Oksana brought the breakfast her mother had prepared. After eating she checked yesterday’s diary & filled in some gaps. For the morning, I decided to have my own adventure while Oksana visited friends.
Across from Oksana’s drive, & a little way toward the village, was a track leading up into the wooded hills. It looked interesting so I took it & it turned out to be a great choice. Nice & steep to give me the exercise I needed &, at the top, more stunning panoramic view of Kosmach. The whole hike plus stops took 1hr 15mins. Later, when I showed Oksana where I’d been, she was most impressed / this was Sunday’s big mountain hike. Looks like I’ll be doing it again but without the time pressure & in company.
Lunch was prepared by Miroslava – a traditional Ukrainian dish called Chenaxi: potatoes, white mushrooms, butter beans, beef/pork, onions, carrots, etc. with sour cream – local, organic & delicious. Oksana’s mother is definitely living up to her reputation!
Next was our visit to the Egg Lady, Anna. Several years earlier, Oksana had gifted us two of her beautifully hand painted eggs. Being of Kosmach design, I was keen to learn of the pattern’s meaning, if any.
As the crow flies, Anna lived nearby but to get there was not a straight line. It required a 30mins walk along undulating, rough gravel tracks & fields, an eventual climb of 200m. Also, as previously mentioned, Kosmach is a labyrinth of tracks – impossible for any one person to thoroughly know them all. A few times, Oksana, sensibly confirmed our route and we eventually arrived – being close friends of the family, Oksana received the warmest of welcomes.
Anna’s living room was packed with traditional Kosmach-Hutsul design clothes, throws, eggs, pictures & more. Again more to document when time allows.
In the valley to my left
(looking back from my favourite view)
Anna’s son-in-law, Andriy, a potter lives with his wife & children slighter higher up the hill. For such a remote place, he’s extremely well connected. He has a YouTube channel and through the internet, sells to as far away as the UK. Before leaving, as a token of our visit, he presented me with a ceramic pendant. In turn, we filmed a clip for his next posting.
Throughout our walk back we were accompanied by a very friendly corgi dog who wouldn’t take the hint to go home. Eventually, at the top of our drive, Oksana walked up to him & shouted sternly in Ukrainian. Not sure what, but it worked!
John's Epic Cycle Adventures 