When I was a little girl, I often watched Russian children's films.
The Stars in these films always seemed to go on exciting adventures
during their summer vacations.
These memories from my youth are the reason that I feel
enormously attracted to countries from the former Soviet Union.
This summer we'll visit Ukraine
a country about which we actually know very little.
In elementary school, I learned that Ukraine
has been the breadbasket or Europe for many decades
Then there was the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl.
The European football UEFA 2012
recently attracted a lot of media attention.
Journalists spoke about corruption and political abuse.
We'll leave these problems to the journalists.
Instead, we're going on a quest to find the beautiful sides of Ukraine.
We'll go on an adventure like the stars of the children's films.
For one balmy summer, we'll cycle past castles,
colourful little houses
and yes... even a candy factory!
Ukrainian cyclists help me to prepare the trip.
Dasha, Igor and SIavik e-mail me great tips,
not to be found in any guidebooks.
We'll visit them when we're in Ukraine.
Where we going?
Bila Serkva.
I don't speak Ukrainian
No Ukrainian? Are you speak English?
No I don't speak Russian.
The official language is Ukrainian
but a lot of Ukrainian also speak Russian
and some regions use it daily.
Other foreign languages are rarely spoken
Writing and reading is in the Cyrillic alphabet.
Everyday things like ordering food is therefore sometimes quite complicated
but food is very important for cyclists
so we quickly learned the names of delicious things.
Besides learning a new language, we also learned many new dishes.
ukr. печеня (pechenya)* rus.* жаркое (zharkoe)* surzhyk* жарке (zharke) - hotpot, roast meat
борщ зі сметаною borshch - red beet soup with meat and sour cream
Банош Banosh - Polenta, cornmeal porridge
Гречана каша Hrechana kasha - buckwheat porridge
Салат Salat
Вареники Varenyky - Dumpling
Сало Salo - Pig fat bar food
Таранка Taranka - Dried fish bar food
The Ukrainians rarely refuse vodka or beer.
Fortunately there is also a popular soda.
Kvas is a sweet-sour fermented drink
made from rye bread and dried fruits
We simply love it - we drink at least one liter every day.
We also eat ice cream - every day!
The Ukrainians are crazy for ice cream
and even in the smallest villages you can find at least five types.
One of the nicest things about travelling by bike
is the chance to meet people along the roadside
Ukrainians are very nice, if a bit reserved to begin with.
That changes quickly.
In reality they love to chat.
The first question is mostly whether you are from Poland
It doesn't matter that we hardly speak Ukrainian or Russian,
a deluge of words and stories always follows.
Bakota Monastry
The bicycle is an important means of transport.
Despite this, we see few bike tourists.
We only meet a few Polish and Ukrainian bikers in the Carpathians
the mountain region f Ukraine.
The roads are mostly quiet
The quality of the road surface is often mediocre
but this road beats all the others
through a river.... upstream!
This morning we thought the road was very beautiful
but not anymore; not on a bicycle.
We have to carry our luggage separately, back and forth.
But hey, this is bike touring. Isn't it?
Is this bike touring?
I think it's more like dragging the bike behind you,
If you're travelling by bike, you never know where you'll sleep at night.
Tonight we arrived 24:00 at Kolomya
We didn't feel like searching for a hotel in the pitch dark.
But luckily Ukraine has train stations with rooms.
Campsites don't exist, except occasionally in the Carpathians.
This means that we often camp wild,
in the most beautiful spots.
Fortunately even the smallest villages have shops
and even plenty of water for a take-away shower.
In 2007 there is a national survey
to choose the Seven Wonders of Ukraine
They choose places like the Sofiyivsky park in Uman
the castle of Kamayanets-Podilsky
and the Kotyn fortress.
Ukrainians love to be photographed in these spots,
on their wedding day, for example.
These Ukrainian wonders are very nice but for us
the everyday things along the road are the real highlights of Ukraine.
This summer we discovered Ukraine,
a country which we knew very little about.
Like a child that discovers the world,
we are surprised about the things we discover.
What we discover is beautiful.
Small colourful houses, naive Soviet art
and ice cream - every day!
Endless corn and sunflower-fields.
Dense forests.
Nice people and good food.
Ukraine is a good cycling country!
But didn't you also go to a candy factory?
Yeah what about the candy factory?
Oh yes, I nearly forgot.
Vinnytsia is the town with the biggest candy factory
in all of the former Soviet Union.
Roshen treats visitors not only to sweets
but also to one of the largest water ballets In the world.