This morning it was time to leave Zaporozhye and head for Odessa. When Len said the road was bad he wasn’t kidding. There are some spots where we are having to slow to a crawl so we don’t break an axle going through the potholes. Even the potholes have potholes! About three hours into our drive, it started to rain. At first it was off in the distance and we seemed to be following it as I saw that the fields were flooded and then we caught up to it and it came down in torrents. Now we are having to not only dodge the potholes but also try to avoid the major splashing from the traffic coming the other way. It has been raining now for the past couple hours. We keep driving through storm cells and just when it looks like we’ve gone through the last one another appears. I don’t want to jinks it but I can finally see blue sky. The roads has also improved and if we were at home I would wonder what influential politician lived or had property in the area, not that I’m cynical …lol
The land is fairly flat on the way to Odessa and I’ve seen mile after mile of wheat and potatoes with the odd vineyard thrown in for good measure. We have passed through a few villages but for the most part very little civilization.
Just had lunch at a winery and got to taste their white and red. I found their white was a little too sweet but I quite enjoyed the red. Again there was way too much food. Beef borscht followed by shredded cabbage and thin sliced cucumber with a touch of oil and dill, no vinegar, followed by stew made with a bit of meat and lots of potatoes and we can’t forget home made buns, just like Grandma used to make. Then they brought dessert, jellied wine, both red and white. I really enjoyed that.
Back on the road and the rain seems to be easing off but I don’t see a lot of blue sky so we may have to wait until we get to Odessa.
We arrived in the pouring rain and flooded streets. Pity the poor people having to walk home with their shopping and trying to hold on to their umbrellas. I saw one young lady with a child in her arm and another little guy holding her coat trying to stay out of the deep puddles.
Just finished our supper and once again way too much food but tasty nonetheless. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure hoping the rain moves on.
Sandi Wight, Ukraine Mennonite Heritage tour participant
