Kvarim Trip 5768 1 or Ukraine in the Rain

In the past, we took this trip in the summer. This year it didn't work out, and we started out late Saturday night, arriving back at home early Wednesday morning. It took us longer than we'd planned, because we had rain almost the entire way! We also forgot to take into consideration that northern Ukraine is considerably chillier now than Crimea, so we were pretty cold. The spiritual side though, more than made up for the lack of physical warmth.

Remember that Ukraine used to be known as the bread basket of Europe. The scenery along the way is fields, fields, and more fields. Wheat and barley alternate with corn, sunflowers, and other grains. In the north, there are more forests. Amidst the fields and forests is the occasional village. At this time of the year, the hay is more often than not already gathered up into huge haystacks. At the side of the road, lie large piles of logs and winter squash. Geese, ducks, and chickens run wild near their owners homes. In the rainy weather, they had a ball finding worms.

Northern Ukraine also produces neft -- crude oil, and flames atop pipes can be seen from afar.

Of course there is one thing that absolutely will be seen in every town. It is probably more sure than even birth, death, and taxes, and that is a statue of father Lenin.