Eclectic Trips

There is a saying that Odessa would not be Odessa without Privoz. So, if you really want to get to know Odessa, a visit to Privoz is a must.

Odessa Privoz- a huge seemingly disorganized bazaar, where you can buy pretty much anything under the sun is an entity unlike no other. Here you will find everything from a huge variety fresh farmer produce, meat, dairy and dry fish, to socks, cd players, cigarettes, tools, clothing old and new, and completely random things. In the dairy pavilion, the main attraction is “tasting”  all the fresh homemade cheese, milk and kefir you can handle in one day. In the fruit and veggie isles- the tomatoes are the best you’ve ever had- absolutely delicious, as are the apricots and peaches. If you dare buy  “taranka”- the very smoked very salty and pretty smelly dry fish that Ukrainians eat with beer. It’s quite delicious and slightly addictive once you get past the mild shock of the smell and the salt. The main attraction of the Privoz though are the people that sell and shop there- they are so colorful and rich in their dialect and manners.  Definitely watch your pocketbook and your wallet while you are here, and be very vigilant.

Privoz- Dairy pavillion

At the Privoz

It is a great place to grab breakfast or lunch, lively, with the best people watching capacity. They serve fresh croissants and pretty good coffee in the morning, great lunch selections and of course- Kompot- a fruit punch made from boiled fresh fruit and berries, a must try while in Ukraine. Ukrainian food is usually delicious, and very varied- there is something for everyone. On menus everywhere you’ll see lots of potatoes, ” blinchiki” which are exquisitely thin crepes, always a large variety of soups, plenty of meat, a good variety of fish and some pretty hearty “goulash” style dishes. Sometimes the food tends to be too greasy, and Ukrainians do tend to put dill on literally everything- except for dessert, so if you are not a fan of dill- you should learn the word for it- UKROP, and say “no ukrop” before you order.

Buffalo 99 on Rishelievkaya street is a good American style café, bar restaurant with nice outdoor sitting, fast and friendly service and a huge menu. Here you’ll find hamburgers and fries if you are craving American food, and lots of great sandwiches, soups and main courses. I feel that the menu and the concept was influenced by America “The Cheesecake factory” with the menu being a lot larger then necessary- supposedly this strategy will keep you coming back, as you will never tire of ordering the same thing.

Dacha on Frantsuzski Boulvar (The French Boulevard) is an old Mansion turned into an upscale restaurant. Dacha is my favorite restaurant in Odessa, and one of my favorite restaurants in the world. It will literally transport you to Odessa Summer house (dacha) circa 1950’s. Here you’ll have the whole experience complete with Gramofons  playing very rusty sounding old music, the uniforms of the waiters with fun flower prints and pink pants, to the hand written menus, to the overall décor. The service is pretty much impeccable, and the waitstaff speaks English. When you go, sit in the garden where tables are very far apart from one another, the atmosphere is very intimate- beautiful and nostalgic with tiny lights, cherry trees, and birdcages. The food is really really good, if a bit oily. The zucchini appetizer with garlic mayo is an acquired taste, but once you acquire that taste it is simply delectable, the shrimp kabobs are delicious, and the potato side dishes are just Yum!

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The lovely enigmatic city, the place where they worship dill and virtually no one speaks English…

First things first- transportation.

There is really no public transportation to speak of that is reliable or convenient. A ride in a street car is a lovely, nostalgic feat, but you won’t get very far- there are no maps on bus, trolley bus or tramvai (street car) stops, and it is increasingly difficult to figure out the route and the final destination of any of the above.

Babushka selling sunflower seeds- Ukrainian's favorite snack on Pushkinskaya street

Taxis are really your best bet, they are relatively inexpensive, you can hail one anywhere at virtually any hour. There are some things you should know: If you are a foreigner, the taxi drivers will literally charge you not only double or triple, but sometimes quadruple the rate. Taxis in Odessa are usually Soviet era old cars, they are quite charming, but sometimes it feels as if one is about to fall apart (don’t worry, it won’t). In fact, there are not many taxis to speak of- more often than not  it’s a privately owned and operated car- or “chastniki” not regulated by anyone.

So when you are looking for a taxi- hail on the street, and a car will eventually stop- not a taxi, but just any ol’ car. Locals usually name their price before getting into a taxi, so it goes something like this- ” Fontan- 20 grivna” or if it happens that the driver names a price, you kinda smile with that “c’mon, I know you are messing with me” grin, and tell them you’ll pay about half of whatever they are asking. So if they say 40, you say- no, 20. You haggle and settle on 30. While you are in the taxi and someone else hails it, the driver might stop and pick up another fare- he will most likely not be asking you if it’s ok with you

Odessa is a pretty young city- at least the parts that you will get to see. The center has a bit of university town vibe- very green, with lots of little squares and cafes everywhere. The city center is great, with plenty to do. You will see a lot of attractive young people congregating everywhere- laughing, reading, sipping coffee or hanging out in McDonald’s.

There are cobblestone streets in most of the center of the city, and all the young girls wear high heels… the heels of course get ruined quite quickly on the cobble stone, so a part of the soundtrack of your Odessa visit will be the cute noise of the exposed metal of the young ladies’ shoes knocking on the sidewalks- klock klock klock….

You will not  see many large high rises, and the architecture in the center is mostly in the old world style, with a lot of French and Italian influences. A lot of restoration is taking place everywhere in Odessa- the city is trying to preserve the antique buildings and spruce up their facades. The newly restored buildings look fresh and almost sparkle, but the ones that haven’t been touched are my personal favorites, they have retained their old world charm, complete with the peeling paint, and babushkas sitting in the old dvoriki and gossiping about what once was…..

The main street is Deribasovskaya- lots of shops, cafes, malls, street vendors selling art and souvenirs. Definitely stroll down this lovely street…

On the rooftop at a restaurant in a mall on DEribasovkaya- gorgeous view!

A lot of the city’s attractions are concentrated in the center, around the same area. Odessit’s favorites are Primorski Boulevard, on which one must visit the statue Duke De Richelieu which is the representation of Odessa- Odessa’s mascot so to say. Duke was a beloved mayor of Odessa, and has brought culture and prosperity to the city. Right below the Duke is the magnificent “Potymskinskaya stairs” which are beautiful, grandiose and impressive, and excellent for some good hard exercise. You can walk down the stairs to Odessa port, which is a bit anticlimactic, and is not particularly interesting. If you dare walk up the Potyomskinskaya stairs back to Primorski Boulevard it should certainly fill all your fitness needs for the day, but there is another option for the cardio challenged- escalator will take you back up. Right around Primorski Boulevard there is the newly restored Opera house- the city has been working on restoring the theater for a dozen years, and it is now open to the public. It is absolutely beautiful inside and out- so if you have the opportunity to see a ballet or an opera, in the Opera Theater, certainly do so.

At the end of Primorsky Boulevard lays one of the most charming spots in Odessa -Tyoschin Most- “The bridge of the mother in law” It is near the Wedding Palace. Newlyweds get padlocks inscribed with their names, or just scrabble their names on a padlock – it goes something like “Masha and Misha forever”. They lock the padlock on the railings of the bridge, and throw the keys in the water below…this act should symbolically solidify their union forever. I absolutely adore Tyoschin bridge, it has heard so many love stories, has witnessed so many unions being forged, so much young love, hope and endless possibilities. It has a very special aura about it.

At the end of Tyoschin bridge is an absolutely delightful park where you can have a bit of well deserved rest after walking around for the whole day….

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Part two coming along soon- all about food…