♥ Adventure « With Love…

27May/1012

To the beach…

Hello Darlings,

I've received a very cute e-mail asking me to share some of my cottage getaway essentials. Of course, cottage country is all about awesome times and relaxing but that does not mean that you get to live and sleep in your pj's the entire trip! So fellow cottagers I suggest you put on some "real" clothes and put your cutest foot forward (and it better have a pedi) when grabbing that ice cream or going for stroll.

Looking cute is not always the first priority when out and about in the cottage country, but things are soooo much more fun when you look and feel fantastic!

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22May/1017

Summer Getaways…

Hello Darlings,

First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts. I've been having a writer's block, trying to stay on top of my course work, and I am also away at the cottage. This weekend is Victoria day in Canada and it's a long weekend. So, Happy May 24 to my fellow Canadians!!!

Andrew and I decided to spend some times at the cottage with the friends to just relax and have some fun.

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26Apr/1019

Sunday morning with TorontoVerve….

Hello Darlings,

I hope everyone had an incredible weekend! My weekend was filled with fun company and new experiences. Between passing my drivers G test, shopping for an awesome Moschino umbrella and a Nike weighted jump rope (for cardio), seeing Kick-Ass, getting gelato and macaroons, attending Ukrainian semi-formal, girl talk, brunch at Distillery District and having the opportunity to meet the talented Nigel of TorontoVerve.... I would have to say my weekend was action packed.

To view the images that Nigel and I shot for TorontoVerve, click here and here!!!!

And to check out the video...

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1Mar/1028

Cashmere….

Hello Darlings,

I completely forgot to share with you these pictures from my Niagara Falls Valentine’s getaway. The beauty of the falls is indescribably beautiful especially during the winter, but the weather around it is beyond freezing. The weather was crazy cold, Andrew and I definitely focused on bundling up when outside. It was cashmere over-load all the way: P

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4Jan/1026

Big Apple, II…

Hello Darlings,

Well, I am home and ready to get back to my everyday life of a student. Lectures resume today! To be quite honest, I am looking forward to going back to school and just getting my school work back on track (the accident had its impact). But before that I still have a few pictures to share with you from my trip....

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1Jan/1015

Big Apple…

Hello Darlings,

I’ve finally found a second to sit down over a cup of coffee and share with you a few memories from the past few days in the Big Apple......

These past few days have been ooh-so-amazing!!! In a company of close friends and in a city that is as exciting as New York, there is never a dull minute. This is exactly the kind of vacation Andrew and I needed......

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28May/0916

Ukraine: Memories

Hello Darlings,

The only airline I trust, besides Air Canada.

I apologize for the lack of posts and replies, I've been in bed for the past three days because of jet lag.However, this morning I am feeling much better and ready to get back to my everyday life . I have missed this blog very much and was disappointed that I couldn't dedicate more time to it while I was away (as I planned).

I am back now and can't wait to catch up on my blog reading and reply to the comments that I am sooooo behind on ....

This is my last post that will feature images from my trip to Ukraine.

Lutsk Castle

The Gate Tower

For the past three weeks I have stayed at the city Lutsk, which is where I was born and raised. I haven't gone back to Ukraine in four years and this trip was filled with joy and sadness. To a certain degree it was emotionally overwhelming.

Lutsk is at least 930 years old ( at least I say is because there are records from 930 years ago, but historians believe that it is much older) and is one of the oldest cities in the Europe.

It features many historic monuments that depict its past, one in particular is the Lutsk Castle. It is one of the few medieval castles that has been preserved up to the present time (more than 80% of it is still in original form).

It's history counts back 600 years. Memories about the events of Lithuanian-Polish epoch, political and private life of people are kept in the powerful Castle's walls and towers.

At first the Upper Castle had the style of Roman Gothic architecture, but after its rebuilding in XIV century it acquired Renaissance traits. The main Gate Tower measures 27 meters in height and has been entered by famous people of the European history among many are: the Great Duke Vitovt ,Prince Yagaylo, the Danish King Eric, the Roman Emperor Sygismund, the Great Moscow Prince Vasiliy,Tatar Khans, the first printer Ivan Fedorov and the future Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Wygowskyy.

The Gate Tower with the views of The Roman-Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul as well as of Lutheran Kirk.

Inside the castle walls one can visit the Museum of Bells, which is unique of its kind in Ukraine. The exposition presents about 50 bells of XVII-XX centuries from different countries: Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Austria and Germany.

This bell is more than 300 years old and I found my name of in. MARTA actually means March in old Slavic Language.

The Museum of Bells is housed in the Bishops Tower which is 13.5 meters and requires a lengthy climb on the most claustrophobic stairs ever.... and then the creepiest wooden stairs.

On the territory of the Bishop's yard where the Poviat Treasury was built in 1807 is now the Book Museum.

"The Book Museum"

It features ancient books from XVI-XIX centuries. This part was especially exciting for me since I've never been to a book museum.

Walking Through the Old Lutsk

Walking through the Old Lutsk (the New Lutsk is features in previous posts) .....here are some of my favorite places and monuments.

The " Stalin Car"... ( the car is not a monument, but was there simply by chance) yup, this is exactly the kind of a car that Stalin was driven around in.Behind the car is a Monument to the murdered Volynians. On June 23, 1941, three thousand of Volynians had been shot without any court processes.After the war an Orthodox monastery was placed here.

Roman-Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul reflects the difficult historic epoch of XVI-XVII centuries. As the result of signing Lublin Union in 1569, the city was affiliated to Poland. This church was built in the early baroque style by the Italian architect Jacob Briano. The unique adornments of the church are decorated by wooden sculptures of St. Peter and Paul-the patrons of the church.

The Lutheran Kirk started on June 24, 1906 in place of the former monastery of Karmelits.
During the 1927-1928 the German community built two buildings here, where the administration, the pastor's dwelling and the school for 250 pupils were situated. When WWII began the German colonist were evicted out of this land and the Soviet powers used the Kirk as a storage for Volyn' regional state archives. Since 1990 the Kirk has been used by Evangelists.

That's it for my journey of the city that I was born in...I've definitely had an experience with my family that I will cherish forever. I can't wait to go back to Ukraine to explore farther.

Outfit Time...:)

Finding a good guide book and then tour guides was hard but finding an ideal outfit was even harder. The outfit for the day had to be simple but classy. It had to be appropriate since I was going to visit many religious monuments. It also had to be comfortable... and breezy ( it was really hot that day).
So, here's what I settled for....