We have our first visitor! Aunt Cynthia came to spend the week of Spring Break with us. It’s a good thing we got settled in to the new house (been here a full week now!) right before she came because it’s such a better space for guests, and our own family as well.
We took her out to our favorite Georgian restaurant on her first night here.
The next morning, we got up bright and early to celebrate Orthodox Easter with Elena. We watched all the families, couples, and individuals bringing their baskets of food to be blessed by the priest with holy water following the sermon. In the baskets were eggs, frosted Easter cakes, a lit candle, and sometimes wine, all opened to receive the blessing. We joined the crowd and were not just adequately, but abundantly, blessed with this water. It was like being hit with a sprinkler! Everyone had big smiles on their faces as they wiped the water away. It was a beautiful start to our second Easter celebration here in Kyiv.
Then we showed Cynthia our school before heading downtown.
Then we walked up the hill to show her St. Sophia’s Cathedral. We lingered on the lovely grounds and enjoyed a snack in the sunshine.
Then it was down the street to St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. Unfortunately, it was not our destiny to climb the bell tower in either church, despite repeated efforts.
The priest is blessing each basket with holy water. 
In our Churches Tour, next up was St. Andrew’s.
We stopped for a delicious lunch at Baguette Cafe to refuel our efforts. It was well-timed because right when we got our tables, the heavens opened and sang a song of rain that did not stop for the rest of the day.
On our way back to the Metro, we popped in to the Museum of Jellyfish, a new, small but very well-done establishment right in Independence Square.
Tomorrow we’re off to Lviv!
