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Post by William Wilson on Jul 24, 2017 8:02:37 GMT
Am off with a mate to watch Dynamo Kiev take on Shaktar Donetsk, on October 21st. They absolutely hate each other.
This is from the corresponding game, back in April.
£125 return with British Airways, direct flight Heathrow to Kiev. 4 star hotel costs £20/night. It`s cheaper than staying at home.
Luckily my wife refuses to fly anywhere, otherwise I`d be spending the week in Torremolinos. Or somewhere similar.
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 23, 2017 17:19:58 GMT
Hope you had a good trip & game.
Used to go to Kiev a bit. Lovely city, and the Ukrainians are nicer than the Russians generally. Although the Russians are OK in my book.
Anyone interested should go in the Springtime, around Easter. Good idea to get a grip with the cyrillic alphabet, which is a lot easier than it looks.
Recommend Khortytsa VIP vodka.
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 23, 2017 17:22:59 GMT
Gashead in (Russian) cyrillic would probably be written something like "гасхед" !
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Post by William Wilson on Aug 23, 2017 19:07:13 GMT
Hope you had a good trip & game. Used to go to Kiev a bit. Lovely city, and the Ukrainians are nicer than the Russians generally. Although the Russians are OK in my book. Anyone interested should go in the Springtime, around Easter. Good idea to get a grip with the cyrillic alphabet, which is a lot easier than it looks. Recommend Khortytsa VIP vodka. Am looking forward to it, thanks. Have been to Russia a couple of times; the last was in June just gone, when I spent a week looking round Volgograd ( previously Stalingrad ). It`s definitely an advantage to have some understanding of their alphabet, if only to help prevent you from being permanently lost. My mate and I have booked a trip up to Chernobyl for the day, while we are in the Ukraine. Have a good look at the stricken power station, and a few hours wandering around Pripyat, the city abandoned the day after No.4 reactor blew up. Have seen some footage of it on Youtube. Looks pretty grim, but no worse than east Glasgow in the early 70s. Agree with what you say about the Russians. They don`t laugh a lot, do they, but not at all unfriendly. |
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 24, 2017 8:26:10 GMT
If you like history/museums, the State Museum of the Great War in Kiev (overlooking the Dnieper) is very good. The National Art Museum and Russian Art gallery are very good too. Watch out for the begging children on Khreshatik St (the Maidan end of it).
Some day a trip to Odesa is recommended. And of course Irkutsk (RUS) & Lake Baikal, but its a good 6h flight from MOS and big time difference. Went there for a weekend - out Friday night, back Sunday night (not recommended). Got horribly sloshed on Sat night, so spent a very queasy Sunday on a fishing boat on Baikal !!
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Post by William Wilson on Aug 25, 2017 7:19:40 GMT
If you like history/museums, the State Museum of the Great War in Kiev (overlooking the Dnieper) is very good. The National Art Museum and Russian Art gallery are very good too. Watch out for the begging children on Khreshatik St (the Maidan end of it). Some day a trip to Odesa is recommended. And of course Irkutsk (RUS) & Lake Baikal, but its a good 6h flight from MOS and big time difference. Went there for a weekend - out Friday night, back Sunday night (not recommended). Got horribly sloshed on Sat night, so spent a very queasy Sunday on a fishing boat on Baikal !! Will definitely check out the war museum. Not so sure about the art galleries. But thanks for the tip. The war museum in Volgograd was something else. It was a real experience to sit behind the wheel of a Katyusha rocket launcher, that saw service during the battle for the city in 1942/43. Am thinking about the Crimea for next summer. Would like to see Yalta, and Sebastopol, and to walk across the fields where Lord Cardigan`s Light Brigade made their ill advised charge, towards the Russian guns. And have a few beers, watching the sun go down over the Black Sea. Just wish the Crimea had remained part of Ukraine. Much easier country to travel to than Russia, visa wise. Another morning in the Russian embassy in London, looks on the cards. Many years ago, I travelled on the Trans-Siberian train, from Vladivostok to Moscow, and we stopped at Irkutsk en route. Nice clean city, and we spent a day cruising on Lake Baikal. Happy days. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2017 7:40:17 GMT
If you like history/museums, the State Museum of the Great War in Kiev (overlooking the Dnieper) is very good. The National Art Museum and Russian Art gallery are very good too. Watch out for the begging children on Khreshatik St (the Maidan end of it). Some day a trip to Odesa is recommended. And of course Irkutsk (RUS) & Lake Baikal, but its a good 6h flight from MOS and big time difference. Went there for a weekend - out Friday night, back Sunday night (not recommended). Got horribly sloshed on Sat night, so spent a very queasy Sunday on a fishing boat on Baikal !! Will definitely check out the war museum. Not so sure about the art galleries. But thanks for the tip. The war museum in Volgograd was something else. It was a real experience to sit behind the wheel of a Katyusha rocket launcher, that saw service during the battle for the city in 1942/43. Am thinking about the Crimea for next summer. Would like to see Yalta, and Sebastopol, and to walk across the fields where Lord Cardigan`s Light Brigade made their ill advised charge, towards the Russian guns. And have a few beers, watching the sun go down over the Black Sea. Just wish the Crimea had remained part of Ukraine. Much easier country to travel to than Russia, visa wise. Another morning in the Russian embassy in London, looks on the cards. Many years ago, I travelled on the Trans-Siberian train, from Vladivostok to Moscow, and we stopped at Irkutsk en route. Nice clean city, and we spent a day cruising on Lake Baikal. Happy days. Yep, the Crimea is a trip I'd like to make as well. |
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 28, 2017 15:18:05 GMT
Have been to Yalta. Flew to Simferopol from Kiev in a really old YAK-42, then taxi to Yalta. Its a couple of hours to Yalta if I remember correctly, but the fare was only about £20 if that. We got the taxi from a rank in town. Airport taxis charge a lot more. There is a trolley bus to Yalta from Simferopol, but it's probably quicker to walk and you won't have a granny & the chickens on your lap !!
Yalta is OK, but there's no beach to speak of. A boat ride to the Swallow's Nest is worth it. There is a Hotel Bristol not far from the harbour, and the standard is Ok. Breakfast on the terrace in front is nice.
If you like sweet wine with your pud, try Massandra Muscat - it's absolutely brilliant, as good as Sauternes or Barsac (although it's red). It is from a Crimean winery. Oh yes, and Crimean 'Champagne' with breakfast.
Definitely Happy Days.
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Post by William Wilson on Aug 29, 2017 7:08:50 GMT
Have been to Yalta. Flew to Simferopol from Kiev in a really old YAK-42, then taxi to Yalta. Its a couple of hours to Yalta if I remember correctly, but the fare was only about £20 if that. We got the taxi from a rank in town. Airport taxis charge a lot more. There is a trolley bus to Yalta from Simferopol, but it's probably quicker to walk and you won't have a granny & the chickens on your lap !! Yalta is OK, but there's no beach to speak of. A boat ride to the Swallow's Nest is worth it. There is a Hotel Bristol not far from the harbour, and the standard is Ok. Breakfast on the terrace in front is nice. If you like sweet wine with your pud, try Massandra Muscat - it's absolutely brilliant, as good as Sauternes or Barsac (although it's red). It is from a Crimean winery. Oh yes, and Crimean 'Champagne' with breakfast. Definitely Happy Days. Was Crimea still part of Ukraine then? I doubt if it`s as simple as getting on a plane from Kiev, these days. Shame. I`d have liked to have hired a car in Kiev, driven down to Crimea, had a good look round, then back north again. But 99% of Crimeans wanted to chuck their lot in with Russia, so that`s out. Will probably have to be a flight to Moscow, then on to Yalta. I see, they`re actually building a bridge between the two countries. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41071800The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of travelling to the former eastern bloc, looking at the cities and watching the local derby. Partizan V Red Star Belgrade looks good, as does CSKA Sofia V Legia Sofia. When I was a kid growing up, the only way a westerner could set foot in these places, was if you were shot down over one of them, like Gary Powers. The times, they are a changing. |
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Post by William Wilson on Aug 29, 2017 11:35:46 GMT
Will definitely check out the war museum. Not so sure about the art galleries. But thanks for the tip. The war museum in Volgograd was something else. It was a real experience to sit behind the wheel of a Katyusha rocket launcher, that saw service during the battle for the city in 1942/43. Am thinking about the Crimea for next summer. Would like to see Yalta, and Sebastopol, and to walk across the fields where Lord Cardigan`s Light Brigade made their ill advised charge, towards the Russian guns. And have a few beers, watching the sun go down over the Black Sea. Just wish the Crimea had remained part of Ukraine. Much easier country to travel to than Russia, visa wise. Another morning in the Russian embassy in London, looks on the cards. Many years ago, I travelled on the Trans-Siberian train, from Vladivostok to Moscow, and we stopped at Irkutsk en route. Nice clean city, and we spent a day cruising on Lake Baikal. Happy days. Yep, the Crimea is a trip I'd like to make as well. I`ll meet you down there. We can re-enact the battle. We can make a cannon out of a bit of drain pipe and a couple of pram wheels, and you can be a Russian soldier. I`ll borrow a donkey from a local farmer, make a lance out of a broom stick*, and charge down the pass towards you. It`ll look awesome on Youtube. * I won`t sharpen the end of it, in case one of us gets hurt. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2017 14:15:56 GMT
Yep, the Crimea is a trip I'd like to make as well. I`ll meet you down there. We can re-enact the battle. We can make a cannon out of a bit of drain pipe and a couple of pram wheels, and you can be a Russian soldier. I`ll borrow a donkey from a local farmer, make a lance out of a broom stick*, and charge down the pass towards you. It`ll look awesome on Youtube. * I won`t sharpen the end of it, in case one of us gets hurt. That sounds like a YouTube sensation! We'd be famous ! PS - You'll have to lose a bit of weight though. After all, it was the Light Brigade. |
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 29, 2017 14:24:01 GMT
Was Crimea still part of Ukraine then? I doubt if it`s as simple as getting on a plane from Kiev, these days. Shame. I`d have liked to have hired a car in Kiev, driven down to Crimea, had a good look round, then back north again. But 99% of Crimeans wanted to chuck their lot in with Russia, so that`s out. Will probably have to be a flight to Moscow, then on to Yalta. I see, they`re actually building a bridge between the two countries. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41071800The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of travelling to the former eastern bloc, looking at the cities and watching the local derby. Partizan V Red Star Belgrade looks good, as does CSKA Sofia V Legia Sofia. When I was a kid growing up, the only way a westerner could set foot in these places, was if you were shot down over one of them, like Gary Powers. The times, they are a changing.Yes it was all UA then. There were / are a lot of Tatars still in Crimea when I went (circa 2010). The aforementioned taxi driver was one. At the end of the journey he turned to me with a smile and said in English "F##k you Russian". Which I still don't know whether it means "your Russian language is effing awful" or "F##k speaking Russian" or "F##k you Russians" ! Perhaps I should have told him he had some sauce saying that (groan). Ah Gary Powers. The remains of his plane are in the military museum in Moscow. Apparently the Russians fired two missiles. The first hit a Russian plane which had its transponder turned off. The second one hit GP. Some you win, some you lose.... |
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 29, 2017 14:27:26 GMT
Have been to Yalta. Flew to Simferopol from Kiev in a really old YAK-42, then taxi to Yalta. Its a couple of hours to Yalta if I remember correctly, but the fare was only about £20 if that. We got the taxi from a rank in town. Airport taxis charge a lot more. There is a trolley bus to Yalta from Simferopol, but it's probably quicker to walk and you won't have a granny & the chickens on your lap !! Yalta is OK, but there's no beach to speak of. A boat ride to the Swallow's Nest is worth it. There is a Hotel Bristol not far from the harbour, and the standard is Ok. Breakfast on the terrace in front is nice. If you like sweet wine with your pud, try Massandra Muscat - it's absolutely brilliant, as good as Sauternes or Barsac (although it's red). It is from a Crimean winery. Oh yes, and Crimean 'Champagne' with breakfast. Definitely Happy Days. Was Crimea still part of Ukraine then? I doubt if it`s as simple as getting on a plane from Kiev, these days. Shame. I`d have liked to have hired a car in Kiev, driven down to Crimea, had a good look round, then back north again. But 99% of Crimeans wanted to chuck their lot in with Russia, so that`s out. Will probably have to be a flight to Moscow, then on to Yalta. I see, they`re actually building a bridge between the two countries. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41071800The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of travelling to the former eastern bloc, looking at the cities and watching the local derby. Partizan V Red Star Belgrade looks good, as does CSKA Sofia V Legia Sofia. When I was a kid growing up, the only way a westerner could set foot in these places, was if you were shot down over one of them, like Gary Powers. The times, they are a changing. |
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Post by e4bandrobinstubbs on Aug 29, 2017 14:32:48 GMT
Part of UA. There were / are a lot of Tatars in Crimea. One was our driver on the aforementioned journey to Yalta. At the end of the journey he turned to me and said "F##k you Russian". I'm not sure if he meant "your Russian is effing awful" or "F##k you Russians" or "F##k your Russian" ! I should have told him he had a real sauce saying that (groan). I would have thought the Tatars would have wanted to stay in UA after what Uncle Joe did to them.
Gary Powers - his plane's wreckage is in the military museum in Moscow.
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Post by William Wilson on Aug 30, 2017 6:15:42 GMT
I`ll meet you down there. We can re-enact the battle. We can make a cannon out of a bit of drain pipe and a couple of pram wheels, and you can be a Russian soldier. I`ll borrow a donkey from a local farmer, make a lance out of a broom stick*, and charge down the pass towards you. It`ll look awesome on Youtube. * I won`t sharpen the end of it, in case one of us gets hurt. That sounds like a YouTube sensation! We'd be famous ! PS - You'll have to lose a bit of weight though. After all, it was the Light Brigade. Fair point. And it`s no good, you wearing a Moscow Dynamo shirt. They hadn`t been invented then. |
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Post by William Wilson on Aug 31, 2017 7:04:37 GMT
Part of UA. There were / are a lot of Tatars in Crimea. One was our driver on the aforementioned journey to Yalta. At the end of the journey he turned to me and said "F##k you Russian". I'm not sure if he meant "your Russian is effing awful" or "F##k you Russians" or "F##k your Russian" ! I should have told him he had a real sauce saying that (groan). I would have thought the Tatars would have wanted to stay in UA after what Uncle Joe did to them. Gary Powers - his plane's wreckage is in the military museum in Moscow. Tatar sauce. Very good. As a pun that is; am not too keen on the taste. |
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Post by William Wilson on Sept 7, 2017 6:35:28 GMT
Have been looking into a trip to the Crimea, for next summer.
It doesn`t look as if you can fly from the UK to Simferopol on one ticket. Have to take two completely unconnected flights.
Looks like one would have to book a flight from London to Moscow, retrieve your luggage from the plane, and check it in again for the second flight down to the Crimea. Same on the return journey. Hardly an insurmountable problem, but a pain in the arse.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 7:07:42 GMT
Have been looking into a trip to the Crimea, for next summer. It doesn`t look as if you can fly from the UK to Simferopol on one ticket. Have to take two completely unconnected flights. Looks like one would have to book a flight from London to Moscow, retrieve your luggage from the plane, and check it in again for the second flight down to the Crimea. Same on the return journey. Hardly an insurmountable problem, but a pain in the arse. I found the same problem a few years back when I was looking to do the same. It's just a difficult place to get to ! |
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Post by William Wilson on Sept 7, 2017 9:25:19 GMT
Have been looking into a trip to the Crimea, for next summer. It doesn`t look as if you can fly from the UK to Simferopol on one ticket. Have to take two completely unconnected flights. Looks like one would have to book a flight from London to Moscow, retrieve your luggage from the plane, and check it in again for the second flight down to the Crimea. Same on the return journey. Hardly an insurmountable problem, but a pain in the arse. I found the same problem a few years back when I was looking to do the same. It's just a difficult place to get to ! Doesn`t even look as if Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Simferopol. That doesn`t inspire confidence in the overall situation. Don`t really fancy Rasputin Airlines or the like, but needs must. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 10:12:46 GMT
I found the same problem a few years back when I was looking to do the same. It's just a difficult place to get to ! Doesn`t even look as if Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Simferopol. That doesn`t inspire confidence in the overall situation. Don`t really fancy Rasputin Airlines or the like, but needs must. Maybe this is the time for that Yak Trek you've always hankered over? |
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