First the whole world followed the unrest in Kiev. Now the eyes of the world are on the Crimean peninsula and the city of Sevastopol. Crimea is an autonomous republic in Ukraine, where a majority of the population speaks Russian. It voted in favour of Viktor Yanukovych in the 2010 elections and now many Crimeans believe he was the victim of a coup d'état.
"A spark can cause war"
Yesterday, 2000 Russian soldiers reportedly landed at an airbase outside Sevastopol. "Now a spark can cause war", an expert tells DN, and the whole world is holding its breath. Read more about the crisis at Aftonbladet and DN.
We visited the Crimean peninsula in 2008
We visited the Crimean peninsula in the summer of 2008, when we tried a sun and sea holiday on the Black Sea. We flew to Odessa, took a train to Simferopol and from there a bus to Yalta on the coast. We remember Crimean peninsula as a mountainous and beautiful peninsula, where the air was fresh and full of holiday spirit.
The women were fashionably dressed in hats and high heels and the men sat back in the bars with their big bellies in the air. The exotic feeling was one of blending in visually but struggling to be understood.
We got by on slow simplified English combined with basic Russian phrases. Now we, like the rest of the world, are holding our breath. Here are some pictures from our trip in Crimea.
Hotel Ukraine in Kiev - and the Arena Citi nightclub
Yesterday we moved to Hotel Ukraina here in Kiev. Nice to have a change of scenery! A little walk...
Sun holidays on the Crimean peninsula in 2008 - before the Crimean crisis
The Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. We tell you about the wonderful holiday in Yalta, Ukraine in 2008 before the Crimean crisis in 2014....
Avalon nightclub in Kiev
We visited the Avalon nightclub in Kiev on New Year's Eve. Here is the ultimate party palace in Kiev...
Ukrainian fast food - a visit to Puzata Hata
We've become completely enamoured with Ukrainian fast food! In Ukraine, there is a domestic fast food chain called...
What is happening in Crimea?
What is happening in Crimea? Do you find it hard to keep up? Political crises are...
Lavra cave monastery in Kiev
Overlooking the Dnieper River, the Kiev Cave Monastery is one of Kiev's main attractions....
Restaurant Tsarskoe Selo in Kiev - an experience.
The Tsarskoe Selo theme restaurant in Kiev offers lively performances by Ukrainian musicians in traditional dress. Here...
Odessa, Ukraine - sun holiday 2008
Today we tell you about our 2008 trip to Odessa, Ukraine, which we did together with...
Sweden and Ukraine - almost the same flag
Today the Swedish and Ukrainian national football teams meet in Kiev, and Peter is glued to the match....
Winter in Kiev - a snowy Ukraine
It's winter in Kiev after a few days of higher temperatures. Today we show some pictures that...
Impressions from the trip to Kiev
Now we are home from Kiev and back at work... We can definitely recommend Kiev...
Restaurant Pervak in Kiev - with a cool interior design
Now we have tried the Pervak restaurant in Kiev. The second evening in Kiev we could finally go...
Shopping in Ukraine - bargains in Kiev
Oh, it's so much fun to go shopping in Ukraine! There is no...
Travelling in Ukraine - our top tips
We have just returned from our third trip to Ukraine. We have been both in...
War in Ukraine - reading the news with trepidation
Every morning we open our mobile phones with trepidation and wonder, what has happened now? Maybe it's...
New Year's Eve in Kiev - celebrating New Year in Ukraine
So it was time to celebrate New Year in Ukraine! We started our New Year's Eve in Kiev...
Kiev in Ukraine - travel guide to Kiev's gems
We've visited the capital city of Kiev in Ukraine twice, and this city is actually one of the...
Marina says:
Ugh yes, it's scary when you realise how many places are burning and the question is how long it will take before it becomes more than that...
01 March 2014 - 9:47
Deciree says:
It looks great:) But it is so boring when it is like this. Why should people fight? Imagine if everyone was happy. What a nice world we would have then:-))
01 March 2014 - 12:22
BP says:
Well, we have been following the situation via the BBC and now there are 6,000 soldiers there.
I think it's great that you show "normal" holiday pictures from Ukraine for us to see what it looked like.
All pictures - except the tourist boat - are very reminiscent of Sopot and Jurmala/Majori - the same "Russian" piece - even the train.
01 March 2014 - 15:53
Agneta says:
Yes, it is unfortunate that developments there are so tense. The next few days will probably be decisive and we can only cross our fingers and hope that war is avoided.
Looks like a nice place for a holiday
01 March 2014 - 18:34
admin says:
Marina, we are following developments with concern...
Deciree, it may not be easy to be satisfied if you experience injustice. But why do leaders who already have so much have to have more... one wonders?
BP, we have so many nice memories from Ukraine, so it's sad that you only see pictures of soldiers now... Of course there are some similarities with other Eastern countries. For example, you can see people standing up and sunbathing.
😉
Agneta, yes, it is unsettled these days, and you wonder what is happening. Ukraine is (usually) a great country to holiday in!
02 March 2014 - 16:30