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...
What! You too?
“Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too?” -C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves This is the first in a series of reflections about our September trip to Russia. The first evening in Saint Petersburg, Keith and I...
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, Hello Rolling Stones
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, Hello Rolling Stones is the fourth of four posts related to our August excursion to see the solar eclipse. Monday night, August 21st, we exited 95 at 8 pm to buy gas and something other than fast food in Lumberton, North Carolina. We...