Trip to the Market - Sunday, Feb. 15th

Last night after a small dinner of cheese, crackers and pepperoni (we have not really shopped for food yet); we took it easy and watched some Soprano’s - thank you Frank. Then stayed up late to talk to Ben, Cathy, Robbin and Bill on Skype.

This morning we went back to the market to pick up some things for the apartment and to get some food. We needed a couple of knives, dish towels, hand soap and a rug for the front door. The door mat was 24 grivna ($3).

I love the market. I love the vegetables and herbs, I love all the bread and cookie stands, but most of all I love the fresh foods…..the meats and cheeses. This fascinates me. Sunday is a big day at the market, lots of people. I smiled and waved at the woman that gave us cheese samples, she recognized me and smiled back. Best to become familiar I think. We got some pork chops and eggs. There is a station where they are scooping out cottage cheese and another where they are pouring milk into recycled bottles.

The exchange rate here is 8 to 1. Everything is so cheap. The pork chops were only about $1. Bottled water in the liter size bottle is only about 50 cents. Roger is buying Stella Atois in extra large bottles – 60 cents.

Before we leave the market we get some potatoes and an onion. There are a huge selection of cookies and pastries. I get three of something, not sure what it is, to share with Elona. They turn out to be small cream puffs and they are delicious. Don’t worry about my waist line; we are getting plenty of exercise. This is a very hilly city. Just the walk from the bus stop to our apartment is about the same as 5 flights. The walk from the bus stop to the orphanage is up hill all the way also. And we haven’t even started to explore the city yet.

We get to the orphanage at 2:00 and meet Mama Irena. We have heard all about Mama Irena from Pam and Len. She is very good to the girls. With some difficulty, and help from our picture book, she asks if we would like to take Elona to the park. Sure. So off we go. It is cloudy and in the high 30’s as usual. We think the park will be across the street or something. Instead Elona leads us down to the main road and we walk for about a half mile to ‘the park’. It is more like an old kiddie park, with fanciful characters, some created in mosaics. A play ship you climb on and an area with mazes and bridges. There also rides, like swings and a merry-go-round. There is also a trampoline. Nothing seems to be supervised, including the trampoline. There are older kids jumping all over everywhere. Oh yeah, and there is bear. A real, very large brown bear, in a very small cage. This is really sad. Fortunately Elona doesn’t want to go on any of the rides and after a while, we ask her if she would like to go back to the orphanage and play more UNO. Thank goodness she says yes.

On the way home from the orphanage, Roger and I stop to buy beer and orange juice, the necessities. I am having trouble explaining that I want ‘orange’ juice. The last time we tried to buy orange juice we ended up with super sweet orange drink. As usual someone that speaks English steps up and offers to help. We have found this almost everywhere. In the restaurants we ask “English?” and there is usually someone that can help us, of course our restaurant experience so far is limited to McDonalds and the Potato House.

Tomorrow morning Galya will be picking us up and we will begin more paper work. We will go to meet Elona again at 4:30. Tonight we cooked our pork chops and watched more Sopranos’.