Cycling on a road amidst meadows, along the Black Sea shore, we got to Koktebel. This charming small resort lies at the foot of Kara Dag Mountain, an extinct volcano, to which it owes its picturesque location. The rocks rise up to the altitude of a few hundred metres above mean sea level. There is also the famous Golden Gate - the lonely portal-like rocks jutting out of the Black Sea. When visiting it, one should rent a small boat that can sail under the rocks. The Ukrainians believe that if you make a wish and throw a coin into the sea while sailing under the Golden Gate, the wish will come true.

After the excursion, on the way to our room we ate a shashlik and manty - big dumplings filled with meat and mushrooms. Yummy! I also tried some sweets that day – a waffle cone filled with dried fruits and vanilla-caramel sauce. Now that was tasty! Along the beach there is a promenade with travel agencies, bars and numerous small restaurants. A lot of street vendors selling their local delicacies straight from the pots: plov (baked rice with vegetables), manty, shashliks, or roasted eggplants. Tasting cakes or wines is worth a try. Huge cake constructions – with almonds, chocolate or nuts and dried fruits are all very tasty!

It also turned out that in Koktebel Igor could to fulfil one of his dreams – swimming with dolphins. You just need to pay UAH 250 after the show at dolphinarium, and you can enjoy 10 minutes of fun with these great animals. Wonderful! Igor was surprised how strong they were.