ENGLAND'S WHITE HORSES

                                                  Old Hillside Art

      During visits to England I learned about and saw several large white horses carved into hillsides.  A school teacher carved the first horse in 1856 in southern England.  Such carvings are quite common throughout  the countryside.  Because the soil is chalky and relatively soft in southern England, many horses can be found in this area. There are 16-17 hillside carved horses around the country.

     On the way to Bath, just before leaving the chalk region and shortly before arriving in Bath, the guide called our attention to a horse carving, saying, “This horse is over 80-feet long and is known as the Westbury horse.  About 200 years ago the horse was recarved and enlarged, but the sad thing is it encompassed a horse carving that was 1000-years old, and the original carving is now lost forever.”

     One exception to the chalk horses is the 1857 Kilburn white horse. The huge horse located in the North York Moors National Park in Yorkshire  measures 206-feet by 320-feet long. It is said to be the largest and northern most of England’s horses.  A steeply graded road leads to a car park and a foot path that leads one along the cliff over the horse.

     During WW II the horse was covered to avoid it being a target for enemy bombers.  It is carved out of granite and periodically has to be painted white by men hanging over the cliff by rope and using paint rollers.  (I’m not sure if this is a folk-tale or not.) Apparently  there are some chalk chips imbedded in the horse.

    However, I mused that it must be quite a sight to see grown men hanging over a cliff painting the hillside.

KIEV, UKRAINE

                           A Visit During Happier Times 

      With all the recent problems in Ukraine I do not want to get into politics. My goal is to share the wonderful time we had in this lovely city before venturing on to Russia—before Putin regained power. My many Russian readers may or may not agree with me, but all I can do is relate my personal experiences. Three years prior to my visit I had breakfast one morning in Winnipeg, Canada with a Ukrainian business man. He was friendly and talkative and I enjoyed his company. I remember that he impressed upon me that when referencing Ukraine it was exactly that---not THE Ukraine or The Canada. I have passed that on many times, even a couple of times to reporters who were not in the know.

      Ukraine, slightly smaller than Texas, is Europe’s second largest country, and the largest country of what once was the Soviet Bloc. Ukraine was the most populous and developed republic of the USSR. Its longest international border is with Russia on the east. Balarus borders the north. To the west lie Poland and Slovakia. The Black and Azor Seas border the south, and on the southeast are borders with Hungary, Romania and Moldavia.  Besides Ukrainian, other languages spoken include Russian, Romanian, Polish, and Hungarian.

      Russia dominated Ukrainian history for centuries, but the Ukrainian culture stretches even farther back in history. The country was the center of the first Slavic state, a powerful nation called Kievan Rus, which dominated Europe in the 10^th and 11^th centuries. Invasions by Tartars and Poles weakened the country throughout history until 1654 when Ukraine joined the Muscovy.    

     Ukraine covers less than three percent of what was the USSR landmass, but its rich black soil produced over a third of the Soviet food supply while its mines produced 50 percent of Russia’s iron ore and 25 percent of its coal. 

      Brief independence for Ukraine followed the czar’s abdication in 1917. The Bolsheviks began a brutal civil war in Ukraine that ended with the Soviets taking most of the country and forcing it into the Soviet Union. Eight million people died when the brutal Soviet rule orchestrated artificial famines in 1921-22 and again in 1932-33. 

      Stalin made a vicious attack on Ukrainian culture by exterminating a large part of the intelligentsia. It wasn’t long afterward when horrific fighting between the Germans and Russians took place on Ukrainian soil during WW II, killing an additional eight million people. Large numbers of Russians were encouraged to move to industrial regions of Ukraine and soon became a sizable minority of 11 million. During communist rule the Soviet Union imposed the Russian culture and language onto all Ukrainians. But in spite of this the Ukrainian culture, which stretches far back in history, managed to survive. Even with repression, suffering, political turmoil, and ecological disasters Ukraine’s spirit and national identity have never died.

       The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the slow Soviet response embittered Ukrainians. A small nationalist movement, founded in Kiev in 1990, contributed to the country’s independence in 1991.

      The ancient city (5^th century) of Kiev is known to Russians as the ‘Mother of Cities’, due to its long and prominent history. A river city as well as the country’s largest city, Kiev also is the capitol city.

      Kiev had established trade routes with Western Europe and Arabia when Moscow was still a village in the woods. In 988, during the golden age, Kiev’s Prince Vladimir gave Orthodox Christianity its Slavic foothold with a mass baptism in the River Dnieper.

       Modern Kiev combines three 9^th century towns: Podol, the lower town closest to River Dnieper, Pecherch, and Staro Kiev, site of the modern center. Since independence Ukraine has experienced many traumatic growing pains as a new democracy.

     Transportation includes trams, trolleys, buses and the metro and transfers are allowed from line to line.  However, Kiev is not a pedestrian friendly city. Crossing the street can be hazardous to one’s health and is the best incentive for using the underground passageways/tunnels to get from one side to the opposite side of the street.

      Old Kiev with its narrow streets and small shops is the heart of the city. Merchants and craftsmen worked and lived, often for a lifetime, in the same small area. Kiev is known both as the Garden City and as a Green City. A large part of the city is park area.  As we got around the city, I realized that the city of three million people seemed like a small large city.

      After the Danube and Volga Rivers, the Dnieper River is Europe’s third longest river. Flowing through the city of Kiev, it also flows through Russia, and  Belarus to the Black Sea.

     Our local city guide pointed out art nouveau buildings, Stalin-era buildings that generally had a large star on top, many of the city’s 80 churches and numerous 11^th century well-preserved buildings. Kiev is both the modern gateway to Ukraine and a historic town that blends commercial streets with modern byways with its old town. The city is the place of presidential administration, parliament and government departments. Actually Kiev is twice as old as Moscow. Spellings of buildings and streets can be very confusing as there is almost always at least two spellings for any one place or street.

     At the 170-year-old Red University all the walls and buildings are painted a terra cotta red. Across the street is a large bronze statue of the famous Ukrainian poet, Shevchenko. He stands just inside the entrance of a park bearing his name ---an island of greenery in the middle of bustling down city.

     The old city gate, built 1017-24 by Prince Yaroslavl meant to underscore his country’s power. Under Yaroslavl’s rule the city increased ten-fold. Nomadic tribes never could penetrate the main gate to the city. During the 16^th and 17^th centuries the gate deteriorated and in the 18^th century it was covered with earth. In 1832 archeologists discovered the ruins and a portion of the gate was restored and protected behind an iron fence.

      Kiev’s main business district, Khreshchatik, was blocked off for the holiday, so we strolled down the center of the wide street lined with large old trees and grand monumental buildings interspersed with small shops. It was a beautiful warm day.

      Independence Square, where the Orange Revolution took place when the presidential elections were so hotly contested, was lovely. We had a wonder couple days in Kiev, ate some wonderful borsch and enjoyed delightful weather and the friendly people. I was heartbroken when I heard on the news that the square was again the site of protest and that much of the paving stones had been dug up. I feel  lucky to have been a visitor during happier more peaceful times.

FINLAND

                                     A Fascinating Country

      Finland, almost the size of Montana, is 700 miles long and 335 miles east to west. A member of the European Union, its currency is the Euro.  Finland perhaps is best known for its peacefulness and beautiful nature. Vast forests, a unique archipelago and thousands of lakes present a striking mixture of wooded hills and waters. Simplicity and bold primary colors form the dramatic Finnish environment.  In addition to its mystical northern nature, Finland also is a modern Nordic country with a high standard of living and an advanced economy and technology. A place where darkness disappears in the summer, Finland has a culture that is different from either Sweden or Russia. In winter the prevailing west southwest wind moves ice toward Finland’s coast so the use of icebreakers is extensive.

       Finland, less than 600-feet above sea level, has thousands of lakes, numerous rivers and extensive marshlands and has a 682-mile long coastline. Three distinct areas exist: the northern highland, the lake district and the coastal plain.

       The first crusade to Finland, led by the King of Sweden in 1155, started a union with Sweden that lasted 600 years. In 1809 Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire as a Grand Duchy. Swedish laws were retained and the country was allowed to keep its own currency, mail and railway systems. Helsinki became the capital in 1812, replacing Turku in the south-west. The official national languages were – and still are - Finnish and Swedish. Amid the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, Finland declared independence in 1917, establishing its present constitution and status as a republic in 1919.  Finland does not have a monarchy but a president and during my visit she was a woman who had recently been reelected. The president is elected for a six-year term and can be reelected only one time. The Prime Minister is leader of the winning party and serves a four-year term. The coalition government represents eight parties.

       Neutral during WW II, Finland resisted two Russian attacks and emerged from physical devastation with strong economic and military policies.

       Once a dirt poor country many Finns migrated to northern Minnesota.  Between 1809 and 1917 Finland began to industrialize and most of Helsinki’s great buildings were built during that time.  Since the end of WW II Finland has become a modern country with successful timber, paper and telecommunications industries. When the Soviet Union collapsed, about 20 percent of Finland’s trade disappeared. Finland was ruled by both Sweden and Russia before its independence in 1917.

  Although thought of as a Scandinavian country Finland is really more Nordic. Denmark, Norway and Sweden are constitutional monarchies where Iceland and Finland are republics. One third of the country is above the Arctic Circle. In 1906 Finnish women were the first European women to be given the vote, and now women make up 40 percent of the parliament. The Finnish language, related to Estonian and Hungarian, is a difficult one.

            Helsinki is the smallest city to ever host the Olympics.   Stockmann’s department store is the Finn equivalent of London’s Harrods. Plan on a half a day if you want to wander around the large store.

CROATIAN CITIES continued

                               Lovely Balkan Cities
   We stopped in Trogir for lunch. Situated on an island, the UNESCO site with a 4000 year history is accessed by a bridge. Trogir is a Greek word meaning island of goats.

      A good part of the old fortification wall remains in Old Town. Because of a malaria epidemic Napoleon ordered  the wall torn down to allow air circulation within the city. A Romanesque cathedral dates back to the 13^th century.  There are beautifully decorated doors and windows on buildings along the narrow cobbled alleys. The homes in Old Town are still lived in.

     The community is small and after passing through the other old gate we found ourselves on a wide seaside walkway. We had a delightful lunch under large umbrellas before wandering around further

We walked slowly through town and across the bridge.       

     We drove through Sibenik, the oldest Slav city on the coast. A huge river runs to the Adriatic. The river provides for many oyster farms. One of the doctors on the TV show ER was born here. Off hand I can’t remember his name.

     Another day we stopped at Rovinj (Roven) for lunch. The Italian port and town was under Venetian rule for years and much of the architecture is Venetian-style. We wandered the small cobbled town before selecting a picturesque outdoor café at the sea wall. We enjoyed a good and leisurely lunch and people watched. An insistent sea gull grabbed a piece of food right out of a cat’s mouth. He was a quiet but aggressive little devil and about half the size of the cat!

      Arriving in Dubrovnik, we went immediately to the University to hear a lecture on the recent war, its effects and the present government. The professor was most interesting. From the university we headed over the mountains for dinner with a local family. The road up the mountain was one-way narrow, steep and without guardrails. The gentleman of the house greeted us in native costume. We were served a strong grape brandy while watching some local dancing and music.

     We then moved to a room with two small sand fire pits in the middle of the floor. We placed bacon on a green stick and cooked it over the fire. When done it went with a thick slice of cheese onto a thick slice of bread. Yummy! Dinner cooked ‘under a bell’ was served on the patio. Slow cooking made the meat very tender and tasty. It was a delightful meal and visit filled with conversation.

      A 1648 stone fortress sits on the hill above the city. In 1667 an earthquake made a wide swath through the city killing 5000 people. In 1806 Napoleon arrived and in the 20^th century Mussolini’s troops arrived.

      Located between the Dinaric Alps and the Adriatic Sea, the fortress city served as a base for a fleet of ships that carried trade between much of Europe and the Middle East. Ships full of cargos of salt and wool were a rival to Venice. The city flourished in the 15-16^th centuries. With the third largest navy in the Mediterranean 500 years ago, the Republic of Dubrovnik was a major maritime power.

      The ancient wall, Gradske Zidine, has withstood time and tide for hundreds of years as well as the Serbian attacks in 1990. The original bastions and ramparts date to the 12^th and 13^th centuries. The wall was beefed up when Turks were a threat in the 15^th century. 

      A favorite meeting place is In front of the clock tower and the 1419 Orlando Column. Using Orlando’s column as its centerpiece, Luza Square was built when allegiance shifted from

Venice to Hungary.  A natural people magnet, the square was where the town crier would deliver important news. The height of the crier’s step determined the importance of the message. The square was also used for public punishment. The length between Orlando’s elbow and hand is 51.2 centimeters and was used as a measurement in ancient times.

      The tiny 1492 Synagogue is the 2^nd oldest in Europe and is near the clock tower on a narrow lane still called Jew Street. Jews from Spain passed through Dubrovnik on their way to Turkey. When many decided to stay the synagogue was built.  The synagogue is on the top floor while a museum occupies the first floor.

See posts: Dubrovnik 5-26-10, Split 6-23-13, Plitvice Lakes 9-18-12