Paul & Lauren’s Travels

What better way to show Liz and Reece around Ukraine than to take them to Lviv for the weekend.  We explored markets around town.  This one was a book market.  A market is not a market with out a monument.

Blaine came to visit and the Swanies were united once more.  One glorious week of company and food from home… Tim Tams and Daralea Licorice.  It was great to have Blaine stay with us.  He even joined us in the Kiev experience of no hot water.  We had a fun week just hanging out.  On the 12th of October, Blaine continued on his trip.

It seems like it was yesterday; it was September, our street was completely dug up and all the water pipes replaced. But that was last year, and this is now. I was willing to give the local water department credit for upgrading our local infrastructure last year, but as they’ve seen fit to completely repeat the exercise this year it’s time for a lampooning. Dunderheads! Over a month without hot water and note the the safety measures … that caution tape ought to keep Grandma and her pooch from tumbling into the abyss.

Breaking the long drought of blog posts, mostly as a result of our camera being stolen, I start with this weekend just past. Lauren and I took a strategic weekend off in L’viv to swan around and feel all European for a little while, well, by “swan around” I mean “hop” and by “feel all European” I mean not being in Kiev. For the most part it worked a treat! Once again we enjoyed the cosy atmosphere of Cafe 1 (featured above) for breakfasts, and the delicious cuisine and warm hospitality at the Acropolis Tavern.

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This post is just to remind us that, though daily we trudge through snowy sludge and chance sidewalks of ice, it is still Autumn! That, and I just like this picture I took of a country cottage in Kagarlyk on the October break. Sorry, no great insights found here today.

To retreat from the bustle and concrete of Kiev, we visited Wayne and Olya for two days. This was fantastic as we were looking forward to seeing them and the boys. We had a great time. We particularly enjoyed watching what mischief the boys could get up to with a balloon each, and the stroll through the park. Although the Autumn leaves had mostly fallen form their branches, the ground was covered in every leaf and colour one could imagine. In Australia we have green, brown…and well, green and brown:)

For something completely different, in the evening we watched a movie in ENGLISH with Wayne and Olya. It was great.

From somewhere beyond the sea, waiting to meet us at the metro in Ukraine was Joy Gratez and her two friends. We meet them at the metro, and had a wonderful evening over dinner at TGI Fridays. We laughed about some of our similar experiences in Ukraine, and had great chats about home. We strolled down the main street, chatting as we went. It was so precious to see Joy a friend from home, it was hard to say good bye at the end of the night. We had a fantastic time with them it was our highlight in October.

Hey this is my comfort zone… Inside the early childhood unit (ECU) at my school. I have enjoyed getting to know the children in the unit, the families and and my colleagues Pat and Susan. I also enjoy working with Aida, Tanya and Anna the assistants in the ECU.

I have also conceptualised and ran professional development course for the ECU. The first part of the course went really well. All the staff came as did the head of primary, Sharon. I received great feedback. I will be leading the second part of the course in two weeks. I have also been asked to then present it to the primary staff as a whole. I am really excited about this opportunity. I will let you know how it goes.

Check out the road works! Just so you know you know, the road works are just down from our apartment. So currently we have no hot water:( The Endless Entertainment here! Laugh and smile:)