Lviv Christmas Market

Apologies for the seasonal post that is a few months late. We're still cranking out travel photos from  December. 

We first unexpectedly bumped into Christmas Markets in Vienna. Then were ecstatic to find that it wasn't time to say goodbye yet, because they were also in Budapest. Imagine our delight when we heard that Ukraine, our home country, also has their very own Christmas markets! 

Ukrainians celebrate Christmas (or Рiздво) on January 7th, so naturally their Christmas Market opens later in December. The wooden huts were being nailed together and lined with lights during our time in Lviv, and the market was scheduled to officially open on Sunday, the day we were set to leave-- major bummer! The gigantic Christmas tree went up in front of the opera house on our last day and we never got a chance to see it lit up. 

However, a lot of the shops opened early and were already selling baked pastries and bread, handmade gifts for the holidays (like candles, stuffed animals, and jars of honey), and most surprising of all-- Glühwein (German hot mulled wine)! Drinking Glühwein while wandering the Christmas market in the evening was comparable to drinking an ice cold water in the desert. It was so relieving. Some days in Lviv were so frigid cold that all my extremities felt like they might break off if anyone bumped into me. We would hop into McDonalds just to warm up our fingers, since the large crowds there helped conceal us. 

I think Christmas Market hopping around Europe in December should be a tradition. I'm waiting for one to open in Seattle (wishful thinking). 

- Julia

Giant Christmas tree going up in front of the opera house. 

This man is stringing lights on the shops that are getting ready to open for the season.

The sign above this shop reads "just good bread" and is constructed of bread. Clever!

The honey shop. Don't they look cold?

In case you're curious, 8 hryvnia equals $1 (these two pasties are labeled 6 & 9 hryvnia). 

The shops with the lines were selling Глiнтвейн (Glühwein).

Our cups of Глiнтвейн.

And of course, a Christmas market is always more magical at night.Young soldiers and a guitar. Some things never change (all of our dads have faded Ukrainian photos from their army days of their buddies and guitars).

Taste of Home - Ukrainian Food

I don't think we were ever so satisfied with the food in any country like we were in Ukraine. Why? Because everything reminded us of our childhood and our mama's cooking. My mom made a lot more Ukrainian dishes when we were kids than she does now, so mealtimes here often brought back great nostalgia. And after traveling for a few months already, we really appreciated food that tasted like home. 

Most of the food you see in this post, we still eat on a regular basis at family events or Ukrainian gatherings.

 - Julia

 Our favorite street food: hot belyashi (deep fried meat pies). So greasy and so good! This woman was very eager to serve and feed us, calling us her children.

Having coffee and dessert in the "library room" at the incredible House of Legends Cafe (which we wrote about here). 

Incredible apple pastry at the House of Legends. 

Egg scramble for breakfast with sausage and red peppers. 

Dreamy Oladki (Ukrainian pancakes) with honey butter dip. This restaurant inspired me to make these babies at home. 

Breaded veal with mushrooms and goat cheese and a side of "village style potatoes" with pieces of salo. 

 Kolbasa (sausage).

A typical meal at Puzata Hata-- an extremely popular self-serve cafeteria-style restaurant where it's impossible to not overeat! So many food options and so cheap. Also, the interior is cozy and decorated in a traditional Ukrainian cottage style. 

Cabbage salad, potatoes and kotlety (meatballs), and bowl of borscht in the back. 

Nalisniki (cheese filled crepes).

Deruny (potato pancakes) with sourcream.

Holubtsi (cabbage stuffed with rice and meat).

Vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings) stuffed with cherries.

Olivye (Ukranian style potato salad)

Nalisniki (cheese crepes) covered with cherry preserves and sour cream (have you noticed half the dishes are served with a side of sour cream?).

Eating out in Lviv

Lviv has the most quirky cafes/restaurants of any city I've seen for it's size! We randomly walked into this place for lunch one day, and I was admiring the decor the entire time. 

Colorful buttons and marbles covered the walls in whimsical swirls. Silk scarves were sewn together for a fun curtain around the entryway. Fabric scraps and buttons were strung in front of the windows, swagged from the ceiling, and adorned the funky glass light fixtures. Vintage theater posters plastered the ceiling. What a creative and original little place! And the food was nothing short of spectacular... all the classic yummy Ukrainian dishes. 

The restaurant is called Міжнародний Вареничний Фонд (translated as International Dumpling Foundation?) and is located on вул. Коперніка. 

- Julia

P.S. A long food-filled post coming this afternoon!

We ate borsht as an appetizer with almost every single meal! It's a Ukrainian soup which contains beats as the main ingredient, giving it a deep red color.

A blin with ground beef inside.

Diruni (fried potato cakes).Vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings) can be filled with almost anything- meat, potatoes, cabbage, or fruits. These are filled with blueberries and covered in sugar. YUM.