Two bands...

...one was a military band playing in the already hot sun at 9:15 a.m. - talented musicians, alongside very precise movements, including "the twist" at appropriate moments, which was very funny. If anyone wants us to send the video, let us know. The presence of humour in a military band seemed like another example of Ukraine's indomitable spirit.

Also very Lviv, in another way, was an old tram that just stopped next to a woman watering flowers. The tram driver indicated to her to pour some water over the windscreen and then started the wipers!

The other brass band, youth, also talented, played in a hall full of refugees, recently arrived from Mariupol yesterday. A heart warming welcome to them in a heartbreaking situation.

Today, once more, didn't go according to plan. The English lessons with the evangelical Christian group had got lost in translation from American to British English! i.e. Bob would only be needed if the classes were over-subscribed. 

So we walked over to the main library, which now doubles as a humanitarian aid distribution centre, and talked to the really nice elderly director who, in perfect English, gave us a very interesting lesson on the history of Ukraine. There was no room for English lessons there but he spoke to the director of another library. An unemployed tour director who was hanging around the library (as he said, "No tourists now!') showed us the way, incidentally giving us a free tour of historical buildings from the Austrian period, the site of the river (now underground) and even a  balcony with a "Romeo and Juliet" equivalent story, although very different. "Juliet" was a peasant girl and "Romeo" was a king, who was so fat that he died of a heart attack in her arms! 

There was a room in the other library, more than adequate for English lessons. It looked as though it hadn't changed since the 1950s, with even a blackboard and chalk that must be still in use, even though the blackboard is so old and battered the chalk barely shows up!

We were very dehydrated at the end of all this walking as that wasn't in the plan. But we wonder how incredibly difficult conditions must be for the soldiers on the front line, given the heat.

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