A World of Difference

Let’s talk a little about Lviv. I’ve got some time to kill, so this would be a good time to make a formal introduction. Here, sit with me a moment in the busy town square.  Yeah, ok, the clue’s in the picture. It’s really not that busy. Well, let’s face it: it’s 5:30am. We’ve stepped off the long, long train ride from Odessa to discover that no matter which direction you come from, or go to, trains leave and arrive in Lviv at bizarre unsociable hours. Because Lviv is a happening place at such times? Well, it appears not. We have theories, but that’s for another post.

In the meantime, can we find an open café? Beautiful morning light. Better air than Odessa, so far. But almost no signs of life at all. We walk around to warm up a little, maybe even wake up. But I’m flagging, and I know why: there’s an excess of blood in my caffeine system. I really need to find a fix, and It’s not looking hopeful. But I remind myself that this is what being a flaneur is all about: we’re not just aimless wanderers, we have purpose in our step, moment in our stop and inspiration in our cup. It is about perspective through observation – so let’s observe. What is this place called Lviv? Well it has an identity problem for a start: pronounced almost ‘Lwoof’ by the Polish who once had claim to it, ‘Lvov’ when we bought our tickets in Russian-speaking south Ukraine, and ‘Lviv’ now we’re here. The imposing railway station proudly dispells any Russian notions in a font that couldn’t be more bold if it tried. Lbib. So there. There’s a lot that’s bold about this place. Check out the ecclesiastical hardware. 

Claims about the secular architecture are equally bold. ‘The Florence of the East’. Apparently architectural scholars come from all over to see the unspoiled French and Italian influences. Drug withdrawal is making me tense and grouchy, doing nothing to wedge back my fatigue, but despite that, I’m looking around and liking what I’m seeing; I’m sensing I might be open to a relationship with Lviv.

I glance at my watch for a few moments until my temporal dyslexia dislodges and – jeez – it’s half eight! – where the hell is everyone in this town?  I’m a fan of the slow movement, as every self-respecting flaneur should be, but I might just have found a serious – no, make that laid-back – contender for ‘Slow City’ of the year. There is something different about Lviv to Krakow, to Odessa, to almost anywhere else I’ve been… I wonder if I can figure it out sometime before I’m found asleep in a gutter – oh my God! A café!!  It’s tucked down a little mews street not far from where we started out. I don’t see anyone in there, but the door is open… The sign says ‘CBIT KABU’. Ok. Well, we noticed earlier in the trip the similarities between Ukrainian and Czech, and ‘cbit’ sounds reminiscent of ‘svet’, kabu is kind of ‘of coffee’, so we have… ‘world of coffee’. Hmmm. Promising.

Frankly, I’m just thankful to be inside, sat down, off the street, Florentine or no. But actually the atmosphere makes me relax beyond that. It’s warm, cosy; yet it is a beginning of the day place for people waking up on their way to work at… er… 9am. Definitely professional patrons. Quiet, assured. And, I suspect, relatively well-off. This doesn’t strike me as a workers’ caff. A glance at the price list confirms that. One of the things I find most striking is the relative uniformity of cost of a cup of coffee throughout Europe. Unlike alcohol where taxation is a big factor in pricing, coffee varies less. A coffee here is just over a pound. About the same as Krakow/Prague/Budapest/London (I know, you can pay more – up to double that in any of those towns – but that, too, is the point). So my thoughts turn to how much the average Lvivian earns in a month, and what that pound cup of coffee represents. I look around, and this café is swish. It’s not trying to be Western – this is no ‘Café Europa’ – it is Western. And it’s here.

Very self-assured, very comfortable, and its clientele strike me the same way. Part of me is attempting to be a dispassionate observer, but a stronger part of me is relaxing, enjoying this place, and feeling very much at home.  Then the waitress brings the menu, and my mind is made up. Looks like we’re right about our ‘world of coffee’ translation. They sell a simply heavenly range of coffees. And I’m not talking cappuccino, frappuccino, gap-o-chino – no – we’re talking Brazilian, Columbian, Kenyan, Blue Mountain, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe… oh, my, we’re in coffee heaven now. My Ukrainian certainly isn’t up to the job of asking if they’re single estate, but you know… something about this place makes me suspect they might have that covered. (Maybe I should have tried - the staff spoke some English and were friendly enough.) Seriously, I haven’t seen a range of coffees like this outside of Monmouth Coffee House in London, which as many of you will know is something of a benchmark for me. And let’s be clear here: I’m not in Mamut shopping centre in Budapest. This is a sidestreet café in Ukraine. 

The waitress brings coffee and cake. Both are stunning. Actually all three are. Technically we’ve been up for five hours at this moment, but still – what a way to start the day. Sets me thinking about Lviv, and Ukraine and the contrasts and contradictions we’ve seen over the last few days. Stunning well-preserved classical architecture in the town centre, and tram rails so neglected the equally ramshackle trams can’t do much above jogging pace on their way there. Nothing more advanced than scythes and horse-drawn carts for the entire journey from Lviv to Odessa, but Porsches and Hummers abound upon arrival. Absolutely no concept of tourism here, the seriously soviet hotel we’ve checked into where I was actually too afraid to take a picture, and now this oasis of… well, the best coffees from around the world bar none. Well, I’m intrigued. Which is good. Because I now have a reason to explore further, and a wonderfully civilised base from which to do so. Now if they only did accomodation….

Comments

[Adam Daniel Mezei]

Okay flaneur, I've decided from now on I'm going to be living my Eastern European travel dreams vicariously through you.

Punchy writing style, guv! I like, I like much. There was a great line nestled up there..."...too much blood in my caffeine system." How positively perfect!

I didn't get the point, though. You were on a sleeping car going from Odessa to Lviv, and you woke up once you arrived in this happening polis, and you guys were puttering around for about five hours? Do I have that right?

Semantics, I realize...but I just wanted to get a sense of timing here, in case I wanted myself to travel that far afield.

Thanks for the visual treats. I'll be checking in here more regularly.

--ADM

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