Going to Kiev in 7 days, any tips?

[Nasturtium 500]

Rhinestone-studded jeans... as a fashion-conscious person the very idea makes me shudder.

[Nasturtium 500]

Re: CdG airport.. it is hands-down one of the worst airports of all time. It has been under construction every year I have been there since 1996, and there is zero to do in the MENA wing. They stick up out, way out, on the tarmac and you have to get a bus (which is open and delightful in the winter) to your plane. There are only so many times a non-drinker and look at whisky in the only store available in that area...

[slim 1,523]

Re: CdG airport.. it is hands-down one of the worst airports of all time.

Air France has a bus that goes downtown for something like $5. Instead of hanging out in CdG, head downtown and get a Royale wit Cheese.

[Nasturtium 500]

Air France has a bus that goes downtown for something like $5. Instead of hanging out in CdG, head downtown and get a Royale wit Cheese.

If I ever get stuck there again for any real amount of time, I'm going to check that out-- thanks. I do that when I get stuck in Amsterdam-- because it's an 8-9 hour layover. I take the train out and come back maybe 3 hours before I have to go. I've thought about getting a flight via Istanbul before too which has a 72 hour layover. That would be a quick trip of its own.

[slim 1,523]

If I ever get stuck there again for any real amount of time, I'm going to check that out-- thanks. I do that when I get stuck in Amsterdam-- because it's an 8-9 hour layover. I take the train out and come back maybe 3 hours before I have to go. I've thought about getting a flight via Istanbul before too which has a 72 hour layover. That would be a quick trip of its own.

I opted out of Amsterdam. I figured I wouldn't make my connecting flight if I laid (absolutely NO pun intened) over there.

Paris was cool and one of the checks on "the list" but I probably wouldn't make a point of laying over there if I didn't have to.

[Nasturtium 500]

I opted out of Amsterdam. I figured I wouldn't make my connecting flight if I laid (absolutely NO pun intened) over there.

Paris was cool and one of the checks on "the list" but I probably wouldn't make a point of laying over there if I didn't have to.

I don't have any of the real problems others have in Amsterdam... since I don't engage in anything most people do over there. I use it for sight-seeing of historical places. I tried last time to find the Anne Frank Museum for the second time in a row and for the second time in a row, no sign and nothing but scaffolding. #######!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Re: CdG airport.. it is hands-down one of the worst airports of all time. It has been under construction every year I have been there since 1996, and there is zero to do in the MENA wing. They stick up out, way out, on the tarmac and you have to get a bus (which is open and delightful in the winter) to your plane. There are only so many times a non-drinker and look at whisky in the only store available in that area...

I have never heard a good word about that airport and have NO good experiences to share.

On the other hand, Amstrdam and Prague have awesome great airports! Munich is very unique but it is godawful expensive to take the subway downtown. Ridiculous!

[Nasturtium 500]

I have never heard a good word about that airport and have NO good experiences to share.

On the other hand, Amstrdam and Prague have awesome great airports! Munich is very unique but it is godawful expensive to take the subway downtown. Ridiculous!

Amsterdam has amazing tulips in the airport. I love that aspect of it. They also have showers and everything else for a long layover. Frankfurt is OK too-- good ice cream and you can leave if you're there for a while and don't just have 5 German military men surrounding you asking a lof of questions with guns...

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Amsterdam has amazing tulips in the airport. I love that aspect of it. They also have showers and everything else for a long layover. Frankfurt is OK too-- good ice cream and you can leave if you're there for a while and don't just have 5 German military men surrounding you asking a lof of questions with guns...

They are the most helpful airport I ever saw. On one of my layovers I bought Alla a huge bunch of those Holland tulips and she LOVED them. Tulips today...two lips tonight!

[ONA 133]

Amsterdam has amazing tulips in the airport. I love that aspect of it. They also have showers and everything else for a long layover.

I love that airport. And tulips

On the way back to Russia I got some tulip bulbs and planted them at my grandmother's. Can't wait till May to see the flowers.

(and it's all weird, cause i hate gardening... but, I guess, I just like tulips more than I hate gardening ).

Anyway, there's a couple of direct flights to Washington Dulles, but I might still prefer stopping in Amsterdam. This time if I have to spend 7 hours in the airport again I think I'll get my transit visa. I'm dieing to take some pictures of Amsterdam.

[idaho1 1]

DO not play any kind of card game with Anybody at the Airport.I'm serious !!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

[james&olya 1,121]

DO not play any kind of card game with Anybody at the Airport.I'm serious !!!!

Are you referring to Paris, Amsterdam or KBP? I won't go into details about the 'education' I received at KBP and the 'tuition' I paid! OUCH!!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Are you referring to Paris, Amsterdam or KBP? I won't go into details about the 'education' I received at KBP and the 'tuition' I paid! OUCH!!

[DavidandIrina 1]

Well, I just returned home at 2am this morning. Sorry, I haven't been paying much attention to my laptop since I arrived in Kiev!

First thing I want to say is Paris De Gualle Airport...you suck!

Now on with the report. Kiev is a very interesting city. I liked it a lot but it seems a bit expensive and people there either have LOTS of money or not much at all. I swear I seen more luxury cars than in LA. Kiev must have more Porsche Cayenne's per capita than anywhere else in the world. And ANY day in front of my flat I would see Bently's, Ashton Martins, Rolls Royce's...etc. Not just a few but every few minutes one would go by!! Amazing for a poor country! My flat was right across the street from Kiev Cinema, at the end of Kreschatick.

Getting through KBP Airport was a breeze. They didn't have us do entry forms or anything. Just your passport, the cute little red head immigration officer looked at me and said youuuurr puurrrpose heeerrrre (they role their R's ..very sexy). I said for pleasure to meet friends, she asked if I'm here to meet girlfriend, I said yes, she asked for my flat address, I gave it and she said welcome to Ukraine. 5 min I was through. Bags took a while to come out but that happens almost anywhere in the world. I walked out the security and heard a loud scream...Jooooohnnnyyyy!! It's my girl...she couldn't wait and went to the airport. She was absolutely stunning in my mind and she walked up with those knee high boots and black jean type pants. Very very sexy I think! I put some photos in the gallery here Photos

First night was pretty cool. We went to my flat and I got a shower and she had some bread and "lard" and beer waiting for me when I got out. Yes..Lard! I noticed they seem to have a taste for lard. I liked most everything I ate there but of course I like my girl's cooking best. One night she did some shrimp in soy sauce and we sat around drinking beer and peeling and eating shrimp. She seems to be always wanting me to eat! Sushi bars seem to be babe magnets!

The buildings in Kiev are pretty old. You can definitely feel the age of a 1,500 year old city when walking around. My flat's elevator was a 1-2 person, small cubible elevator. It was always fun squeezing with my girl and her roommate into the elevator. We did the museum circuit, seen some parks and of course we walked on Lover's bridge. At some point we ditched the roommate, I think Antonia was getting jealous of her, and I even think she fussed her a few times for coming over teasing me with a long kind of sexy hug for a shirt I gave her. The next day, we had no more roommate, which was OK just we have language problems. I am going to learn Russian in next few months if it kills me.

My daughter wanted me to bring her back a Russian Doll (Russian egg that has smaller and smaller ones inside). We found some in an open market near the museum. Antonia told me to "keep wallet in pocket until I say so." She then argued with this vender for 10 minutes going back and forth with him and pointing at other vendors and she eventually broke him down from $400 Hryvna to $235!! I was amazed and then she fussed him because he didn't pack it good! I felt sorry for sales guy..

I think the trip was pretty smooth. No big issues came up. The sites around Kiev particularly with the women are amazing! I have never seen so many beautiful women and so many knee high boots clicking in my life. In the pictures I posted, my girl has them on and with a 5" metal shaft heel. It was pretty funny watching her bobble along on those cobblestone roads near the Lover's Bridge area. Of course she was hanging on to me for dear life, but that was fun too.

I'm trying to schedule a trip back soon. I told her August was my next best window to travel and she almost started crying because she said that's too long. I may try in May but I told her it would be better because for money in August. When I said money, she understood and said she'd wait for me. She's a pretty smart girl. I think it's just common nature there that girls become well educated. Seems like it's their duty.

Well, that's pretty much round 1 in Kiev in a nut sack... I won't get into the beyond closed door things because that's personal stuff. But I can end by saying OMG!!!

BTW if you want to learn Russian well, I'd highly suggest the Pimsleur Russian method. I'm almost done with the second set of CDs (Russian 2) and am about to go onto Russian 3. I received many compliments in Kiev for not having any accent at all and Iryna is always complimenting my "R" for rolling right and for not having an accent. :-D Its expensive, but it works, and works well. I lent my CDs to a friend and now we communicate in basic russian whenever we see each other :-D LOL