Romance Tour - A Foreign Affair - Poltava, Ukraine

Poltava, Ukraine: May 28th

An early morning as everyone checks out, has breakfast (complimentary) and piles on the bus for the two hour ride to Poltava. Kharkov is a large, busy city and very exciting. Poltava is much smaller and provincial. It is lovely with tree lined streets. We will walk everywhere easily. The Palazzo hotel is very comfortable and accommodating. However, there will be a large number of ladies at the social. AFA has a permanent office here and a great staff.

The guys will discover a whole new experience and a wide range of opportunities. Those that did not find what they sought in Kharkov, may find it in Poltava, or even in Sumy later this week. That’s what is so great about these tours. No matter what your taste may be – an urban environment or perhaps a more quiet town, it is all here.

What is always interesting as far as the group is concerned is that some guys find a lady they are really interested in to the point where they wish to stay and not continue to the next city. This is, of course, their choice although we recommend that they continue in order to meet as many ladies as possible. So, off we go in a nice bus for a pleasant ride to Poltava. These trips are a lot of fun as the guys trade stories and good-natured kidding abounds. John Adams and Bud Patterson provide encouraging and useful comments on the bus microphone as we roll through the beautiful Ukrainian countryside. I can’t help thinking of rural Pennsylvania or the midwest.

When we arrive at the Palazzo (a lovely and accomodating hotel) at noon, we tumble off with our luggage and check in. A nice walking tour is scheduled for those interested.

At four we meet the interpreters – lovely young ladies who are English students and eager to help. Then it is off to the social at the excellent nightclub, the Podium – a brief walk from the hotel.

As in Kharkov, there are hundreds of lovely ladies to meet, dance with and hopefully date. This could occur after the four hour social or the next day. Many men took advantage of this, of course. The biggest problem is deciding who to speak with! I found myself lingering afterwards with a lovely lady I had been dancing with and set up what turned out to be a 10 hour date the next day. I was truly not alone.

And so with a second social under our belts and our confidence increased we head back to our comfortable rooms for a good night’s rest – we will need it.