Goncharenko centre 2025-6-15: Travelling: To Stryi by train, then to near Ivano Frankivsk and to the Carpathians

Post event notes: See farther down on this page.

Translation: auto translation of this page into Ukrainian

The topic suggestion was:
Talk about my travel from Stryi to Ivano-Frankivsk and beyond + other topics: Maybe about AI replacing people, or about meditation places, are they useful or just a business?

In the end the talk was mostly about my trip, and a few other things at the end mostly to decide on topics for the next meeting but also we talked about some things like types of Zhivchik soft drinks, and walking in cemeteries :)

I mentioned that in Ukraine it seems common to go walk in a cemetery, whereas that is unheard of in NL... A (former) friend from Sumy some years ago recommended to go visit a cemetery because of the interesting statues... I did so and it was interesting [ although my walk got interrupted not long after getting there from a phone call and a meeting, I should return and have another look some day. ]

I talked about additional information from the trip that I had not written down here: Trip to Stryi and to the Carpathians and showed a lot of pictures.

I mentioned that the advertising was annoying around Yaremche, I felt there was just too much of it everywhere, and the hills near my end destination made that second to last day not very nice to ride in the final 10 km or so.

I noted that in various regions the bus stops but also buildings are recogniseable as being from a certain area, you see similarities in style. In Stryi it felt a bit like in Lviv.

Mentioning that I went into 2 stores on my trip from Stryi to a village called Gorokholyna (Горохолина) for Zhivchik Yabloka (Apple), we got talking about other tastes of Zhivchik, and someone mentioned that there are a few other tastes, but only in cans. I didn't know about them... [ After that meeting I looked in various stores but did not see these cans/tastes! ]

[ Update 2025-8-9: About 2 weeks ago I found Zhivchik yabloka with lavender and with valerian in cans in an ATB supermarket (with label 'mono', I think the one who mentioned these drinks mentioned it was a cooperation with mono bank, why would this be something for a bank?). It was not in the section with cans but in between plastic bottles with drinks. Lavender is a subtle addition to the drink. I like to take a few sips now and then over a period of a few days. The addition of valerian is stronger and gives a noticeably different taste. I like both. ]

We also talked a bit about grave yards as 'interesting' places, which they are not considered in the Netherlands, because of statues, decorations etc. 2 of the attendees suggested to go visit such a place in Kryukiv (close to Kremenchuk).

Suggested places to visit:
- Suggestion by S: Cemetery: Kladovishche, near Деївська гора : https://maps.app.goo.gl/QgsZCmNvtRKz5vkeA [ After the park in Kryukiv, further on the road towards Oleksandria, after the cemetery comes a hilly area ]
- Suggestion by H: Baikove cemetary, Kiev: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rD5bPjibv57FK5YeA