What About Those Rolling Stones?
Rain showers punctuated the day, and last night wind ushered in a cold front. Acorns and small branches battered the outside deck like gunfire. Our two large dogs huddled in the basement man cave while Keith and I watched Ghost Story, the 1981 film starring Fred...
Three Dog Tales
Remember me? My name is Pullo, but it used to be The Abandoned Dog Who Showed Up At Kim and Margaret’s Farm. Kim is Keith’s brother, and Carole wrote about me and took my picture when she and Keith found me while visiting Kim and Margaret back in August. I’m a...
Moscow by day and at night
With the exception of the Kremlin and cathedrals such as Saint Basil’s in Red Square, old Moscow by day is plain, even drab, a throwback to the grim Soviet days. Traffic snarls the city streets, despite heavy metro use. But at night, Moscow becomes a magical place...
Rural Russia is a different world
Most residents of Saint Petersburg live in apartments, and many also own dachas or seasonal homes located in the exurbs, surrounding the city. But east-northeast of the city lies a vast region of lakes, rivers, and forest plains—a different world. Here are a few...
Which story is true? You decide.
“In Russia, we have the official story and the other story. Which is true? You decide.” So spoke our local guide as we strolled around the Kremlin of Uglich, one of Russia’s Golden Ring cities on the Volga River. In 1584, upon the death of Tsar Ivan IV (officially...
She knew the marriage wasn’t going to work
Crossing the bridge onto Vasilyevsky Island, tour escort Julia pointed out the old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange and two Rostral victory columns marking the Strelka or spit of the island. “This area is popular, especially for wedding parties taking pictures,” she...