Lviv, Ukraine

I woke up this morning near 10:00, showered, dressed, grabbed my stuff, and walked out of the hostel at 11:00. I then walked east to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes, which is basically a smaller version of the Ukrainian National Museum of Folk Architecture and Everyday Life located in Kiev; this museum also preserves historic homes taken from across Ukraine and creates an idyllic park for visitors to stroll or picnic in. Ahh, how I wish it were in the early throes of summertime with flowers in bloom and the sun out and I wish I had a lovely Ukrainian woman with her hair in braids and wearing a traditional dress and that we were picnicking in a secluded spot by a stream and an old rustic dwelling, drinking wine and chasing fauns and nymphs through the woods . . . instead it’s cold, the trees are all but leafless, everything looks dead, snow flurries are falling from the sky, and I’m alone. Oh well. So, I walked around the park, counterclockwise, through the different ethnic regions, looking at all the historic dwellings and churches. I spent a little over an hour in the park and exited it. A short distance from the park, as I was walking south, I ran in to the Asian-American I had met at the hostel I stayed at in Odessa; he was heading to Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes with his Ukrainian girlfriend – I was surprised to see him since I thought he would be staying in Kiev. We talked for a brief time, said goodbye, and he thanked me for advice I had given and he had taken, which appears to have worked out favorably for him. I then walked south to the Lychakivske Cemetery, which was established in 1786 AD and is populated with many past well-to-do and national heroes. I walked around the cemetery (after paying an entrance fee to do so), past the oldest tombstone (dated to 1675 AD), up a small hill, and to the Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów, which is a memorial and a burial place for the Poles and their allies who died in Lviv during the hostilities of the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918−1919 AD) and Polish-Soviet War (1919−1921 AD). I also came across a small chapel built like a miniature Eastern Orthodox Church and talked to a young Polish man there who was searching for specific tombs. After touring the cemetery, I exited the grounds and walked back to the city center of Lviv. Next, I went to a restaurant next to the Latin Cathedral and ate a meat pie with spinach and tomatoes and mozzarella, strudel with meat and mushrooms and cheese, and a beer; this was a poor meal and tasted ready-made and then reheated for costumers. After eating, I walked to the Lviv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and bought a ticket to tomorrow night’s performance of ‘The Nutcracker.’ I then spent the next two-to-three hours going from clothing store to clothing store in search of suitable clothes to wear to opera houses, clubs, and genteel restaurants. Every store I came across was either too expensive (that is for me to purchase items and wear them out in three months through excessive use) or had a very limited and poor selection. The most frustrating part of my search was the fact that skinny/slim-fit pants (not just jeans) are the new normal for guys and I hate tight/form-fitting pants. For ladies, tight-fitting trousers are great and can accentuate some of their best features, but for men, they look silly and constrain movement of the leg too much, which is something I can’t live with on account of all the walking I do. So, sadly, I wasted too much time and had nothing to show for it . . . or almost nothing; while wandering around, I did come across the birthplace of Ludwig von Mises, the great Austrian School economist and champion of classical liberalism [NOTE: “classical liberalism” is a product of nineteenth-century thought that promoted small governments and individual freedom – a far cry from what is regarded as “liberalism” today and what can now be associated with libertarianism]. I then returned to the hostel and relaxed, went through my photos, and did some typing. Later, near midnight, I went out to taste the club scene in Lviv. It was snowing outside and very cold; I wore clothes more suited for the cold than for the clubs; as a result, I could not get inside anywhere worth going to due to my dress. So, I then tried to find a pub, but everything was closed or closing. So, disappointed, I returned to the hostel. Once back inside the door, I met the Ukrainian programmer and he was just heading out to shop at a convenience store. I joined him since I didn’t realize any stores were still open and I wanted to get a drink(s) for the night. We walked to the store, I bought some beer, and then walked back to the hostel. I then stayed up late drinking beer, listening to music, and surfing the internet – not typing out journal entries like I should’ve been doing (I’m a bit of a procrastinator).