"Knockin 'on Heaven"
This essay opens a new cycle of stories "Amazing Ukraine", in which I will share with readers about the amazing nearby, about those places that we sometimes do not notice, although they are no less unique and inimitable than the well-known wonders of the world.
One of such picturesque places in our region is the Kherson Grand Canyon, located on the territory of the Stanislavsky reserve, so named for its great resemblance to the famous American grandiose natural object. And in Ukraine, mountain landscapes can be seen not only in the Carpathians, but also in the south of the country there are canyons that smoothly turn into the coastal waters, where it really seems that you can reach heaven.
Grand Canyon is a coastal strip of the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, where steppe areas are intertwined with mountain ranges. There is no consensus on the origin of such a landscape, but almost all scientists agree that the canyon owes its appearance to only two natural phenomena, such as rain and wind. And now, instead of the usual sandy coast, steep cliffs await tourists here.
It is especially interesting that if you go into the canyon in the direction from the village, then the initially flat landscape gradually descends, forming a deep ravine, above which fragments of rocks rise.
Going down this ravine, you can come to a small sandy shore, from which the canyon looks even higher.
If you climb to the top, you can see a beautiful sea panorama:
Therefore, people often come here for beautiful photo shoots or just to meditate alone with nature.
An incredible view of the water surface opens up from the top:
From the water, the canyon looks even more mysterious, resembling a space landscape:
Historical excavations show that in ancient times, back in the 12th-11th centuries BC, there was a site of ancient settlement with settlements of the bronze Belozersky culture. Hence the current name of the district - Belozersky. Then, until the 4th century AD, these lands were inhabited by residents of the Chernyakhovsk culture. During the Middle Ages, the nomads of the Northern Black Sea region lived here. And the Cossack stone crosses found during the excavations dating back to the 18th-19th centuries confirm the presence of Cossack settlements. Both the ancient Greeks and the Turks, who often raided our lands, had a chance to live on these lands. Now there are two Ukrainian villages at this place - Stanislav and Aleksandrovka. The distance from Kherson is only 40 km. You can even go kayaking to the Adzhigol Lighthouse.
In addition to the most visited place - the Grand Canyon - the Baydikha Balka, located in a picturesque place on the southeast shore, is no less popular with tourists.
Climbing the slopes is extremely difficult, in addition, there is a high risk of falling off the rocks, so for safety reasons, you need to choose well-trodden paths and slopes.
It is especially beautiful here in spring or early summer. At this time, green grass grows in the beams, and the heady aroma of steppe plants is felt in the air.
But only in April, nature gives us its masterpiece - picturesque fields of beautiful wild plants - iris flowers against the backdrop of the endless expanse of the estuary.
The local population in these parts is mainly engaged in fishing or animal husbandry. Given the wide open spaces for grazing, many open a family craft dairy production. We went to one of these farms with the colorful name "Limanska Goat"to taste delicious cheeses made from organic products.
The yard and courtyard are made in the style of a simple Ukrainian village, with a wooden palisade and attributes of village life.
In such a colorful straw tent, we were served a delicious cheese table:
The tasting was conducted by the owner of the farm, Elena, who briefly told us the technology of making cheese from goat's milk. It should be noted that the farm produces only young cheeses, the art of mature varieties has not yet been mastered here. The line of light cheeses was opened by the most delicate, melting in the mouth “ricotta”, which, in principle, is recommended for everyone, since it contains the largest amount of calcium. Then we tasted mint fried halloumi cheese, which had a slight taste of goat's milk. But the "feta" in the marinade was just excellent.
A platter of more aged cheeses included hard varieties, of which fenugreek was my favorite.
Despite the fact that all the products are sold only on order, I still squeezed some goodies from the hostess for a present, which they even packed for me.
After a delicious and interesting tasting, we are going to get acquainted with the nurses and other main inhabitants of the farm:
Here, on the farm, small photo zones were created, which we used for their intended purpose.
In general, on a typical Sunday afternoon, we found beautiful and unusual corners of our region very close by.
From the cycle "Amazing Ukraine".
