Sunday

Yesterday's winter turned into today's summer and after the sleepy Saturday Kiev came alive. The main drag was cordoned off and was crammed with ramblers, entertainers roller bladers and the bane of everyone's life skateboarder. It lifted my spirits and allowed me to people watch for a litlle while.
There is something about this country that stops me from relaxing, it has a dangerous feel. Maybe it is the mafia look or the number of bmws with blacked out windows. There is a beer drinking culture here, but rather people cramming into pubs people swig out of bottles on the street. Maybe the large numbers of people drinking beer out of bottles wrapped in brown paper bags is a contributing factor to the sinister feel.
The plume is still spread out across Europe and planes are still grounded, but test flights have taken place and airlines are grumbling so maybe the embargo or the clouds will be lifted soon.
Walking home I may have stumbled upon what makes the place sinister, there is a lack of street lighting, there are long stretches of unlit roads, things you expect to be lit, like entrances to hotels, or squares are swathed in darkness, making it feel like someone will step out of the shadows any minute.