Monday 6th December 2021

Lviv – St. Mary’s Cathedral :  Lychakiv Cemetery : Museum of Folk Architecture

Our first stop this morning was St. Mary’s Cathedral.  Its full title is Archcathedral Basilica of the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  However, it is apparently more often referred to as the Latin Cathedral.

When we visited the church yesterday, mass was taking place so although we could gaze at the awe inspiring stone interior we could not take photographs.

Mass takes place in this beautiful cathedral every day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we were walking back through Rynok Square, Pete realised he had lost his hat.  The four of us retraced our steps searching for it, Pete popped back into the currency change where he thought he may have left it but to no avail.  Luckily, he had a hood!

The day was cold and heavy snow was forecast.  Catching one of the city’s trams we set off to the Lychakiv Cemetery.  Tickets must be purchased for this apparently popular tourist sight. Founded in the late 18th century, it is one of the oldest necropolises in Europe and is now classed as an open air museum of gravestone sculpture and architecture.  There are apparently over 400,000 people buried here. All of us wandered around taking photographs.  Dave took some in black and white and in sepia, while I tried to find a little colour amongst the stonework.

At one point we noticed some smartly dressed men with bouquets decorated with the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag. They laid the flowers on some military graves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the forecast had predicted, it started to snow while we were still in the cemetery.  After sheltering for a short while, we continued to another outdoor museum, the Museum of Folk Architecture.

The snow was laying quickly and becoming heavier.  By the time we arrived, the place resembled a winter wonderland.

The wooden buildings, including houses and churches, had been moved from various parts of the country.

One of the oldest examples is a wooden thatched house built in the late 18th century and transported from a small village in the Carpathian Mountains.

 

A 17th century iconostasis considered to be an architectural gem can be found in one of the churches.

Unfortunately, due to it being winter and a weekday, all the buildings were closed.

 

However, we still enjoyed wandering around in what was now fairly deep snow.  There was a pretty pond with swans and ducks and we also spotted a stork.  There were sheep and some wooden outbuildings and stables for other animals.

Unfortunately, there was nowhere open to get a warming drink and as it was now bitterly cold, Dave and I decided to head back to the town centre.   Anne and Pete, our intrepid friends, continued to wander around in the sub-zero temperatures.

Boarding a tram, I pushed the Ukrainian Hyrvina through the slot to the driver.  The female driver shouted at me and pushed them back again.  I double checked the amount and passed them back to her and indicated that I wanted two tickets. After she passed them back once again, a young man came to my rescue and offered the driver the cash.  He too, received some verbal abuse.  He handed me back the cash, shaking his head and simply saying “water on the money”.

Well, it was true, the notes were a little damp, I had taken the cash out at the tram stop to check I had the correct money and it was snowing heavily! Luckily, we managed to find some dry notes.

 

 

 

 

Making our way through heavy snow we headed for Rynok Square and the Atlas bar cum eatery.

At first we sat in huge comfortable leather chairs in a cosy room with artwork covering the walls.

However, after we had ordered our lunch of asparagus soup followed by pate and bread, I persuaded Dave to move close to one of the large windows so I could watch the snow falling over the square while cradling my hot mulled wine and waiting for lunch.

That evening, the four of us were back at the Atlas for dinner.

Seated at a table adjacent to a window there was  a tall cream candle on the table gently flickering and illuminating the snowy Christmas card scene in the square outside.

 

It was Monday evening and the atmosphere was completely different to Saturday evening, when it was heaving with folk enjoying the weekend.  Tonight, it was quiet, the service and food was just as good.

There were quite a few skaters still circling the ice rink as we left the restaurant, again a lovely wintry scene.

Tomorrow we will leave the beautiful medieval city of Lviv and travel to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital.  Once again we have managed to tick off everything on our ‘must do’ list.

 

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