Russia
June 2002

Today starts my adventure with my great friend Gayle Singletary. Up early, 5 a.m., for a 7:41 flight to NYC. Security at GSP made us wonder if this was an omen for the rest of our trip as we were waned and Gayle’s purse searched twice and chemical tested before we left Spartanburg. Our flight was uneventful and we arrived early at LaGuardia. We claimed our bags and caught a taxi to the Park Lane on Central Park South. Upon arrival our room was not ready so we checked our bags and walked down to the garment district to meet Gayle’s cousin Barry and his partner James Purcell (designer). Today is very hot in the city and we were wilted by the time we arrived at the showroom. After refreshing with mint tea and conversation with Barry we looked at some clothes they are selling at Sotheby’s and waited for Jim to arrive from his workout. With Jim very much present we caught a taxi and arrived at LaCaravelle for lunch. We were surprised that Jim and Barry knew everyone from the waiters to the owner and introduced us to each. To say we were treated royally would be an understatement and Jim insisted on ordering a variety of must tries. The food was terrific and the conversation kept us enthralled for hours. Both the guys are entertaining but Jim has an opinion on everything from fashion to politics and expressed each one as he heralded us with story after story. This experience was invigorating and delightful and just what we needed to start our trip. We walked around for a bit to window shop and as we were shopping we ran into a friend of Barry and Jim’s that made us look twice. He was a dresser extraordinaire, blue ticking suit, hot pink fedora complete with feather, bright blue shirt and pink suede boots. He could give make up lessons to most of us and he was out to be photographed and evidently was frequently by the New York Post. After a bit Jim went back to work but Barry shopped with us for a while and then it was time to part company. Gayle and I settled in our room and dressed for the theater. We walked to the Marquis where we saw Thoroughly Modern Millie and enjoyed ourselves. The production was lively and just what we wanted in a musical. All the central cast were talented and it was easy to see why it won 8 Tony’s. We had a quick dinner after the show and back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep before beginning our trip.

The clock went off at 6:30 but neither Gayle nor I were ready to get up (actually Gayle slept through it twice). Finally the phone rang at 7 and I got up. After showering and packing we decided to request a late checkout. We decided to walk to Rockefeller Center and take in the Today Show. We grabbed some coffee and after some confusion we found the roped off area for guests. It was a complete surprise to us that at 8:30 we would be admitted and after a short while find ourselves on the front row. We were able to see Ann Curry, and shake hands with Al Roker and Matt Lauer. We made it on TV twice, once in a group shot and then again as the main people on the front row. We had our moments of TV glory but of course no one at home was watching: still, WE KNOW IT! We did some shopping and had time to pick up some last minute things at Barney’s. We got lunch to go, checked out of the hotel, and ate in the taxi to JFK. Our Russian adventure begins here. The traffic was terrible downtown and even on the Triborough. We made it to FINNAIR on time but we were disappointed in the RTB representative (he was rude and not at all helpful) no briefing and he spent as little time as possible with us. The Admiral Club would not let us in on our Finnair numbers so we were banished to our gate. JFK was its usual filthy self but the people on our tour seem funny and nice but older. Gayle was pulled for another search, there seems to be a pattern here and all of a sudden I am questioning the reputation of my traveling companion. We boarded our flight on time and of course we were not seated together (we were able to switch before take off). Our flight is 50 minutes late taking off due to thunderstorms but at last we are airborne. No one around us speaks English so there will be no unnecessary conversation. We have had a busy 2 days and are looking forward to some rest on this leg of the flight. The beverage service is interrupted twice due to rough air but soon we are fed, sleeping pilled and drifting in and out of sleep. Neither of us slept straight through but after some rest they are waking us up for breakfast in preparation for landing in Helsinki. We are hoping we make our next connection as there is only one a day to Moscow. WE MADE IT! Our flight is ready to take off and it is almost empty, seems Moscow isn’t a hot tourist destination. I should mention that it is now---

After landing in Moscow we quickly join the immigration line and find out that the Russian Immigration Officers are of the old school, a smile would crack their faces and their tone of voice would freeze hot water. Our little group of 7 clears with no problems and we meet our Muscovite guide Svetlana. She is not at all what we had expected; our expectations included a grandmotherly figure with a babushka. She is tall and thin and dressed head to toe in designer duds. Our luggage arrives and we are off to the city. We have a micro van that is small with the luggage but clean and nice and the drive is only 17 miles. This area is very populous and it is so much more colorful than we anticipated. Our hotel, The Kempinski, is 5 star and gorgeous. Our room is huge with feather beds, robes, slippers, a sitting area, and a huge marble bath. Everyone in our group is talking of napping but Gayle and I decide we will sleep better tonight if we just get out and walk and take in the sunshine. We wash faces, brush teeth and take off to Red Square which we can see from our Hotel.

We have a great time just photographing and shopping. We are amazed at the beauty of the square with St. Basils Cathedral, GUMS Department Store, the Kremlin, etc. There was a big graduation party on the square and girls in ball gowns everywhere. This seems like a friendly city even though no one speaks very much English. We are rushed to get back to the hotel for dinner at 7 but find out quickly that the rest of our group is slower than we are. We are the only ones in the dinning area and there is a mix up about what to serve us. We were given the buffet instead of the set menu and enjoyed it immensely. The rest of our group is not as happy with their selection and it is apparent that there will be some turmoil during this trip. Gayle and I have trouble keeping a straight face. After dinner it was off for a shower, bubble bath (mine) and then to bed. It is sooooo exciting to be here!

Today we were up at 7:30 and so excited to begin our city tour. We had breakfast at the hotel and Svetlana met us and off we went. Our first stop was the monument to Peter the Great and the park behind it. This monument is strange and the people of Moscow think it looks like something from Disney World. The monument is right on the river and has a beautiful view of the Kremlin and the church domes. The park here is filled with art work both newly done and the statues taken down during Perestroika. The only statues left of Lenin and Stalin are here. We had fun walking around and snapping pictures. When we left this area we traveled through the city and Svetlana pointed out a lot of the churches and buildings that we would see later on and some that we would just see from the bus such as Gorky Park, the Olympic Stadium, and one of the beautiful convents. We then drove to Moscow University which is beautiful and has an overlook of the city. There are vendors everywhere and this is a prime location for people who are getting married. In Russia a couple goes to the registrar’s office and registers their marriage and then they visit several sights around the city dressed in their wedding finery with the wedding party and they drink champagne and eat chocolate. This is a ritual that is strictly observed and at all the photo sights around the city we see brides and grooms. They decorate their car and make a day of traveling from place to place.
This way you get a lot of use out of your bridal outfit. We could hear the chant “Biter” which means put down the champagne and kiss the bride. As we drove back into the city we passed the Tolstoy estate which is being restored. Our next stop was the Kremlin. We walked around the grounds amazed at the grandeur of the churches and palaces. We went into the Kremlin Armory Museum. This museum houses the coronation robes and gowns of the Tsars and Tsarinas, gifts to the Tsars from other countries, and a collection of Faberge (of course Gayle and I loved the 10 eggs and the crystal boxes and small animals). This museum had an incredible collection and it was so neat to see robes and gowns that were in paintings done in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. We had lunch in the Kremlin Cafeteria and the food was mediocre but the people were nice and presented us with a decorated ceremonial spoon. After lunch we visited the Kremlin Churches. The Church of the Assumption is the oldest and largest built in 1489. This is where all coronations were held even when St. Petersburg was the capital. We next visited the Romanoff family church, Church of the Archangel Gabriel. We saw the burial area in the Church of the Archangel Michael and also the Bell Tower of the Kremlin. We then went to dinner and the dessert was especially good as were the veggies. Our next stop was the Bolshoi Theater where we saw the opera The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky. The opera was laborious and dull but the theater was spectacular. The seats were all chairs except for 2 areas in the back. We were in a box on the main level and good see and hear well. Dennis and Gail, the other South Carolinians, slipped out after a short time but the rest of us stuck it out. Long opera and it was after 11 before we were back at the hotel. Gayle and I got our clothes ready for tomorrow and read magazines until our eyes would no longer function.

Up at 7:30 and downstairs for breakfast. We are lucky that we got to eat breakfast alone again. Svetlana met us at 9:45 (she was looking extremely gorgeous and was wearing a pink and orange silk tweed designer suit and Escada mules) and we were off to Lenin’s tomb. We arrived at the Kremlin and walked to the very modern and austere building housing Lenin. We were told to move through quickly and no talking. The body was in a very dark room with only the body illuminated. It was spooky but displayed well. Lenin looked to be short and rather stocky. We then saw the graves of many famous Russian men and women outside the building including Brezhnev’s wife. We walked around the Square and decided as a group to go into St. Basil’s Cathedral. The outside of this cathedral is so remarkable we were surprised at how extraordinary the inside was also. We then traveled to the State Tretyakov Gallery. One of our group left us for a day on her own. This gallery has Russian art and our tour started with the icons (11th C.) including the “Holy Trinity” by Roublev (15th C). Svetlana taught us about the symbolism in the icons and we then viewed paintings all the way to the 20th century. We had some time to look around on our own. We went to an Italian restaurant for lunch and I believe that Gayle and I were the only ones not to complain. Svetlana has great patience to put up with this group. After lunch we crossed the street to the Christ the Savior Cathedral.
This cathedral is built on the original site of the cathedral that was destroyed during Lenin’s time. During Lenin’s rule this was a gigantic heated Olympic sized swimming pool. The new Cathedral opened in1997 and is an exact replica of the original. We then went to the Pushkin Museum. We were on our own here and Gayle and I wandered around through each gallery. There were a lot of plaster cast of famous statuary but then we went to the impressionist gallery. They had a good selection of Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet and Toulouse Lautrec. There were also several Picasso’s. All of our new “friend’s” wanted to go back to the hotel to freshen up before the circus so our time was cut short. After a short stop at the hotel, we went to the Moscow Circus. This is a permanent circus that has performances 7 days a week. It was a lot like the Cirque de Soleil, with a lot of dancing, music, and expert gymnastics, high wire and trapeze. It was very entertaining and afterwards we had a lovely dinner at a Mongolian restaurant. Three of our group complained that we were the only people there and they were afraid this indicated that the food was not good. They were also concerned about fresh veggies being served uncooked. Gayle, Dennis and I ate hardily. It was great and in the end everyone enjoyed themselves. Face it, how often do you get to eat good Mongolian. We were back at the hotel at 11 and we watched a special on Sept. 11 and then talked ourselves to sleep. Our group is nothing if not entertaining.

Up at 7:30, showered and packed. Another great breakfast in the hotel. We took our bags down and prepared to leave the Hotel Baltschung Kempinski. It was sad to leave such a beautiful place and neither Gayle nor I was looking forward to leaving Moscow tonight. Svetlana arrived in a grey silk pantsuit looking like a million. We boarded our bus and we were off to the Trinity St. Serguis Monastery about 37 miles from downtown. The trip takes longer than expected because of traffic in Moscow and Svetlana says that this is normal. We traveled through the villages to see the houses and we made a picture stop at a house that was fully decorated. We saw a lot of dacha (country homes) of people from Moscow. We were very impressed by the size and style of these homes; there were a lot of these weekend houses. When we arrived at the Monastery we were impressed by the vision of bright blue onion domes on beautifully painted buildings. We visited all the churches, see postcards for inside views. We had lunch at a local restaurant and shopped for souvenirs at the vendors around the grounds. Gayle and I each bought a watercolor of the monastery from the local artist and he signed the back (not at all sure what he wrote). We also purchased a lacquer box. Svetlana said we made good choices as our boxes are from the finest school of painting. On the trip back almost everyone slept but Gayle and I and we had a lovely conversation with the guide. When we arrived back in Moscow, Svetlana took us on a tour of the Moscow subway stations.
Never have I even imagined something so opulent and CLEAN! There were mosaics, chandeliers, stained glass windows, beautiful ceilings, and so much marble. There were people everywhere as it was rush hour but not a cigarette but or candy wrapper to be seen. Even at this busy time of day the people were moving rapidly and the trains were frequent and incredibly fast. We took the train to Red Square and we were able to make our last pictures. We visited a mall that is 3 stories below the Kremlin (very beautiful with designer stores). One of our group wondered off and we spent some time looking for her. We then went to a Bulgarian restaurant and the food and the service was great. We had an upset as one of our fellow travelers found out they would have to share their train car with an unknown person. Poor Svetlana had to deal with this all the way to the train station and then at the station we learned our tickets had tomorrows date on them. I think Svetlana thought she was going to have a house full of crazies for the evening but at last we were cleared to board. We hugged Svetlana bye and told her how much we enjoyed her city and how it far exceeded our expectations. Moscow was colorful, clean, cosmopolitan, and easy to negotiate. There were a tremendous number of things to see and do and the lovely Svetlana was the perfect guide. We settled in quickly as the rooms on the train were very small and old. This is not the Orient Express but it is manageable. Most of our group is viewing this as their worse nightmare but Gayle and I caught up on our journals and realized we would have no trouble sleeping as the movement of the train was lulling us off already. We had a few visits from our group and we were shown how to fold away our table, how to operate the faucets in the bathroom down the aisle, and we were shown a urinal that one of our group brought so they would not have to get up and walk to the bathroom. See you in Novgorod tomorrow at 5 am.

4:45 a.m. First call for Novgorod. Gayle and I get up quickly and throw on our clothes-make-up and hair are not an issue. We get our suitcases, which were wedged under our beds and make our way to the exit. We have arrived! It’s early and already 3 of our party are complaining-they don’t want to be in Novgorod, they didn’t sleep a wink, etc. We are met by our guide Natasha (Natalie) and Igor our driver. We are driven to our hotel where the usual 3 really complain—it’s a BEST WESTERN—not 5 stars like the brochure said. The poor guide is trying to explain that this is the best hotel in this city but of course none of them listen. One of our travelers insults the guide immediately by telling her she is not interested in this place and could she arrange for us to go on to St. Petersburg. Poor Natasha did not get up at the crack of dawn to deal with the ugly American but she handled it as well as possible and the rest of us slipped up to our rooms for a nap. After showering we went to breakfast which was meager (our NY group was scandalized by frosted flakes and rolls) and met for a city tour. Two people were not feeling well and stayed in their rooms. Our city tour took us to some cathedrals and then to the Kremlin of Novgorod.
It was across the river and we used a footbridge to get there. We shopped at a crafts shop and walked around the grounds. At lunch we went to a restaurant styled like a hunting lodge. The food was good and after depositing the NY group back at the hotel we hardy South Carolinians continued on our tour. We visited a one cell monastery and it was out by the lake. The setting was beautiful and the lake was filled with sailboats. We then went to an outdoor Museum of Wooden Architecture. It was set up like a small village and very interesting, guides in national costume and artisans showing their wares. We bought hand carved and painted eggs. Natasha is a great guide. She is a guide for the museum and very intelligent. She is funny and tells us great jokes. Her English is fantastic and without the stress of our whole group she is relaxed with just Dennis, Gail, Gayle and I. Some of her jokes are so cute:

After the tour Gayle and I decided to walk back to the craft shop near the Kremlin. We walked along the river and enjoyed seeing the people and the houses and apartments. It was an invigorating walk and unfortunately we did not find any gifts at the shop. We walked back to the hotel in time for dinner and we were surprised when we were able to order from the menu. Natasha had done some wheeling and dealing to appease our complainers. We enjoyed our meal very much but our complainers still were not happy. We decided to get the SC group together for a walk by the river so we sort of snuck out of our rooms quietly and had a terrific walk and talk until way after midnight. These northern lights really through my sleeping pattern off. It was a pleasant evening and we packed before bed.

Up and downstairs with our bags early. Today is a big day and we get to see a lot of new and beautiful things on our way to St. Petersburg. Natasha rounded us up at the hotel and we were off. Natasha will be with us until we reach Pavlovsk. On our way we made a stop at an elderly ladies home so that we could see how the local people live. It was a small, overly decorated house with a yard completely filled with flowers and veggies. We were offered liquor or biscuits in honor of her son who had died. I chose the biscuits. The drive was about 2 hours and we arrived early, before our guide from St. Petersburg. Natasha tried to keep us together but of course some of the group had to wander off. Bella arrived and eventually we were all ready for our tour of Pavlovsk. Bella escorted us in and we were putting on the booties they made us wear to protect the flooring when a cat fight broke out amongst the NY group. There was name calling and threats from both sides, the ugly Americans at their worse. Poor Bella had to deal with this and Gayle, Dennis, and I were cowering in the corner pretending we did not know these people. Welcome to our world Bella. Pavlovsk was beautiful. Each room was more grand and ornate than the previous one. We have lunch in the cafeteria here and Gayle and I opted for a coke and ice cream. We headed out to see the gardens and shop at the vendors. At the appointed time we drove the short distance to Tsarkoye Selo (Catherine’s Palace). When we got off the bus there was a band and they played America the Beautiful and as we walked away they played Dixie. We gave them money as expected. This summer palace is incredible and much larger than I expected. We get into the palace and are waiting in line. The tension is running high in our group. Dennis and Gail decide to leave our tour and go just a few blocks away to Alexander Palace (Dennis is quite a scholar and this is something he has wanted to see). Here at Catherine’s the decoration is baroque at its best and after awhile becomes tiresome to the eye. As we finish the tour we notice it has started to rain and our NY threesome want to go back to the bus. Bella agrees to go with them and Gayle and I troop to see the Little Hermitage (the place of Catherine’s tryst) and to look through the gardens. We assured Bella we would not melt and could find our way back which we did on time. When we arrived at the bus we decided not to get in until Bella, Dennis and Gail made it back. The driver was standing outside and the tension inside could be cut with a knife. We walked to Alexander Palace and made pictures, then walked back. With everyone on the bus we drove into St. Petersburg and checked into the Angleterre.

This is part of the Astoria Hotel and is quite lovely. It is in the heart of St. Petersburg with a great view of St. Isaacs Cathedral and the Nicholas I statue. After going to our room, Gayle and I take off on a brisk walk around town. We made it all the way to the Marinsky Theater and downtown. We made it back to the hotel for dinner and one of the NY group was not present so dinner was more pleasant than expected. The food and service was great and after dinner the 6 of us walked to the Neva River past the Winter Palace. Two of our group dropped out and the four of us walked on. It was so strange to need sunglasses at 11 pm. Soon Gail and Dennis pooped out but Gayle and I decided to go the Palace Bridge opening that Bella had suggested. We had some time so we went for a soda at the local McDonald’s. We expected the place to be empty except for a few tourist but we were surprised that the place was filled to overflowing with Russians. We managed to order med. Coke lights but had trouble with change because we did not have any single rubles. We went back to the hotel and got our clothes ready for tomorrow and then headed out to the bridge. Bella said this happening took place at 1 am and that there would be hundreds of people; it takes place at 1:35 am and there were thousands of people. We staked out our spot and watched the people arrive. There were tour busses filled with groups, taxis lined up, families with small children, teenagers, hundreds of boats on the water, some private and others tour, there was even a jet ski pulling a tuber. Gayle and I were approached by 5 under 21yr. young men who smelled as if they had a head start in the drinking department. They asked us in broken English where we were from and we told them. We inquired about them and they said, “We are from Siberia, very cold.” They were so funny and just wanted to practice their Eng. The time arrived for the big event and guess what—the bridge opened and everyone clapped and whistled. We are not sure why this is such a big deal but they must not have many draw bridges in Russia. This was way too crazy. We walked back to the hotel and collapsed into bed.

We are up early and down to breakfast. We have our city tour today and meet our new guide Anna. Ten o’clock passes and no Anna and of course our little group is out for blood. We finally realize she did not recognize our small group and had been there all the time. On the bus we drive past many of the famous buildings and were told some of their history. Our first stop was at the Smolny Cathedral. The Smolny was commissioned as a Convent for Tsarina Elisabeth. She changed her mind and it was turned into a school for aristocratic girls. Next stop the Cathedral of the Resurrection (Our Savior of the Spilt Blood) erected on the spot where the coach of Tsar Nicholas II was bombed and he was mortally wounded. Inside this church the walls were covered with unbelievable mosaics. This was our first encounter with mosaic work as the churches in Moscow were all painted. Two of our group decided not to go in and waited impatiently outside. They were very perturbed with our enjoyment of this cathedral. Next spot to stop was St. Isaacs Cathedral. This is the largest church in Russia and ornately decorated with lapis, marble, and malachite with a very big dose of gilded bronze. The icons and ceilings were all painted by leading artist of the time. On the bus again we headed across the Palace Bridge with a stop at the Naval Monument Park.

There were able to have a picture dressed in costume or with a small bear. Vendors were out and one of our group bought a fur hat of unknown origin and drove us crazy with it. The Peter-Paul Fortress was the next stop. Inside the fortress we make a stop at the Peter-Paul Cathedral. The bell tower of this church was erected to be the tallest structure in St. Petersburg and it still remains so today. The interior of the cathedral is designed as a vast state hall. This cathedral is the burial place for all the members of the Romanoff Dynasty. The remains of Nicholas II, members of his family, their doctor and servants, who were shot in 1918, were interred in this cathedral in 1998 after DNA testing verified them. This cathedral has huge burial areas and Anna stated that anyone giving enough money could be buried here. We decided to take up money so Dennis can be buried here near Nicholas. After the cathedral we toured the prison inside the fortress. Members of the provisional government were the last prisoners kept here. The rooms are very small and all look alike. They were only heated by fireplaces kept outside the door (not well tended by the guards). We then went to a small Russian Restaurant on the grounds. After much discussion our order was placed and service was slow. At least ½ of our group was in a foul mood and we left with just our water. Anna took us the Yusupov Palace but we could not get in today and had to make an appointment to see it tomorrow at 3. Our ugly little group was hungry and they were beginning to fight amongst themselves so Gayle and I decided to skip lunch and take off on our own. The others went to a small Italian Restaurant and somehow survived each others company. Gayle and I went to McDonald’s for ice cream and walked down Nevsky Prospect to explore. We bought Connie a Faberge egg pendant and went to the big department store there. We made some pictures along the way and before we knew it we had to be back at the hotel for the cultural show. Gayle and I rushed upstairs, brushed teeth, and headed for the bus. The performance was at the Mikhailovsky Castle and the interior was extremely beautiful (esp. the stairwell and upstairs hall). The performance started slow with someone playing saws and kazoos but picked up and was wonderfully entertaining. The music and dancing was well staged and the costumes were great. At intermission they served vodka, champagne and caviar. Everyone enjoyed the evening and we had a lovely dinner back at the hotel. The menu was varied and the crème brulee with berries for dessert was wonderful. After dinner we walked along Nevsky Prospect with Dennis and Gail. We heard trumpet player playing U.S.A. show tunes for tourist leaving the Winter Palace Theater. It was not yet 12:30 but we decided to head back to the hotel. The streets were still full and we stopped for ice cream at a corner grocery. As usual we were wound up and it took a little while to get to bed.

Gayle and I were up today and through with breakfast by 9. We had time to write some postcard and still board the bus on time. Today we are visiting Peterhof the summer palace of Peter the Great and all the Russian emperors of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Palace is on the Bay of Finland and the yacht dockage is connected to the garden staircase with a canal. The view is phenomenal with fountains, statuary, gardens, and bridges. Everything is gilded in bronze or gold. The Palace is tremendous, yellow with white trim with ornate roof lines and cupolas. This was a wonderful place to visit and the Amber Room was magnificent (it just opened this week). After the palace tour we strolled to lunch where Gayle and I again ate ice cream and tried to escape with our fellow southerners. Unfortunately Dennis was snatched up by his nemesis and we had to “enjoy” her company as we explored the gardens and walked to the Bay. On our way back to the bus Gayle and I shopped at the vendors for about 5 minutes and actually made a decision and a purchase of some amber. We had to get on the bus with two outraged New Yorker’s who were angry that we had to leave 30 minutes early to get the rest of us to the Yusupov Palace for our tour. On the bus another cat fight broke out among the NY group including a clawing match. Very ugly comments were made and the rest of us kept a very low profile for the ride back. Finally at 3 pm we reached the Yusupov Palace where we had a private tour of this family home. This palace was very warm and much more livable than the others we had visited and still remained very grand. We were able to visit all the family rooms including the basement men’s area where Rasputin was poisoned and then shot. We were able to see into the garden where the final shot was fired at Rasputin before he was thrown into the river. The Yusupov family was the richest in the world at that time- worth over 300 million in the 1700’s. They made their fortune from diamond mines in Africa, international trading, and banking. The family does not own the Palace anymore as it belongs to the state but there is a granddaughter still living in Greece. We were very glad we had given up our afternoon to see this palace. We made a quick run through the gift shop to buy a book on the palace and out the door we went. Our driver was waiting and we rushed back to the hotel to change and have dinner before the ballet.

Gayle and I rushed upstairs to dress, really dress including jewelry, for the Marinsky. We went down to eat and we had a lovely dinner with our whole group. Then it was time for the Kirov Ballet and Gayle and I were so excited. Dennis was still remembering the opera and was not completely enthusiastic, neither was his Aunt Gail. The NY group regaled us with how they were able to see excellent ballet all the time and this included the Kirov which traveled to the Met. We arrived at the theater and as usual had to search out a translation of the program and seek help finding our box. We were seated in such a way as to keep our warring companions separated. The theater was so spectacular, even the curtain, which was painted, was magnificent. The chairs were not too comfortable even in our boxes, but once the performance began we were mesmerized. At intermission we lost one of our group and two of the others were talking non-stop. Someone in their box told them that these were the stars-hey open your eyes you two—they are incredible!! Dennis was enjoying himself more than expected and we all found the 2nd act even more mesmerizing than the first. At the end even Dennis was thrilled and Gayle and I decided to walk back to the hotel and not break the mood. We changed shoes and flew to the book store to look for a book of Pushkin fairy tales. We were too late and ended up back at McDonald’s for coke light and fries. We walked back to the hotel, ate our treats and watched TV until the eyes shut on their own. This was an early night for us as we were in bed asleep by 1 a.m.

Today I am dragging a bit as I seem to have developed a lovely head cold and fever during the night. I did not get much sleep but today is our last full day here and I do not intend to miss a thing. Gayle and I are up early and down to breakfast. We headed to the street vendors in front of St. Isaacs Cathedral and we purchased some nesting doll and some Russian Christmas ornaments. We rushed back to meet Anna and our group to go to the Hermitage. We are so excited and plan to spend the day just browsing through this museum. The Hermitage is huge and grand and very, very baroque but also very, very crowded. The building was hot and stuffy and Dennis, Gayle and I got claustrophobic and were having trouble with headache and stuffiness. While we were walking on tour we ran into Bella and she wanted to know if we had been able to loose our problems but we told her the guides kept finding them for us. Anna finished her part of the tour at 1:30 and by 2:30 we were ready to get lunch and on to something different. We were not disappointed in the Hermitage but we had seen so much by this time that it was less dramatic than we expected. Our foursome adjourned to the Pizza Hut where we could get a veggie pizza and a large pitcher of coke light with ice. We had a great lunch and were very surprised when 2 of the NY group came in. We cut our festivities a little short and headed for Nevsky Prospect and some last minute shopping. We first visited a Russian liquor store and bought Red Army Vodka, a Russian nesting doll with vodka inside and a few little gifts. Dennis proved worse at making up his mind than Gayle and I and he did not get anything.

He was tired of hanging around with the 3 of us so Dennis headed up Nevsky to search things out on his on and Gail, Gayle, and I decided to go to the bazaar in the park near the Cathedral of the Resurrection. We had a great afternoon haggling and buying gifts. Before we knew it our time was gone and we needed to head back to the hotel for the fateful last dinner with our traveling companions. We had all our shopping completed and we were loaded with bags of dolls, lacquer boxes, lighters, ornaments, etc. and had to walk quickly to make it back on time. The travel company had provided champagne for the dinner and 3 of our group were waiting downstairs bottle in hand. We went to the room to drop off the packages and freshen up, grab our bottle, and have another great meal. We were missing one person but the atmosphere was festive. Some apologies were said and we toasted a safe trip home. Just as we were ready for final pictures our straggler came in and the tension scale moved higher. We made the pictures and the 4 SC travelers slipped out. We decided to take a short walk to see Peter I “Log Cabin” and ended up strolling until way into the morning. We strolled through a lovely park and then past some grand neighborhoods. We speculated on turning them into time-shares and saving one for ourselves. We all decided it had been a great trip and none of us were looking forward to the a.m. when we have to leave. Back at the hotel we cleaned out the safe, packed the last few things and prepared for the trip home. I was not feeling well so Gayle dosed me up and we went to bed for the last time in Russia.

Today is rather sad; we have to leave St. Petersburg. We got up early, had breakfast, and then took our luggage downstairs. It has been so nice having luggage that we can manage on our own. Our N.Y. group was in fighting form and Anna had to separate them for the trip to the airport. Anna confided in Gayle and me that the hotel staff was scared to death of the N.Y. contingent. The trip to the airport was peaceful although some of our group voiced concern over the fact that Anna did not go with us to the airport. If they have traveled as much as they said, they should be confident enough to follow the green line through the airport and turn in immigration forms and check luggage. Amazingly we all made it through without any trouble and had time to spare. There was very little at the airport so we just sat and read. My head was still stuffy and I had a bit of a fever so I dosed with Tylenol and Sudafed. The flight to Helsinki was short and uneventful. At Helsinki we said good-bye to Gail and Dennis who were cruising to Copenhagen and to one of our New Yorker who was doing whatever it is she does for the next 3 days. We had some time in the airport but our flight left on time and we were off to NYC. I slept on and off from my meds and Gayle read. We wrote some in our journals but all in all long and boring pretty much describes this portion of the journey. In NY we cleared customs with out a glance and Gayle and I said good-bye to the rest of our group. We caught a taxi to LaGuardia and made our flight to GSP. Frank and Chris picked us up after we had claimed our luggage and we made it home on the same day we left Russia—Amazing! This trip was incredible and the characters we met may sound like they would spoil it all but in retrospect they just added color and an incredible amount of story material. Gayle is a great travel companion—where are we off to next?