After flying pretty much non-stop from San Diego yesterday (leaving at 7 in the morning) Kongo arrives in Kiev at 1130 AM the next day (today). He did have about an hour layover in Atlanta and another hour in Paris to stretch his monkey legs. After checking into his hotel he headed out for a few hours of walking around Kiev. It was a pretty dreary day weather-wise. A rain had just ended but low clouds hung over everything. Temperature in the mid-40s.

Above is the Saint Volodymyr Cathedral, only a few blocks from Kongo’s hotel.

This cathedral, built in the Byzantine style, took 30 years to complete and was finished in 1896. It’s domes are a striking blue emblazoned with stars. Czar Nicholas II was there when it opened.

Above is Kongo’s hotel. The picture isn’t crooked, it sits on a fairly steep incline. The boutique Opera Hotel is three blocks from the Kiev Opera House which is shown below. Kongo will do a review on the hotel before he leaves but so far he’s pretty happy with everything.

Above is an entrance to one of Kiev’s many underground metro stations. Kongo will be riding the Metro later in the week and if they’re anything like the subways in Moscow, he’s in for a treat!

Below is another view of St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral showing the main entrance.

Kongo samples some Ukrainian vodka. It goes down pretty smooth. He was thinking of ordering a vodka martini but he has a business dinner tonight.

Vodka martinis always remind Kongo of one of the most quotable women of the 20th century. A New York socialite, author, and all-around woman-of-the-world, Dorothy Parker once said: “I love my martinis, two at the most, three I’m under the table, four I’m under the host!”

The photo below, taken from the window as Kongo’s Air France flight left Paris, left him wondering about the beauty of the City of Light. The only light in this murky day in Paris was the sunlight catching the engine on the Air Bus. Somewhere down there is the Eiffel Tower!

Travel safe. Have fun.