The coast land rises
from the sea shore quite steeply to a parallel mountain range about 2000 feet high. The main highway ranges along the
foothills and the small cities are below with small narrow streets and sloping
properties. Those who don’t
want to lounge on the beach (when it is sunny and warm!) are happy to hike in the mountains!
This is the tourist "icon" for the Crimea--the "Swallow's Nest". It was built in 1912 by a German oil baron as a gift to
his mistress. Construction was stopped by war, it was ruined by an earthquake in 1927, and rebuilt in the 1970’s. We hopped off the bus to take photos. We didn’t walk down because there are just more souvenir shops and an expensive Italian restaurant in the building. I bought a couple of items in a roadside souvenir shop and we had some soup in a nice restaurant while waiting
for the next bus!
This mountain is said to look like a bear taking a drink from the Black Sea! (The angle of the photo could have been better to see the "head" properly)
In the 19th
century, Yalta became a fashionable resort for the Russian aristocracy and
gentry. In 1898 Anton Chekhov bought a plot of land on the outskirts of Yalta and built a villa there, into which he moved with his mother and sister the following year. He planted trees and flowers in his large garden area, kept dogs and tame cranes, and received guests such as Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky. Yalta is the setting for Chekhov's short story, "The Lady with the Dog", and such prominent plays as The
Three Sisters were written in Yalta, which he loved. This is a model of the property. We saw the area all in snow!
Rachmaninoff was a friend and guest and played on this piano!
This is one of the cozy guest sitting/bedrooms.
This is Checkov's study with his desk (under glass) at the left. There is an alcove behind it where he sat so there were no drafts to chill him (he was suffering with tuberculosis). The fireplace is directly across from his writing desk.
Checkov was a trained doctor and these are some of his medical books. Chekhov practiced as a doctor throughout most of his literary career though he made little money from it and treated the poor free: "Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress." Actually, he made his money as a writer of short stories and plays.
Yalta is a seaport.
Here are men spending a snowy day trying to catch fish!
Others were undecorating the holiday tree!
Much of the snow had melted and flowers were trying to survive, having bloomed in mild weather before the winter storm. There was even the sweet smell of blossoms in some places.
We wandered through acres of trees and foliage.
And finally found the Cedar of Lebanon trees we particularly wanted to see. This is what the needles look like, and then a tree
We saw other interesting old trees like this Oriental Plane tree with large maple-like leaves
And a Cork Oak tree--you can see where some cork has been pried out of the thick bark.
We also enjoyed the orchid greenhouse with beautiful species of orchids and bromeliads.
We're leaving the parking area in our little Skoda rental car
These are views in Alushta, the last place we stayed, on the evening we arrived.
Daybreak the following morning from our hotel room
The snow was mostly melted but the wind was creating waves.
We began the drive away from the coast and back "up" to Simferopol.
And rode the overnight train back to Kyiv.
