Odessa Spendthrifts

We wandered through the streets of Odessa today, determined to spend the little Ukrainian cash we had before leaving the country tonight. Doug and I are the worst shoppers. Casually strolling in and out of stores seems to be beyond us. Give me a shopping list and I will go in, get what's needed, and leave.


I was, however, able to wander aimlessly in and out of various courtyards. I guess the main fascination for me is that they are mostly off-limits; and I want what I can't have. One of the nicer shopping courtyards (not even remotely kapu) was roofed over making it into a mall.

This evening as the ship was about to depart, the Odessa Chamber Orchestra gave an hour performance in the lobby. I hadn't realized from the previous entertainment how great the acoustics are in that space. A soloist from the Odessa Opera Company also did a few numbers. The music has additional impact when you are only a few feet from the performers. Wow!