Lwiw (Lviv)

On Tuesday morning, it is already light at around four. I try to make myself comfortable on the train station bench for another 2 hours and then, around half past six, I head towards the center of Sanok with Rango. There is a small breakfast at the market square. Afterwards, I look for a post office to send a package home. Then it's time to make our way back to the train station, as there are not many opportunities for us to leave this place. So, we wander through the picturesque little town once again and can board the train punctually at 9:48 am. Unfortunately, there is no direct train connection to the Ukrainian border, so we have to go through Jasło, Tarnów, and Rzeszów, and finally arrive in Przemyśl around 6:30 pm after about 380 km. An hour later, we take the train to Lviv from the adjacent track. I can no longer buy a ticket at the train station, but I hope that my remaining 70 zł will be enough, as the little tour through Poland burned more reserves than expected. Actually, the conductor would like to have 75 zł, but then agrees to accept 70 zł. I even get a coffee served and so we leave the EU without any problems around 7:30 pm. Shortly after nine (one hour later due to Eastern European Summer Time), we arrive in Lviv. The first attempt to withdraw money fails, as the ATM offers too few options for the amount of money to be withdrawn. Furthermore, I still have no idea how the hryvnia is currently standing against the Euro, so I urgently need access to the Internet. I find what I'm looking for in front of the train station, can gather some information, solve my cash problem, and then start looking for a place to stay overnight. Finally, I can check into a room in a hostel at around midnight local time. The Dicke (nickname of the author) unnecessarily complicated things again - apparently, nobody in Ukraine expects a travel tandem like us. I take a shower and then fall into bed, quite exhausted.

The next morning, we start the day leisurely. After having a bite to eat, I leave a load of laundry at the hostel to be washed, treat myself to a coffee and some cookies on the terrace, and rearrange the contents of my backpack. Around noon, we set off for the city. The temperatures have already exceeded 30 °C again, so a walk in one of Lviv's many parks seems like a good decision to me. From the High Castle Park, we have a good view over the northern part of the city. We continue east through the Kaiserwald and from there head south towards the Old Town. Dark clouds are gathering in the sky, so we hurry back to the hostel, pick up my dry laundry. We still find time for an ice cream on the way, despite fearing rain. The expected rain stays away and we relax in our room for a while. In the late afternoon, we head back to the city. We aimlessly wander around for the next few hours. In Lviv, traces of many cultures and ethnicities from the last few centuries can be found. In addition to the Polish majority population, which existed for many centuries, Jews, Armenians, Germans, and of course Ukrainians have shaped the cityscape. Today, in addition to Ukrainians, there are also Poles, Russians, and Belarusians living here. The city is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List and is known for its Mediterranean flair. The Old Town is not fully accessible to me due to its sheer size, and this time I decided not to make any trips to the outskirts. There are small shops, studios, museums, cafes, and pubs everywhere. Bustling activity can be seen everywhere. Street musicians and artists provide entertainment, and older women offer fruits, vegetables, eggs, and dairy products from their gardens at many small street markets. Time flies by, and after a late visit to the train station, we return to the hostel shortly after midnight.

On Thursday (22.06.2018), we are heading further south. I have chosen Ivano-Frankivsk as our next stop on the way to the Carpathian Forests. We check out around eleven and make our way to the train station. Just across from the hostel, I get a Ukrainian SIM card, which makes me less dependent on various WiFi hotspots again. At the train station, I buy a ticket to Stanislav, the name of the university town until the 1960s. The train departs in the evening, so there is still time for an extended tour of Lviv. I drop off our luggage at the train station. For lunch, I have borscht and the Dicke has a mountain of chicken torsos. This time, we approach the Old Town from the south and cross several shady green spaces along the way. We cover quite a few kilometers until the evening, and at least I am quite happy when we finally sit in the train to Ivano-Frankivsk.