Today’s assignment for Blogging 101 was to write a post in a different style to the usual. I thought of photos and immediately Crimea came to my mind. It’s one of my favourite places ever. We used to spend there many summers with my kids and my parents. I hope, one day we will be able to do that again.

I also wanted to add some sort of quote or poem as an introduction to my photos. What saddened me that when I was Googling Crimea for some poetical introduction, mostly what came up was – current Russian-Ukrainian conflict, stories of Crimean Tatars deportation during the USSR times and literature on Crimean War. Now, that does make it look like this place has more than its fair share of troubles and conflicts.. But I would like to remind you how amazingly beautiful it is! Over the centuries, Greeks, Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians, Russians and many other nationalities lived here. The nature includes everything – steps and mountains and two seas. The air is so filled with aroma of pines, flowers and sea iodine that, if you never smelled it, it’s like you always drank water and never wine. I will post more on Crimea in my Travel Diaries, but this is just a little taste for you.

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ALUSHTA BY DAY

The mighty mountain flings its mist-veil down;
With little flowers the gracious fields are bright,
And from the forest colors flash to sight
Like gems that drop from off a Calif’s crown.
Upon the meadows settles shimmering down
A band of butterflies in rainbow flight;
Cicadas call and call in day’s delight,
And bees are dreaming in a blossom’s crown.

The waves beneath the cliff are thunder-pale,
Now upward, upward in their rage they rise
And tawny are their crests as tigers’ eyes.
The sun is focused on one white, far sail
And on blue, shining deeps as smooth as glass
Wherein slim cranes are shadowed as they pass.

Author: Adam Mickiewicz
Translator: Edna Worthley Underwood

To be continued…