The train pulled into Simferpol at noon. We kept on sleeping til almost noon and then got ready and repacked quickly. Eugene was waiting for us as we got off the train. He gave us each a rose and corralled our luggage. His car is a sort of station wagon SUV – Ford Freespirit – and it was spotless and roomy. We asked if he could take us to a place to eat, as we hadn’t had breakfast or lunch.
He took us to a small outdoor cafe called Silver Century and we had delicious Turkish coffee to start and then chicken noodle soup, mushroom soup and a really nice salad with local fish, greens, mushrooms, and the ubiquitious “mayonnaise”.
After lunch/breakfast, Eugene took us on a walking tour of downtown Simferpol, pointing out various historical sites as we passed them.
We popped into a department store to by a hair blower, which was 76 hryvny ($16 Canadian) – phillips brand with a two year warranty. The store was filled with every imaginable consumer item and they didn’t appear to be too expensive.
As we left the store is was pouring rain. Not a problem. We kept on walking. Natalia and I were so grungy anyway that a bit of rain was not an issue. We got some more Euros changed to hryvny and then went back to the car – they park cars all over the place here. A favoured place is on the sidewalks.
We drove to Bachisarry and walked through the khan’s residence, the harem, the courtyard. It was fascinating.
Then we had dinner at Karavan sarai salalachic which was a restaurant at the base of the cave monastery. We had a lamb soup, deep fried turnovers – one with cheese and one with meat – and a kind of shortbread for dessert. Again, absolutely fresh and delicious and cheap – 117 hryvny ($25 Cnd) for the three of us.
Then we drove to Sevastopol and stayed in a private apartment. It was on the fourth floor and there was no elevator, but the apartment was lovely. 
A comfy pullout sofa in one room and a double bed in another. Best of all, a bathroom with a great toilet and a tub. We couldn’t figure out how to get the shower head to work so we each had a sponge bath and washed our hair, and used the new blow dryer.
We also each had a chance to wash out some clothing and there was a computer with internet access, so I got to check my email. Natalia couldn’t get into her email though. It was a very slow connection.
The best part of the apartment was the spectacular view of the harbour. There were fireworks at night and a Silver Seas cruise ship came in. After a good night’s sleep, we packed up and headed out first thing the next morning. Eugene told us that the apartment had been built in the 1950s so wasn’t as utilitarian as some of the newer Soviet era apartment buildings.
Hi Paulette! Are you home now, or still traveling?
And yes, very much a gilded cage, but life in the harem would have been much better than the daily lives of most women at the time. Something to keep in mind as well is that slavery in medieval Muslim terms is not how we think of it now. After eight years, a person would be given their freedom. Often, they’d choose to stay.
hi!
Hi Marsha!
Just wondering, I guess the khan would have been the Ottoman ruler? Those carpet-covered divans look familiar 🙂 They do the same thing with kervansarais in Turkey – we went to one when I was younger that had a restaurant with traditional food and “traditional” belly dancing late at night!
Re: hi!
Not the Ottoman ruler, Deniz, but the ruler of the Crimean Khanate, which was one of the Tatar empires.