Summer did wonders for the Ukrainian countryside. I liked it much better without all the snow and ice, thanks. Even though cold didn't affect me anymore, I still preferred the green and multi-hued beauty of this time of year.

I'd meant to drop us inside the palace foyer, but, instead, found myself stepping out of the veil on the giant front lawn, my sneakers crunching over gravel and old asphalt at the edge of the curving drive. The quiet of dusk washed everything in deep ...