Hello from Odessa!

I can't believe I have been gone for over a week already! It has been a wirlwind of travel so far with a few more countries to come. We started out in Munich for a day then on to Athens and the Greek island of Mykonos. We spent two days in Mykonos which was absolutely amazing. It is a small port city/town which depends on tourism for its economy. It is a photographers dream with winding narrow streets with suprises around every corner. The white buildings accented with blue, red or yellow shutters are quaint and picturesque. I have been taking a ton of photographs everywhere but unfortunately I can not post any of them from the ship. The ship's internet service is very expensive ($1 per minute) and very, very slow! The tech on board told me it would most likely take me over an hour or two to send one photograph since the internet is by satelite.

After Mykonos we headed from Athens to Istanbul, Turkey for one day. We went on a 8 hour tour of the city which was an efficient way to see the city but not great for photographs since we were in a large group. I would see something that I would like to photograph but the tour was heading in the other direction or leaving on the bus!! Also I was more interested in seeing the markets and the local people milling around than learning about mosque after mosque. Unfortunately the day we spent in Istanbul was one of their holidays where all the locals leave the city and the spice markets were closed. We did get a visit to the Handmade Rug area however no one was working or weaving! It was still an amazing place to see and I did get some interesting photos from the bus. Also everywhere you look in Turkey or Mykonos or Athens there are cats!! Kim you would love it here! I do have a lot of cat photos.

Next on the cruise we set sail for Varna, Bulgaria. James and I took a short tour and then wandered the streets and pedestrian areas ourselves. You can definiately see the former Soviet influence here. Our weather was wonderful and we sat out side at a cafe and people watched for a couple of hours. I think I got a few good shots. I feel a little like a voyeur snaping shots at all the locals. Varna is a very expensive city for Bulgarian to live in. The average salary is about $300 to $400 a month. Even though money is tight the young women are very fashionibly dressed. James pointed this out to me!!!

Today we just got back to the ship after a tour of Odessa, Ukraine. This is the city for construction. Cara would love to take photos here since she said she likes to photograph people working. Almost every street and building is having restoration work done to it. It is great for the local economy and a rebuilding spirit. Odessa has been through some very turbulant times in its past and is now on its way to a bright future. The school kids were out today since it was recognize and reward the teachers day in Odessa. I love taking photos of kids interacting with each other since they are so pure in their reactions and emotions. However I always see potential shots but I am too shy to take them.

Tonight we set sail for Constansa, Romania. I am looking forward to taking more photos. As I mentioned I have been taking a lot of photos keeping in mind what Craig said at the beginning of the course. I am finding that I am drawn to more documentary type subject matter in some of the ports. However I am finding it a real learning experience to beable to get past my initial hesitation to invade someones space. I think I need a very long lens!!!!!!!!!

Well that's it for now. I will try to write more often if the internet works.