Saturday, September 22, 2012

Igor Climbs the Vysoky Zamok!

Out of order again, but who cares?  We're back in Lviv and, thanks to my jetlag, I get up really early and climb the Vysoky Zamok (or High Castle).  I did it last time and I won't lie to you, it was really nice.
 This is all that's left of the castle, just a segment of wall.  Teenagers lean against when they're drinking. 
When you get to the top after a grueling 25-minute hike, you get to look down on this broadcast tower.  I believe that this is just for show because TV reception is uniformly lousy around town.  Plus the programming sucks.  The best shows come from Russia, but they're in that devil-tongue of the oppressor.  Do Ukrainians watch those shows?  You bet they do! 
Of course, in case you should forget what country you're in, there's a Ukrainian flag located at the top to conveniently remind you. 
This is a view of the Old City.  It is a fine place to be. 
This is a newer part of Lviv.  I've been through it on the bus.  It is charmless and soul-less.  Someday - and let's hope it's soon - these apartment blocks will have to come down.  And maybe they'll put up something better.   
On my way down, there's a very nice bar at the midway point up.  I didn't remember it looking this nice the last time I was there.  Naturally, it's closed owing to the early hour.  Right after I snapped this photo, a red squirrel appeared off to my left.  He was not friendly and ran from tree to tree to escape me.  He didn't care about some stinkin' peanut that I'd brought all the way from the US.  
Here's a bit of folk art next to the bar.  It's a robot elk painted the Ukrainian national colors, of course.  What's so unusual about that??? 
And now, a close-up.  Yeah, not at all poorly-assembled/creepy. 

And then I walked the rest of the way down.  I saw no more squirrels or robot elk. 

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