The Hat Ladies

While being on a trip, it is always nice to have something to focus on when taking photos. I met a woman who focused on butterflies. It did not take too long and I had found my personal focus: hats. Crimea is definitely a hat place.

Hat lady in Sevastopol

Hats in Mischor

For the less fortunate the city provides alternatives in a larger scale:

Promenade in Yalta

Hat lady in Cimeis

Even though there were hats everywhere, I remained a scarf-person. For practical reasons. I have watched hats flying away for good in the fresh breeze. (picture taken before the tanning set in)

Back in Vienna

Hello!

I am back from my trip and spent four intense, beautiful and educating weeks.
Now I am busy converting the RAW files into JPGS.

I did not expect my outfit to match the appearance of ancient chapels that well. I am almost invisible ;-) (Day 1 of our trip - before the tanning set in).

Lunch in a Crim-Tartarian-Restaurant, you sit on cusions. It was an open air restaurant, no windows, just curtains waving in the breeze.

Inside a cellar in a 400-year-old-cave village on a mountain top. Now that I see the photo I realise I jumped on the omnipresent adidas-band wagon. adidas seems to be the only sport-label in the Ukraine.

The only downside during our trip was the fact that bears had been extinct on the Crimea long ago. The bears could not make new friends. Bruno did not seem to mind, Marie-Curie was a bit upset at first.

On our way to the mountains

Unexpected sights in the woods

New settlements, called microregion. Crim-Tartars who had been deported in the Stalin-regime return to the Crimea.

Wild West in the East? Reminds me of old Western Towns: wide streets, no pavement, two-storey-buildings.

I guess you can tell I have been to a country that is very different from my home-country.

How have you been, how are you?
Paula

Bruno and Marie Curie

While I was busy packing the Mozartkugeln, these two blind passengers took advantage - I was in the other room - and jumped into the backpack.

Long story short: I found them before these blind passangers had the chance to board the airplane. We just had a brief talk, regarding safety regulations, scissors etc.

They explained: how they wish visit the country of their ancestors. I admit, I can't resisit those eyes.
And they seemed sooo excited about the trip. Their last trip to France was not that successful: no bears sightings at all.
Well, so we are going to travel as a group of 4. How nice!