Gina Steiner

I met four Ukrainian 🇺🇦 women here - we were laying together down by the sea 🌊.

Apart from the five of us there was nobody there, the sun ☀️ was shining, 20 degrees in the shade, the water 🌊 at 19 degrees. A lot of people aren't going swimming right now - it's too cold.

The oldest of the three jumped up as soon as I went to the water and so there was a spontaneous swimming duet. I don't speak much Russian but with a "ты русская?" I got out: "украинец". That was Gala, the mother of the youngest woman (Katya) and then it wasn't long before I was “adopted”... 😜🤣

They had cheese 🧀, raki, dried fish 🐟 (which I learned actually has to be eaten with beer 🍺 , but now raki 🍶 had to be used for that) and oranges 🍊. I tried to defend myself, but you know: resistance is futile 🤖.

Katya spoke very good English because she works in tourism and always translated for her mother Gala. We had a great chat about how it is that there are so many Russians here at the moment, since Turkey is one of the few countries that is currently letting Russians in. About travelling, acceptance, sense and nonsense of life and the rest.

I don't think I've laughed so much in a long time, because I never recognized that "hedgehog" sounds like German "Hände hoch!" and funnily enough "руки вверх!" is one of the rare expression in my rudimentary Russian vocabulary. It made us roll on the floor laughing 🤣🤣🤣 - literally.

Again and again I went swimming 🏊🏼‍♀️ with Gala, she was the toughest regarding water temperature and the communication between me and her worked somehow.

After 3 hours my break was over and I had to leave - too bad! But Gala gave me a small pendant as a farewell gift and I promised her that I would put it on my neck.

This encounter will remain in my memory forever and I hope Katya will come by in Hamburg and if I ever drive through the Ukraine I will definitely visit Gala.Read more