Kaylie and Lisa Go to Russia 2012!
There Are No Cows in Moscow!
Day Before the Cruise and Cruise Day One
Amsterdammit, We're Leaving, and
A Bloody Good Day to Moscow!
Monday, July 9th, 2012
What a day! The alarm went off way too early- even though we "slept in" until 7AM. Kaylie took a shower while I stripped the bed, folded it up, and then began packing. We managed a roll each for breakfast. It was tough packing things up. I was sure my bag was overweight.
We had just enough time to clean up, pack and get ready with no extra time when our driver knocked on the door.
Schiphol Airport was a nightmare, and confusingly marked. We waited in line for 20 minutes before we learned we were in the wrong line. So we walked and walked to the right line only to find it closed for another 1/2 hour. Once it opened we got checked in, walked forever to our gate, wanting to get through the x-ray, and then get something to eat. No such luck. We had to wait again for the line to open, and of course there's no place to sit near there.
Finally we did the checks, checking our tickets, AGAIN, checking passports AGAIN, xraying our stuff and then putting us thru the full body scanners. Kaylie must have been suspicious because she also got patted down.
Our plane was large, a 3/3 configuration on Aeroflot. was stressed,but friendly. We got served lunch on the plane, a beef, rice, and gravy dish wth shredded carrots and red peppers (which I ignored) a "salad" with two bites of lettuce, a chunk of crab meat, slices of raw fish and lemon. I ate the crab. We got a small slice of rye bread and butter and a teensy loaf of white bread and then 2 mini Russian chocolate bars (copies of Milky Way and Snickers) Good and filling!
I didn't get a window seat and I was bummed. I took the aisle and let Kaylie be squished in the middle. We both slept for much of the flight. I had a scary moment when the stewardess accidentally knocked over a full coffee pot right next to me. The people along the aisle squealed and gasped. The stewardess appeared sheepish and apologetic. She asked me in Russian if I was okay~ at least I assume that's what she asked! It splashed a bit on my pants, but not on my skin. The rest of the flight was uneventful.
Our plane landed about 10 minutes late. Everyone was eager to leave, but we sat for a good 1/2 hour before disembarkation as there was no place for the plane to park! Finally it parked out in the open somewhere and we had to wait for a bus to transport us to the terminal. We were crammed like sardines, most of us standing. If the bus would have crashed, we would have remained standing- THATS how tightly we were jammed together on that bus!
Once in the airport we were processed very quickly. Most of the folks were very serious, but when I told the serious Russian girl processing our line, "Spasiba", (thank you) she very reluctantly cracked a half grin and told us to enjoy our stay. I must have said it really funny.
We were glad to see our driver waiting with our names on a sign. We had to walk a long way to his car. It was a nice car with GPS and Russian Marlboro cigarrettes under the seat. The driver's name was Rustof. He didn't speak English, but he wove us safely in and out of the insane Moscow traffic. It took an hour to drive the 16 miles from the airport. We tipped him 5E.
The Assambleya Nikitskaya Hotel is a lovely boutique hotel for $300ish a night. It was weird to go in to the front desk and have the two attendants ask for our passports and then inspect them! Then they asked for our "Immigration papers". What's that? I asked. We didn't have any papers. The Redhead clerk acted miffed, saying "They don't let you into Russia without Immigration papers!" I said, we never got any. We went thru the customs desk and never filled out any papers and they let us thu. "You can't get into Russia without Immigration papers," she repeated. "Here I am!" I said. "No papersI" I was feeling panicky. The blonde clerk looked at Red and said, "What should we do?" Red shrugged and gave the Russian version of 'whatever- they let 'em in, what do I care?'
Our room is lovely and comfy. We relaxed a bit, changed clothes and grabbed our map of Moscow to venture into Red Square. It's only four blocks away. Just beware when the desk clerk tells you to turn left. She just might mean RIGHT.
To get there you have to walk UNDER the street intersections, where there is a whole underworld of shops and eateries and access to the metro. Outside of Red Square there is a whole carnival atmosphere. Inside are a ton of people all taking pictures of each other and enjoying social time. At the main entrance are beggars slumped against the walls.
Moscow is intimidating. It's a huge city with a confused identity. Old and new, rich and poor, Italian Renaissance, Stalinist-ugly and Artistic Modern, all mixed together- but not necessarily well. My first impressions were of an arrogant and ostentatious city. The young women dress like mail order brides, beautiful and they know it and want to show it. Designer clothes in sexy/tacky styles. The young men in designer suits. The older people in 70's/80;s era work clothes and the old in peasant style clothes with babushka scarves. Add to it the luxury cars, the aloof demeanor and the run down buildings, and then guards interspersed carrying machine guns slung casually over their shoulders and it's just weird. But I know first impressions are often wrong, so we'll see what the future brings. Red Square itself is beautiful and impressive.
McDonalds is 2 blocks from the hotel and Kaylie and I were starving. We're not adventurous foodies! It sounded perfect. As we made our way to the counter to order, there was a loud crash behind us and something hit and stung my foot. One of the employees had dropped a tray full of glass items and a big shard of broken glass scraped the top of my foot. At first it just looked like a scrape. Then it started bleeding- badly. The manager was at the counter on my side, so I showed him and asked him for a band-aid. He nodded and disappeared. He didn't come back, but the girl who dropped the glass did and asked me how I was (in broken English). I said fine and she handed me some napkins. Is this it? I felt abandoned. Another manager was at the counter. I showed her the cut, which had bled thru the napkins and was puddling in my shoe- and handed her a large shard of glass from the floor. She gave me more napkins, which I shoved down the side of my shoe to catch the blood. The other manager came back with a wad of cotton and some kind of ointment. I cleaned the cut and stuffed more napkins in my shoe and gave him back the ointment.
Wanting just to sit and eat, we gave our order to the female manager who tried hard to understand us. We ordered a quarter pounder with cheese, fries and drink, and Kaylie ordered chicken nuggets and a drink. The manager gave us 2 Super Sized fries, drinks, nuggets, quarter pounder, plus a cheeseburger. Not wanting to argue the extra items I got out my money. When she saw my roubles she said, "No. No money. No money."
So our first Russian meal was quite memorable! Maybe the Russians are trying to kill me, lol. First the dropped coffee on the plane, then the broken glass. The food was very good, but I was more than ready to get back to our hotel. In spite of only ordering nuggets, Kaylie polished off most of her fries, PLUS the extra cheeseburger!
All of the Russia horror stories are catching up to me! I feel like a fugitive from the law (no immigration papers) and a pickpocket's dream when we're outside. It's a vulnerable, yukky feeling. Powerless.
Lots of weird TV and lots of naked boobs. G'night.
We had just enough time to clean up, pack and get ready with no extra time when our driver knocked on the door.
Schiphol Airport was a nightmare, and confusingly marked. We waited in line for 20 minutes before we learned we were in the wrong line. So we walked and walked to the right line only to find it closed for another 1/2 hour. Once it opened we got checked in, walked forever to our gate, wanting to get through the x-ray, and then get something to eat. No such luck. We had to wait again for the line to open, and of course there's no place to sit near there.
Finally we did the checks, checking our tickets, AGAIN, checking passports AGAIN, xraying our stuff and then putting us thru the full body scanners. Kaylie must have been suspicious because she also got patted down.
Our plane was large, a 3/3 configuration on Aeroflot. was stressed,but friendly. We got served lunch on the plane, a beef, rice, and gravy dish wth shredded carrots and red peppers (which I ignored) a "salad" with two bites of lettuce, a chunk of crab meat, slices of raw fish and lemon. I ate the crab. We got a small slice of rye bread and butter and a teensy loaf of white bread and then 2 mini Russian chocolate bars (copies of Milky Way and Snickers) Good and filling!
I didn't get a window seat and I was bummed. I took the aisle and let Kaylie be squished in the middle. We both slept for much of the flight. I had a scary moment when the stewardess accidentally knocked over a full coffee pot right next to me. The people along the aisle squealed and gasped. The stewardess appeared sheepish and apologetic. She asked me in Russian if I was okay~ at least I assume that's what she asked! It splashed a bit on my pants, but not on my skin. The rest of the flight was uneventful.
Our plane landed about 10 minutes late. Everyone was eager to leave, but we sat for a good 1/2 hour before disembarkation as there was no place for the plane to park! Finally it parked out in the open somewhere and we had to wait for a bus to transport us to the terminal. We were crammed like sardines, most of us standing. If the bus would have crashed, we would have remained standing- THATS how tightly we were jammed together on that bus!
Once in the airport we were processed very quickly. Most of the folks were very serious, but when I told the serious Russian girl processing our line, "Spasiba", (thank you) she very reluctantly cracked a half grin and told us to enjoy our stay. I must have said it really funny.
We were glad to see our driver waiting with our names on a sign. We had to walk a long way to his car. It was a nice car with GPS and Russian Marlboro cigarrettes under the seat. The driver's name was Rustof. He didn't speak English, but he wove us safely in and out of the insane Moscow traffic. It took an hour to drive the 16 miles from the airport. We tipped him 5E.
The Assambleya Nikitskaya Hotel is a lovely boutique hotel for $300ish a night. It was weird to go in to the front desk and have the two attendants ask for our passports and then inspect them! Then they asked for our "Immigration papers". What's that? I asked. We didn't have any papers. The Redhead clerk acted miffed, saying "They don't let you into Russia without Immigration papers!" I said, we never got any. We went thru the customs desk and never filled out any papers and they let us thu. "You can't get into Russia without Immigration papers," she repeated. "Here I am!" I said. "No papersI" I was feeling panicky. The blonde clerk looked at Red and said, "What should we do?" Red shrugged and gave the Russian version of 'whatever- they let 'em in, what do I care?'
Our room is lovely and comfy. We relaxed a bit, changed clothes and grabbed our map of Moscow to venture into Red Square. It's only four blocks away. Just beware when the desk clerk tells you to turn left. She just might mean RIGHT.
To get there you have to walk UNDER the street intersections, where there is a whole underworld of shops and eateries and access to the metro. Outside of Red Square there is a whole carnival atmosphere. Inside are a ton of people all taking pictures of each other and enjoying social time. At the main entrance are beggars slumped against the walls.
Moscow is intimidating. It's a huge city with a confused identity. Old and new, rich and poor, Italian Renaissance, Stalinist-ugly and Artistic Modern, all mixed together- but not necessarily well. My first impressions were of an arrogant and ostentatious city. The young women dress like mail order brides, beautiful and they know it and want to show it. Designer clothes in sexy/tacky styles. The young men in designer suits. The older people in 70's/80;s era work clothes and the old in peasant style clothes with babushka scarves. Add to it the luxury cars, the aloof demeanor and the run down buildings, and then guards interspersed carrying machine guns slung casually over their shoulders and it's just weird. But I know first impressions are often wrong, so we'll see what the future brings. Red Square itself is beautiful and impressive.
McDonalds is 2 blocks from the hotel and Kaylie and I were starving. We're not adventurous foodies! It sounded perfect. As we made our way to the counter to order, there was a loud crash behind us and something hit and stung my foot. One of the employees had dropped a tray full of glass items and a big shard of broken glass scraped the top of my foot. At first it just looked like a scrape. Then it started bleeding- badly. The manager was at the counter on my side, so I showed him and asked him for a band-aid. He nodded and disappeared. He didn't come back, but the girl who dropped the glass did and asked me how I was (in broken English). I said fine and she handed me some napkins. Is this it? I felt abandoned. Another manager was at the counter. I showed her the cut, which had bled thru the napkins and was puddling in my shoe- and handed her a large shard of glass from the floor. She gave me more napkins, which I shoved down the side of my shoe to catch the blood. The other manager came back with a wad of cotton and some kind of ointment. I cleaned the cut and stuffed more napkins in my shoe and gave him back the ointment.
Wanting just to sit and eat, we gave our order to the female manager who tried hard to understand us. We ordered a quarter pounder with cheese, fries and drink, and Kaylie ordered chicken nuggets and a drink. The manager gave us 2 Super Sized fries, drinks, nuggets, quarter pounder, plus a cheeseburger. Not wanting to argue the extra items I got out my money. When she saw my roubles she said, "No. No money. No money."
So our first Russian meal was quite memorable! Maybe the Russians are trying to kill me, lol. First the dropped coffee on the plane, then the broken glass. The food was very good, but I was more than ready to get back to our hotel. In spite of only ordering nuggets, Kaylie polished off most of her fries, PLUS the extra cheeseburger!
All of the Russia horror stories are catching up to me! I feel like a fugitive from the law (no immigration papers) and a pickpocket's dream when we're outside. It's a vulnerable, yukky feeling. Powerless.
Lots of weird TV and lots of naked boobs. G'night.
Facebook Post- Tuesday Morning, July 10th, 2012
Kaylie and I are safely in Russia. In fact, I'm typing (this) on a Russian lettered laptop! A
funny story... We arrived last night and went out to explore Red Square which is
about 4 blocks from our hotel (and massive). On the way home we stopped at
McDonalds. We're four feet in the door and an employee behind us dropped a tray
full of glasses whcich shattered all over the floor. One of the shards skinned across the top of my foot. Not a serious injury, but I bled like a stuck pig. In the end it earned us free meals and
earned me a shoe full of puddled blood! So between the raw blisters on the
bottoms of my feet, the open blisters on the backs of my heels, I now have a
battle wound on the top of my foot as well!
Today K and I explored the square again. We also went into the Kremlin grounds- which are beautiful. I took tons of pictures and two young security guards were nice enough to pose
with Kaylie. I asked then for a picture and they were polite and said yes. I
said, "Would you pose with my daughter?" and they looked at her, dropped their
serious Russian demeanor and said smiled, saying, "Yes!"
We'll be leaving for the cruise in an hour, so likely won't be posting more until London.
We're having a great time, but we love and miss you all!
funny story... We arrived last night and went out to explore Red Square which is
about 4 blocks from our hotel (and massive). On the way home we stopped at
McDonalds. We're four feet in the door and an employee behind us dropped a tray
full of glasses whcich shattered all over the floor. One of the shards skinned across the top of my foot. Not a serious injury, but I bled like a stuck pig. In the end it earned us free meals and
earned me a shoe full of puddled blood! So between the raw blisters on the
bottoms of my feet, the open blisters on the backs of my heels, I now have a
battle wound on the top of my foot as well!
Today K and I explored the square again. We also went into the Kremlin grounds- which are beautiful. I took tons of pictures and two young security guards were nice enough to pose
with Kaylie. I asked then for a picture and they were polite and said yes. I
said, "Would you pose with my daughter?" and they looked at her, dropped their
serious Russian demeanor and said smiled, saying, "Yes!"
We'll be leaving for the cruise in an hour, so likely won't be posting more until London.
We're having a great time, but we love and miss you all!
Tuesday Is Cruise Day!
Tuesday Evening, July 10th
Tuesday~ Greetings from the ms Russ! Kaylie and I woke up early and had a room service breakfast at the hotel. I ordered cornflakes, which translates to oatmeal in Russian. Oh well, it was good!
We checked out of our hotel, but had them store our luggage. We walked to the Kremlin (Kremlin means fortress- each Russian town seems to have one) wanting to go to the Armory Chamber. The Chamber is where you can see many neat things, such as the crown jewels and... most interesting to me... the Faberge Eggs that Tsar Alexander III had made for his wife, Maria to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal. Later, after Alexander's death, Nicholas had them made for his wife, Alexandra, as well as for his mother, Maria.
For the Armory Chamber, you have to buy tickets ahead of time at a seperate location called The Towers. We couldn't find the tower building for anything! Of course we couldn't find anyone who spoke English enough to tell us. So we went to a different McDonalds to get a drink and decide what to do with our day. Our plan was to revisit Red Square and go to the GUM store (pronounced Goom).
We tried to see about visitng Lenin's tomb, but the line was outrageous. Inside Gum we went! We took pictures and window shopped for a while. We left Red Sqare and returned to the shops outside of the Kremlin. Then we went to Sbarro's for lunch (served buffet style), watching a Michael Jackson concert on TV as we ate.
There are gorgeous public areas outside of the Kremlin walls. It's a park called Alexander Gardens. There is a large grotto at the end of a cascading waterway pool full of storybook statues. Kids were splashing in the sculpture pools. There is a huge flower garden, lots to see. There is also the Eternal Flame at the tomb of the missing soldier. It's like Buckingham Palace to see the immobile guards there.
Fatigued we sat on the ledge of a pillar memorial. Kaylie was nodding off so I suggested she lay down with her head on her purse. She did and was soon asleep. I read beside her. When she woke up 40 minutes later, we took some pictures, including one with Kaylie and two of the security guards I chased down, lol!
Finally we went back to the hotel to await our ride to the ship. I asked the desk clerk if he had a computer for guests. He handed me a laptop. I could have 1 hour for free. So I got on FB and gave an update and posted a few pictures. They keyboard was in Russian, so it was challenging and fun!
I yeah. I meant to say that when we checked out this morning, the front desk clerks had two typed up Immigration papers all ready for us. We thanked them and took them.
Our driver showed up at 3:45. When he saw all of our luggage, his eyes got big! He kept saying "No, no." when we tried to take them and assist. A hotel guy grabbed the biggest one and started off with it. We had to walk up the block to his car.
K and I both dozed on the way to the ship. When we got to the dock the driver had to drive up on the curb to get around traffic. Then the gate to the dock was closed. Long story short, we had to walk all the way to the ship- nearly 1/2 a mile. It was hot in the bright sunshine. Driver had the luggage. I had my heavy backpack (why do I keep buying books as souvenirs?), camera and a huge 2 liter jug of water. (K and I had shopped at a local grocery before leaving the hotel) Kaylie had her purse and a heavy sack of pop! Of course the bag busted during our walk. We were all a mess when we finally got to the ship. Driver finally accepted the 500 rouble tip ($15) he'd rejected earlier. We found out later he had gone to the wrong entrance. Other passengers on the ship had been dropped off practically at the ships door with their luggage.
We were bleary eyed as we climbed onboard. There were smiling people in traditional Russian costume, greeting passengers with a (traditional welcome) plate of bread. The ship's photographer/videographer was filming everybody as they boarded. Kaylie and I ducked past all of them, just wanting to put our heavy things down and relax- trying not to cry.
Unfortunately we arrived at the same time as a big group of French passengers who spoke no English or Russian and pushed their way in front of us. They were a boisterous group, overwhelming the young ladies at the reception desk. They were loud, pushy, and disorganized- which was the theme for this group the whole trip. The rest of the passengers quickly learned to avoid them.
Once we got to the front of the line the first question was, "Where are your passports and immigration papers?" Criminy! Fortunately, I had them both handy! Thank goodness for the hotel desk girls who arranged for them for us!
We are in room 103 on the lower deck in a quad room- so it's bigger than most. After a restful few minutes we went upstairs and found Ansie, my pal from the Cruise Critic message board. She is a loud, chatty lady, but very, very nice. She's from South Africa and travelling with her friend, Mariette. Both ladies are widowed and travel extensively. We walked to the Small Bar with her and met a lovely couple, Alan and Roberta from New Hampshire. Roberta spoke up because she recognized Ansie's accent- as she and Alan are originally from South Africa! We chatted until suppertime.
Our tablemates for supper are Kristina and Kelsey from New York (formerly Texas). Kristina is a history teacher for inner city kids and Kelsey writes for an online magazine. They are twenty something and quite nice. We had the conversation flowing thru the meal.
After supper it was back to the lounge to meet Sergei, who is our guide for Travel All Russia/Vodohod Groups. He explained our daily schedule and described our optional tours. We chose the Kostroma Folk Show (as opposed to Moscow by Night- too much walking for my bad feet and not enough night during the White Nights). There was no circus option. :-( For Thursday it was churches, galleries or drop off at Red Square. No Armory. I told Ansie about wanting to see the Armory, but that their $78 drop off fee didn't leave enough time (2 1/2 hours) to do it. Ansie and Mariette have been navigating Moscow for 4 days now. She suggested we all go together, taking the subway for a dollar. Then we can set our own schedule and see the Armory. So that's the plan!
We checked out of our hotel, but had them store our luggage. We walked to the Kremlin (Kremlin means fortress- each Russian town seems to have one) wanting to go to the Armory Chamber. The Chamber is where you can see many neat things, such as the crown jewels and... most interesting to me... the Faberge Eggs that Tsar Alexander III had made for his wife, Maria to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal. Later, after Alexander's death, Nicholas had them made for his wife, Alexandra, as well as for his mother, Maria.
For the Armory Chamber, you have to buy tickets ahead of time at a seperate location called The Towers. We couldn't find the tower building for anything! Of course we couldn't find anyone who spoke English enough to tell us. So we went to a different McDonalds to get a drink and decide what to do with our day. Our plan was to revisit Red Square and go to the GUM store (pronounced Goom).
We tried to see about visitng Lenin's tomb, but the line was outrageous. Inside Gum we went! We took pictures and window shopped for a while. We left Red Sqare and returned to the shops outside of the Kremlin. Then we went to Sbarro's for lunch (served buffet style), watching a Michael Jackson concert on TV as we ate.
There are gorgeous public areas outside of the Kremlin walls. It's a park called Alexander Gardens. There is a large grotto at the end of a cascading waterway pool full of storybook statues. Kids were splashing in the sculpture pools. There is a huge flower garden, lots to see. There is also the Eternal Flame at the tomb of the missing soldier. It's like Buckingham Palace to see the immobile guards there.
Fatigued we sat on the ledge of a pillar memorial. Kaylie was nodding off so I suggested she lay down with her head on her purse. She did and was soon asleep. I read beside her. When she woke up 40 minutes later, we took some pictures, including one with Kaylie and two of the security guards I chased down, lol!
Finally we went back to the hotel to await our ride to the ship. I asked the desk clerk if he had a computer for guests. He handed me a laptop. I could have 1 hour for free. So I got on FB and gave an update and posted a few pictures. They keyboard was in Russian, so it was challenging and fun!
I yeah. I meant to say that when we checked out this morning, the front desk clerks had two typed up Immigration papers all ready for us. We thanked them and took them.
Our driver showed up at 3:45. When he saw all of our luggage, his eyes got big! He kept saying "No, no." when we tried to take them and assist. A hotel guy grabbed the biggest one and started off with it. We had to walk up the block to his car.
K and I both dozed on the way to the ship. When we got to the dock the driver had to drive up on the curb to get around traffic. Then the gate to the dock was closed. Long story short, we had to walk all the way to the ship- nearly 1/2 a mile. It was hot in the bright sunshine. Driver had the luggage. I had my heavy backpack (why do I keep buying books as souvenirs?), camera and a huge 2 liter jug of water. (K and I had shopped at a local grocery before leaving the hotel) Kaylie had her purse and a heavy sack of pop! Of course the bag busted during our walk. We were all a mess when we finally got to the ship. Driver finally accepted the 500 rouble tip ($15) he'd rejected earlier. We found out later he had gone to the wrong entrance. Other passengers on the ship had been dropped off practically at the ships door with their luggage.
We were bleary eyed as we climbed onboard. There were smiling people in traditional Russian costume, greeting passengers with a (traditional welcome) plate of bread. The ship's photographer/videographer was filming everybody as they boarded. Kaylie and I ducked past all of them, just wanting to put our heavy things down and relax- trying not to cry.
Unfortunately we arrived at the same time as a big group of French passengers who spoke no English or Russian and pushed their way in front of us. They were a boisterous group, overwhelming the young ladies at the reception desk. They were loud, pushy, and disorganized- which was the theme for this group the whole trip. The rest of the passengers quickly learned to avoid them.
Once we got to the front of the line the first question was, "Where are your passports and immigration papers?" Criminy! Fortunately, I had them both handy! Thank goodness for the hotel desk girls who arranged for them for us!
We are in room 103 on the lower deck in a quad room- so it's bigger than most. After a restful few minutes we went upstairs and found Ansie, my pal from the Cruise Critic message board. She is a loud, chatty lady, but very, very nice. She's from South Africa and travelling with her friend, Mariette. Both ladies are widowed and travel extensively. We walked to the Small Bar with her and met a lovely couple, Alan and Roberta from New Hampshire. Roberta spoke up because she recognized Ansie's accent- as she and Alan are originally from South Africa! We chatted until suppertime.
Our tablemates for supper are Kristina and Kelsey from New York (formerly Texas). Kristina is a history teacher for inner city kids and Kelsey writes for an online magazine. They are twenty something and quite nice. We had the conversation flowing thru the meal.
After supper it was back to the lounge to meet Sergei, who is our guide for Travel All Russia/Vodohod Groups. He explained our daily schedule and described our optional tours. We chose the Kostroma Folk Show (as opposed to Moscow by Night- too much walking for my bad feet and not enough night during the White Nights). There was no circus option. :-( For Thursday it was churches, galleries or drop off at Red Square. No Armory. I told Ansie about wanting to see the Armory, but that their $78 drop off fee didn't leave enough time (2 1/2 hours) to do it. Ansie and Mariette have been navigating Moscow for 4 days now. She suggested we all go together, taking the subway for a dollar. Then we can set our own schedule and see the Armory. So that's the plan!
Cruise Day Two and Three
Be There Or Be Red Square!
Wednesday, July 11th
Wednesday~ No rest for the weary. The air was blasting so fiercely that I swore it was only 50 degrees in our room. I put on socks, warm pants and my hoodie. I zipped it up, put my hood up on my head, climbed under the covers and jammed my hands into the pockets. Still I shivered and shook! It was awful. Kaylie slept hard and peacefully, oblivious to the arctic blast!
We were roused at 6:30 by music pumped into our room thru the speakers. It starts out soft and smooth, then gets louder and more lively- or so it seems.
Breakfast is from 7-9. Kaylie and I went around 8ish. It's set up as a buffet, first breads, then meat and cheese trays, then hot items such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, beans (the pork and beans type- it's a Europe thing). Another station has cereal, mixed fruit, juice and coffee, hot and cold (questionable) milk.
After breakfast and a quick trip to our room, we met outside the ship with Sergei (our guide) and waited for our bus. There are 26 of us in Sergei's English Speaking group. Ansie and Mariette are among them as are Alan and Roberta, Kelsey and Kristina.
As excited as I was for the tour, I was so miserable that it weighed the experience down. Between my foot issues getting worse, not better- as I continue to walk for hours at a time- new swelling from the latest flight and now to top it all off- hormones! So now I can add backache, gut ache, head ache and everything else to the mix!
We started off with a brief stop at Novodivichy Park where Novodivichy Convent is located. It was more of a picture stop. We got to see the "Make Way for Ducklings" statues that were gifted to Raisa Gorbachev by Barbara Bush in 1991. There is an identical exhibit in Boston. Then it was on to Red Square. Our funny guide, Leonid, led us thru the entrance and soon we were there. It was fun to watch people's expressions knowing just what they're feeling- the same as we felt two days before. I asked the whole group to pose with St Basil's behind them, and it was probably one of the best things I did- even if I wasn't in the group picture myself. I knew by the time we got to St Pete's we'd all be family. Several people came up to me asking for my e-mail before cruise end so they can get copies.
After a brief history of the square, Leo turned us loose for 45 minutes to explore. We walked around St Basils, getting pictures from different angles. Then back into GUM mall to use the bathrooms. Even though there are lines out the door and folks waiting to wash their hands, one or two sinks will be occupied by ladies doing their dishes in the sinks. Why? We might not want to know!
Soon it was back to the bus where we were driven to a lookout (Sparrow Hill) to take pictures and buy from the vendor kiosks if we choose. We were told this market was better priced than most. I bought Tom his rabbit fur cap in black for 3000 roubles ($90) and a set of Matryoshka Dolls for 600R ($20). The guy we bought from threw in a free metal pig ornament that Kaylie was admiring. "Geeft!" he told us.
Our next stop was the Intercontinental Hotel, where all of the Russ tours (and more) were headed in to various restaurant dining rooms for lunch. All of the meals here begin with a fancy salad, then some type of soup or connsume', then main course and finally dessert. For drinks coffee or we buy something at a crazy price. At the restaurant we did get one small bottle of water. I had to buy a 2nd water and Coke.
Our main course was parmesan chicken on a bed of rice. It was quite plain by most standards, delicious by mine!
Our dining companions were 3 couples from Oregon, New Mexico and California who travel together often. The couples are in their 60's, but don't let their age fool you. Two couples used to be in the Peace Corp together. These kindly folk are into Mountain climbing and Scuba diving. They are as friendly as can be.
After lunch we were too early for our appt at the Kremlin, so we were taken to Arbat Street to shop. Kaylie and I saw the Hard Rock Cafe. At this market I found a small piece of watercolor artwork that I admired. The vendor said the art at his kiosk was done by many artists. When I found the piece I liked (and could afford) (the watercolor). I asked if the piece was signed. The vendor said it was his piece and signed it for me. It's an abstract, cartoonish picture of St Basils Cathedral with an angelic woman (Mother Volga?) hovering over it. Tiny Russian buildings make a "frame" around the picture. It's colorful and whimsical. I love it.
After Arbat the bus came to take us to the Kremlin. By this time I was so miserable that I didn't even want to see it! I had tried to talk K into going to Arbat with Ansie or someone else while I stayed on the bus to rest so I could handle the Kremlin walk. Kaylie just doesn't want to venture without me, so I agreed to Arbat.
The Kremlin... argh. I was in so much pain I felt sick to my stomach. It's beautiful in the Kremlin. We saw this amazing cathedral dating back to the 1500's where the Tsars worshipped. They still have special services several times a year. Inside, the cathedral is frosted in gold and has icons and murals from floor to ceiling. In those days worshippers stood packed like sardines, men on one side, women on the other. The wall murals depict Biblical scenes. Over the entrance door are pictures representing Heaven on one side and hell on the other side to remind people of their choices based on actions and degree of faith. The holiest of Priests were buried on the Heavenly side. It's also where the men stood. There are only 3 seats in the church, one on the Heavenly side for the Tsar, one in the center for the Priest and one on the ladies side- hell- for the Tsarina. None of this arrangement sounds very Scriptural, lol!
After the church visit we walked around and saw the President's residence (say THAT five times fast!), one of them anyway, and the beautifully manicured gardens.
Once we were back on the bus I was sooooooo happy!
Those of us going to the Kostroma show were taken to the theater. Alan and Roberta were very sweet and had our backs while tickets were being handed out. People kept shoving in line to get theirs. By the time we got to Sergei (last), he said, "Do you mind if they're not together?" He was holding tickets for another family who requested their tickets be together. I looked at Kaylie and said, "What do you think?" Alan stepped in and said to Sergei, "No. Mother must look out for daughter. They are here, the other people aren't. Give them tickets together." Sergei did. Then since we had a few minutes to spare, Alan and Roberta bought us each a drink at the hotel/theater bar. These people are SO nice!
The show was amazing! I was expecting cheesy, but this Russian Dance spectacular was high class all the way.
After the show we had a late supper (11PM) on the ship and sat with Alan and Roberta.
Off to bed!
We were roused at 6:30 by music pumped into our room thru the speakers. It starts out soft and smooth, then gets louder and more lively- or so it seems.
Breakfast is from 7-9. Kaylie and I went around 8ish. It's set up as a buffet, first breads, then meat and cheese trays, then hot items such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, beans (the pork and beans type- it's a Europe thing). Another station has cereal, mixed fruit, juice and coffee, hot and cold (questionable) milk.
After breakfast and a quick trip to our room, we met outside the ship with Sergei (our guide) and waited for our bus. There are 26 of us in Sergei's English Speaking group. Ansie and Mariette are among them as are Alan and Roberta, Kelsey and Kristina.
As excited as I was for the tour, I was so miserable that it weighed the experience down. Between my foot issues getting worse, not better- as I continue to walk for hours at a time- new swelling from the latest flight and now to top it all off- hormones! So now I can add backache, gut ache, head ache and everything else to the mix!
We started off with a brief stop at Novodivichy Park where Novodivichy Convent is located. It was more of a picture stop. We got to see the "Make Way for Ducklings" statues that were gifted to Raisa Gorbachev by Barbara Bush in 1991. There is an identical exhibit in Boston. Then it was on to Red Square. Our funny guide, Leonid, led us thru the entrance and soon we were there. It was fun to watch people's expressions knowing just what they're feeling- the same as we felt two days before. I asked the whole group to pose with St Basil's behind them, and it was probably one of the best things I did- even if I wasn't in the group picture myself. I knew by the time we got to St Pete's we'd all be family. Several people came up to me asking for my e-mail before cruise end so they can get copies.
After a brief history of the square, Leo turned us loose for 45 minutes to explore. We walked around St Basils, getting pictures from different angles. Then back into GUM mall to use the bathrooms. Even though there are lines out the door and folks waiting to wash their hands, one or two sinks will be occupied by ladies doing their dishes in the sinks. Why? We might not want to know!
Soon it was back to the bus where we were driven to a lookout (Sparrow Hill) to take pictures and buy from the vendor kiosks if we choose. We were told this market was better priced than most. I bought Tom his rabbit fur cap in black for 3000 roubles ($90) and a set of Matryoshka Dolls for 600R ($20). The guy we bought from threw in a free metal pig ornament that Kaylie was admiring. "Geeft!" he told us.
Our next stop was the Intercontinental Hotel, where all of the Russ tours (and more) were headed in to various restaurant dining rooms for lunch. All of the meals here begin with a fancy salad, then some type of soup or connsume', then main course and finally dessert. For drinks coffee or we buy something at a crazy price. At the restaurant we did get one small bottle of water. I had to buy a 2nd water and Coke.
Our main course was parmesan chicken on a bed of rice. It was quite plain by most standards, delicious by mine!
Our dining companions were 3 couples from Oregon, New Mexico and California who travel together often. The couples are in their 60's, but don't let their age fool you. Two couples used to be in the Peace Corp together. These kindly folk are into Mountain climbing and Scuba diving. They are as friendly as can be.
After lunch we were too early for our appt at the Kremlin, so we were taken to Arbat Street to shop. Kaylie and I saw the Hard Rock Cafe. At this market I found a small piece of watercolor artwork that I admired. The vendor said the art at his kiosk was done by many artists. When I found the piece I liked (and could afford) (the watercolor). I asked if the piece was signed. The vendor said it was his piece and signed it for me. It's an abstract, cartoonish picture of St Basils Cathedral with an angelic woman (Mother Volga?) hovering over it. Tiny Russian buildings make a "frame" around the picture. It's colorful and whimsical. I love it.
After Arbat the bus came to take us to the Kremlin. By this time I was so miserable that I didn't even want to see it! I had tried to talk K into going to Arbat with Ansie or someone else while I stayed on the bus to rest so I could handle the Kremlin walk. Kaylie just doesn't want to venture without me, so I agreed to Arbat.
The Kremlin... argh. I was in so much pain I felt sick to my stomach. It's beautiful in the Kremlin. We saw this amazing cathedral dating back to the 1500's where the Tsars worshipped. They still have special services several times a year. Inside, the cathedral is frosted in gold and has icons and murals from floor to ceiling. In those days worshippers stood packed like sardines, men on one side, women on the other. The wall murals depict Biblical scenes. Over the entrance door are pictures representing Heaven on one side and hell on the other side to remind people of their choices based on actions and degree of faith. The holiest of Priests were buried on the Heavenly side. It's also where the men stood. There are only 3 seats in the church, one on the Heavenly side for the Tsar, one in the center for the Priest and one on the ladies side- hell- for the Tsarina. None of this arrangement sounds very Scriptural, lol!
After the church visit we walked around and saw the President's residence (say THAT five times fast!), one of them anyway, and the beautifully manicured gardens.
Once we were back on the bus I was sooooooo happy!
Those of us going to the Kostroma show were taken to the theater. Alan and Roberta were very sweet and had our backs while tickets were being handed out. People kept shoving in line to get theirs. By the time we got to Sergei (last), he said, "Do you mind if they're not together?" He was holding tickets for another family who requested their tickets be together. I looked at Kaylie and said, "What do you think?" Alan stepped in and said to Sergei, "No. Mother must look out for daughter. They are here, the other people aren't. Give them tickets together." Sergei did. Then since we had a few minutes to spare, Alan and Roberta bought us each a drink at the hotel/theater bar. These people are SO nice!
The show was amazing! I was expecting cheesy, but this Russian Dance spectacular was high class all the way.
After the show we had a late supper (11PM) on the ship and sat with Alan and Roberta.
Off to bed!
Let's Have Launch!
Thursday, July 12th
Thursday~ Regretfully, we skipped the morning activities in Moscow. Instead, we slept in until 8, then went up for breakfast. After breakfast I took a shower and came out to find Kaylie asleep! Thinking that sure looked nice, I climbed into my bed and joined her in the land of nod- not waking up until 12:30. Kaylie took her shower, then we walked around to explore the ship and it's decks. After lunch I told Kaylie I wanted to write in my journal. She wanted to go out. We compromised and found a table and chairs on a side deck and made ourselves at home.
Soon Helen walked by and we started conversing with her. She's a Brit who's lived in Scotland for over 20 years. She works at a public school with Autistic kids. We had lots to chat about! We talked until it was time to sail. Then we found the deck by the shore and took pictures and video of that process. People were waving at us and jazzy Russian music was piped over the speakers, adding to the ceremony.
At 6PM we had the Captain's reception outside on top deck. We were all given a glass of Champagne and officially welcomed. The captain spoke to us thru a translator. Then the top staff were introducted to the passengers.
At supper we enjoyed lively conversation with Kristina and Kelsey. It took us forever to quit eating due to the conversing. It was the call to get ready for the entertainment that pulled us away.
Our "concert" consisted of a few Russian songs by the ship's folk group, Slavitska. They are a mother/daughter singing group in traditional costume (they were the ones who welcomed us on the first day) who are accompanied by husband/father on the accordian. We heard two piano solos from Darya, the resident pianist. Then we had a group of 3 former circus performers with wild hair and clothes doing some basic tricks for us. It was cheesy, but good cheese. Our in house DJ sang a karaoke version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way", singing with a thick Russian accent, "And more... much more dan dis... I did it myyyyyyy vvvayyyy..."
Oh yeah, somewhere in there we went thru our 1st lock. Everyone crowded on the deck to watch and take pictures. It was cool. One of the best parts of the day was watching the people on the the river banks. I took lots of pictures!
After the show we joined Sergei, Kristina and Kelsey in the Small Bar. I had a White Russian, which was fabulous. I talked shop with Kristina, who teaches high school in the Bronx. She's an Irish Spitfire with the hair to match, lol! She works with a lot of SPED and ESL kids, so we traded some tips and info. Kelsey is a burnette Drew Barrymore. She looks like her, talks like her and even has similar mannerisms. We shut the bar down, which on this ship is around midnight!
Soon Helen walked by and we started conversing with her. She's a Brit who's lived in Scotland for over 20 years. She works at a public school with Autistic kids. We had lots to chat about! We talked until it was time to sail. Then we found the deck by the shore and took pictures and video of that process. People were waving at us and jazzy Russian music was piped over the speakers, adding to the ceremony.
At 6PM we had the Captain's reception outside on top deck. We were all given a glass of Champagne and officially welcomed. The captain spoke to us thru a translator. Then the top staff were introducted to the passengers.
At supper we enjoyed lively conversation with Kristina and Kelsey. It took us forever to quit eating due to the conversing. It was the call to get ready for the entertainment that pulled us away.
Our "concert" consisted of a few Russian songs by the ship's folk group, Slavitska. They are a mother/daughter singing group in traditional costume (they were the ones who welcomed us on the first day) who are accompanied by husband/father on the accordian. We heard two piano solos from Darya, the resident pianist. Then we had a group of 3 former circus performers with wild hair and clothes doing some basic tricks for us. It was cheesy, but good cheese. Our in house DJ sang a karaoke version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way", singing with a thick Russian accent, "And more... much more dan dis... I did it myyyyyyy vvvayyyy..."
Oh yeah, somewhere in there we went thru our 1st lock. Everyone crowded on the deck to watch and take pictures. It was cool. One of the best parts of the day was watching the people on the the river banks. I took lots of pictures!
After the show we joined Sergei, Kristina and Kelsey in the Small Bar. I had a White Russian, which was fabulous. I talked shop with Kristina, who teaches high school in the Bronx. She's an Irish Spitfire with the hair to match, lol! She works with a lot of SPED and ESL kids, so we traded some tips and info. Kelsey is a burnette Drew Barrymore. She looks like her, talks like her and even has similar mannerisms. We shut the bar down, which on this ship is around midnight!
Cruise Day Four
Friday The 13th... Dun Dun Duuuuuuunnnnnnn!
Friday~ A very pleasant day! We woke up at 8, quickly dressed and went to breakfast. At 9:15 we went to Sergei's talk about our upcoming stops. Then we rushed off to catch Svetlana's class on Russian souvenirs. I was thrilled to see that the rag doll I'd been admiring the day before (and thought had been sold) was still there. I told Svetlana I would buy it after class and she agreed to save it for me.
After Svetlana's class was over we had our lifejacket drill. It consisted of everyone going to their rooms at 11AM and putting on their life vests (stored under the beds). We then had to go into the hallway and wait to be inspected by a staff member. We waited a while, until I got bored and started boob bumping Kaylie all over the narrow corridor. The vests give good bounce!
We got to see others who live down here in steerege- mostly Russians and a lot of staff! We found Sergey's room (our cute waiter, not to be confused with Sergei our cute guide!). I want to pair up Sergey and Kaylie- as she thinks he's cute. But he doesn't know ANY English. He just waits on us bashfully, full of smiles and dimples. What a cutie!
After the drill we rushed to the top deck (again!) to watch a film on the Romonov dynasty. For those of us waiting for the Anastasia section- we're still waiting! It was a dry, dry film.
The 1st Russian language class was right after that. I had an upset stomach, so told Kaylie I'd be right back. I got back 1/2 an hour later, just as the class was ending. Oops!
About that time we were informed that we were passing Kaliazin, the flooded bell tower. Most people scrambled to the decks for pictures. I don't know that poor Darya had many folks attend her piano concert.
Lunch with Kristina and Kelsey is always lively and we seem to talk about anything and everything. The girls are a couple, who met in Texas at college and now live in New York. They're both 26 and have been together for 8 years. After lunch I ran some of my stomach medicine to Kristina whose stomach has been making her miserable. She was grateful.
Then I laid down and took a nap while Kaylie explored. I woke up in time for our 1st port of call.
Uglich, pronounced "Oo-glitch" is a charming town of 37,000 people. Our guide, Galina, was a cute, tiny, elderly lady. She took us to two churches, the Transfiguration Church and the Church of Dimitry on the Blood. Dimitry died at the age of 10 during an epiliptic seizure, committed suicide or was murdered, depending on which legend you believe. All we know for sure is that he died at age 10, lost blood, and had a church built on the spot! We had to pay 50 roubles at each church to take pictures. Before you gasp, that amounts to about $1.75. I paid at the first church, and snuck pictures at the 2nd (I didn't have enough money on me). I sinned. :-(
Before we arrived at the churches, as we walked through town, Galena made sure to point out the statue of Lenin in their park. She said that most places have taken down their statues but that the people of Uglich love Lenin and are proud of their statue.
When we left the last church we were greeted by Sergei dressed as a Russian soldier. He looked like one of the guards from the Wizard of Oz, ha ha. I think everyone in our group clambered to have pictures taken with him. We then took a group shot on the steps of the oldest church in Russia. We were then turned loose to buy souvenirs at the markets. I'd already bought my rag doll, Helen, now renamed Svetlana for our sweet ship gift shop girl, and a lovely carved comb for Malaurie.
Oh! I forgot! After the churches we were taken into another building where we were treated to a concert by a male Acapella group. They were amazing, singing a few songs for us. After the last song, we gave them a standing ovation, which I think surprised them. Afterwards, of course, we had the opportunity to purchase a CD for 800 Roubles ($25ish). I bought one.
In the market I found a pretend, (play) Russian military compass for Joe, a "Faberge' egg necklace with bear inside of it for Kaylie, a 3 piece nesting doll set with cats on it for Edwin and a Russian Santa for Becky. It was fun to haggle them down in price. I got the necklace down from 600R to 450R, the compass from 250R to 200R, the cats from 300R to 250R and the santa from 250R to 150R.
By then it was raining pretty hard. We made a fast stop to buy Cheetos and then hoofed it back to the ship early- and broke! We chatted with the girl at the front desk for a few minutes while getting our keys. Then to our room to relax before supper at 8. We'd ordered spaghetti for supper, which was basically a pile of noodles with a bit of oil and melted cheese with a baked stuffed tomoato in the middle of it. Today's supper talk was our excursion to Uglich and the bartering and then we veered to TV shows.
We skipped the Russian folk songs concert to walk around on the decks. It's still raining so we didn't stay long. It's dreary.
We turned in our comment cards at the front desk. Then we went to the gift shop to talk to Svetland and look at possible gifts for Trev. We got her and one of the other guides, Maxim, to tell us a bit about themselves. They're both college students. Svetlana recently graduated. They both studied languages and speak English and French. It's Svetlana's first cruise and Maxim worked the cruises last year and this year, May to October.
Tomorrow begins bright and early. So I'll end.
After Svetlana's class was over we had our lifejacket drill. It consisted of everyone going to their rooms at 11AM and putting on their life vests (stored under the beds). We then had to go into the hallway and wait to be inspected by a staff member. We waited a while, until I got bored and started boob bumping Kaylie all over the narrow corridor. The vests give good bounce!
We got to see others who live down here in steerege- mostly Russians and a lot of staff! We found Sergey's room (our cute waiter, not to be confused with Sergei our cute guide!). I want to pair up Sergey and Kaylie- as she thinks he's cute. But he doesn't know ANY English. He just waits on us bashfully, full of smiles and dimples. What a cutie!
After the drill we rushed to the top deck (again!) to watch a film on the Romonov dynasty. For those of us waiting for the Anastasia section- we're still waiting! It was a dry, dry film.
The 1st Russian language class was right after that. I had an upset stomach, so told Kaylie I'd be right back. I got back 1/2 an hour later, just as the class was ending. Oops!
About that time we were informed that we were passing Kaliazin, the flooded bell tower. Most people scrambled to the decks for pictures. I don't know that poor Darya had many folks attend her piano concert.
Lunch with Kristina and Kelsey is always lively and we seem to talk about anything and everything. The girls are a couple, who met in Texas at college and now live in New York. They're both 26 and have been together for 8 years. After lunch I ran some of my stomach medicine to Kristina whose stomach has been making her miserable. She was grateful.
Then I laid down and took a nap while Kaylie explored. I woke up in time for our 1st port of call.
Uglich, pronounced "Oo-glitch" is a charming town of 37,000 people. Our guide, Galina, was a cute, tiny, elderly lady. She took us to two churches, the Transfiguration Church and the Church of Dimitry on the Blood. Dimitry died at the age of 10 during an epiliptic seizure, committed suicide or was murdered, depending on which legend you believe. All we know for sure is that he died at age 10, lost blood, and had a church built on the spot! We had to pay 50 roubles at each church to take pictures. Before you gasp, that amounts to about $1.75. I paid at the first church, and snuck pictures at the 2nd (I didn't have enough money on me). I sinned. :-(
Before we arrived at the churches, as we walked through town, Galena made sure to point out the statue of Lenin in their park. She said that most places have taken down their statues but that the people of Uglich love Lenin and are proud of their statue.
When we left the last church we were greeted by Sergei dressed as a Russian soldier. He looked like one of the guards from the Wizard of Oz, ha ha. I think everyone in our group clambered to have pictures taken with him. We then took a group shot on the steps of the oldest church in Russia. We were then turned loose to buy souvenirs at the markets. I'd already bought my rag doll, Helen, now renamed Svetlana for our sweet ship gift shop girl, and a lovely carved comb for Malaurie.
Oh! I forgot! After the churches we were taken into another building where we were treated to a concert by a male Acapella group. They were amazing, singing a few songs for us. After the last song, we gave them a standing ovation, which I think surprised them. Afterwards, of course, we had the opportunity to purchase a CD for 800 Roubles ($25ish). I bought one.
In the market I found a pretend, (play) Russian military compass for Joe, a "Faberge' egg necklace with bear inside of it for Kaylie, a 3 piece nesting doll set with cats on it for Edwin and a Russian Santa for Becky. It was fun to haggle them down in price. I got the necklace down from 600R to 450R, the compass from 250R to 200R, the cats from 300R to 250R and the santa from 250R to 150R.
By then it was raining pretty hard. We made a fast stop to buy Cheetos and then hoofed it back to the ship early- and broke! We chatted with the girl at the front desk for a few minutes while getting our keys. Then to our room to relax before supper at 8. We'd ordered spaghetti for supper, which was basically a pile of noodles with a bit of oil and melted cheese with a baked stuffed tomoato in the middle of it. Today's supper talk was our excursion to Uglich and the bartering and then we veered to TV shows.
We skipped the Russian folk songs concert to walk around on the decks. It's still raining so we didn't stay long. It's dreary.
We turned in our comment cards at the front desk. Then we went to the gift shop to talk to Svetland and look at possible gifts for Trev. We got her and one of the other guides, Maxim, to tell us a bit about themselves. They're both college students. Svetlana recently graduated. They both studied languages and speak English and French. It's Svetlana's first cruise and Maxim worked the cruises last year and this year, May to October.
Tomorrow begins bright and early. So I'll end.
Cruise Day Five
Beware The Full Moon and Lenin Be.
Saturday, July 14th, 2012
Saturday~ Once again we were up by 8AM and off to breakfast. Afterwards we had just enough time to stuff things in our backpack and head for our bus. This morning's stop was Yaroslavl and our guest guide was Olga, a pretty, elegant and refined woman.
She led us on a tour of their little city. Yaroslavl too is proud of their Lenin statue. As Olga pointed out, when Perestroika happened (in the late '80's) and others were taking down their statues, "We didn't- because who knows what type government we have tomorrow?"
Yaroslavl celebrated their 1000th Anniversary 2 years ago. While Nebraska celebrates centennials and occasionally bicentennials, Russia celebrates milleniums!
We were taken to the church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, a UNESCO World Heritage sight. They were asking 100R to take pictures ($3). All I had on me was 140R and maybe 20R in change. So I didn't pay. I did sneak 2-3 pictures inside though- because I'm bad.
Next we were taken across the street to the Governor's House (which is mostly an art gallery). There, our guide was a pretty, young girl dressed in a sad representation of period costume. She introduced herself as the governor's daughter (she's really not- it's part of the show). She walked us through different rooms telling us about the paintings and such. She also gave us lessons in "fan language" and "flower language". Back in the day, the way a lady held her fan could tell a gentleman if she were single or taken, etc. Then of course the color and type of flower that a fella gives a girl can also tell her if he loves her, likes her, wants her feel better, etc. Right after that, cruisemate Rich handed his wife, Mary-Pat a flower, telling her in flowerspeak that he loved her and gave her a kiss. It was very sweet- and of course I took a picture, lol!
Finally we were led to a big ballroom where Kaylie's boyfriend, Sergey (lol), and others were handing out glasses of champagne. Then the four young "daughter" guides demonstrated a waltz. One dance later, the girls grabbed volunteers from the crowd to dance with them. Then a few other couples joined in as well. Afterwards, Olga led us to the outside courtyard to enjoy the fountain, flowers and statues.
Most agreed the tour should have ended there. Instead, it was back on the bus. We were driven to another place that was part museum, part art gallery, part shopping. We were shown a Soviet era grand piano called Red October. "Don't worry, it won't give you communistic thoughts if you play it," Olga joked. She then played a bit of a song to show us that she was obviously a classicly trained pianist!
I think the main point of the stop was to get us to buy things. K and I ran across the street to the bank to withdraw some roubles, but then realized we'd forgotten our bank cards! Oops! No shopping for us!
Our last destination was a large marketplace. We were given about an hour and then told to meet back at the square. We had no money to shop and the market was very crowded and claustrophobic. As Kristina said later, people there didn't seem to like the Americans. Someone else said, it wasn't even Russian stuff being sold there. It was knockoffs made in China, like "Foggy London" shirts, lol. Sergei later verified Kristina's claim about Americans. "Yeah, lots of Russians refer to you as "Idiot Americans", he said. What a lovely sentiment!
Back on the ship we had lunch and then the choice of free time, or Russian classes, Bingo (20R a card) or a Russian Tea Ceremony and a Russian history film. I stayed in the room to nap while Kaylie went to the language class. She came back a few minutes ago with a drink AND Kristina! She wanted to see what life was like in steerege. She liked our bigger room, but wasn't so fond of watching the waves spash and roll against our porthole windows. I'm now off to join them on deck. After yesterdays long rains, today is lovely.
What an evening! The views out on deck were striking. It's fun to see the locals enjoying themselves along the banks of the river. Many shout and wave. I love taking pictures of them.
We went through another lock today. This time I had my camera ready for the event. We were raised up and then departed onto a large reservoir. So large, that you can't see any shorelines.
We had a special supper- not sure why- but we were greeted at the door by Sergey and two female wait staff in red traditional costumes handing out glasses of vodka shots. We sat down to eat and Kristina and Kelsey both gave me their shots as well. I really enjoyed supper! ;-)
Slovitska, our Russian singers and accordian player, accompanied us as we ate. We teased Sergey, who doesn't understand a word we say, but smiles bashfully and shrugs at us. We took lots of pictures with him tonight. Later, Sergei came over with his traditional, "What da hell iz dis?" and we had to give him some guff too.
After supper we went to the Small Bar and were joined by Helen, Dick and his wife Sheila, and later by Sergei. Sheila was pretty drunk (who says your 70's have to be dull?!) and she was upset because her pants fell down in the dining room (due to recent weight loss) and the panties then rolled down under her heinie when they fell, exposing her to the world! I guess it was quite a spectacle as well as a full moon! We said that after the vodka tasting tomorrow Dick would have to pull his pants down to even things out. I volunteered to flash my boobs.
The sunset on the water tonight was spectacular! Goodnight.
She led us on a tour of their little city. Yaroslavl too is proud of their Lenin statue. As Olga pointed out, when Perestroika happened (in the late '80's) and others were taking down their statues, "We didn't- because who knows what type government we have tomorrow?"
Yaroslavl celebrated their 1000th Anniversary 2 years ago. While Nebraska celebrates centennials and occasionally bicentennials, Russia celebrates milleniums!
We were taken to the church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, a UNESCO World Heritage sight. They were asking 100R to take pictures ($3). All I had on me was 140R and maybe 20R in change. So I didn't pay. I did sneak 2-3 pictures inside though- because I'm bad.
Next we were taken across the street to the Governor's House (which is mostly an art gallery). There, our guide was a pretty, young girl dressed in a sad representation of period costume. She introduced herself as the governor's daughter (she's really not- it's part of the show). She walked us through different rooms telling us about the paintings and such. She also gave us lessons in "fan language" and "flower language". Back in the day, the way a lady held her fan could tell a gentleman if she were single or taken, etc. Then of course the color and type of flower that a fella gives a girl can also tell her if he loves her, likes her, wants her feel better, etc. Right after that, cruisemate Rich handed his wife, Mary-Pat a flower, telling her in flowerspeak that he loved her and gave her a kiss. It was very sweet- and of course I took a picture, lol!
Finally we were led to a big ballroom where Kaylie's boyfriend, Sergey (lol), and others were handing out glasses of champagne. Then the four young "daughter" guides demonstrated a waltz. One dance later, the girls grabbed volunteers from the crowd to dance with them. Then a few other couples joined in as well. Afterwards, Olga led us to the outside courtyard to enjoy the fountain, flowers and statues.
Most agreed the tour should have ended there. Instead, it was back on the bus. We were driven to another place that was part museum, part art gallery, part shopping. We were shown a Soviet era grand piano called Red October. "Don't worry, it won't give you communistic thoughts if you play it," Olga joked. She then played a bit of a song to show us that she was obviously a classicly trained pianist!
I think the main point of the stop was to get us to buy things. K and I ran across the street to the bank to withdraw some roubles, but then realized we'd forgotten our bank cards! Oops! No shopping for us!
Our last destination was a large marketplace. We were given about an hour and then told to meet back at the square. We had no money to shop and the market was very crowded and claustrophobic. As Kristina said later, people there didn't seem to like the Americans. Someone else said, it wasn't even Russian stuff being sold there. It was knockoffs made in China, like "Foggy London" shirts, lol. Sergei later verified Kristina's claim about Americans. "Yeah, lots of Russians refer to you as "Idiot Americans", he said. What a lovely sentiment!
Back on the ship we had lunch and then the choice of free time, or Russian classes, Bingo (20R a card) or a Russian Tea Ceremony and a Russian history film. I stayed in the room to nap while Kaylie went to the language class. She came back a few minutes ago with a drink AND Kristina! She wanted to see what life was like in steerege. She liked our bigger room, but wasn't so fond of watching the waves spash and roll against our porthole windows. I'm now off to join them on deck. After yesterdays long rains, today is lovely.
What an evening! The views out on deck were striking. It's fun to see the locals enjoying themselves along the banks of the river. Many shout and wave. I love taking pictures of them.
We went through another lock today. This time I had my camera ready for the event. We were raised up and then departed onto a large reservoir. So large, that you can't see any shorelines.
We had a special supper- not sure why- but we were greeted at the door by Sergey and two female wait staff in red traditional costumes handing out glasses of vodka shots. We sat down to eat and Kristina and Kelsey both gave me their shots as well. I really enjoyed supper! ;-)
Slovitska, our Russian singers and accordian player, accompanied us as we ate. We teased Sergey, who doesn't understand a word we say, but smiles bashfully and shrugs at us. We took lots of pictures with him tonight. Later, Sergei came over with his traditional, "What da hell iz dis?" and we had to give him some guff too.
After supper we went to the Small Bar and were joined by Helen, Dick and his wife Sheila, and later by Sergei. Sheila was pretty drunk (who says your 70's have to be dull?!) and she was upset because her pants fell down in the dining room (due to recent weight loss) and the panties then rolled down under her heinie when they fell, exposing her to the world! I guess it was quite a spectacle as well as a full moon! We said that after the vodka tasting tomorrow Dick would have to pull his pants down to even things out. I volunteered to flash my boobs.
The sunset on the water tonight was spectacular! Goodnight.
Cruise Day Six~ Vodka Tasting!
Na Zdorovje Means Cheers!
Sunday, July 15th, 2012
Sunday~ We were up at our usual time and got breakfast out of the way. We wanted to attend Sergei's Q&A since we rib him so much. He loves American idioms and is always asking us about them- what certain ones mean- what situations to use them in, etc. We gave him a lot of questions to base his talk on. It was an interesting talk that he gave- everyone was listening intently and asking expansive questions. Because of that, he only got to #2 on a list of about 10 subjects, lol!
Lunch was early to prepare us for our 1:00 arrival in Goritsy. Our guide was a young girl Kaylie's age, maybe a bit older. We were driven out of Goritsy and to the village of Kirillo. There we did a pretty thorough visit of the 14th Century Kirillo- Belozersky Monastery- which is beside the massive lake. We saw icons and costumes, etc.
After a couple of hours it was back to Goritsy to shop. Kristina and Kelsey loaned us 1000 Roubles, knowing we are Rouble-less and without ATM access. Other generous new friends offered to loan us money as well, but we politely declined. What if we can't access an ATM until late in St Pete's? Money is such a touchy thing. I hated taking the 1000 from the girls...
We used 1/2 of the roubles right off to tip our driver and guide and to pay for taking pictures at the Monastery. Then K and I found a shop where we could use our Visa. We bought chocolates and chips. We miss snacking!
Back on board it was time for our vodka and blini party! Each seat had 4 shots all lined up nice and pretty. We had clear vodka, cranberry vodka, pepper vodka and another clear. The pepper vodka was my favorite by far. There were trays set out with baby pickles, slaw and chunks of raw fish. We were meant to eat these between shots to save our stomachs. Personally, those items would make me lose my stomach! Later they brought out bread slices, but with nothing to put on them, lol. By shot #4 we were feeling no pain. Then came the relay!
Kristina was the only female to play. Sergei pretty much dragged her up. I thought about it, but I was more interested in video and pictures. The people were divided into two groups. They had to run to the bar, pour a shot in a glass and run back. Next person drank the shot, next person ate a pickle, next person measured the next shot, and so on. The first team to finish their bottle of vodka (1/4 full) was the winner. Kristina's team won. It helps to have an energetic teacher to organize the troops, lol! She had that team moving!
After the "tasting" we went to the bar for another drink, lol. Or two. We chatted with Kristina and Kelsey and later were joined by Helen, Beth and Eric. Soon we could see that it was raining hard outside, but by suppertime it had stopped and we could see a rainbow.
Lunch was early to prepare us for our 1:00 arrival in Goritsy. Our guide was a young girl Kaylie's age, maybe a bit older. We were driven out of Goritsy and to the village of Kirillo. There we did a pretty thorough visit of the 14th Century Kirillo- Belozersky Monastery- which is beside the massive lake. We saw icons and costumes, etc.
After a couple of hours it was back to Goritsy to shop. Kristina and Kelsey loaned us 1000 Roubles, knowing we are Rouble-less and without ATM access. Other generous new friends offered to loan us money as well, but we politely declined. What if we can't access an ATM until late in St Pete's? Money is such a touchy thing. I hated taking the 1000 from the girls...
We used 1/2 of the roubles right off to tip our driver and guide and to pay for taking pictures at the Monastery. Then K and I found a shop where we could use our Visa. We bought chocolates and chips. We miss snacking!
Back on board it was time for our vodka and blini party! Each seat had 4 shots all lined up nice and pretty. We had clear vodka, cranberry vodka, pepper vodka and another clear. The pepper vodka was my favorite by far. There were trays set out with baby pickles, slaw and chunks of raw fish. We were meant to eat these between shots to save our stomachs. Personally, those items would make me lose my stomach! Later they brought out bread slices, but with nothing to put on them, lol. By shot #4 we were feeling no pain. Then came the relay!
Kristina was the only female to play. Sergei pretty much dragged her up. I thought about it, but I was more interested in video and pictures. The people were divided into two groups. They had to run to the bar, pour a shot in a glass and run back. Next person drank the shot, next person ate a pickle, next person measured the next shot, and so on. The first team to finish their bottle of vodka (1/4 full) was the winner. Kristina's team won. It helps to have an energetic teacher to organize the troops, lol! She had that team moving!
After the "tasting" we went to the bar for another drink, lol. Or two. We chatted with Kristina and Kelsey and later were joined by Helen, Beth and Eric. Soon we could see that it was raining hard outside, but by suppertime it had stopped and we could see a rainbow.
Cruise Day Seven~ Pirate's Night!
Just Say Arrrrrrrgh!
Monday, July 16th, 2012
Monday~ After the usual wake up and eat breakfast stuff, we went to the top deck to hear about our options for St Pete's. I'm sick with the money we're spending. I'll be paying on this Credit Card forever!
At 12:40 we had our tour of the Captain's Bridge. It was very interesting. The Captain speaks no English. Most things we do start in Russian and are then translated into English, French and Spanish.
Lunch started at 2PM and we chatted until after 3. Then we had to rush to get ready for the Pirates Treasure Hunt! We were divided into teams of 5-8 people. Basically it was 6 teams divided by language. Our team named itself Jack's Sparrows. It was me, Kaylie, Kristina, Judy (another Cruise Critic pal- though on the Gate 1 tours), Judy's friend, 2 Gate 1 friends and 1 girl who kinda strayed onto our team, lol.
We were given clues which led to other clues, all keeping us running around the ship. The last clue had us answering 6 questions: How many rooms on the 2nd floor? How many locks between Moscow and St Pete's? What year did Russia host the Olympics? Each answer was a number. The numbers then had to be added and subtracted to give us a final number. That number was the room where the treasure was hidden. We should have won. We were way ahead of the other teams. We were one number off on the # of locks. Then Maxim, one of the ships guides, messed with us when we asked him if he was the keeper of the prize (He was standing near the room). By the time we caught on, another team passed us by. The other team won our bottle of champagne. :-(
We were mad and exhausted, but it was time for Kizhi Island, a good distraction. Kizhi is a small island in the center of Lake Onega and has about 80 historical wooden structures, the most familiar which is Kizhi Pogost. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight.
Kizhi was beautiful with it's wooden church and domes. Depending on the light and weather, the wooden domes appear to be different metals. We walked a long way... It was raining off and on. We only saw the outside of the biggest church- which like everything else, was undergoing renovation. Then we saw the inside of the smaller one, which is basically a log cabin church. Then it was inside the cabin/house of a well to do but "typical" 19th Century family. We learned about their lives and watched traditional handicrafts being done. We walked around the outside of more lovely structures based on the same log cabin design. Then it was off to the markets to spend Roubles before returning to the ship.
Supper was crazy because it was Pirate night! Everybody was silly. Kaylie and I had our striped shirts, scarves and bedazzled eye patches on. We still had to sing, dance or pay money to get in to have supper. I did some disco moves. Kaylie did the Marcarena.
Inside the dining room the chairs were all knocked over, the tables were set to look all akimbo. There were even pirate-y things hanging from the ceilings. A few minutes later, Sergei stole Kristina from us. One person from each travel group was taken hostage. Their table was then supposed to do a performance to free them.
We thought about doing the chicken dance. Then we decided not to free her- as she would just drink all of their beer until they were forced to let her go, lol. They finally had her do a dance to free herself. She did. She stole the show- what a hoot!
We were giving poor Sergey a hard time. He keeps talking to us in Russian- like if he keeps doing it we might understand, ha ha! He's adorable. I think he has fun at our table. Dinner lasted from 8 until 10PM.
I guess everyone is going to the bar now. I might as well join them.
By the way, the waves have been awful since last night! We're on Lake Onega right now. It's overcast, cold and windy. The waves are strong enough that we've been warned to take valuables off of the shelves. The waves spash crazily again our port holes and we can feel the sway of the ship. It's messing with us a bit!
We're experiencing more of the White Nights now that we're further North. It never gets darker than what we see at home around 8:30- 9:00PM ish. Even at 2AM or 5AM it's quite light out. Cool. We're glad for the blackout curtains in our cabin.
At 12:40 we had our tour of the Captain's Bridge. It was very interesting. The Captain speaks no English. Most things we do start in Russian and are then translated into English, French and Spanish.
Lunch started at 2PM and we chatted until after 3. Then we had to rush to get ready for the Pirates Treasure Hunt! We were divided into teams of 5-8 people. Basically it was 6 teams divided by language. Our team named itself Jack's Sparrows. It was me, Kaylie, Kristina, Judy (another Cruise Critic pal- though on the Gate 1 tours), Judy's friend, 2 Gate 1 friends and 1 girl who kinda strayed onto our team, lol.
We were given clues which led to other clues, all keeping us running around the ship. The last clue had us answering 6 questions: How many rooms on the 2nd floor? How many locks between Moscow and St Pete's? What year did Russia host the Olympics? Each answer was a number. The numbers then had to be added and subtracted to give us a final number. That number was the room where the treasure was hidden. We should have won. We were way ahead of the other teams. We were one number off on the # of locks. Then Maxim, one of the ships guides, messed with us when we asked him if he was the keeper of the prize (He was standing near the room). By the time we caught on, another team passed us by. The other team won our bottle of champagne. :-(
We were mad and exhausted, but it was time for Kizhi Island, a good distraction. Kizhi is a small island in the center of Lake Onega and has about 80 historical wooden structures, the most familiar which is Kizhi Pogost. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight.
Kizhi was beautiful with it's wooden church and domes. Depending on the light and weather, the wooden domes appear to be different metals. We walked a long way... It was raining off and on. We only saw the outside of the biggest church- which like everything else, was undergoing renovation. Then we saw the inside of the smaller one, which is basically a log cabin church. Then it was inside the cabin/house of a well to do but "typical" 19th Century family. We learned about their lives and watched traditional handicrafts being done. We walked around the outside of more lovely structures based on the same log cabin design. Then it was off to the markets to spend Roubles before returning to the ship.
Supper was crazy because it was Pirate night! Everybody was silly. Kaylie and I had our striped shirts, scarves and bedazzled eye patches on. We still had to sing, dance or pay money to get in to have supper. I did some disco moves. Kaylie did the Marcarena.
Inside the dining room the chairs were all knocked over, the tables were set to look all akimbo. There were even pirate-y things hanging from the ceilings. A few minutes later, Sergei stole Kristina from us. One person from each travel group was taken hostage. Their table was then supposed to do a performance to free them.
We thought about doing the chicken dance. Then we decided not to free her- as she would just drink all of their beer until they were forced to let her go, lol. They finally had her do a dance to free herself. She did. She stole the show- what a hoot!
We were giving poor Sergey a hard time. He keeps talking to us in Russian- like if he keeps doing it we might understand, ha ha! He's adorable. I think he has fun at our table. Dinner lasted from 8 until 10PM.
I guess everyone is going to the bar now. I might as well join them.
By the way, the waves have been awful since last night! We're on Lake Onega right now. It's overcast, cold and windy. The waves are strong enough that we've been warned to take valuables off of the shelves. The waves spash crazily again our port holes and we can feel the sway of the ship. It's messing with us a bit!
We're experiencing more of the White Nights now that we're further North. It never gets darker than what we see at home around 8:30- 9:00PM ish. Even at 2AM or 5AM it's quite light out. Cool. We're glad for the blackout curtains in our cabin.
Day Eight~ Mandrogi
And The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down!
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
Tuesday~ Today was pretty laid back. After breakfast we watched the DVD of our trip so far. This DVD can be purchased for a "mere" $55. We finished viewing in time to arrive in Mandrogi.
Mandrogi is the largest village on the archipelago of Valaam, on Lake Ladoga. It's an old village that has been "revived" to become a tourist destination. It has log cabins, charming gingerbread houses and stone cottages designed to let local artesans "shine" and to show off their native crafts so we can buy them.
Unfortunately, it was very chilly, windy and rainy. Kaylie and I didn't venture much past the first few shops, not wanting to be out in the weather. We just wanted to kill time until the big lunch of Shashlik, Russian shish-ka-bob.
We ate on wooden picnic tables in a wooden pavilion with tent flaps down. Slavitsa, our ship's resident folk group, sang to the accordian as we were served raw fish, chicken broth and Russian pastries- one with ground beef and the other basically a kolache. We were each given a baked potato with nothing to put on it and finally served our massive pork shashlik. It was good, but there was more than we could eat- especially without any sauces or dips. We boarded the ship right after the meal. Several cruisers skipped Mandrogi altogether with the nasty weather.
We skipped the afternoon classes and such to just read and nap until supper.
Tonight was the Captains farewell dinner, so everyone was dressed up. The captain made his short speech, then he clinked champagne glasses with each and every passenger. The chef paraded her special dessert and then we ate!
After supper was the talent show. It was cute.
Oh, I forgot! After we boarded the ship we went to Sergei's Q&A #2. (Serge- Be there. "No lame excuses!") Sergei really put himself in the hot seat, opening himself up to tell us and be questioned about Russian life and his life especially. He and other Russians at the session admitted that they prefer the old Soviet Union over the new, free one. I think with their current struggles for jobs and money, the old ways have become glamorized. They say that at least back then, they had dreams. Now they don't.
Mandrogi is the largest village on the archipelago of Valaam, on Lake Ladoga. It's an old village that has been "revived" to become a tourist destination. It has log cabins, charming gingerbread houses and stone cottages designed to let local artesans "shine" and to show off their native crafts so we can buy them.
Unfortunately, it was very chilly, windy and rainy. Kaylie and I didn't venture much past the first few shops, not wanting to be out in the weather. We just wanted to kill time until the big lunch of Shashlik, Russian shish-ka-bob.
We ate on wooden picnic tables in a wooden pavilion with tent flaps down. Slavitsa, our ship's resident folk group, sang to the accordian as we were served raw fish, chicken broth and Russian pastries- one with ground beef and the other basically a kolache. We were each given a baked potato with nothing to put on it and finally served our massive pork shashlik. It was good, but there was more than we could eat- especially without any sauces or dips. We boarded the ship right after the meal. Several cruisers skipped Mandrogi altogether with the nasty weather.
We skipped the afternoon classes and such to just read and nap until supper.
Tonight was the Captains farewell dinner, so everyone was dressed up. The captain made his short speech, then he clinked champagne glasses with each and every passenger. The chef paraded her special dessert and then we ate!
After supper was the talent show. It was cute.
Oh, I forgot! After we boarded the ship we went to Sergei's Q&A #2. (Serge- Be there. "No lame excuses!") Sergei really put himself in the hot seat, opening himself up to tell us and be questioned about Russian life and his life especially. He and other Russians at the session admitted that they prefer the old Soviet Union over the new, free one. I think with their current struggles for jobs and money, the old ways have become glamorized. They say that at least back then, they had dreams. Now they don't.
Day Nine~ St Petersburg
Facebook Post~ Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Hello world!
Kaylie and I are well. I am typing this at the Hermitage Museum in St
Petersburg, Russia! I saw the computer and had to shell out 20 rubles for the
blessing of 20 minutes worth of communication. We've had no internet on the
ship at all, and usually no phone service either.
The river cruise has
been wonderful. We've met some amazing people from all over the world. We've
also clicked with our personal tour guide (personal meaning for our English speaking, Travel all Russia group). Sergei is 22 and studied languages in college, specifically English. He and Kaylie get on especially well since they're close in age. Sergei likes to learn American
idioms, so we're teaching him all kinds of sayings, like: "Beam me up, Scotty",
and "You're yanking my chain".
We've also tried every kind of vodka made by the Russians. They make gooooood vodka~ pepper vodka is my new favorite. After 5 shots, you'll feel no pain. ;-)
Tonight we go to a musical show called, "Bagatitsa". Tomorrow we go see the Peter and Paul
Fortress and Catherine's Palace. We'll be running around like crazy for the
next three days, so probably no more postings until London on Sunday (cross
fingers).
Tom, Trev and Joey, I'm missing you like crazy. As much fun
as we're having, we're definitely home-sick. This is a loooooong time to be
away from those you love the most. We keep reminding ourselves that this is a
once in a lifetime experince. We are making the most of it. We've seen some
spectacular sights.
We love you and miss you lots.
There's no
place like home.
Kaylie and I are well. I am typing this at the Hermitage Museum in St
Petersburg, Russia! I saw the computer and had to shell out 20 rubles for the
blessing of 20 minutes worth of communication. We've had no internet on the
ship at all, and usually no phone service either.
The river cruise has
been wonderful. We've met some amazing people from all over the world. We've
also clicked with our personal tour guide (personal meaning for our English speaking, Travel all Russia group). Sergei is 22 and studied languages in college, specifically English. He and Kaylie get on especially well since they're close in age. Sergei likes to learn American
idioms, so we're teaching him all kinds of sayings, like: "Beam me up, Scotty",
and "You're yanking my chain".
We've also tried every kind of vodka made by the Russians. They make gooooood vodka~ pepper vodka is my new favorite. After 5 shots, you'll feel no pain. ;-)
Tonight we go to a musical show called, "Bagatitsa". Tomorrow we go see the Peter and Paul
Fortress and Catherine's Palace. We'll be running around like crazy for the
next three days, so probably no more postings until London on Sunday (cross
fingers).
Tom, Trev and Joey, I'm missing you like crazy. As much fun
as we're having, we're definitely home-sick. This is a loooooong time to be
away from those you love the most. We keep reminding ourselves that this is a
once in a lifetime experince. We are making the most of it. We've seen some
spectacular sights.
We love you and miss you lots.
There's no
place like home.
The Moscow Hotel in St Petersburg~
Oxymoron, or Just Weird?
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Wednesday~ After breakfast today it was rush, rush to be on the bus for our 8:30 tour. We made several points of interest stops to take pictures. We made one pit stop which was a souvenir shop where they also served free cups of coffee and free shots of vodka. Guess which I had? Probably a good thing I don't live in Russia. I likes me vodka!
Our big stop was at Peter and Paul's Fortress. The church there houses the graves of most of the Romanov Dynasty. A special room houses the remains of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra and their children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Alexi and the infamous Anastasia. We learned that recent DNA testing had confirmed the last two bodies were Alexi and either Anastasia or Maria. All of the bodies are now accounted for and the family can rest in peace. A special service will be held for the family later this year.
For lunch we were offered a "buffet" at the Moscow hotel. It was a lovely place, but the food consisted of the "usual"- lots of raw fish and pickled and dilled salad items, Borsht soup (It's pronounced Borsh, not Borsh-t)(Kaylie loves her Borsht!) and a potato/meatball soup made with chicken broth. The main dishes were plain noodles, plain rice and plain potatoes with mushroom stroganoff to pour over it. Oh... and chicken legs. The dessert table contained little bite sized brownies and cakes. I'm dying for a burger!
Next on the list was the Hermitage Museum. We spent 3 hours there, which was wonderful. They say if you spend 1 minute at each exhibit there, you'll be there for 8 years! The place is beyond amazing. Our guide, Olga, was great. She was very knowlegable about the exhibits. She had us mostly focused on the paintings, which was fine, but there are also ancient artifacts, mummies, sculpture, you name it. We could have seen a lot more if Olga hadn't been so informative, but the information was interesting- so there's the trade off.
The tour was just about right. Of course you want more time, but you're also exhausted! We were given about 40 minutes to browse the gift shop and/or sit in the cafe. Kaylie and I each bought a book. Then I was thrilled to see that the cafe was an Internet cafe. So I spent 20 Roubles (about 60c) for 20 minutes of Internet time- just enough to post a "Hey, we're still alive" post on Facebook.
It was raining when we left the Hermitage. Traffic was a bear going home. We left the museum at about 4:40PM. It was after 6 when we boarded the ship. We saw accidents left and right. The Russians think traffic lanes (and even directions) are just suggestions. In Russia you must be 18 to drive. New drivers must have a yellow exclamation point sticker in the front and back windshield of their vehicle. They must display the sticker for 2 years as a warning to others.
Our early supper on the ship was spaghetti with strognaoff! We had to rush through it so we could be back on the bus by 7PM for the folkshow, "Bagititsa".
The show was a fabulous mix of song and dance. I really enjoyed it. Kaylie and Sergei sat together by themselves a few seats down from me. They were later joined by another guide. I know Kaylie enjoys Sergei and vice-versa. It's nice to have someone close in age for her to hang with.
My feet and ankles are a swollen mess. They've not been right since leaving the USA.
Our big stop was at Peter and Paul's Fortress. The church there houses the graves of most of the Romanov Dynasty. A special room houses the remains of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra and their children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Alexi and the infamous Anastasia. We learned that recent DNA testing had confirmed the last two bodies were Alexi and either Anastasia or Maria. All of the bodies are now accounted for and the family can rest in peace. A special service will be held for the family later this year.
For lunch we were offered a "buffet" at the Moscow hotel. It was a lovely place, but the food consisted of the "usual"- lots of raw fish and pickled and dilled salad items, Borsht soup (It's pronounced Borsh, not Borsh-t)(Kaylie loves her Borsht!) and a potato/meatball soup made with chicken broth. The main dishes were plain noodles, plain rice and plain potatoes with mushroom stroganoff to pour over it. Oh... and chicken legs. The dessert table contained little bite sized brownies and cakes. I'm dying for a burger!
Next on the list was the Hermitage Museum. We spent 3 hours there, which was wonderful. They say if you spend 1 minute at each exhibit there, you'll be there for 8 years! The place is beyond amazing. Our guide, Olga, was great. She was very knowlegable about the exhibits. She had us mostly focused on the paintings, which was fine, but there are also ancient artifacts, mummies, sculpture, you name it. We could have seen a lot more if Olga hadn't been so informative, but the information was interesting- so there's the trade off.
The tour was just about right. Of course you want more time, but you're also exhausted! We were given about 40 minutes to browse the gift shop and/or sit in the cafe. Kaylie and I each bought a book. Then I was thrilled to see that the cafe was an Internet cafe. So I spent 20 Roubles (about 60c) for 20 minutes of Internet time- just enough to post a "Hey, we're still alive" post on Facebook.
It was raining when we left the Hermitage. Traffic was a bear going home. We left the museum at about 4:40PM. It was after 6 when we boarded the ship. We saw accidents left and right. The Russians think traffic lanes (and even directions) are just suggestions. In Russia you must be 18 to drive. New drivers must have a yellow exclamation point sticker in the front and back windshield of their vehicle. They must display the sticker for 2 years as a warning to others.
Our early supper on the ship was spaghetti with strognaoff! We had to rush through it so we could be back on the bus by 7PM for the folkshow, "Bagititsa".
The show was a fabulous mix of song and dance. I really enjoyed it. Kaylie and Sergei sat together by themselves a few seats down from me. They were later joined by another guide. I know Kaylie enjoys Sergei and vice-versa. It's nice to have someone close in age for her to hang with.
My feet and ankles are a swollen mess. They've not been right since leaving the USA.
Day Ten~ St Petersburg
Tsarskoye Selo~ Tsar We There Yet?
Thursday, July 19th, 2012
Thursday~ I can't believe we're 2 weeks into our adventure. Time sure flies! I miss Tom and the boys terribly but I can't deny that minus the foot/ankle problems and the food issues (I'm dying for beef and potatoes with butter and gravy!) we're having a blast!
We got up extra early today well before 7AM, so we could eat and be on the bus by 7:45. We had Olga again for our guide- and she's great.
Our first stop was Pushkin, to Catherine's Palace and Park- AKA Tsarskoye Selo or Tsar's Village. Exquisite. Each room more elegant and impressive than the last. The highlight of Catherine's is the Amber Room. No pictures are allowed in that room. So of course the photographers amongst us are trying to be sneaky and get parts of the room from the adjoinging rooms. These fancy places all have a "picture police"- little old ladies who sit quietly in each room. Quietly, that is, until you try to touch something or photograph something. Some are actually very sweet. I had more than one tap me and point to indicate better places to catch that perfect picture, or indicate a picture or artifact that deserved it's own snapshot.
After Pushkin (the town) we drove a few miles to Pavlovsk to see the Palace there, made by Catherine the Great for her son Pavel (Paul).
It was a long, fun day with tons of walking. We got back to the ship around 2 and went right to lunch. After lunch we stopped to talk with Svetlana at the gift shop. She is so sweet. She chased me down the hall a couple of days ago because she loved my scent and wanted to know my perfume. She told us she was from a small town in the Ural Mountains. She lives there with her mom and grandma. She said her parents are divorced and she's an only child. "Isn't that true where you live? Lots of people get divorced?" The divorce rate in Russia is sadly high. While the US is hardly a role model with almost half of marriages dissolving, in Russia it's a staggering 7 out of 10 marriages ending badly. Svetlana hasn't seen her dad in years. "He drinks," she said. She also said it was a common problem in Russia. She's not the first to say it on this cruise either. Alcoholism is very common in Russian men. Between that and the smoking the life expectancy of the Russian male isn't very high.
Svetlana managed to convince me to buy a matryoshka "egg". It's the necklace version of a Matroyshka. The egg is painted to look like the dolls. If you open the egg there is a golden doll inside hanging on a chain. There is a tiny opening in the bottom of the egg so you can wear the golden dollie either inside or outside of the egg. It's lovely! While I was at it I also bought a gold and jewelled "Faberge" egg with a red Royal carriage inside of it. I won't say what it cost- only that this is likely my only trip to Russia. ;-)
After some time spent reading and napping, it was back on the bus to see the ballet Swan Lake. Wonderful!
We ate our 11PM supper with Ansie and Mariette. Later Kristina joined us. We haven't see her or Kelsey since early yesterday. We'll all be going to Peterhof together in the morning. I can't believe that tomorrow is our last full day in Russia. :-(
We got up extra early today well before 7AM, so we could eat and be on the bus by 7:45. We had Olga again for our guide- and she's great.
Our first stop was Pushkin, to Catherine's Palace and Park- AKA Tsarskoye Selo or Tsar's Village. Exquisite. Each room more elegant and impressive than the last. The highlight of Catherine's is the Amber Room. No pictures are allowed in that room. So of course the photographers amongst us are trying to be sneaky and get parts of the room from the adjoinging rooms. These fancy places all have a "picture police"- little old ladies who sit quietly in each room. Quietly, that is, until you try to touch something or photograph something. Some are actually very sweet. I had more than one tap me and point to indicate better places to catch that perfect picture, or indicate a picture or artifact that deserved it's own snapshot.
After Pushkin (the town) we drove a few miles to Pavlovsk to see the Palace there, made by Catherine the Great for her son Pavel (Paul).
It was a long, fun day with tons of walking. We got back to the ship around 2 and went right to lunch. After lunch we stopped to talk with Svetlana at the gift shop. She is so sweet. She chased me down the hall a couple of days ago because she loved my scent and wanted to know my perfume. She told us she was from a small town in the Ural Mountains. She lives there with her mom and grandma. She said her parents are divorced and she's an only child. "Isn't that true where you live? Lots of people get divorced?" The divorce rate in Russia is sadly high. While the US is hardly a role model with almost half of marriages dissolving, in Russia it's a staggering 7 out of 10 marriages ending badly. Svetlana hasn't seen her dad in years. "He drinks," she said. She also said it was a common problem in Russia. She's not the first to say it on this cruise either. Alcoholism is very common in Russian men. Between that and the smoking the life expectancy of the Russian male isn't very high.
Svetlana managed to convince me to buy a matryoshka "egg". It's the necklace version of a Matroyshka. The egg is painted to look like the dolls. If you open the egg there is a golden doll inside hanging on a chain. There is a tiny opening in the bottom of the egg so you can wear the golden dollie either inside or outside of the egg. It's lovely! While I was at it I also bought a gold and jewelled "Faberge" egg with a red Royal carriage inside of it. I won't say what it cost- only that this is likely my only trip to Russia. ;-)
After some time spent reading and napping, it was back on the bus to see the ballet Swan Lake. Wonderful!
We ate our 11PM supper with Ansie and Mariette. Later Kristina joined us. We haven't see her or Kelsey since early yesterday. We'll all be going to Peterhof together in the morning. I can't believe that tomorrow is our last full day in Russia. :-(
Day Eleven~ St Petersburg
Drank Vodka on the Fontanka
Friday, July 20th, 2012
Friday~ Up at 7:30 and rush to breakfast so we could begin our last full day in Russia. At 9 we boarded a hydrofoil to drive us the 1 1/4 hour trip to Peterhof. Peterhof was the summer residence of the Romanovs. The main attraction there is the lower park and fountains which are reminiscent of Versaille. The palace and upper park are supposed to be amazing, but our focus was the lower park.
The hydrofoil took us straight to the gulf of Finland (though you can't see Finland). It is closer to travel from St Petersburg to Finland than it is from St Petersburg to Moscow~ so many Peterites or Petroviches, or whatever you want to call them, make regular trips to Finland to shop and take their holidays. Prices are much cheaper in Finland and often of better quality than they'd find in Moscow.
At the gulf we disembarked and and could already see the long path to the palace. Naturally I posed the group for a picture!
The park was absolutely amazing~ a visual dessert in every direction. Our excellent guide, Olga, had us near the fountains by 11AM when the music started and the fountains turned on. After the brief ceremony Olga showed us the other fountains~ including the "tricky" fountain: a hidden clearing with tall, colorful, metal flowers that had sprinklers in their centers (looked as if they came out of Alice and Wonderland). On the path surrounding this unusual flower bed, there were two hidden sensor sprinkers that would surprise the unsuspecting with a sudden shower, ha ha! (Say that five times fast!) After this tour, we were turned loose. Kaylie and I and Kristina and Kelsey explored the park together for a bit. Then we went to one of the cafes to sit and drink and relax. I had 1/2 a hot dog and fries. Finally! Then we shopped for a bit before finding our bus for the ride home. Too bad we couldn't take the hydrofoil both ways~ that was a nice treat!
On the Russ we had enough time for lunch before we boarded the bus again for our canals tour. We were disappointed not to see Sergei for our final tour of the cruise. Apparently he sneaked off with Maxim (another guide on the Russ). He certainly deserved a break, but we missed him.
The canal tour was a perfect way to end the trip. I didn't expect to like it so much. It's really a great way to see the best of St Petersburg!
We sat in an open air boat. All the seats were filled except for two and Kristina and Kelsey wanted to hang with us, so Kristina and I sat on two wooden boxes in the very back of the boat, near to where Kaylie and Kelsey were, next to Roberta and Alan. Patti and Don and Chuck and Chris were in front of them. I didn't see Mary Pat and Rich, they must have skipped the tour. Sheila and Dick (our drinking buddies) were also there.
After so many chilly, rainy days, we were blessed with the perfect day for ourdoor touring. Right away our group became aware of a kid waving madly at us from one of he canal bridges as we passed under it. This kid ended up chasing our boat and waving at us from EVERY BRIDGE over the next hour and a half! It was quite a thing to see! Naturally he was also waiting for us at the end of the tour, hoping to collect some roubles for all of his work. Many of the couples did give him money. I felt badly because I was out of roubles, having given the last of them to Olga and our bus driver and ended up stiffing our canal guide, Marina, and the driver too. :-(
We saw the battleship, Aurora, where Lenin gave his 1st speech announcing his leadership in Russia. We also saw the bridge from where Rasputin was dropped into the sea~ after being poisioned, shot and strangled! Even bound and mortally wounded, weighted down with a stone, coroners determined it took him at least 10 minutes to drown.
A person takes their life into their hands on these tours! The canal tunnels are sooooo low, that you are often required to duck your head in order to keep it!
The tour's highlight (for me) was when Marina started talking about the old elite school for boys in the 1800's where the lads wore flamboyant uniforms and were known for their drinking. The locals made up a poem about them and all I could think was, "It's Chizhik Pyzhik!"
Chizhik-Pyzhik, where have you been?
Drank vodka on the Fontanka.
Took a shot, took another -
Got a headache.
Chizhik Pyzhik refers to the boys- who looked like colorful birds in their uniforms. The Fontanka refers to the left bank of the Neva River, where the school was located.
This was one of the things I'd been hoping for Kaylie and I to see tomorrow in our free time~ and here we were! Chizhik Pyzhik is a teeny tiny little bird statue that sits on a small ledge about halfway down the inside (river side) of the canal wall. Locals stand above it and try to drop coins on it's head for good luck. Kristina said, "What if I thow a coin at it's head from here? Is that good luck?" I told her it couldn't hurt! Several people warned her to be careful as the statue is right by the low tunnel entrance. Our boat was turning and she was standing and trying to take aim. Kristina grabbed some coins and hurled them, and missed. Quickly she grabbed some more coins and took a more careful aim as everyone else started yelling, "DUCK!" She was so focused on the bird, that she didn't hear them yelling at her. She threw the coins just as Alan yelled at her (with everybody else) and tried to grab her, I screamed, "DOWN!" and with my hand at her back, shoved her onto the wooden box as I ducked myself! She missed a serious head bang by about 2 inches according to eyewitness accounts, lol! This incident also tested the health and strength of many hearts on our boat~ palpatation city! It was close.
Soon the tour was over and it was time to head back to the bus. One of the wild couples in our group, Brit (can't remember his name!), and his Ukranian wife, Tatiana, invited the girls to go out with them for beers. The girls decided to go with them and they'd all find their own way back to the ship later. We weren't invited, so took the bus back with the rest of the group. The plan was to all meet up in the Small Bar around 10PM or so. I warned Kaylie that it might not happen. The four of them are heavy partiers and might not be reliable with it being our last night in Russia. Sure enough, it's nearly 1AM now and nobody has seen any of them. Kaylie checked the Small Bar every hour or so until midnight.
We got to the Russ in time for supper. I gave our waiter Sergey his 500 rouble tip ($18ish). He seemed happy to get it. He took pictures with us and brought us an extra dessert of chocolate ice cream, lol! We were stuffed, but he was so sweet about it that we forced ourselves to eat it anyway. He doesn't know any English, so that was his way of talking. He's a touchy guy, tactile. He was always coming up to me and lightly scratching my arm or back to say Hi. Tonight when I was waiting to talk to Sergei, he reached for my Matroyoshka necklace/watch and looked at it. Then he pulled ou his own watch to compare my time with his. I laughed.
After supper, Kaylie and I read on deck until it got too cold. Then we began the dreaded task of packing. Later Miss K disappeared on me. I searched the whole ship for her and was getting concerned when she finally showed up. She'd met up with Sergei (whose room is near ours) and was in his room! She grabbed my camera to show him pictures of Amsterdam. That was 1 1/2 hours ago!
Our airport driver gets here tomorrow at 3PM for our 6:30 PM flight to London. We have to be out of our room by 10AM, so they can get ready for the next cruise. Herd em in, herd em out! Kaylie and I had planned to go do something, check out some shops on Nevsky-Prospect, or re-find Chizhik Pyzhik. Unfortunately, there is no shuttle service tomorrow and if we want a cab, it's cash only. I'm out of cash until we reach London. So it looks like Kaylie and I will be ghosts in the public areas of the ship until 3. We'll be sharing our flight to Amsterdam with Helen (from Scotland), but going our seperate ways from there, she to Glasgow and we to London.
I'm kinda sad that this is over. I also really miss Tom and the boys.
The hydrofoil took us straight to the gulf of Finland (though you can't see Finland). It is closer to travel from St Petersburg to Finland than it is from St Petersburg to Moscow~ so many Peterites or Petroviches, or whatever you want to call them, make regular trips to Finland to shop and take their holidays. Prices are much cheaper in Finland and often of better quality than they'd find in Moscow.
At the gulf we disembarked and and could already see the long path to the palace. Naturally I posed the group for a picture!
The park was absolutely amazing~ a visual dessert in every direction. Our excellent guide, Olga, had us near the fountains by 11AM when the music started and the fountains turned on. After the brief ceremony Olga showed us the other fountains~ including the "tricky" fountain: a hidden clearing with tall, colorful, metal flowers that had sprinklers in their centers (looked as if they came out of Alice and Wonderland). On the path surrounding this unusual flower bed, there were two hidden sensor sprinkers that would surprise the unsuspecting with a sudden shower, ha ha! (Say that five times fast!) After this tour, we were turned loose. Kaylie and I and Kristina and Kelsey explored the park together for a bit. Then we went to one of the cafes to sit and drink and relax. I had 1/2 a hot dog and fries. Finally! Then we shopped for a bit before finding our bus for the ride home. Too bad we couldn't take the hydrofoil both ways~ that was a nice treat!
On the Russ we had enough time for lunch before we boarded the bus again for our canals tour. We were disappointed not to see Sergei for our final tour of the cruise. Apparently he sneaked off with Maxim (another guide on the Russ). He certainly deserved a break, but we missed him.
The canal tour was a perfect way to end the trip. I didn't expect to like it so much. It's really a great way to see the best of St Petersburg!
We sat in an open air boat. All the seats were filled except for two and Kristina and Kelsey wanted to hang with us, so Kristina and I sat on two wooden boxes in the very back of the boat, near to where Kaylie and Kelsey were, next to Roberta and Alan. Patti and Don and Chuck and Chris were in front of them. I didn't see Mary Pat and Rich, they must have skipped the tour. Sheila and Dick (our drinking buddies) were also there.
After so many chilly, rainy days, we were blessed with the perfect day for ourdoor touring. Right away our group became aware of a kid waving madly at us from one of he canal bridges as we passed under it. This kid ended up chasing our boat and waving at us from EVERY BRIDGE over the next hour and a half! It was quite a thing to see! Naturally he was also waiting for us at the end of the tour, hoping to collect some roubles for all of his work. Many of the couples did give him money. I felt badly because I was out of roubles, having given the last of them to Olga and our bus driver and ended up stiffing our canal guide, Marina, and the driver too. :-(
We saw the battleship, Aurora, where Lenin gave his 1st speech announcing his leadership in Russia. We also saw the bridge from where Rasputin was dropped into the sea~ after being poisioned, shot and strangled! Even bound and mortally wounded, weighted down with a stone, coroners determined it took him at least 10 minutes to drown.
A person takes their life into their hands on these tours! The canal tunnels are sooooo low, that you are often required to duck your head in order to keep it!
The tour's highlight (for me) was when Marina started talking about the old elite school for boys in the 1800's where the lads wore flamboyant uniforms and were known for their drinking. The locals made up a poem about them and all I could think was, "It's Chizhik Pyzhik!"
Chizhik-Pyzhik, where have you been?
Drank vodka on the Fontanka.
Took a shot, took another -
Got a headache.
Chizhik Pyzhik refers to the boys- who looked like colorful birds in their uniforms. The Fontanka refers to the left bank of the Neva River, where the school was located.
This was one of the things I'd been hoping for Kaylie and I to see tomorrow in our free time~ and here we were! Chizhik Pyzhik is a teeny tiny little bird statue that sits on a small ledge about halfway down the inside (river side) of the canal wall. Locals stand above it and try to drop coins on it's head for good luck. Kristina said, "What if I thow a coin at it's head from here? Is that good luck?" I told her it couldn't hurt! Several people warned her to be careful as the statue is right by the low tunnel entrance. Our boat was turning and she was standing and trying to take aim. Kristina grabbed some coins and hurled them, and missed. Quickly she grabbed some more coins and took a more careful aim as everyone else started yelling, "DUCK!" She was so focused on the bird, that she didn't hear them yelling at her. She threw the coins just as Alan yelled at her (with everybody else) and tried to grab her, I screamed, "DOWN!" and with my hand at her back, shoved her onto the wooden box as I ducked myself! She missed a serious head bang by about 2 inches according to eyewitness accounts, lol! This incident also tested the health and strength of many hearts on our boat~ palpatation city! It was close.
Soon the tour was over and it was time to head back to the bus. One of the wild couples in our group, Brit (can't remember his name!), and his Ukranian wife, Tatiana, invited the girls to go out with them for beers. The girls decided to go with them and they'd all find their own way back to the ship later. We weren't invited, so took the bus back with the rest of the group. The plan was to all meet up in the Small Bar around 10PM or so. I warned Kaylie that it might not happen. The four of them are heavy partiers and might not be reliable with it being our last night in Russia. Sure enough, it's nearly 1AM now and nobody has seen any of them. Kaylie checked the Small Bar every hour or so until midnight.
We got to the Russ in time for supper. I gave our waiter Sergey his 500 rouble tip ($18ish). He seemed happy to get it. He took pictures with us and brought us an extra dessert of chocolate ice cream, lol! We were stuffed, but he was so sweet about it that we forced ourselves to eat it anyway. He doesn't know any English, so that was his way of talking. He's a touchy guy, tactile. He was always coming up to me and lightly scratching my arm or back to say Hi. Tonight when I was waiting to talk to Sergei, he reached for my Matroyoshka necklace/watch and looked at it. Then he pulled ou his own watch to compare my time with his. I laughed.
After supper, Kaylie and I read on deck until it got too cold. Then we began the dreaded task of packing. Later Miss K disappeared on me. I searched the whole ship for her and was getting concerned when she finally showed up. She'd met up with Sergei (whose room is near ours) and was in his room! She grabbed my camera to show him pictures of Amsterdam. That was 1 1/2 hours ago!
Our airport driver gets here tomorrow at 3PM for our 6:30 PM flight to London. We have to be out of our room by 10AM, so they can get ready for the next cruise. Herd em in, herd em out! Kaylie and I had planned to go do something, check out some shops on Nevsky-Prospect, or re-find Chizhik Pyzhik. Unfortunately, there is no shuttle service tomorrow and if we want a cab, it's cash only. I'm out of cash until we reach London. So it looks like Kaylie and I will be ghosts in the public areas of the ship until 3. We'll be sharing our flight to Amsterdam with Helen (from Scotland), but going our seperate ways from there, she to Glasgow and we to London.
I'm kinda sad that this is over. I also really miss Tom and the boys.
Day Twelve~ Saying goodbye to Russia
Facebook Post~ Saturday, July 21st, 2012
Just a quick note to let everyone know we're still alive. We're at an internet cafe in St
Pete\s and it's super crazy slow. In a few hours we leave the ship for the
airport. We layover in Amsterdam and then fly to London, arriving at 9:30PM
London time, which is 3:30PM Nebraska time and 1:30AM Sunday in Russia! How's
that for craziness? Our bodies don't know what time it is...
Russia was amazing. We wish we had more time to explore here.
Kaylie was getting in tight with some of the ships staff~most of whom are close
in age with her. She was invited to party with them last night, but declined.
However, she did become good friends with Sergei, our guide. They've been
hanging out a lot and learning about each other's countries. They've also
shared a vodka or two, ha ha! We'll miss him, he is a good kid. Thanks to the
www we'll be staying in touch.
Tom, Joey and Teej~I miss you all
soooooooo much! We're looking forward to London and Paris, but we're also
looking forward to home. I was really missing you all last night. :-( Get
ready for the hugs and kisses.
For everybody else, we have so much to
share- pictures and stories and stories! I've been keeping a detailed journal
since I can't get to a computer like I'd hoped. I'll give you all the full
scoop when I get back. We really gelled with most of the folks on our cruise.
I'll soon have some new facebook friends wanting to see pictures and stay in
touch. This really has been an amazing journey.
Gotta go, this is
costing me 6 roubles a minute! (About 5c)
Love to you all!
Lisa
and Kaylie
Pete\s and it's super crazy slow. In a few hours we leave the ship for the
airport. We layover in Amsterdam and then fly to London, arriving at 9:30PM
London time, which is 3:30PM Nebraska time and 1:30AM Sunday in Russia! How's
that for craziness? Our bodies don't know what time it is...
Russia was amazing. We wish we had more time to explore here.
Kaylie was getting in tight with some of the ships staff~most of whom are close
in age with her. She was invited to party with them last night, but declined.
However, she did become good friends with Sergei, our guide. They've been
hanging out a lot and learning about each other's countries. They've also
shared a vodka or two, ha ha! We'll miss him, he is a good kid. Thanks to the
www we'll be staying in touch.
Tom, Joey and Teej~I miss you all
soooooooo much! We're looking forward to London and Paris, but we're also
looking forward to home. I was really missing you all last night. :-( Get
ready for the hugs and kisses.
For everybody else, we have so much to
share- pictures and stories and stories! I've been keeping a detailed journal
since I can't get to a computer like I'd hoped. I'll give you all the full
scoop when I get back. We really gelled with most of the folks on our cruise.
I'll soon have some new facebook friends wanting to see pictures and stay in
touch. This really has been an amazing journey.
Gotta go, this is
costing me 6 roubles a minute! (About 5c)
Love to you all!
Lisa
and Kaylie
From Russia With Love. Cheerio To Jolly London!
Saturday, July 21st, 2012
Saturday~ Goodbye to Russia and Helloooooooo London!
Kaylie showed up from Sergei's room around 2AM. She had quite the time as various staff members buzzed in and out of his room. One of the girls invited Kaylie to go party and smoke hookah. Sergei rescued her from that. She saw Sergey, our waiter, who was talking in Russian about his time in the Army, driving trucks and such there. He wants to work with those skills when his waiter days are done on the ship. Sergey was teashing Sergei and his room-mate, neither of whom didn't serve in the military. Sergei told our group that he had a medical condition that had kept him out of the required military service. He had told us that his father had been in the military for a long time and didn't want Sergei to serve. Later he told Kaylie what his medical condition was and swore her to secrecy. Let's just say it's very Russian! (Cue dramatic music)
Morning came early as we ate breakfast, said our goodbyes (a few of them teary), and finished packing. We~ and our luggage, were out of the room by 10AM. We took my backpack, loaded to the gills with souvenir books and bottles of water and pop, and found a quiet spot on one side of the ship's deck to sit and read. Well first we went to the Small Bar and said goodbye to Eric (Beth was sleeping), and Ansie and Mariette (who were off to a St Pete's hotel for a few more days). On the side deck Helen joined us, as she shared our flight to Amsterdam. Like us, she was stuck on the ship until about 3. Soon Helen left for lunch and then Sergei joined us. He looked a bit melancholy, but maybe he was just tired. We teased him that he was missing us already and that we (his 1st tour group of the season) were also his best group and it was all downhill from there! He teased back and and asked again if we had his contact information. We do! Soon he had to leave to take a group to the airport for depature and then wait for new arrivals. He gave me, then Kaylie, really nice, big hugs. I think Kaylie's hug was a bit more lingering, ha ha!
Kaylie and I walked to a nearby Internet store/souvenir ship. It cost 6 roubles a minute (about 20c) to use the computer. It took nearly an hour to pre-check in at the airport and choose seats and then post a message on Facebook. Then we loaded up on snacks (since there would be no shipboard lunch for us). We got some bacon flavored Lays chips, some kind of yummy, sweet, flaky, cracker cookie, pretzels and Russian chocolate bars. Yum! Loaded up, we went back to the ship and Helen rejoined us. We talked for a long while about ship shennigans and some trying times in her personal life (edited online for privacy). The Russia River Cruise was a special trip for her.
We were exchanging stories about water on the ship. Kaylie and I were provided 2 bottles a day by our housekeeper, along with 2 toffees each night before bed. Our housekeeper also alternated between turning our handtowels into fans or little boats. Other housekeepers didn't do towel tricks. Other rooms didn't get water. Helen heard it depended on which agency you booked with - as to whether water was included, as it was an added expense. Even ships staff have to pay for their water! Water is such a commodity that apparently Alan complained when he and Roberta didn't get water one day. The front desk person argued with them that of course they'd gotten water- they must have just misplaced it! Alan argued back. It's hard to misplace water in a closet sized room. Later, management came to their room and did an actual serach for the missing water bottles! Later yet, a housekeeper arrived with 2 water bottles- which she slammed down on the table in front of them as if to say, "Here are your damned bottles of water!"
At 3 our driver arrived. He and some of the ship's staff caried our luggage to the docks (thru the rain- it'd been raining all morning). We were in the pretty, red, swirly Travel-All-Russia car. The trip to the airport was typical. Terrible traffic, lots of delays and accidents.
Airports are never fun and Russia is the best example of why. Stand and wait, stand and wait. Machines for self check are broken, etc. At Passport Control the guy didn't like our neatly typed up Immigration papers (go figure). He yelled at us. In his half Russian, half English with thick accent I didn't really know what he wanted. I just made my same old argument, these are the papers I was given, this is what I've had for all my time in Russia, this is what I have- all I want to do leave! He finally gives mine back, and makes Kaylie fill our a new form. Stand and wait, stand and wait for luggage check in (an hour). Helen finds us there. My bag is overweight, but they let us through- no charge. (I must give props to the nice girl who talked me thru the ticket printing process and the nice girl who let my luggage through). First though, another girl had to check through my luggage by hand. (K's and my souvenirs must look sketchy on the x-rays because this also was an issue in Amsterdam).
Then we had to pass through metal detectors and K kept setting hers off! Bit by bit she had to lose her jewelry. Finally they got out the hand wand. The lady said it was her pocket rivets on her jeans. We got through pat downs and then we were cleared. Stand and wait, stand and wait. Helen and I chatted and K tuned out to keep cool.
The KLM plane was nice. We had tons of leg room in the 3rd row. At last minute a big, unkempt, elderly man took his seat next to K. He was dirty and had lots of hair sprouting not only out of his nostrils, but off of the tip of his nose like a wayward hair garden! I thought Kaylie would lose it.
KLM likes to feed you. They handed out hot sandwiches of turkey and cheese on panini bread. It was the best thing I'd eaten in two weeks! We had our pop and coffee and then coffee cake. Yum!
At Schipol we said goodbye to Helen, who invited us to see her in Scotland. We went through all of the security crap again, checking our hand luggage and pat downs and K setting off the alarms again. When she suggested to the guard that it was her pocket rivets, the guard became quite insistant that was NOT her jeans! She told K how it was! Stand and wait, stand and wait.
On the flight to London, we got mini cans of pop and our choice of sweet snack or savory. Sweet was a package of mini vanilla wafers and savory was a pack of mini salt and pepper snack crackers. We got one each and shared. It was 2 1/2 hours to Amsterdam and 45 minutes to London.
At Heathrow we joined a VERY long line for immigration- more papers! The line moved quickly though. I stopped at the ATM to get British Pounds to spend. Not ready to tackle the tube, we took a "Black Cab" to Golders Green. He quoted us 85 pounds (about $140). Holy crap! Our driver was Dilip. He was friendly. He told us the Olympic crowds haven't arrived as anticipated. The rumor was, the high prices scared people off. Many of the locals are leaving on trips to avoid the crowds. Hotels and such are so empty that instead of doubling and tripling their prices, some places are halfing them.
We asked Dilip to drive us thru a fast food places, so he found McD's. Finally we got to Martel House in Golders Green. It's actually one half of a duplex. The owner, Phil, lives down the street. He greeted me warmly, saying he knew it was me from my picture. I had to walk to his place so he could let us in. He is probably in his late 50's, thinning hair in a ponytail, very jolly. He has an eye infection, so looked a bit funny now with a red, squinty eye. He showed us our room, a big room with 3 twin beds at the front of the house upstairs. We had to carry our luggage up a very narrow turning staircase. We ate, called home and talked for an expensive 1 1/2 hours! Then we went to bed.
Kaylie showed up from Sergei's room around 2AM. She had quite the time as various staff members buzzed in and out of his room. One of the girls invited Kaylie to go party and smoke hookah. Sergei rescued her from that. She saw Sergey, our waiter, who was talking in Russian about his time in the Army, driving trucks and such there. He wants to work with those skills when his waiter days are done on the ship. Sergey was teashing Sergei and his room-mate, neither of whom didn't serve in the military. Sergei told our group that he had a medical condition that had kept him out of the required military service. He had told us that his father had been in the military for a long time and didn't want Sergei to serve. Later he told Kaylie what his medical condition was and swore her to secrecy. Let's just say it's very Russian! (Cue dramatic music)
Morning came early as we ate breakfast, said our goodbyes (a few of them teary), and finished packing. We~ and our luggage, were out of the room by 10AM. We took my backpack, loaded to the gills with souvenir books and bottles of water and pop, and found a quiet spot on one side of the ship's deck to sit and read. Well first we went to the Small Bar and said goodbye to Eric (Beth was sleeping), and Ansie and Mariette (who were off to a St Pete's hotel for a few more days). On the side deck Helen joined us, as she shared our flight to Amsterdam. Like us, she was stuck on the ship until about 3. Soon Helen left for lunch and then Sergei joined us. He looked a bit melancholy, but maybe he was just tired. We teased him that he was missing us already and that we (his 1st tour group of the season) were also his best group and it was all downhill from there! He teased back and and asked again if we had his contact information. We do! Soon he had to leave to take a group to the airport for depature and then wait for new arrivals. He gave me, then Kaylie, really nice, big hugs. I think Kaylie's hug was a bit more lingering, ha ha!
Kaylie and I walked to a nearby Internet store/souvenir ship. It cost 6 roubles a minute (about 20c) to use the computer. It took nearly an hour to pre-check in at the airport and choose seats and then post a message on Facebook. Then we loaded up on snacks (since there would be no shipboard lunch for us). We got some bacon flavored Lays chips, some kind of yummy, sweet, flaky, cracker cookie, pretzels and Russian chocolate bars. Yum! Loaded up, we went back to the ship and Helen rejoined us. We talked for a long while about ship shennigans and some trying times in her personal life (edited online for privacy). The Russia River Cruise was a special trip for her.
We were exchanging stories about water on the ship. Kaylie and I were provided 2 bottles a day by our housekeeper, along with 2 toffees each night before bed. Our housekeeper also alternated between turning our handtowels into fans or little boats. Other housekeepers didn't do towel tricks. Other rooms didn't get water. Helen heard it depended on which agency you booked with - as to whether water was included, as it was an added expense. Even ships staff have to pay for their water! Water is such a commodity that apparently Alan complained when he and Roberta didn't get water one day. The front desk person argued with them that of course they'd gotten water- they must have just misplaced it! Alan argued back. It's hard to misplace water in a closet sized room. Later, management came to their room and did an actual serach for the missing water bottles! Later yet, a housekeeper arrived with 2 water bottles- which she slammed down on the table in front of them as if to say, "Here are your damned bottles of water!"
At 3 our driver arrived. He and some of the ship's staff caried our luggage to the docks (thru the rain- it'd been raining all morning). We were in the pretty, red, swirly Travel-All-Russia car. The trip to the airport was typical. Terrible traffic, lots of delays and accidents.
Airports are never fun and Russia is the best example of why. Stand and wait, stand and wait. Machines for self check are broken, etc. At Passport Control the guy didn't like our neatly typed up Immigration papers (go figure). He yelled at us. In his half Russian, half English with thick accent I didn't really know what he wanted. I just made my same old argument, these are the papers I was given, this is what I've had for all my time in Russia, this is what I have- all I want to do leave! He finally gives mine back, and makes Kaylie fill our a new form. Stand and wait, stand and wait for luggage check in (an hour). Helen finds us there. My bag is overweight, but they let us through- no charge. (I must give props to the nice girl who talked me thru the ticket printing process and the nice girl who let my luggage through). First though, another girl had to check through my luggage by hand. (K's and my souvenirs must look sketchy on the x-rays because this also was an issue in Amsterdam).
Then we had to pass through metal detectors and K kept setting hers off! Bit by bit she had to lose her jewelry. Finally they got out the hand wand. The lady said it was her pocket rivets on her jeans. We got through pat downs and then we were cleared. Stand and wait, stand and wait. Helen and I chatted and K tuned out to keep cool.
The KLM plane was nice. We had tons of leg room in the 3rd row. At last minute a big, unkempt, elderly man took his seat next to K. He was dirty and had lots of hair sprouting not only out of his nostrils, but off of the tip of his nose like a wayward hair garden! I thought Kaylie would lose it.
KLM likes to feed you. They handed out hot sandwiches of turkey and cheese on panini bread. It was the best thing I'd eaten in two weeks! We had our pop and coffee and then coffee cake. Yum!
At Schipol we said goodbye to Helen, who invited us to see her in Scotland. We went through all of the security crap again, checking our hand luggage and pat downs and K setting off the alarms again. When she suggested to the guard that it was her pocket rivets, the guard became quite insistant that was NOT her jeans! She told K how it was! Stand and wait, stand and wait.
On the flight to London, we got mini cans of pop and our choice of sweet snack or savory. Sweet was a package of mini vanilla wafers and savory was a pack of mini salt and pepper snack crackers. We got one each and shared. It was 2 1/2 hours to Amsterdam and 45 minutes to London.
At Heathrow we joined a VERY long line for immigration- more papers! The line moved quickly though. I stopped at the ATM to get British Pounds to spend. Not ready to tackle the tube, we took a "Black Cab" to Golders Green. He quoted us 85 pounds (about $140). Holy crap! Our driver was Dilip. He was friendly. He told us the Olympic crowds haven't arrived as anticipated. The rumor was, the high prices scared people off. Many of the locals are leaving on trips to avoid the crowds. Hotels and such are so empty that instead of doubling and tripling their prices, some places are halfing them.
We asked Dilip to drive us thru a fast food places, so he found McD's. Finally we got to Martel House in Golders Green. It's actually one half of a duplex. The owner, Phil, lives down the street. He greeted me warmly, saying he knew it was me from my picture. I had to walk to his place so he could let us in. He is probably in his late 50's, thinning hair in a ponytail, very jolly. He has an eye infection, so looked a bit funny now with a red, squinty eye. He showed us our room, a big room with 3 twin beds at the front of the house upstairs. We had to carry our luggage up a very narrow turning staircase. We ate, called home and talked for an expensive 1 1/2 hours! Then we went to bed.