Kiev and Lyvov

Hi

Those following on the Findme Spot will know I was in Kiev yesterday and in Lyvov today hve used overnight trains to move me on which are very cheap but not the sleeper to London very enjoyable and you get a bed for the night.

Kiev is a wonderful city Lyvov is absolutely magic a mix of many things a pre war middle european city with a perfect medieval square in the old town that could be from Florence.

Terrible history in WWII whole jewish population perished in the region of 200,000

Start bicycling again tomorrow

So will amend Spot message

Regards

Len

Saturday 16th Donetsk

Hello

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh what a great journey, Volgograd marvellous!

Southern Russian steppes very very hot, roads wretched - though flat for 100s and 100s of kilometre like a giant East Anglia with little water so from Volgograd to Ukraine a tough trail riding 10 hours plus need 12 -16 litres of fluid a day minimum carrying water for overnight camps washed in gassy mineral water all had to be bought when I could,

Roads in Ukraine better still very hot though giant hills! Too much riding (ambitious on my part) not enough sight seeing, so change of plan will get overnight train from here to Kiev and then on to Lyvov then start riding again picking up the campsites and hotels in Poland,

Which will allow me to see what I want to see

Len

On to Berlin and the end of my tour at the Reichstag

One of the most famous Soviet Propaganda images of World War II

The Germans trapped in the basement of the Reichstag finally surrendered and on the morning of May 2, 1945 they left the building under a White Flag. It was on this same day, while the German’s surrendered below, Khaldei the photographer and some men found their way to the slippery blood soaked roof and posed what would become one of the most famous pictures of World War II, the raising of red Hammer and Sickle above the Reichstag.

The soldiers in the image were chosen for political reasons. Meliton Kantaria to hold the flag and supporting Kantaria is Mikhail Yegorov. Kantaria, a Georgian sergeant, was picked to please Stalin who himself was from Georgia and Yegorov a Russian fighter represented the motherland.

Less than 12 hours and I am away

I fly to Gatwick from Glasgow at 9am tomorrow with Easy Jet, then on to Kaliningrad with KD Avia late afternoon then with KD Avia to Volgograd arriving 3.30am on Friday morning.

I am two nights at the Octoberskaya Hotel described by two reviewers as the worst hotel they had ever stayed. (photos to follow) (It was the cheapest I could find!)

Big tour of Volgograd (Stalingrad) on Saturday.

Early start on Sunday Photo' Opp at Mamaev Gurgan the massive monument to the battle of Stalingrad pictured above.

The Final Wrap and a Strong Handle

My bike bubble wrapped to go by air

This is the bike taken apart wheels off chain off derailleur off, cranks off, pedals off all held together by cable ties then cardboard around the sharp edges and then yards of bubble wrap.
It is now ready to be wrapped in thick plastic sheet and a handle created to go as baggage with Easy Jet and KD Avia

This tool took it apart and will put it back together

Death of Alexander Solzenitsyn

Amidst all my preparations for my journey.

I was sad to hear of the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn a favourite author. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich was an absolute revelation when published in the west. A man of great integrity his novels Cancer Ward and The First Circle ooze a marvellous warmth and humanity, totally at odds with modern times and thought.

Problems in Western Ukraine - Floods etc

As a result of torrential rains and gale-force winds on 23-27 July 2008, five regions in the western part of Ukraine have been flooded. The affected areas are: Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Transcarpathian and Lyiv regions. Due to severe weather conditions 301 settlements in the affected area have been cut off from electricity supply and telephone communication. The floods damaged a large number of bridges and 212.5 km of the highways have been washed away. A total of 7,000 people have been evacuated from flooded settlements. Rescuers and local authorities are organising supplies of drinking water and food for people in the flooded area.

As you can see it cuts right across my route so I am hoping that by the time I reach there around the 20th August I will be able to cross the area.