Monastery and Roman Thermae, remains of the Roman Baths. A huge blue sky hung over the industrial port of
Constanta where the Black Sea squadron of the Romanian fleet was a study in naval desuetude. Here we again opted to explore on our own and boarded the shuttle bus to Ovid Square – named after the famous Roman poet.
B
uilt over the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Tomis, Constanta’s narrow streets are peppered with mosques and minarets dating back to the
days of the Ottoman Empire. Other passengers had taken the tour to Bucharest and their tales of the People’s Palace – Ceausescu’s lasting, loathed, legacy in this city known as ‘Little Paris of the East’ – made me envious and wishing I had joined them. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Black Sea,’ Odessa
was founded in 1794 on the orders of Catherine the Great. The city grew rapidly as the principal port for the export of Russian wheat and its wealth is reflected in the many beautiful buildings that grace the wide boulevards. We climbed the Potemkin Steps, made famous in the Eisenstein film ‘Battleship Potemkin,’ to reach Primorsky Boulevard with its early 19th
century
mansions painted in a variety of cool pastel shades. From here it was a short walk to the Palace of
Count Novikov. In the Tolstoy Palace we wandered through the White Hall, Silk Lounge and Marble Lounge while, in the Gagarin Palace – home to the Ukrainian Literature Museum – a private recital by a local string quartet proved the perfect overture to lunch. The musical theme continued that evening as we boarded buses for the Baroque Opera House and a delightful performance of Giselle. The blue sky induced a growing sense of omniscience as we arrived at Sevastopol – home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet and a naval citadel that rivals Gibraltar. Our ‘Crimean Chronicles’ tour departed shortly after lunch and first stop was the Panorama Museum where a circular painting by Franz Roubaud depicts the 349-day siege of Sevastopol by the allied troops in 1855.
“Our tour took us to the historic White Palace in Livadia”
The story of this evocative tableau was narrated in Russian by a pre-glasnost era guide and simulta- neously translated by our guide Irina, resulting in a cacophony of disparate tongues and bad temper. The Crimean War was truly a Victorian epic, pitting the British and French armies, allied for the first time after many years of enmity, against the might of Russia. We descended into the valley and walked the
craggy terrain over which the Light Brigade charged to immortality, looking towards the hills where the British guards fought hand-to-hand with Russians at Inkerman. In a poignant tribute, Irina invited a member of our group to lay a floral wreath at one of the many memorials that now hallow this ground covered by vines. Back on board Spirit of Adventure, we were treated to an energetic performance by the Black
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