Autumn L(v)eaves - Lviv, Ukraine

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Autumn L(v)eaves - Lviv, Ukraine

This Blog Post, read out loud, so you don't have to.

There's something special about this season. You know, the one that's almost finished. Yes, Autumn. Well, it's got a very musical feel. L(v)eaves swaying in the still-not-too-cold breeze, and others crackling under your calm steps... So naturally, this has inspired my ukuleles and my backpacking self, to write an Autumn song. An Autumn Lviv Song.

 
Autumn Lvivs

Autumn Lvivs

 

It's not exactly early, especially with snow about to start falling on the Ukrainian city of Lviv. But I do tend to  ΜΆLΜΆvΜΆiΜΆvΜΆ  l(v)eave things to the last moment. It's partly my fault for being a bit too relaxed, and partly your fault for not even once pressing me to share with you a new song. No impatient messages, or l(v)ivid emails urgently pleading for new original ukulele music. You've left me with no pressure, in a city full of chocolates, deserts and coffee, sipping my days away in comfortable cafΓ©s, between cobbled stones and old Austrian buildings.

Ukulele Ben and the gang on Lviv's central square, Ukraine

Ukulele Ben and the gang on Lviv's central square, Ukraine

And so, I stroll and ponder in Lviv's little square as Autumn ends. Almost starting to l(v)ive here among the locals and the roasting coffee beans. But Autumn's musical soul still got to mine somehow, thankfully, and a melody, which might not-so-discretely wink to another autumn tune, is yours to enjoy.

 
 

Alors que cette année s'endort lentement, au rythme de courtes journées, somnolant, je laisse l'hiver prendre racine, encore une fois, et se dessine l'esquisse des traits que je souhaiterais près de moi.

These Autumn Lvivs, carress my soul, and in the leaves that soon shall fall, I see the warmth that a fragile heart always calls, this as the cold sets itself around Lviv's old walls...

... still, these branches do sway, now at the other end of the year. And to the cobbled stones where I stray, as well as to us both right here, these Autumn leaves, they bring a call, down from the trees, to our soul. With them we sing, never to leave, our Autumn days, in Autumn Lviv.

Back from this ponderous promenade through the University park, returning on the historical centre's cobbled stones, I happened to walk by a sweet little place, Posta. The place with Lviv's "largest poscard collection". Not only do they have lots of poscards, they also have plenty of postcards, which I happen to be very fond of.  All over the walls and the tables, a charming collection gives the place a special mood, up until you receive a special delivery, a letter, containing... the bill.

I would be thrilled to send you one from here in Lviv, Ukraine, right to your very doorstep, with written melodies and (sometimes) inspired doodles. Not only because you'd get a little something  from a beautiful city far away, but also because I would really enjoy sending tokens of how charming this city has been to my instruments, my backpack, and to myself.

Click Here and Receive a little Postcard to your doorstep !!

 
Let me send you a little Postcard !

Let me send you a little Postcard !


Such Autumn, much leaves, very wow

Such Autumn, much leaves, very wow

 

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"Politics, eh?" - Kiev, Ukraine

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"Politics, eh?" - Kiev, Ukraine

Politics, eh? It's complicated. Especially for Ukraine these days.

 
Pictures of soldiers and of the Eastern front, displayed in Sunny Odessa

Pictures of soldiers and of the Eastern front, displayed in Sunny Odessa

 

Since the revolution in the beginning of 2014, sparked by a rejection of the omnipresent corruption and a desire to be politically closer to Europe than Russia, things have changed a lot. And to get a better grasp of the situation, you would actually do better to listen to a couple of locals talk about it, than read a foreigner's impression. And you can do just that on the KIEV Ukulele Road Trips Podcast with guests Ivanka and Ekaterina.

To the point of this foreigner's impression however, the negative aspect of these changes is of course that Ukraine is now a country at war, fighting against Russia, who is barely disguising its actions as those of local revolting pro-Russians. Ukraine has lost the beaches and vineyards of Crimea to the Kremlin, and young badly equipped volunteers, making up most of the Ukrainian armed forces, are still dying on the Eastern front. Being a simple tourist you would not suspect this enjoyable country to be really at war. But it is a reality, with consequences.

A "piano of the revolution" on the Kiev streets, soldiers fund-raising on Adreivsky, Kiev, a volunteer point in Lviv doing fundraising for drafted soldiers and their family, and Dynamo Kiev fans showing their support for the troops.

Yet, despite seeing many depart for the ranks of the army, and fighting a powerful and manipulative neighbour, there is nevertheless in the hearts of young people around the country, a beautiful and pure kind of patriotism. With their backs against the wall, the feelings I have encountered around here, have not feelings of hate towards their neighbour or towards other groups. I only saw feelings of intense love for their homeland, and an understanding that "politics" is the responsible for this threat, not the Russian people. Even from students for example, who would normally rather stay away from patriotic outbursts, the threat to their country has revived in all I have met a sense of belonging and a strong affection for their nation.

 

Extracts of the Ukrainian Hymn, heard here and there in Odessa and Kiev, as well as a bit of "My Little Independence", performed on the traditional Bandura.

 

Many of them have become involved with associations that aim to provide supplies and equipment to the soldiers in the East, the state struggling, and failing, to do so. Young Ukrainians are supporting the defence of their country by making up for their State's failing, of their own dedicated initiative, and talking with some of them is both impressive and inspiring.

And that is the one thing that has touched me the most in this country.

I would rather not go on too much about politics though. When you travel, you realize how strange borders are. Inhabitants on either side of them are so similar, eat the same things, sing in a similar way, and yet, watch different TV channels and so end up thinking they are completely different to their neighbours, and associate to a whole people, the decisions of their powerful politicians. That doesn't mean to say Ukraine's problems with Russia aren't real, especially when you consider the kind of pro-Putin propaganda and all the lies about Ukraine being constantly dished out by Moscow these days.

But anyway, we should rather change the subject completely. With a little song perhaps! Absolutely nothing to do with strained international relationships here. At all. It's about a man called Sasha, getting along with his life and his garden. Unfortunately "next door to him lives this man, this bully Igor", and so Sasha has currently got his hands full with tricky "Neighbourhood Issues".

 
 

Eventually, or hopefully, time and understanding will "wipe away" these unfortunate issues.

 
souvenir, anyone?

souvenir, anyone?

 

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Capital Kiev, Ukraine

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Capital Kiev, Ukraine

Kiev, capital of Ukraine. It's not easy encapsulating this buzzing city in a blog post. And capturing its "vibe" in one song, is close to impossible. It's a bit like having loads of tapas for dinner and then trying to describe what dinner tasted like.  Well, very much like tapas (which I'm only using for the analogy, you can't find them here obviously),  the table of Kiev offers you many different things. And your curious cultural palate can only enjoy the varied sensations.

Kiev isn't a thing, or a mood, or an iconic place. It's a bunch of them. It's a colourful bouquet which is best explored in a bit more depth than with a couple of analogies.  An ideal format would be... oh I don't know, a Podcast for example!

It turns out there is a special Kiev PODCAST, to entertain your curiosity. It explores Ukraine and its patchwork capital in the charming company of two delightful guests, as well as a guy with a little blue backpacking ukulele.

 
Click here to listen to the Kiev Podcast

Click here to listen to the Kiev Podcast

 

And one of the matters touched upon in this conversational exploration -sadly, only in speech- are the new Ukrainian Police Women. To counter the corruption, a new police force has been launched in the past year, recruiting young, good looking men and women. These are now a feature of the post-Maidan streets of Ukraine, dressed in a very American style. Selfies with these new "cops" have been on all young Ukrainians' facebook feeds for months. It's a craze.  Which swept me along. For a very good reason.

 
 

To elucidate the lyrics, here is a picture of a random ukulele tourist with the above video's inspiration.

 
 

Definitely, in my view, reason enough for a song, and for a complete high-jacking of a post supposed to be about the Ukrainian capital. The post is over anyway. Finito. Off to the PODCAST!

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