pictures at will.
Inside the building is really nice. Modern, very bright with all the windows. Great views. Lots of offices, all apparently occupied. People walk briskly up and down the halls And up the stairs two steps at a time.And there are lots of stairs. 8 floors of them. I check out all the floors. And get a fantastic view of the stairway looking down from the top floor. Makes me dizzy.
I haven't found the Parliament so I go in another entrance but search in vain. A young woman tells me the Parliament is in Kiev. I knew that of course. But, I think the Oblasts (Provinces) have their legislatures too.
This administrative building is the largest building in this city. A city with great Churches and Cathedrals. In my mind this huge edifice is a worthy symbol of the Communist religion of Atheism. A great Temple of Bureaucracy.
3 comments:
As always, excellent photos. You seem to have conflicted feelings about the administrative building.
Actually, not so much my real thoughts. The religion comment. I couldn't resist the play on words. As for the building it was very bright. modern and cheerful inside with great views. No one is supposed to like Soviet era architecture but I found much to my surprise I did, but don't tell anyone I said so :). And it does not interfere with the more classical architecture around town set off by itself as it is. I also liked getting that stairway picture. Thanks for your comments!
Post a Comment