Kyiv metro

Day seven: Kyiv sightseeing. Alongside the more famous sights, such as the beautiful basilicas blown up by Stalin (just to show the Ukrainians who was boss) and rebuilt in poured concrete (though you wouldn't guess it), we also saw some pretty extraordinary things off the beaten track, including an enormous, rusting outdoor gym. The hefty and dilapidated equipment was constructed using old agricultural machinery several decades ago (along with makeshift weights such as huge rocks and old radiators), but is still heavily populated and creates what is surely the highest concentration of testosterone in the whole country. And then there's the metro: wide, decorated halls, and incredibly grand. This one has mosaics all over the arches and ceiling, with traditional patterns and pictures of saints. Moscow's metro will be even more impressive, but that will have to wait till later.