Kizhi

30 August 2016

Will attempt to write a short blog today…lol!

We finally had another late afternoon arrival so we got to sleep in and relax on the ship.  After breakfast, I went on the wheelhouse tour – as you can see in the photo, I got to drive the ship…  Actually the wheelhouse was very interesting – gps, satellite navigation, lots of red, green & black buttons that were very tempting-lol!-and a fantastic view…

After lunch, we again skipped all the lectures and got up a rousing game of LCR, except we played with 100 rubles notes instead of dollars…lol  100 rubles=$1.35 approximately…  We actually had to invest 900 rubles as we kept putting all the money into the pot.  I had a chance to win but could not roll a dot – a nice British chap, Brad, won the whole pot of 3200 rubles!

The late afternoon found us in Kizhi .  It is an isolated island on Lake Onega and is 300 miles south of the Arctic!  It is situated on Lake Onega and the island’s settlement dates back to the 15^th century.  Today the entire island is a national open-air museum – a bit like Williamsburg, VA but Russian…  All the buildings are entirely handmade of ash and were originally made without nails – only pegs.  The Transfiguration Church had 22 domes and the whole village was so cute and reminded me of Bavaria, without the  geranium flower boxes on the railings…lol!

  Oh did I mention how cold it was?  I had 3 shirts on, a fleece jacket, my corduroy pants and Ugh boots, plus my fur headband I had bought in Yaroslavl.  B says it was probably 50*!  We were told in winter the whole island is covered in snow and the lake can freeze – supplies have to be helicoptered in.  Oh and there were Pokestops all over Kizhi because it is an historical monument.  I did not catch any Pokemon today but I did hatch an egg with all my walking which turned out to be a Shelldur…  Sorry for all the Pokemon Go updates to those of you that don’t play…lol!

Returned to the ship for a rest, supper and a talent show by the crew – which was quite entertaining…  We have another early day tomorrow so I am off to bed…good night my friends

Kuzino

29 August 2016

Again today we had an early start – all aboard the buses at 9am…  I am really enjoying myself, but these early wake-up calls are exhausting…lol

An interesting fact about  today :  the Ingvar ship docked in Kuzino and dropped us off, but then sailed down river to the town Goritzy.

Today’s tour was a visit to the Kriillo-Belosersky Monastery and a visit to the local school.  We asked if it was possible to just do the school visit, but they laughed and said no…  The monastery looks more like a fortress and sits on the shores of Severskoye Lake.  It was founded in 1397 by two monks who dug out a single cave and built a wooden chapel.  In 1494 a stone structure was erected.  In 1924 the Bolshevik government closed down the monastery and executed the monks.  Later it was reopened and part of it is a museum today filled with icons – which are considered to be the Gospel in paint.  There – now you have been on the tour with us!  Lol!  After looking and listening about icons for over an hour, I left the museum and wandered about outside.  Luckily today, Pokemon was back working and I was able to snag a few more items but no pokemon…  The monastery is amazing architecturally.  It was about 65* and sunny so quite pleasant strolling around.  It is a walled compound with living quarters and 2 churches, as well as out buildings and a lakefront beach.  One of the passengers at lunch commented “when you’ve seen one icon, you’ve seen them all”…lol!

Once everybody was back on board, we headed for the visit to the local school.  One thing positive about Viking tours – I am impressed with how well they space 200 people out among the sites.  There were 5 groups total and we only ran into one other group.  It is all very well organized and our guides have been informative and friendly.  At the school we met Kate, a 16 year old who was our guide through the school.  She told us about the students, the courses and the school year.  Russian children start school at 6 or 7 and at 16 are given the opportunity to go to trade school or continue secondary school for 2 more years, after which they would go to university.

We were taken to a small auditorium where two 15 year old girls wore traditional peasant costumes and sang for us.  It was wonderfully entertaining.  After that we visited a classroom and our group sat in student desks to ask Kate and our guide questions.  It was all super fun and interesting.

This tour took about 3 hours and then we headed back to the ship, where they dropped us off for more shopping!  This time I did buy a few souvenirs and B bought a bottle of Russian soda (we think) and the local lemonade – which is made from pears and tastes more like cream soda…lol

This afternoon we are aboard ship and sailing for Kizhii.  B took a nap after lunch, but I went to crafts class and painted a Matryoshka dolls.  It was a sociable event with art skills from poor to magnificent…  I fit somewhere in the middle and did not finish mine but will do so at home…  I smiled after the lady next to me asked if I painted and commented that she had in the past.  But after today, she thought she would go back home and resume painting again – encouraging words…

There was a cooking demo in the late afternoon with Chef Joachim.  He taught folks how to make Pelmeni, which is a pillow pasta filled with beef and pork - basically Russian ravioli served with sour cream.  B went to the demo and got the recipe but says it is too much work to make for Aging Gracefully…  It was an entertaining demo however, as he had 2 passengers attempting to follow his directions each step of the way – but insisting they drink vodka about every 10 minutes…  At the end of the demonstration the Chef explained the secret to making Great Pelmeni – “don’t drink the vodka”…lol!

This evening’s dinner is traditional Russian food with borscht, and other local favorites.  I will try but may order the chicken breast too…lol

Hope this finds you well and you are enjoying our adventure.

Yaroslavl

Sunday 28 August 2016

We found out we had such an early start because the afternoon involved more locks and we had appointed times.  So up and at ‘em by 8am! – I didn’t realize such an hour existed…

Our buses were once again right outside the ship and we are in Group 1b.  Brian managed to snag the front seat and we were soon off on a city tour.  Being Sunday and early morning, there was NO traffic.  Yaroslavl is a large city about 4 hours from Moscow just off the Volga River on the Kotorosoi River.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a university town. 

We went to several churches including the Church of Elijah the Prophet.  There was a service happening but we were able to enter the church, and even take photos if you paid 100rubles and did not use a flash.  The inside was continuously painted with colorful frescoes and the front of the church was covered in beautiful  icons.  Today was a special day and we got to see the Arch Bishop arrive and perform part of the service.  This church currently has no bell tower, so the bells are on the ground behind an enclosure.  Two men were ringing the bells to call everyone to church.  One rang only the largest bell by walking back and forth INSIDE the bell.  The other rang the remaining 6-8 bells using a pulley system.  The sound was amazing, melodic and registered deep in my soul.  I have it recorded and may try to upload it if possible.

We proceeded onto the Governors’ Mansion which is treated like an historical theater.  Young girls present themselves as the Governor’s daughters and act as hostesses.  We were guided through the mansion and given facts about the art, rooms and history.  Upon entering the ballroom, the musicians played and we were invited to imagine a fancy ball.  After several dance performances, they approached audience members to dance.  I was filming the first dance but the next was a waltz and I volunteered.  My dance partner was charming and complimented my dance prowess saying I must be a professional…lol!  We managed to do some spins and twists, before the music ended and I curtsied my thanks. Watching some of the others dancing, I realized I was a bit more accomplished thanks to my college dance classes and RenFaire.   It was such a fun experience to imagine myself at a ball with Catherine the Great - I felt transplanted…

  I forgot about visiting the local food market before the Mansion.  Typical set-up with fruits & vegetables, meats, cheeses, and fish all artfully displayed in a kaleidoscope of colors.  The vendors willingly gave out samples encouraging you to buy their product.  We had a special tasting provided by Viking and then wandered the market.  I purchased a surprise for Aging Gracefully and B bought some dried apricots that are quite tasty.

Upon returning to the ship, we had about 15 minutes in the pop-up market to shop…lol!  But we didn’t buy anything there – honest!

Lunch was served right away and we enjoyed meeting some new folks from England and Australia.  I ate a muffelatta – which is a toasted, cheesy sandwich and one of Jess’ favorites at RenFaire.  Overall the food is yummy – breakfast offers a buffet meats and eggs, a- made-to order omelette station as well as a menu;  lunch is similar but with a salad buffet and pasta staion along with the menu;  dinner is only ordered and includes a first course appetizer, and choice of soup and salad as well as 3 entre options:  a meat dish, a fish dish and a vegetarian dish.  Chicken and steak are always available.  So far I have had the fish most nights, but getting tartar sauce has been a struggle.  The first night I ordered it, I said if they didn’t have it, to bring me mayonnaise.  So when dinner arrived I got a miniature jar of mayonnaise as well as what the chef thought was tartar sauce.  Now it had pickles in it as well as chopped onion and spice, but it was mixed with sour cream??  I used the mayonnaise lol and spoke to the  maître d’, Daniel,  about the American version – now the chef has tartar sauce ready for me every night.  Last night I had lamb, but B ate salmon telling our waiter, “I’ll have her tartar sauce”…lol

We are once again sailing the Volga and will arrive in Kuzino Monday. 

Do svidaniya

Uglich

Saturday 27 August 2016

Just so you know, Russia is about 8 hours ahead of Texas time…

After sailing away from Moscow on Friday we cruised down the Moscow Canal.  We went through several lochs to enter the Volga River.  Saturday afternoon we arrived in Uglich.  Small town appearances and culture like this is the main reason we chose to do a river cruise.  It is charming, colorful and the people were inviting and friendly.  Upon arrival we disembarked and took a leisurely 3 block stroll to the market.  We browsed all the goods and waited for the group tour to catch up to us.  We joined the last group, turned on our listening devices and walked a short distance to the Kremlin.  (this word actually means fortress or walled city, not necessarily associated with government)  Uglich was founded in 1148 and has several beautiful domed churches as well as a lovely park on the waterway. 

 The lecture/tour took about an hour and a half and after we boarded a bus as we were invited to a Russian home.  This was very interesting to see – the neighborhood was similar to the spread out version of houses in Twin Oaks, where we live.  The road however was unpaved and most houses had lush flower/vegetable gardens abutting the homes.  Our hostess welcomed us into her home – there was a small entry way with 2 doors, perhaps what we call a mudroom and then a hallway leading to the kitchen, bathroom and living room. (I think it was probably a 3 bedroom house, though she did not say) The kitchen was of medium size and had a giant modern fridge, stove/oven and microwave.  I did not notice a dishwasher, except the lady who was helping…lol  The living room was cozy but currently had a long table and benches for the 20 of us to sit at.  We learned a bit about the homeowner, Glennis, and how her parents had built this home by hand over a period of 1 year, 50 years ago after the war.  She then offered us the traditional guest drink of moonshine.  We had a toast and I drank my tiny sip.  It was quite smooth, and didn’t burn going down.  The taste was a bit like cherry-flavored fire…lol  She said it was normal for guest to drink 3 shots minimally, so about half the group obliged, including Brian.  I had another half glass, as I did enjoy the taste…

                        B at front gate of Russian home

We had a leisurely stroll back to the ship through the souvenir market – oh, darn, more shopping!  I bought a few more items, including a watercolor painting – the artist spoke a bit of English, so we conversed about painting and parted happily.  I met up with Brian as the end of the market (he went the to grocery store, of course) and he was making balloons for 2 cute girls – we took photos, so Jess could make his choice of Russian girl for wife…lol!  I also made a balloon animal for a 10 year old boy who said he was “boss” of the stall that sold soaps, nesting dolls and other items.  He was so delighted and said “thank you” while his mother suggested he give me Russian soap.  It was a fun exchange of language and culture. 

Uglich was enchanting and I could have stayed longer but we had to board the ship.  Oh sad news – my phone only seems to work in the big cities, so no more Pokemon – damn!  Since we only seem to be touring churches and historical buildings, I am quite disappointed…lol!

After dinner aboard the ship, there was international music trivia.  The questions involved what country the song was from and a tidbit of info about that country; plus you got bonus points for your team if you danced.  I was the only one on my team that was willing, so I basically danced for over an hour…phew! Glad I didn’t shower before dinner…lol!  There was a column on the side of the dance, so I stole a bit from a friend, Jan Fisher, and did a bit of pole dancing…lol!  We did not win however, as we missed 3 questions and 1 team had a perfect score…next time…

Thus ends our first port city – we are cruising all night and an early arrival Sunday in Yaroslavl.  815 tour!!! UGH!!!  

My Kind of Moscow Day 3

A bit about the ship before discussing the day:  We are on the Viking Ingvar which is a riverboat.  It holds 200 passengers and is full. It is a narrow ship and there is no

Viking Ingvar

Our room - pole dancing encouraged

passing in hallways - one must step aside if you run into someone traveling the other direction.  There are 4 floors accessible to the passengers and only 1 elevator.  The inclines are a tad steeper than a regular cruise ship, so we should be well exercised by the time we debark. I would guess we are about half Americans and half British – everybody is super friendly and always introducing themselves and chatting amiably.  Mealtimes are fixed but seating in the dining room is open so you can sit anywhere, with anyone – we like this because we enjoy meeting new people.  The crew is quite friendly and seems to be a mix of Russian, Philippino, and other Europeans – all speak very good English…  Having never sailed on Viking before we had no idea about river cruising…  We will have spent 3 nights in Moscow and sail tomorrow so we will see.  So far it has been an interesting but hectic journey.

However today we were on our own and I had researched a market I wanted to explore and shop.  At breakfast we mentioned to our table mates, Michelle & Charles from Stratford on Avon, that we were going shopping.  Michelle perked up and Charles said we said the magic words – shopping!  So we all decided to go together.  The metro station is about a 20 minute walk from the ship, so we asked about a taxi – the response was “we have a fixed price - $40 – no matter where you travel”  Hmm, so we opted to take the taxi all the way to the Izmaylovsky Market.  An hour later he dropped us in front of an enchanted villiage and gave us his phone number saying he would be happy to pick us up as he live nearby.  

Izmaylovsky Village and Market is a fairy tale – a cross between a Renaissance Faire and Solvang in California.  The architect is all scrollwork, curlicues, crown molding and gingerbread painted in all colors of a Crayola box .  There is a chapel there and multiple weddings were in progress while we visited.  But because it was a Thursday, most of the flea market/shops were closed.  I bought a couple of nesting dolls but was a bit disappointed about the shopping.  Then we met up again with Charles  and he said, “I’ve found the market!”  Michelle was standing in front waiting but Charles said it was because he had her purse, she couldn’t buy anything…lol  The market was marvelous and typical of any outdoor market.  Stall after stall of colorful good but always Matryoshka dolls – they usual Russian woman as well as political figures, Minions and even Star Wars!  There were also lacquer boxes, fur hats, wood carvings etc., etc…  We had a marvelous time and enjoyed our escapade  at Izmaylovsky Market.

It was about 2pm when we decided to return to the ship but this time by Metro.  Charles and Michelle were up for another adventure so we elected Brian our leader and followed him the half mile to the Metro.  Along the way I caught some more Pokémon and leveled up to 13!  We managed to navigate the underground system with no glitches even tho we had to change lines from the Blue to the Green and arrived at the ship’s Metro stop about an hour later.  

300 feet down under

Riding the Metro

Emerging from the underground, we saw a McDonald’s, Starbuck’s and KFC on one side and the mall on the other.  Lol!  We entered the mall because it also included a grocery store.  B explored and bought chocolate & soda and Michelle and Charles bought tonic water to drink with their gin back on the ship.  The taxi line was right outside the mall so I suggested we grab a cab because I was pooped and those damned soda bottles were heavy and would geteven  heavier walking back.  So we asked all the drivers if they spoke English, 3 stepped away while pointing at the other guy…lol!  I showed him a card that had the address in Russian and asked how much – he said 500 Rubles…  Now remember we could have paid $40 if we’d arranged with the ship, so we immediately accepted his quoted price as it was about $9!!! And worth every penny…lol! 

We had plans for a late evening tour, Moscow by Night, that was leaving at 9pm and returning after midnight…  So upon returning to our cabin after shopping we both took a nap.  B fell asleep within 5 minutes of collapsing on the bed but I read a bit until my book kept falling in my lap…

After an interesting meal:  food was good but service was peculiar…we boarded our bus for the night tour.  It turns out it was the same as the day tour except at night and without the “convenience” stop…lol!  However it also included a canal tour which was quite marvelous.  If you have been to
San Antonio Riverwalk boat ride, it was like that in Moscow…  The weather was brisk and the views were pretty terrific.  We got a different view of Red Square and the Kremlin and well as lots of interesting architecture.  The cathedrals here a onion-domed and painted gold.  We took lots of photos and had a very pleasant  evening on the “Moscow Riverwalk” canal boatride.  And even better, there were tons of Pokemon around...the most I have ever caught in one session!  LOL!
It was after 1230am when we began our journey back to the ship.  Lo and behold!  It is only a 25 minute ride if you travel after midnight and before 5am…lol!!!  “Traffic” is always the responded excuse for everything…

Tomorrow is another day and we will sail away from Moscow… 

Day 2 in Moscow

Day 2 in Moscow began with breakfast which is quite yummy.  The chef will make you an omelet  anyway you like and there is a buffet of bagels, pastries, toast, jams, sausages and of course, bacon.  It is also possible to order pancakes, French toast and eggs Benedict.  After breakfast, I unpacked and organized our stateroom – when living in a small space for two weeks, it is important to have, as my dad used to say, “a place for everything and everything in its place”…lol

The weather here is a comfortable 74* however not always sunny and it can rain most afternoons.  So I packed a bag with rainwear and we headed to the bus to explore Moscow.  There were 2 options for tours – one that involved 5 miles of walking and one that did not.  Guess which one we picked?  Lol!  We were unable to get the front seat but the bus has a rear door too, so we sat in the first seat by that door.  The view is much better and I don’t feel so confined by other seats.  Again we traveled into the city center and again the 35 mile drive turned into 11/2 hours.  The guide mentioned points of  interest along the way  such as cathedrals, museums, and hotels where famous people slept…  She pointed out the glimpse of the Red Square and the Kremlin as we passed by but said we would be back later to walk around.  When we finally got off the bus at our first stop, I was ready to walk around a bit.  This was a “convenience” stop (read potty break) and it was free but the guide neglected to tell folks that you needed to collect toilet paper outside the stall – needless to say, the ladies spread that tidbit out so I knew to get “the important papers” ahead of time.  Oh and did I mention it was about 20 steps down to the bathroom?  Moscow is big on stairs – especially to access bathrooms…  so you better have to go…

Our stop included a short walk around New Virgins Nunnery.  It is a lovely compound and also a pokestop…  It was still sunny and nice outside so an enjoyable stroll.  Viking Cruise Lines use the personal listening device so your guide is always speaking in your ear, telling you bits of information, propaganda and droning on – or you can choose not to wear one, like me, and just enjoy the scenery…lol

The Nunnery

Our next stop was the highest point in Moscow and a viewing spot.  Unfortunately the clouds had rolled in and the skies were gray so the view was ok but not for photos.  Also the sights did not include any famous landmarks like the viewpoint in Rome, so it was kind of uninteresting – but there were Pokémon about so all was not lost…ha!

Our next destination was an adventure on the Metro.  Moscow’s subway system is one of the oldest in the world and the underground terrain is a design wonder.  From art deco to Greek columns to bronze statues, it was very interesting.  B and I think this was one of the longest underground escalators we have ever ridden.  It was 330 feet down before we finally stepped off into the tunnel to the train. 

Finally, we were headed to the Red Square but when we emerged from underground it was quite dark out as rain was imminent.  Folks are listening to her lecture and I am following around totally impressed with the sights, taking photos and catching Pokémon.  Then we get to the place to view the Kremlin and it is totally blocked by stadium seating and construction – how disappointing…  When I think of Moscow, it is the onion shaped colored roofs and we never got close enough to get photos…  But Red Square was amazing except our time was short.  When she cut us loose, we had only a half an hour and it was 15 minutes back to the bus.  She pointed in the direction of the Gum Department store but we didn’t get to see it – it seems the 5 mile walking tour would have been better after all…lol

Red Square

Leaving Red Square we headed off to a Russian Folklore Concert…  as it was pouring rain and we were tired, we opted out of the concert.  We still got soaking wet as we had to walk about 300 yards to change buses.  We had to wait a bit for others to show up and then start the 2 hour trip back to the ship because rain and traffic make for triple congestion and double accidents. 

A nice meal and beds awaited us upon our return.  Food aboard the Viking is good but not amazing.  We had chicken Kiev which was tasty but the creamed carrots and rice with peas was the star of the meal – even B thought so, which for those that know, he is a meat and potatoes kinda guy, so those veggies must have been damned good…lol

This concludes Day 2 -  Do svidaniya!

Moscow Arrival

Greetings from Moscow!  That is amazing to say…lol!  Let’s back up to the flights that delivered us here.

From Houston was very smooth and on-time.  Traveling business class allowed us access to the First Class Lounge so we got to wait for the flights with the noble class and not the peons.  Foodl and drinks are included at the lounge so we ate and drank sodas…  The seats on the plane were in the upper deck and quite comfy.   Dinner was served and was actually quite tasty – B had a steak and I had red snapper.  After dinner I watched a movie and then we went to “sleep”.  It is in quotes because even though our seats made into beds neither of us slept much. 

                                     lots of legroom

Our flight left at 4pm and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany 8 hours later (which was then 730am with the time change)  Upon arrival we once again headed for the first class lounge where we heard our plane was delayed 30 minutes…  An hour and half later, we boarded a bus that was a 10 minute ride to our plane – really strange, climbing stairs and boarding the plane from outside, like in the 60’s.  And this was Luftansa!  So we finally left Germany about 2pm and arrived in Moscow around 5pm.  Clearing customs and passport immigration was smooth but another hour involved.  After getting our luggage, we found the lady from Viking who was our greeter for transport.  We waited about another hour for some other passengers and finally got on the bus to go to the ship.  

Moscow Airport

Once aboard the bus, the tour guide explained it was approximately 35 miles to the ship and would take 2 hours to get there??!  This was our first experience with Moscow traffic – imagine the worst congested traffic you have ever driven in and multiply this by 100 and you will have some idea of Moscow traffic.  They told us there were over 5 million cars in Moscow alone.  But on the bright side, we were going so slow I was able to capture 3 brand new Pokemon – my first in Russia!  And Moscow is covered in Pokestops so I enjoyed the ride and leveled up – lol!  (For those of you that don’t  understand, this is a game you can play on your phone but you must be walking or moving locations to gain points.)
                                                 

our view from the bus never changed

When we finally arrived at the ship, it was 930pm local time – the journey from bed to bed was about 28 hours!!  Ahhh – the cabin is small, but the bed is luxurious!    And I am writing this at midnight on the 2^nd night, so I will tell you about Moscow and more in the next blog as my comfy bed is calling…lol!  

And we're off - Monday Aug the 22nd we drive to Houston in a rental car.  As we have lots of luggage, flying there was not an option...  We get additional weight for international travel but didn't want to pay for local travel.  The rental car was cheaper...lol
Our flight is overnight and we have business class seats.  I think on Lufthansa this means bed-like...  I will let you know in our first post from Moscow.  That may be late Tuesday or Wed morning...
Hope you enjoy following along on our trip.  If you log into a gmail address, you can officially follow and kibbutz as we travel...  Don't know how to say good-bye in Russian, so I will just say "see y'all later"