The Farrells Full House: Yalta

Yesterday morning we got a fantastic surprise! We were told that A could stay with me all week-end, and not have to go to the place she is supposed to be from 9-2!! We decided to seize the opportunity to go to Yalta. Yalta is a beautiful resort town on the Black Sea. When I say that it is beautiful, I mean it is the one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It reminded me a lot of Hawaii. It was a very cloudy day, but the sun was casting weird shadows behind the clouds, so I'm afraid my pictures did not turn out very well, and they will not do the beauty of Yalta justice.

Beautiful mountains surrounding Yalta

Views from the Boardwalk

Ship Restaurant over the Black Sea

A, her sweet friend L, our facilitator, and I started out with lunch. We then enjoyed a walk down the boardwalk, and then rode a ferry out to Swallow's Nest. If you ever find yourself in Yalta, you must ride the ferry! The views of the Yalta coastline are truly breathtaking.

It was so fun to take L (who is also in the process of being adopted!!) and A to Yalta for the first time. These sweet girls have lived so close to this spectacular town all of their lives, and yet have never had the opportunity to go. It was such a treat to share this day with them.

Swallow's Nest

Swallow's Nest is a decorative castle that was built between 1911-1912 on the edge of Aurora Cliff. It was originally built in 1895 as a wooden structure, but was replaced by the stone structure in 1912 by a court doctor to the Tsar. It has served multiple purposes including a restaurant, but is currently used just as a tourist destination. There are several ways to reach Swallow's Nest including zip lining in, but we took the ferry and climbed a ton of steps to get to it. Along the path, there are kiosks filled with souvenirs and food.

After we visited Swallow's Nest, we took the ferry back up the coastline. It was sunset, and the sea was so peaceful and beautiful.

Bear Mountain (looks like a bear lying down drinking water:))

Sweet girls enjoying the ride

We decided to drive up to another tourist attraction, Foros Church, even though it was getting dark. Foros Church was built high up in the mountains, and is also situated on a cliff. The church is called The Church of Christ's Resurrection is an Orthodox church.