Ukraine Remixed

The beautiful Black Sea during a sea storm

Probably one of my favorite shots I've ever taken -- I almost lost my camera to the wave for it but so worth it :)

Absolutely the BEST produce you'll ever have

Sweet, juicy peaches! 

Flowers from my mom's garden -- she's quite the gardener, business woman, and fashionista!

Ukrainian Churches are among the world's most beautiful 

A lonely rose

Red caviar crepes -- traditional Russian/Ukrainian dish

Four Ukrainian cities will be part of the Euro2012 cup and McDonald's there is BETTER! :)

Love this sweater...too cool!

Stunning, young, newly married couple.  Love that dress!

Love him!

Anton Chekhov is one of the most famous and talented Russian short-story, playwright and physician.  This is one of his famous quotes (my bad translation) -- "a person should have everything wonderful -- his face, his clothes, his soul, and his thoughts".  Sounds much better in Russian ;)

Our family dog, Rex.  I call him my sweet beast! :)

As we get ready to embrace the wonderful fall season and all its perks, I wanted to share the long overdue post of my trip back home to remind us once again about how incredibly fun the summer season is.  All of these photos were taken in my home town Gurzuf, and the city where I was born Yalta, Ukraine (15min away).   Neither of these two Crimea coastline towns are as well known as let's say...Santorini or Monaco (well Yalta probably more so because of the 1945 Yalta Conference between the "Big Three" powers), but it truly is a little piece of heaven for those who have been there -- like me!  Aside from some minor post Cold War, Communist era leftover issues, this area is incredibly beautiful and with a lot of potential for tourism.  I love spending my summers there because I feel totally FREE!  Free of worries, free of stress, free of the types of pressures we experience here in our busy, fast-pace lives.  When I'm back home, I rarely wear make up, do my hair, or wear heels (actually i'm pretty much barefoot the whole time), and it feels incredible!  The fresh produce, incredible Mediterranean climate, Black Sea only a few steps away, and being home with my family are my favorite parts of the trip, but there is so much more.  This area is full of culture, history, and believe it or not, fashion too -- just check out the Shutz booties I haven't been able to take off for weeks in previous posts :)  Hope you enjoy the post -- I certainly feel like I just took the trip all over again.  You gotta love photography and its ability to transport you into a place or time you truly treasure.

XO

Katya