We did well today.  We went on 2 buses and a tram, to the Catacombs 12km outside Odessa.  This is a MASSIVE network of limestone tunnels, they are old mines under the whole Odessa area.  Limestone blocks have been mined over centuries, for building material.  The presence of these underground tunnels explains the subsisdence of many of the Odess a buildings.

 

Our bus went all through the suburbs of Odessa.  It was like Izmail, where the car is being held â terrible roads, broken down houses and a feeling of desolation.  People you meet are LOVELY (except of course in shops where they donât want to serve you).  The lady in the fish market (in navy blue in the picture) left her stall and took us across the road to the right bus stop, and several people in the bus queue and on the bus helped us.  But they are trapped in a totally corrupted system that builds monolithic stalinist palaces and soccer stadiums then lets them fall into disrepair, while people live in shambolic streets with potholes you can die in. 

 

Anyway, the catacombs were good.  We had a private tour from Alexander, in not too bad English.  During WW2 the partisans (there were 40 men & 5 women) did a fantastic job sabotaging the nazis & living in these tunnels.  They had radios, cannon, a munitions workshop, kitchen, hospital, mens dorm (20 per bed) and womens dorm with a mirror!  There is one tunnel 12km long which leads back under Odessa to the Black Sea.    Itâs not exactly a tourist mecca, I doubt anyone else visited the site today, but our little outing kept us sane for another day!