St. Andrew's--Stray Dogs--Street Vendors

Between St. Michael's and St. Andrew's, I was attracted to the many shops and outdoor street vendors on the Andriysky Spusk, or "St. Andrew's Descent." Here I spent an hour or more looking for a few little gifts to take home to my family. I had an especially pleasant conversation with a Ukrainian woman who spoke no English. She appeared to me to be the one Ukrainian plying her Ukrainian-themed souvenir wares in a frigid outdoor tent in the midst of a dozen Russian men(with excellent pitch-man's English) plying their distinctly Russian wares (e.g., "This Christmas Matroshka very popular this year; I make you good deal!" or "Do you want whiskey flask with Soviet symbol?" etc.) Needless to say, I wound up buying from the Ukrainian woman. I never got closer than a half a block from St. Andrew's itself, which rises up almost intimidatingly on a steep hill above the street. The high stairs and forbidding prospect aren't the only intimidating things. If you click on the picture you will see several loose dogs in the street before St. Andrew's. Frozen and exhausted and in no mood for dodging dogs, I took my little purchases home, far away from the stray dogs and Russian street vendors.