A wonderful & interesting memory Dear David
Thank you for sharing your skill and enthusiasm to collate your photos into a wonderful and interesting memory for most, if not all, who participated on the tour. Brings back fond memories, despite having been confined to bed for 3 or 4 days of our cruise during which I missed some interesting landscapes, history and company.
Looking forward to our next trip to somewhere. Sections of the Silk Route; or wildlife in Botswana; or Vietnam; etc ?
Earlier this year we enjoyed Chilean Patagonia, including two cruises to the northern and southern glaciers on Skorpios 1 and 2, and got home in time to avoid pandemic restrictions. But I did not proceed to tour Mexico for work and pleasure. I am still wondering whether I will get a refund.
We are fortunate, tomorrow Glenda and I will visit the wildflowers of the WA wheatbelt, NNE of Perth.
Enjoy your weekend and regards to you and Denise.
Wolf and Glenda.
A wonderful & interesting memory Thanks Wolf & Glenda. How lucky were you to have completed your Chilean Patagonia coastal adventure just before the pandemic hit. We went in and out of Argentina & Chile in a 4WD some years ago...Denise did most of the driving & I had the important tasks of navigating & changing the music! Patagonia is Wilderness Wonderland. We count ourselves super lucky to have enjoyed the stunning vistas of Russia with a delightful group of intrepid Aussie travellers being our last major trip before the virus bit. More to come of Magnificent Moscow...and I'm sure you agree it was truly magnificent! I'll send you some pics to preserve the memory.
Thanks for the visual tour Hi David
Photos are superb, as usual. Thanks for the visual tour. Hope you and Denise are safe and well. Looking forward to the next galleria.
Best regards
Ron (and Pauline)
Thanks for the visual tour Great to hear from you, Ron & Pauline.
Denise and I have missed both of your wit and smiles.
I'm sending a pic of you both at St Basil’s for your family album.
I’ll present further of Moscow when I have time as this was just entrée of an amazing city we had 5 or 6 days discovering.
Marvelous Indeed! What a fantastic look at some of the most marvelous sights in Moscow! Like the architecture of St. Basil's Cathedral, the Moscow Metro Stations are also magnificent works of art. Moscow definitely is one of the great cities of the world. Really wish I could see it in person one day, but at least I've gotten to visit St. Petersburg! Great photos, DAVE!!
Den and the Dancing One in Red Square Magnificent! Definitely on our bucket list. The architecture and colors must be even more stunning when you're standing there taking it all in.....The Dangerous One
Once again you have waxed lyrical... inspired by one of the great cities of the world. I think you got pictures of every angle of St. Basil's. I await the more to come as there are so many things to see there.
Once again you have waxed lyrical... Truly one of the great cities of the World, Bob. One of the prettiest from the air too. Then there is Red Square and St Basil's. Each of the nine chapels has a name and history so relevant and meaningful to the chroniclers that capturing it at every angle was my impetus to discovering their stories.
The Metro - want to do an "all in" I wish I had the time to go to Moscow only to spend 4 or 5 days to go to every station of the Moscow Metro. I'd enjoy that I think. Or would I get "templed out"? Maybe? Anyway, I have a soft spot for cool Metro systems. London Metro and Paris Metro are also pretty cool. Stockholm Metro is also often mentioned as one of the more spectacular in the world actally. None of those can compare to Moscow of course. But I think there might be one Metro system with even more spectacular stations than Moscow namely Pyongyang Metro. But I've only seen two stations there so I can't really tell. /Ake
The Metro - want to do an "all in" I was looking forward to the Moscow Metro, Ake and found the history as interesting as its splendid ornamentation. I agree needs plenty of time to properly explore as I understand each station is different. Another in the World that is up there is Tashkent in Uzbekistan which was built after the city was destroyed in an earthquake.
Some notes on space and astronomy and stuff Actually largest scale model of the solar system in the world can be studied in Sweden. Literally, in all of Sweden. The center, the sun, is in Stockholm, the planets and other objects can be found in various places from the very south to the very north in Sweden. This year we visited Pluto, Neptune and Ixion. Next year we will probably see more objects/sculptures that are part of Sweden Solar System.
Have you seen the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC? I can recommend it. It is awesome. /Ake
Some notes on space and astronomy and stuff Many other reasons we must visit Sweden, Ake. And if we do we would like to see Emma & your good self. As Christmas 2020 approaches I will have to pull out my large telescope as I hear Jupiter and Saturn will be able to be seen together with the one lens. I hope you have that opportunity in the Northern Hemisphere as well.
Nice picture That's a really nice picture. There are so many interesting towns and cities in Russia. We know a guy in Finland who has been to every country in the world. In the last couple of years he has been travelling extensively in Russia with the aim of visiting every single Russian oblast. He has published so many interesting pictures on FaceBook from his adventures in Russia. He is almost finished with that project by the way. He has only one oblast left to visit and that it is a difficult one as he needs special permission to go there. /Ake
Nice picture I loved the dawns and the nuances of light and life on the rivers in NW Russia as we cruised along. Uglich was a highlight as this pic profess. I really want to visit the other oblasts of the Golden Ring yet that would be potentially a feast of opulence but plenty of raw life as well. Your Finn friend must have a determination unsurpassed. I cannot imagine how many oblasts there could be in Russia...would not surprise me if it is more than the number of countries in the World. What a mission!!!
Many years since I was in Russia I really enjoy reading your blogs from Russia. It is a country I love but haven't been to for many years. Since it is not likely that I will go there anytime soon it feels great to read your stories as a substitute. /Ake
Many years since I was in Russia Nice to hear from you Ake. I can only imagine what it must be like in Sweden with such a massive neighbour that could be potentially friend or foe. Yet your small nation over the centuries has made Russia know you are not to be underestimated. To us in Oz Russia is a land of mystery with a history that is as full of intrigue as its territories are vast. We feel so fortunate to have been there so recently...and while we long to go back...will we ever get the chance? Keep safe & well from Denise & I and thanks for keeping in touch.
Wolf Mail passion I got to see Wolf 3 times while in Australia and I have to say he is one of the most passionate musician I ever seen. Genuine, spontaneous and intense. The real thing!
Wolf Mail passion Ah...warms the heart to receive your comment Annie. You can therefore imagine the thrill when Denise and I saw he had signed the wall at BB King's House of the Blues in Moscow!!! Wolf is a humble guy...but when he plays a storm the thunder and lightning from his guitar is unforgettable.
Blogging from Space Your blog got me thinking how cool it will be when we have first travelblog written here by a tourist who has been to the moon or international space station. What a treat you guys must of had to be briefed by an actual Russian cosmonaut. I once had placed my bare elbows down on a bar of dubious repute only to have my skin dissolve and begin to shed away. Strange experience to say the least!
Blogging from Space Would be cool indeed to blog from space Tommy, but with the confines of the economic forces that would wish to control such communication, who knows! Placing your elbows on a bar of ill refute and your skin dissolve and shed away...that's a real yeeka situation. My peeling hands only got relief from pawpaw ointment in Uzbekistan...no relief in Russia then an unexpected cure in an unexpected source and location...a freaky experience indeed!!!
The Czar (Eisenstein and Lungin) Anybody even mildly interested in either the personality of Ivan IV or the tumultuous times of his reign might want to check out "The Tsar", a 2009 movie by Pavel Lungin. While it is not quite your average easy watching (not at all), the acting is great and the atmosphere of madness and paranoia is tangible.
Also, a passing comment on fillicides, fratricides, and, especially, uxoricides - people, let's give poor terrible Ivan some slack. It's 16th century we're taking about here, about two centuries before the first convicts came ashore at Botany Bay, and roughly about the time of Henry the VIII's reign, give or take a couple of decades. Something tells me some of Henry's wives would've taken that nunnery trip any day, given the chance.
Incidentally, by the time Ivan was born, someone named Cristoforo Colombo had not only completed several overseas runs, but also joined the choir invisible, blissfully unaware that just some 500 years later his statues would be less than welcome on the very continent that he sailed the ocean blue to. Our perception of history is as much - if not more - about us today as it is about the historical figures who are long gone, along with their warts, uxoricides, and all.
The Czar (Eisenstein and Lungin) Great to hear from a Russian perspective again. Thanks for reading and commenting. I look forward to checking out the film. As to Ivan the Terrible's 's legacy it is hard to disagree with the governor of Oryol who on unveiling the first monument to Ivan the Great said “He was a great Russian tsar, the first real tsar. People present him as a tyrant and psychological deviant. But if you take European leaders of his period, they were many times more bloodthirsty, but in Europe they have monuments, and nobody minds.” My blog was posted before the statues of Columbus and others were attacked during the current 'Black Lives Matter' movement. History is again being challenged to be rewritten! I have recently been reading some history of Moscow in anticipation of my blogs of the magnificent city...mind boggling! Gotta love Russian history...from any angle.
Battles over Historical Narratives We as travelers are constantly on the frontlines of discovering the truth about traveler narratives and fake news about destinations. That's why it is so important to get out there and see these places for ourselves. Enjoyed the walk through Russia's multi-layered history. Although I think that your three vodka shots are necessary for complete understanding.
Battles over Historical Narratives Hope this means you have recovered from the New York pandemic blues Tommy. I have been saying since our Russian foray that the USA/China power plays must not forget that there is a third major power and that is Russia. Then yesterday I read news that some are pressing Russia return from the cold from its shooting down MH17 and annexing Crimea to be reinstated into the G8 to adjust the power balance. If so, how will history evolve and be written as a result? Would certainly be interesting!
My wife Denise & I like to travel "on paths less travelled" that capture our imagination, inspire my photography & where we mix with locals & remain safe.
Visited Countries Map
... full info
Wolf & Glenda
non-member comment
A wonderful & interesting memory
Dear David Thank you for sharing your skill and enthusiasm to collate your photos into a wonderful and interesting memory for most, if not all, who participated on the tour. Brings back fond memories, despite having been confined to bed for 3 or 4 days of our cruise during which I missed some interesting landscapes, history and company. Looking forward to our next trip to somewhere. Sections of the Silk Route; or wildlife in Botswana; or Vietnam; etc ? Earlier this year we enjoyed Chilean Patagonia, including two cruises to the northern and southern glaciers on Skorpios 1 and 2, and got home in time to avoid pandemic restrictions. But I did not proceed to tour Mexico for work and pleasure. I am still wondering whether I will get a refund. We are fortunate, tomorrow Glenda and I will visit the wildflowers of the WA wheatbelt, NNE of Perth. Enjoy your weekend and regards to you and Denise. Wolf and Glenda.