Russia – A Voyage of Discovery – Aug 22 – Sept 4, 2008

2-days in Moscow, 7-days Volga Riverboat cruise, 3-days in St. Petersburg with our 12-year old grandson, Devyn

  Russia is still much of a mystery to Americans so we were expecting culture shock but our biggest discovery is that Russia today is very westernized.  Russia has as many Mercedes, BMW's, Volvos, etc., as any American city.  The country has experienced a lot of changes since 1991 and had a lot of problems, but they are resilient and have adapted.

 We were surprised and delighted by how comfortable we felt.  We were prepared for massive traffic jams, gypsy kids, over priced restaurants and huge crowds at the sights.  However, because we had prepared well, our program and comforts were top notch.

Ray, myself, our 13-yearold grandson, Devyn, and six great friends traveled as a small group.  We were arriving on different flights and split between the two airports, but we had preplanned for arrival transfers so all went mostly smooth.  For us, our Aeroflot flight from Paris was extremely comfortable but our luggage did  not arrive with us.  So, our first encounter with Russian bureaucracy started immediately.  We quickly started the lost luggage procedure and thought we were doing well with a pleasant and seemingly efficient young man whose English was very good.

 In Russia you must prepared two copies of a customs declaration upon arrival.  We did this, but the young man gave us back only one and said to go to the customs official for a stamp.  Of course the customs agents sent us back for the second copy which of course the young man said not so!  We didn't want to get deeply into this cat and mouse game so we went ahead and wrote out a second copy and we solved that problem. If the lady wants two, she gets two! (turns out she kept one and the second is a free souvenir)

 We left the arrival section and into the public space and looking for our arrival transfer.  It should have been easy but we didn't spot our greeter.  To shorten this story, let me say that there are two arrival SECTIONS to the airport and why the guy didn't go to the OTHER one is a mystery to me.  But, we found him and loaded up the van and drove into the city.  We planned our arrival for a Friday and our city tour would start on Saturday which meant not a lot of traffic!  Excellent plan and our guide was on her toes because we were always first in the line and beat out the large bus crowds.  (another advantage to be a small group).  We also had the comfort of a  14 passenger touring van for the 10 of us.  Great space!

  During the city tour it was quickly noticed that the streets and subways were litter-free and graffiti-free.  The Moscow subways system is very beautiful and we incorporated some of the stations as part of our tour. We went through three built in 2004, 1950's and 1938.  Red Square is not longer plagued by gypsy kids as it is well patrolled by police although they don't have a huge visible presence.

  Be prepared to pay for the privilege of photographing and video graphing the interiors of many churches, palaces and museums.  The average rate is about $4 for a still camera and  $14 for video cameras.

 The ruble is a stable currency and you can exchange dollars at banks or through great exchange machines right in the better hotels.  Traveler cheques are not widely accepted so avoid them.  Credit cards are widely accepted, even among some of the street vendors, although just MasterCard and Visa.  AMEX is not so widely used unless in the hotels or better restaurants.

We had fabulous weather to be a tourist in the city,  Late August and we had pleasant high 60's and not a strong sun, just right for being outside.  BUT this is Russia so it will (and does) change.

 We visited St. Basil's of which the inside is strange!  No large single room, a lot of broken up spaces.  Red Square is enormous as excepted and the Kremlin tour, Amoury and Diamond Fund are wonderful institutes.  This all proved to be a great introduction to the 7-day river boat trip up the Volga River we were about to take.  This lays the information down as well as begin to piece together the incredible history of this country.  The Moscow Kremlin is where many government offices are including the president's, as well as home to three major cathedrals, two churches, five palaces, the Armoury (where Russian treasures are on display, everything from crown jewels to Faberge eggs), diamonds and a lovely park.  You could best imagine a wall around the White House, The Capitol, the Smithsonian and the Mall, the National Cathedral and a few other churches thrown in and get  the idea of THE KREMLIN.

  So, a Sunday drive around city tour and a Monday walking tour of the Kremlin and sights is a great idea!  Late Monday we head out of the city to the river port to find our riverboat.

  Unlike many European cities were the riverboats are right in town, in Moscow the boats depart from the Northern River Station about an hour from the center of the city.  Keep this is mind when looking at itineraries for this kind of a trip.  There are tours that use the boats as the city hotels, BUT then you have to travel on the bus back and forth about an hour outside of the main sites of the city.  That probably is why we were always ahead of the big bus groups.  And we didn't have to be ready before 9.00 am each day.  The area of the river port offers nothing for restaurants, bars or whatever after your day tour is done.  You get back to your boat at five and that's it.  Life is your boat that evening.

  We are embarking on the Volga Dream, the only riverboat in Russia that is truly to American standards for quality accommodations.  The other boats will do, but realize in advance of your trip just what the quality really is.  We have carpeted floors, richly decorated rooms with wood paneling and brocade curtains.  The cabins range in size but are all equipped with safes, hairdryers, robes, fresh fruit, bottled water, TV with English stations, and good sized closets. Wine is included with lunch and dinner and the meals are really excellent.  Shore excursions are a part of the package as well.

  The Volga River is the largest in Russia, but is linked to Moscow by a canal that was  not functioning until 1937.  Our journey to St. Petersburg will be 1990 kilometers and will descend through 18 locks.  Along the way we will enjoy half day shore excursions in cities and villages, plus two island sites in two of Russia's largest lakes.

 The stops would have us visiting a lot of the Russian Orthodox Churches which are either museums, palaces or working churches.  Each has it's story and the designs are amazing but in many cases, this is all the stop has to offer.  If you hadn't gotten your matruska dolls (nesting dolls) in Moscow, there is every opportunity to get more along the river.  Vendors are plentiful, but they are not pesky.  You can negotiate but they don't budge much.  Overall, expect to pay about 500 rubles for a five doll lacquered trinket.  Other items are fur hats, scarves, sweaters, wooden children's toys, fake lacquer boxes (the real ones start at about $500), and other various trinkets and trash as well as full length fur coats.

 The Voga Dream is a very comfortable way to learn about the Russian culture and history.  There are lectures, demonstrations and movies along the way supplementing the shore excursions.  Some are easy walking just off the shore and others require a bus for transportation but only very short distances.  If you need a lot of evening entertainment, this is not the trip for you.  We have a few evenings with live music by Yuri, but that's it,

  Our first stop is in the town of Uglich where we have an approximate 10 minute walk to the center of town and the historic Transfiguration Cathedral and the blue-domed Church of Prince Dimitry On The Spilled Blood.

  Since we are a group of 10, we will have eight other English speaking travelers join us for the shore excursions, and we still get a 40-passenger bus and our own English speaking guide. 

 Our grandson Devyn has been a joy to have along.  This is not necessarily a tour for kids since it involves history, culture and a set itinerary.  And since he has to follow the adults, he doesn't get much input in the choice or restaurants, plus the Volga Dream is not a McDonalds.  Devyn is a mature and polite young man, so he finds his own interests.  Before long he is challenging others for chess and the word gets around that he's a good player. 

  Our second day visit will be to the city of Yaroslavl.  Yaroslavl is situated 265 km from Uglich and is an important harbor on the Volga.  It was founded in 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The most important monument is the Church of Elijah the Prophet in the main square, a masterpiece of architecture with its two belfries and three onion towers.  Yaroslavl's riverside promenade is one of the finest along the Volga and is boarded by a picturesque green belt known as Lime Tree Avenue.

  We travel on to White Lake were will have a morning arrival in the town of Goritsy and the attraction is the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.  History tells us that one day a monk from Moscow named Cyril had a vision of a Blessed Virgin in which she told him to head north and to found a monastery.  Thanks to Cyril is was not simply a monastery but it also served as a northern bastion which protected and defended the territory under Moscow's protection.  The monastery reached its power and influence by the middle of the 18^th century.

  This evening is a Russian theme for dinner and we are asked to dress in costume or with a Russian thought.  We are creating Devyn's costume and make him Rasputin!  And he's perfect.  Everyone wants their picture with him and of course he wins the top prize.  Next day, Devyn is the celebrity at breakfast.

  I mentioned that the weather would change and it did.  On the river we had overcast skies and drizzle,  Not outright rain, but enough to keep you indoors on board and have umbrellas handy for shore.  (The boat provides umbrellas for those that need.)  The temperatures are the low 60's. Add some wind and rain, and it gets nowright miserable,.

  On Friday we will crossing the second lake, Onega Lake and visiting Kizhi Island.  The Onega Lake spans 10,000 square kilometers and is Europe's second largest lake.  We'll travel 356 kms from Goritsy to Kizhi Island.

  Kizhi is a spectacular stop.  The heat of it all is the Cathedral of Transfiguration, the neighboring Prayer Church and the Bell Tower.  These structures are made of wood and has withstood time since 1583.  It is said that the Cathedral does not have any nails. The collection of churches, chapels, belfries and houses which are located along the southern tongue of the island is officially known as the “Kizhi State Park of History, Architecture and Ethno-geography”.  Unfortunately the weather was bad with light rain and wind and therefore it was not pleasant to stay very long.   The path is dirt and the walking was difficult.

 The Volga Dream leaves Kizhi Island for Mandrogi.  The lake will be rough with about two meters of waves, but at least we have the storm behind us.

 Mandrogi is a sort of holiday village with two hotels, a number of rental houses, art studios, restaurant, riding stable and other outdoor activities.  It is very popular among Russian tourists.  In the winter people come to skate, ski, sledge, hunt, etc.  A pity the weather is still not very pleasant but at least it is not raining.

 The weather is not clearing up and we are forced to cancel the travels to Valaam in Lake Ladoga as we cannot go into the center of the lake.  We moor at another little village called Svir Stroy.  At first the day is cold, but it gets pleasant by noon.  There's a little walking around, souvenir vendors and such.  Not so bad.

  Since we can't get on the lake, we also cannot get back on the Volga River to proceed to St. Petersburg.  It's a 14 hour journey and we need to wait it out in Svir Stroy.  Our trip to St. Petersburg will be by bus and then only takes about 3 ½ hours.

 If the weather had permitted, we would b e going to Valaam Islands, 250km from Mandrogi.  Part of the islands visits involve a smaller excursion craft for a 30 minute cruise to the remote area of Valaam Archipelago that hosts the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior.  So, not only was the open water of Lake Ladoga of concern, so was the smaller boat excursion.

  So, our journey ends with a bus trip into St. Petersburg, and the enjoyment of the fruits of free enterprise – traffic.  The bus delivers us to the Petra Palace, our hotel for the  next three nights, and our local guide, Irina is there to rush us along to catch up with the agenda.  We manage to visit the Fortress of St. Peter and Paul, and the Cathedral where the tombs of all the prerevolutionary rulers from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.  This was a great wrap up to the past week learning about these tsars and their lives. We then visit The Church of The Spilled Blood or officially, the Church of The Resurrection.  The Cathedral gets it's name from the site of where Alexander II was killed.  This multi-domed dazzler is partly modeled on St. Basil's in Moscow.  The inside is stunning – rather than painted reliefs it is all done is mosaics.

  We stopped for pictures of St. Isaac's Cathedral but did not go inside.

  Our next full day starts with a drive outside of the city to Peterhof, Peter The Great summer palace.  The palace is nested on the Gulf of Finland and because of the access of water, the palace has outstanding fountains and gardens.  From Peterhof we are able to take a hovercraft along the Neva River right up to the Hermitage.

  Our visit to the Hermitage is only three hours which is a fraction of the time needed to see all that it offers but is worth the visit.  The Hermitage consists of five linked building as well as separate sections in the east wing of the General Staff Building and other buildings in the city.  You have to be a diehard museum buff to even begin to see a major portion of exhibits.  There are over three million items in the collection.

  We found St. Petersburg not be be as clean as Moscow but there is a lot of restoration going on in the historic center of the city.  Because the city was built on swamps, it consists of numerous islands and canals.  Pity for the traffic but the citizens are as European as Western Europe.  Fashion abounds with fancy shoes and smart clothes and tourists are easily identified with their tennis shoes and jeans.

  To finish our tours, we go to Catherine's Palace in Puskin, another magnificent palace and worth to see.  The highlight of this palace is the Amber Room.  The afternoon is free for last minute shopping, packing or whatever.

 Our departure from Russia is a very early 4.00am departure from the hotel.  The drive to the airport only twenty minutes because of the hour of the day.  The airport is actually very small by standards today.  The first entry hall you have to wait until your flight comes up in “lights” which you can then proceed through security to the check in counters of the airlines.  Much different than most airports.  Second queue is check in, then security again to get to boarding gates.  There are shops for last minute gifts or to get rid of rubles, coffee shop and that's about it. 

 Our connection is through Paris again and this time we arrive at a gate with a gangway rather than the shuttle bus, so I thought we we would be lucky to miss the extra security line, but I am wrong.  Paris makes no sense to me at all.  You come off a secured flight and must go through security to enter the secured areas of transit gates.  Well, I guess I should not complain as it's all for my security anyway.  But certainly leaves traveling through the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport a challenge every time.

  Our conclusions of this trip is that Russia is much more westernized than expected, it feels more safe than expected (as in gypsy kids, etc.), and tourism is a big part of everyday life now.  We heard many English speaking people from cruise ships, etc.  More signs identify western goods from European fashion houses to American fast food.  Food and admissions are of European prices as well which we expected but still comes as a surprise.  We had no problems with currency exchange, the best being to take cash or use an ATM machine.

  The only other advice is to travel earlier in the summer if you want warm weather as  by later August, autumn already begins.  We traveled Aug 22 – Sept 4 and I should have packed more fall clothes.  As it was, we were were somewhat underdressed for the weather.  We ending up buying gloves and scarves.

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