Every morning we open our mobile phones with trepidation and wonder, what has happened now? Maybe it's the same for you, and for many others. Imagine how one man can ruin so much for so many.
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Just when you glimpsed the light ... then the real darkness came.
The pandemic has been hanging over the world for a long time, but at the beginning of the year things started to look up. Restrictions were loosening and several countries were beginning to open up. But just when confidence in the future was at its highest, that other threat struck.
We have barely been able to write about the war in Ukraineand we still don't really know how to write. How do you write about something so unimaginable and horrible? How can you bomb cities and civilians? Hospitals?
We suffer with the Ukrainians and we wonder what will happen next. What will happen to the people and the nation of Ukraine? And what will happen to the rest of Europe? There are many questions, but there are no answers ...
We have visited Ukraine three times
We have visited Ukraine three times. We remember a beautiful country, which we liked so much that we returned several times. The people we met were kind and generous, and we can't quite believe that what is happening is really happening. It is so terrible!
In a way, it's hard to think back on those trips now, but we want to tell you how much we enjoyed Ukraine. There are no words for the senseless cruelty that is happening right now, a short distance east of us.
Odessa and the Crimean Peninsula 2008
In the summer of 2008 (before the Crimean crisis) we travelled to Odessa and Crimean peninsula for a sun holiday on the Black Sea with my youngest son and his cousin. What a great trip! We flew to Odessa, took a train to Simferopol and then continued by trolleybus to Yalta.
It felt slightly exotic and slightly posh, while we blended in so well in terms of appearance that people asked for directions in Russian or Ukrainian without hesitation. Here we spent lazy days by the Black Sea and late afternoons at the Orange Bar. Great memories!
Kiev (Kyjiv) winter 2009/2010
In winter 2009/2010 we decided to discover the capital of Ukraine. Kiev (Kyjiv). Vi beloved this city! So much winter, so beautifully lit buildings, so happy and friendly people. We shopped lots of clothes in small exciting shops on the metro level and had dinners in different and entertaining themed restaurants.
We also checked out some of the bigger sights, such as beautiful orthodox churches and the famous cave monastery.
Kiev (Kyjiv) winter 2011/2012
We liked Kiev (Kyjiv) so much that we decided to go back, and this time we took our eldest son and his girlfriend (later wife). It was a repeat of everything we loved the first time: shopping, themed restaurants and nightclubs. To this day we still have many of the clothes we bought in Ukraine!
Travelling is meeting
When you travel, you meet new people and other cultures and gain new perspectives. Going to war seems completely unreasonable, and very medieval. And yet here we are again. So sad, and so scary.
What do you dare to hope for?
The newspaper headlines are black and it is difficult to see any good solution. At the same time, we have to hope that the situation will improve. In the short term, we hope that people find shelter and that refugees are well received. In the long term, we hope for stability in Ukraine, in Europe and in the world.
On a day-to-day basis, we continue to plan for bright spots and travel - especially with our motorhome. We also continue to read the news, every day, with trepidation. What is it like for you? How do you relate to what's happening around the world?
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4000mil says:
"Medieval" is the word I used too. I really thought that Europe was past all that and had developed other ways of resolving conflicts. But Russia is not and has never been part of Europe.
It is absolutely terrible what is happening and difficult to think about anything else now or feel joy about anything.
12 March 2022 - 8:18
Helena says:
Yes, one would have thought that such terrible acts of war belonged in the history books. I agree that it is a bit difficult to think of anything else, this is like a dark shadow over everything ...
12 March 2022 - 16:21
Ninnie says:
Yes, this is too horrible to take in. I can't imagine how it feels for those who are in the middle of this horror. Unbelievable that this can even happen - isn't it peace and freedom we all want? Putin is a monster in my eyes.
So funny and at the same time sad to see your pictures from Ukraine - so beautiful!
12 March 2022 - 8:37
Helena says:
No, it really is unimaginable. At the same time, it becomes so real when it is so close, and in a society that is similar to our own in so many ways. Nice if the pictures were appreciated! We didn't really know how to react, but we want to tell you how much we liked Ukraine and the Ukrainians!
12 March 2022 - 16:22
Matts Torebring says:
We probably all suffer with the little children, all the single mums, the old, the sick, the pregnant women, all those who die in the war and all the destruction. There are such great satanic forces at work right now that it is impossible to fully understand how this could happen. It says about the disciples of Jesus that Satan entered Judas and he then committed the greatest crime in world history. That is my own view of Mr Putin and his Foreign Minister Lavrov.
12 March 2022 - 8:50
Helena says:
Yes, indeed. One unbelievable thing after another happens. Even in a war, you don't think they would deliberately bomb hospitals. When they do it, you can't really believe it's real. Yes, it is evil. And then so much disinformation on top of that.
12 March 2022 - 16:24
Rolle o Carina says:
There is only one word to say about the Fool who started it all: A Monster!
Man with such power, there is no worse fool in the world!
Hope for an end soon but unfortunately the war looks bad!
12 March 2022 - 11:41
Helena says:
It is terrible to have a system where a fool (monster!) can gain so much power. It makes you wish for a system such as the USA. There, some leaders can also be a bit crazy - but they are never allowed to do anything on their own. How nasty when a single individual can rule in this way!!!
12 March 2022 - 16:25
Ann-Louise Paulsson says:
What is happening is so terrible that there are no words for it. That a man can be so cruel and completely unemotional and that in 2022 he sees no other solution than to start a war even though he knows it will never do any good. And so unpleasant with all the false propaganda where Russia's leaders lie more than you thought possible.
12 March 2022 - 14:58
Helena says:
Can only agree that there are no words. I had a very hard time finding words when I was writing this ... The false propaganda and all the disinformation is unpleasant. Information plays a huge role and you realise that many Russians are fed a completely different world view.
12 March 2022 - 16:27
Ditte says:
Yes, history is repeating itself. Terrible! Tremendous suffering for so many. And history repeats itself. The similarities between Hitler and Putin are striking. Totally ruthless and power-hungry autocrats - what the next step is, no one can figure out.
12 March 2022 - 17:58
BP says:
It is always the case that if you have been in a country/city that you have loved, it is particularly painful to see the country/city destroyed. Like you, I think it is terrible what is happening in Ukraine. Is there no one who can/will stop the madman?! No, obviously not. The West is far too scared.
As you feel for Ukraine, we feel for Israel every time there are reports of rocket attacks from Palestine...
12 March 2022 - 18:22
JoY says:
Yes, it is absolutely terrible that this monster has such power to do as he pleases. Poor people who fall under his attack. And what will he come up with? I myself find it unpleasant when we still live where we live and the idea will want to pack up and go to another place.
Now we try to enjoy the sun a bit more.
13 March 2022 - 10:11
Daniela | Discovering The Planet says:
Recognition in your text and every comment. We all think alike and feel equally bad about the situation. But I agree with you, Ukraine "is/was" an extremely beautiful country with the friendliest people in the world. I have CNN on all day... which is less good for my mood, but I can't help it. But somehow I still want to live on and do what I can... while I can. So on Friday, I'm taking a break from the stomachache, and going to Guadeloupe for a few days.
13 March 2022 - 13:21
Lena - gott för själen says:
Yes, it really is so crazy that there are no words. And unfortunately, 4.5 months since you wrote this post, the madness is still going on. I usually think about what you have gone through as a child to become as incredibly screwed up as he is. What makes you cross such boundaries. And strangely enough, once he is not walking on this earth, there are several people lining up to take on new "glorious" challenges. Nasty! Really nasty!
Hug Lena
27 July 2022 - 6:31