We backtracked (for the first time in 6 months!).

It held such promise, a volcanic core on the coast line.

Unfortunately this is as close to it as we got.

An enthusiastic Ranger showed us the botanic garden but also showed us the "no hiking" notices. Guided tours if we happened to be there at the right time.

We weren't.

And the aquarium was also closed.

We took a side road to Kurortne and the park was just to the north.

On the way back we stopped at the shop to stock up on food.

Needed 4wd to reverse through the mud to a garden gate. The hose wasn't long enough. It leaked and a bucket was produced to collect the leak. The guy from the fuel station that took us there was in a hurry so turned the tap up full, which made it leak more - he was in a hurry and didn't understand the limit was my throttle on the truck. And then it cost us too much -some for the old woman who owned the house, some for the finder. 

Built in the 14 - 15th centuries.

Genoa was one of the city states in Italy that spread its trading wings, then defended them.

This is the view to the west from near the top.

The castellations in the foreground are a bit like a "Y" in the center whereas elsewhere they are square.

Different influences at different times - or one of the restorers has a sense of humour.

Ferries from across the Black Sea and further along the coast dock just below us.

And to watch another sunset.

They are sweet wines, not to everyone's palate. We tried hard and enjoyed it. At $3 we were willing to be adventurous.

Names from school history that were about to become alive.

Its referred to as the Russian Riviera and has holiday resorts (complete with imported sand apparently) along the coast.

We headed into the hills as there was an inland road through national park that looked interesing.

Unfortunately the road was closed and no information available about the park. We camped somewhere near the entrance.

It was built in the early days of the 20th century as a holiday retreat for the last of the Russian tsars.

A mixture of Scottish and Moorish architectural influences.

Its also where Winston Churchill stayed while attending the post WWII Yalta conference between Britain, US and Russia, that divided up Europe between Europe and Russia.

A slightly more docile version of the Crimean War.

The museum entry is a little further back.

For some reason Russian and Ukrainian tourist attractions situate their ticket offices as far from the viewing entrance as possible. They also have separate tickets for different attractions within the same site.

We have never been sure what we have been buying tickets for. Or whether we've paid for the camera.

This time we got to see the main attraction.

A nice place to relax after a day at the office - though Winston apparently found the climate humid and uncomfortable.

Sorry. It isn't a Juliette balcony on the right. Its for the serf minstrels and is accessible from the serfs' quarters.

No wonder there was a popular revolution.

I guess we could say we've been in the same room as Winston.

Just 65 years difference.

But it does put history in some sort of ongoing perspective when the characters were still alive in one's own lifetime.

We bypassed Sevastopol (where Russia has a lease to keep its Black Sea fleet for a few more years) and Balaclava (where a famous light cavalry charge occurred in what's now a vineyard).

It seems that Yalta was perhaps a bit symbolic for the WWII conference. The Crimea War had been fought on the premise of keeping Russia out of the Mediterranean and that also seems to have been the aim of Britain and US for the conference.

Sand cliffs.

We expected it to be lower for some reason.

Nice to see the layers and colours of sand.

This microlight pilot buzzed us a couple of times. I suspect he was planning to land but someone photographing him was in the way.

There was also a hot air balloon in the distance and later a helicopter.

We've seen a couple of caravans parked next to houses and passed a couple of cars towing boats.