Two Steps Ahead

In general you would be hard pressed to find Ukraine at the forefront of much.  However, one place where they have my own country, Canada, beat is in declaring June 1st as the first day of summer.  The Ukrainians have said astronomy be damned summer is the best season so let’s start it three weeks earlier.

There is something quite special about Odessa in the summer; the days are warm and filled with sunshine, outdoor cafés bustle with patrons moving from morning coffees to afternoon beers and finishing with a cognac (or two) in the evening.  Unfortunately, this Eden is marred by the unsavory stench of the unwashed.  One does on occasion find that when in tight quarters one or two people may have forgotten to put on some deodorant.  Balancing the ledger somewhat, at least for me, is the attire of Odessa’s ladies; their beauty is not easily matched and their willingness to expose their skin to the sun’s rays is a delight, perhaps it is another area where Ukraine takes the lead.