On Sunday, I thought I’d start the morning in a gentle way after a busy few days. I thought that going on a horse drawn carriage ride around some of the streets would be pleasant. However, the second the driver released I wasn’t a local (so probably didn’t have the best grasp of the currency), demanded I pay him the equivalent of £30 — by far my most expensive purchase in Lviv. I suppose taking advantage of tourists doesn’t die out.
After this debacle, I decided to go to another food kitchen that I’d been told about the previous evening. The kitchen had a different set up, and I worked at an outside table cutting and peeling fruit and vegetables. I started working on bell peppers, which once sliced into strips were placed on a tray that would be taken into an oven to dry. The dried food could then be packaged ready for collection.
At this kitchen, I came across another British volunteer. He had just come back from Kyiv and was telling me about the similarities it has with Lviv. He also talked about the underground there, explaining how Kyiv has the world’s deepest metro station. He expressed how strange it was to be on a downward escalator for such a long time.
I went back to Domivka to take one of the dogs on a quick walk in the afternoon, and after leaving had to circle back and return one of the dogs that had tried to follow me home! Once I’d made sure I wasn’t being followed again, I thought I’d look in some of the local shops. There was, of course, a lot of pro Ukrainian merchandise, and I came across one shop that sold Putin loo rolls.
In the evening I went out with some of the volunteers I’d met at the kitchen earlier on. One of the volunteers was Ukrainian and was discussing some of the culture with us. It was interesting to hear about how in Eastern Ukraine, if you speak in Russian, you will almost certainly not be acknowledged, and definitely frowned upon. The local explained how this was a war development as Russian and Ukrainian were used interchangeably before this.
I thought I had ordered a soup from the menu of our dinner place, (basing my choice solely off the picture accompaniment), so was surprised when bread with a large bowl of chicken liver pate turned up! Like borscht, this is apparently Ukrainian speciality. Unlike borscht, I’m not sure I’ll be ordering it again! I returned home relatively early to get some rest after a busy few days, looking forward to the week ahead. I can’t get over how fast the first part of my Lviv stay has gone.
Zoë Wanamaker opens Burbage Primary School library
