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1May2008-PM-Odessa

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Vladimir and Sveta posing in front of the "Orange" - a monument to the merchants of Odessa who, afraid that Russia would not include Odessa in their trade routes, presented Tzar Pavel I (the person in the monument with an orange in his hand) with 3000 oranges. The Tzar really liked oranges (I guess they were unknown in Russia at the time) and was so taken with the gesture he extended trade to Odessa. This act is credited with saving Odessa. Vladimir and Sveta were kind enough to spend May 1st (May Day) with me showing me parts of Odessa that I wouldn't otherwise be able to see. The rest of the pictures on this page are from that day.
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Water fountain in the Park of Victory. This park is dedicated to the Ukrainian victory in WWII. Through the mist you can see a horse drawn carriage.
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The promenade in Arcadia - a district in Odessa next to the beach. Their version of Santa Cruz without the Slugs. I especially liked the accordion player.
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Another view of the promenade in Arcadia. It was a slightly cold, cloudy day, but still a popular place to visit.
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The beach on the Sea in Arcadia. Notice the uneven sand line - an artifact of a man made beach.
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The same beach in Arcadia after a few people showed up! (OK, I'm kidding. I grabbed this off the Internet. But it really is a piece of the Arcadia beach, on a nice, summer day. Speedos are more popular than they should be!)
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Now on to another beach - a favorite of Vladimir and Sveta's named "The 13th Station of Big Fountain". Saw one guy working on his kite sailing. Notice the lifeguard stand on the pier. I'm guessing the water is only 6 ft. deep there, so the lifeguard didn't jump in from the tower (unlike the guards from the Santa Monica pier in L.A.!) So, I assume that if there was an emergency the guard would scramble down the stairs and then jump into the water. If I was the guard you don't want to be drowning! I don't do scramble.
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Another view of The 13th Station of Big Fountain beach. So named because of the name of a nearby train station. It was the 13th train station on this particular route, and it was near a large fountain in an area where drinking water was scarce. The fountain is no longer there, but the name stuck.
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A view of the 13th Station of Big Fountain beach
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Another view. I liked them both, so I kept them.
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Another view. OK, so I liked all three of them.
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This beautiful house was the location of a famous movie made in Odessa. The movie was about the growth of the Russian mob after WWII. The title of the movie, roughly translated, is "Elimination". Vladimir's mother, a doctor, has a clinic on the second floor, pair of windows right of center.
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Same house, showing the fountain in the back. This house is about 50 yards from the cliff above the 13th Station of Big Fountain beach. See how it all ties together?