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My morning run: About 1/4 mile into my run I see normal stuff I see at home: stairs to run down, graffiti on the wall, and a canon. No, wait, maybe the canon is a bit unusual...
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A one-lane road that I like running up, because when cars come down they have to go really slow - there are divots in this road that can swallow a VW. So when I run up I weave in between cars coming down. Exciting - especially when I can't understand what the drivers are yelling!
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One of the entrances to Shevchenko Park, about the size of Golden Gate Park, only wrapped abound the coastline of the Black Sea. You can see the aquatic theme of the park. This is about 3/4 of a mile from the hotel - I run around in the park when I can. That's a restaurant on the right. The free mixture of what we consider "enterprises" (private businesses) and public areas (e.g. parks) is common, since, at one time, they were all "owned" by the "public" (government.)
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Harbor in the Black Sea seen from the Park. Just like the Oakland terminal except different kinds of letters on the cranes.
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I'm guessing this is what's left of a fort or lookout. It's on a point in the Black Sea, so it's a good place to spot approaching enemy ships. I later found out that this is called the Quarantine Wall.
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This is a monument in the park called the Monument to the Unknown Sailor. It is dedicated to the sailers who fought and died in WWII. It is the site of a huge observance on May 10th to commemorate the end of German occupation of Odessa near the end of WWII.
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Close-up of the front of the monument. The metal "wreath" in the foreground is surrounding an eternal flame (next picture.) Flowers have been placed at the base of the Monument.
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The flame. Doesn't show up in a picture. I didn't know that....
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Close-up of the base. Notice the cast of the rifle and hat.
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Standing at the monument looking the other way you'll see a long walkway with memorials on both sides. I couldn't read them.
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There is some kind of water-based theme park and lots of concessions on the edge of the Sea in the park. Their version of Sea World.
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A concrete breakwater with what's left of a pier. People fishing all around here.
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More concrete walls/piers on the beach. They extend out in the water for about 50 yards, and are tied to underwater walls that break up the surge and waves that travel towards shore.
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A beach.
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Cool dog.
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More beach.
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A double-decker pier connected to a breakwater paralleling the shore creating an artificial lagoon.
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More of the lagoon.
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The water here is about 12 feed deep - fairly clear. Notice the rusty railing. The sea will have its way with most of these structures in short order.
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More beach and concrete pier.
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OK, finally got someone in a Speedo. But not swimming!
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Notice the different kinds of sand. The dark line of "sand" separating the dark gray sand near the water from the lighter gray sand in the foreground is actually made up of very small shells. The shells, and darker gray sand, is sand dredged up from the bottom of the sea. The lighter gray sand is trucked in from river beds. Sand is not natural on the coast here.
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Surf. about 4".
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Advertisement - I assume for the concession up (on the right of) the beach.
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A close-up of the shells dredged from the bottom of the Black Sea and used to fill in the beach.
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More beach. Guy in Speedo (different guy) just finished his 10 second swim.
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Life guard stand. I think I'll just sit on the sand, thank you....
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Stairs. Deceivingly difficult to run up, since they have moved a bit since they were built, and the size of each step is not constant. I've noticed that it's not uncommon for stairs to have uneven treads, even newer ones. It's amazing how even a 1" difference is noticed when you walk up stairs.
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A fairly common bird around here, but I've never seen them before. Size of a large crow, with a long tail, black and gray.
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Two more birds.
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