Oct 14, 2018 - Kaliningrad - Prolegomena

Another place of pilgrimage. But I never thought that highly of Kant, considering him obsessively obscure. But over the past 5 or 10 years I've come to appreciate him more. Anyway this was his home. Wouldn't it be nice if we followed his dictum to always treat our fellow humans as ends in themselves and not as means to our ends. More of what I've come to appreciate about Russia - Genuine warmth and hospitality Safety - on the streets and when crossing a street The lack of American tourists. Oh shit, let me take that back. Well, too late....

Oct 9, 2018 - Moscow

Welcome to the heart of the Soviet Empire - You know that the Geezer normally eats street food while traveling. However, on this trip I am branching out a bit, particularly in Moscow. Coming in at # 15 on the World's Top 50 Restaurants is White Rabbit. The fourteen course tasting menu at White Rabbit lives up to its reputation. Intense flavors, textures ... quite an experience eating alongside Oligarchs. As do the Kremlin, Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral, the GUM Department Store ... I also enjoy spending time in Yeliseyevsky's Gastronom,...

Oct 8, 2018 - The Golden Ring - Suzdal

Suzdal is essentially an open-air museum that preserves the Russian past - a place that Peter the Great would still recognize. Unlike our previous stops, Suzdal is relatively small, just 10 thousand inhabitants. The Golden Dome of Russia - so called for its many domed churches, monasteries, convents. A stunning Kremlin, excellent museums, pleasant cafes ... And still not a single American to be seen. And this is a major World Heritage site just an hour or so by train from Moscow. This is starting to get creepy. I've met more Russians in...

Oct 5, 2018 - Kazan - Tartarstan

Welcome, Kazan is said to be Russia's third capital and the heart of its Muslim population. It's easily the most interesting city so far. The Urals were no more than a gentle rise on our way here to European Russia and the banks of the Volga. The 12th century Kremlin (fortress) built by Ivan the Terrible is a World Heritage Site. The site contains a striking mosque, a 15th century Orthodox church and several excellent museums. The mineralogical museum is the best I've ever visited and the adjacent Natural History museum is world class....

Sep 29, 2018 - Yekaterinburg - Aftermath of the Revolution

Yekaterinburg - Founded in 1723 by Peter the Great and named in honor of his new wife, Catherine. Perhaps this is the best place to mention the 101st anniversary of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. An event by which Russia is defined by much of the west. I remember Yalta. The Tsar's summer retreat. Sweet pictures of the family. The girls - Tatiana, Olga, Maria, and young Anastasia. The Church on the Blood is on the site of their murders. For more on the various conspiracy theories that suggest one of them might have survived you...

Sep 28, 2018 - Irkutsk - The Paris of Siberia?

Not quite. Although the wide boulevards, tree lined streets, parks along the river are somewhat reminiscent of Paris it's not even close. But it was the arts and intellectual climate that earned Irkutsk that sobriquet. Irkutsk also has excellent restaurants - Russian, Italian, Georgian ... and the service is excellent. I hadn't expected that but it is very welcome. The highlight of Irkutsk is getting out and down to Lake Baikal. On the way we stop at the Taltsy Museum of Siberian Architecture. Travel with http://talci-irkutsk.ru/ Fall days...

Sep 26, 2018 - On The Trans-Siberian

Here's a short collection of photos from the Trans-Siberian. I wish I could provide more but it's very difficult to get a good photo from the train. Our stops were short, from 2 to 25 minutes and not much to see from a railroad yard. No way to capture the vastness and the beauty except to be there. Buy yourself a nice coffee table book and spend a solid week gazing through it and you'll have some idea what the experience is like. Personally I loved it. The Geezer P.S. There is a Kurosawa film that won Best Foreign Film in 1975 that was...

Sep 23, 2018 - Vladivostok

Finally! Russia. I've traveled to 11 of the 15 former Soviet Republics but this is my first visit to Mother Russia. I know better than to assume what I'll find. Vladivostok, "the San Francisco of Russia", is the Eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian. The omnipresent hills fit the comparison and the seafood is excellent at a fraction of SF's prices. The service is very friendly as well. I hadn't expected the level of service from my experience at getting the Russian visa.(Whatever you do, don't smile.) The State Art Gallery has some very...

Aug 24, 2018 - DAY 8 - St Petersburg 2

Day 8 - St Petersburg 2 Ashore at 7.15am for a 7.30am pickup. A couple of quick photo-stops before a very pleasant early-morning boat trip on the Neva river and around part of the extensive network of canals - it is just like Venice, but without the smells! Then on to the Hermitage Museum. With our 10am tickets we just beat the massive queue that built up soon afterwards. Once again Olga was outstanding - you could spend days in there and still only see a tiny fraction of the exhibits, but she knew exactly which ones she wanted us to see,...

Aug 23, 2018 - DAY 7 - St Petersburg 1

Day 7 - St Petersburg 1 Ashore by 7.15am to get through Russian Immigration/Customs ready to meet our tour guide and the rest of our group in time for an 8am start. On recommendation from friends, Graham had booked the four of us in for a 2-day 'Must-See St Petersburg' excursion from private company 'Alla Tours' instead of the usual P&O offerings. There are 12 of us from Arcadia plus 4 Americans from the Celebrity Eclipse (one of the other 6 cruise ships in port today), with our tour guide Olga and minibus driver Alexis. Highlights of the...

Jul 28, 2018 - Now in Moscow

After 10 nights on board the ship we are now in the Intercontinental Hotel in Moscow and have a much better internet available. Our cruise across the waterways of this part of Russia included stops at many interesting ports including Goritsy, Yaroslavl, Uglich and now Moscow. We have been here 3 days and it really is spectacular. A very large well organized and clean city with so much history. We have been to Red Square several times including at night. The Kremiln is spectacular. Have been on the Metro and enjoyed viewing 4 metro...

Jul 22, 2018 - Traveling on

Kizhi is a small Island at the top of Onega Lake, the second largest lake in Europe. A tour around the island took us through the open air museum of wooden architecture, hundreds of years old. Plenty of activities on board keep us occupied - yesterday's highlight was a Vodka Show with plenty of different varieties to try and typical Russian snacks to go with them.