Fished out!

So far, in Kiev/Kyiv, I have been here since Monday and had sushi 6 times this week. Going out for dinner tonight - hmmm, let's see what's available. I wonder, though, if all that soy sauce is good for you?

Discovered some gorgeous prepared tomato sauces made by an Italian firm called 'Barillo'. Comes in a jar, seems to contain no artificial preservatives, flavourings etc - the variety with basil went extremely well with some dinky little chicken livers I came across in the Bessarabsky market. So I have bought some more jars - between pasta with tomato sauce etc, and sushi I should have a fairly well-balanced diet while I am here. In Bessarabsky market also discovered some stalls which made some very delicate stuffed auberine rolls (possibly stuffed with nuts). When I heard the price, 15 hrivna - about 2.5 Euros - I turned my nose up and stalked off, but perhaps one can have these one day for a treat.

Also today discovered a fantastic cafe, Repriza on Artema street, which certainly had a 'Shvarzvald' cake to die for; the others looked fantastic, too. I see the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has an interest in it http://www.ebrd.com/new/stories/2006/060120.htm. Glad they are spending their money on the important things in life. Also it seems that the chief pastry cook has learnt her trade in Bulgaria; sounds like Bulgaria is definitely worth a trip. The cafe is on the way home from my office, except that from next week my office will be in another location; far from Repriza and far from the Yakitoria. I know where the Yakitorias are; wonder whether there is another Repriza near the centre.

Letter in the Times today http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-2347795,00.html (will I ever learn how to do those direct hyperlinks?) signed by very senior musicians, outlining the dangers of the current airline carry-on policies to musical life in London. Since many musicians cannot carry on their valuable instruments, especially string instruments, as hand luggage, many soloists especially find life quite hard. Orchestras have huge boxes for their instruments, soloists have the chance to fly into London since other countries are not as paranoid about hand luggage (what is the point, after all, of all that checking at airports), but it's probably better to leave via the chunnel and fly from Paris or Brussels. This will add to travelling time and of course costs. So people like Sir Colin Davis have written a letter to the times to point this out. I hope someone will listen; but our government is not so good at that...

Music will start in Kyiv next week. Had I looked at the opera programme a bit earlier, I could have gone to see a ballet based on Mozart's Figaro last night; seems that it will not be on again during my current stay. There are also some interesting concerts; no startling new repertoire, but at least there are concerts. Next week there is a very brief festival of international virtuosos (the acrobats of the music world).

Weather today is warmer. Should rain tomorrow but after that it should be a nice week. Hope so.