Night train to Chernivtsi

Chernivtsi, Ukraine October 29, 2015

I certainly didn't plan it this way.  But then that's how best it seems to work.

Last night I arrived in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.  Almost 6 hours by train from Lviv.  This is the first night train I've taken so a worthy new experience.

It was to be in a 4 person compartment with 3 strangers. I envisioned doing some real field work on the political situation here.  A few days ago there were municipal elections all over the country with significant changes not good but could be worse.  I suppose.

I figured in almost 6 hours I could find a lot of anecdotal (admittedly) evidence of how people feel here, the long time together on the train overcoming the difference in language.



Well it didn't work out that way. There were actually 5 of us in the compartment and it was open to the aisle rather than closed in.  Which was good.  The train left at 5:18PM.  Before 6PM I was lying down on one of the bunk beds hoping to get some shut eye as was almost everyone else.

The bunk beds are hard.  Very hard.  And they slope down towards the side of the car.

Luckily I was able to use my camera bag and the bedding supplied and my jackets (down and shell) to make up a pillow structure to bring my head above my feet sticking out, but just a bit, into the aisle.

The only one in my compartment who was friendly was grandma.  Dad and son didn't say a word.  And the unrelated woman hit the sack almost as we left the station,  So we'll have to wait for further political  research.  But that's OK.

It was a long train ride.  I didn't sleep a wink.  But I did rest.  I read my Kindle a bit.  But I was exhausted with a bad cold I've had for 3 days now.  Planes are more elegant and modern than this old train.  But you can stretch out so on balance trains are better for sleeping even though I didn't sleep this particular time. I do believe, however, that I could.

We arrived in the city of Chernivtsi around 11:15 PM.  The cab driver didn't recognize the name of my hotel nor did the lady who assisted and ended up sharing the cab with me who also spoke French, but not English. Fortunately, I was able to call it up with a picture on Booking.com on my smartphone and then they understood and we drove to the small hotel smack dab in the center of town on the main square.

The cab was cheap around a buck and the taxi driver refused a tip.  Whether this was a miscommunication or intentional I don't know. But I immediately got that feeling you get when you're no longer in the big city and things are less competitive and  just easier to deal with.

Chernivtsi  is a beautiful old city very close to the border of Romania.  The architecture is gorgeous. The air is clear. My first day was sunny.  The city is clean and looks and feels prosperous. It's looks like one of those "best places to live".  Big enough (250,000) to have everything you need, but small enough to be manageable and unhurried.

It's the administrative center of the similarly named oblast (province). A major cultural center for the region and the country.

With a bad cold and a cough I decided to take it easy and go to bed early.  But I did walk around a lot. I found the cafeteria which is the best way to eat in Ukraine especially if you're traveling solo. I looked for the perfect coffee house and didn't find it until just now when I stumbled into it as I knew I surely would. But, not just when.

While I was walking endlessly looking for just the right cafe I saw a poster for a concert.  Tonight! Well I surely wasn't looking or expecting that.

And then while I was photoing the tourist map at dinner in the cafeteria so I can carry it on my smart phone and expand it big enough to actually read it,  I espied the historic concert hall on the map just a couple of blocks from my hotel,

But, I had already decided to turn in early, and it was now 7 PM, the concert had already started half an hour ago and I, as you also, I suspect, have had more cultural experiences than are necessary. So I decided not to go.

And yet, I thought, I'm only going to be here for a few days and this is the only chance to see this concert hall inside. So, I went.

I arrived at intermission.  The ticket office appeared closed. I went inside the hall and inquired of a somewhat large and formidable woman behind the counter in the coat room where to get a ticket. She took me by the arm with both her hands in a mostly friendly and rather familiar manner and led me to the orchestra hall door, opened it and I was in.

But, figuring the balcony would be better for viewing and photos that's where I quickly headed instead.
Where I captured the final almost inaudible (make sure your sound is fully raised) notes before the loud acclaim of the audience.

And so it was. At days end, I found myself in the balcony with mostly 20 and 30 something year olds listening with rapt attention to the almost silent strains of the final piece conducted by an equally young conductress in a grand yet intimate concert hall which in its long history had witnessed performances by the great Arthur Rubinstein and Emil Caruso.