Once downtown, my first impression is that Odessa has regained a certain pre-war joie de vivre, the one of the early 2000s. European, Turkish, Georgian, Israeli and even Belarusian tourists are already present in large numbers even this early in the season. The cafes and restaurants are full and the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, floats peacefully everywhere. There are no longer soldiers on the streets, roadblocks or pro-Russian graffiti. The s