Blogs from Vladivostok, Far East, Russia, Europe

This was my last email from Russia, back on May 26, 2014, probably sent from St. Petersburg. Some of you ask if I would go to Russia again, or even take the Trans Siberian Railway again. Probably not. Once was enough. This is my last email (with some updates and additions)from Russia. Many of you are thankful. Back when Siberia was the land of dispossessed white Russians, the little towns did not offer much. It did offer space and quiet. Some day you could hear your watch ticking at high noon on main street. Life was so dull, that anyone receiving a telegram was expected to circulate it as reading material for the entire town.Most of the cities and towns along the TSR are gray, drab, and depressing. Meeting ... read more

A friend posted this first photo. And, naturally, it got me thinking. I have been so fortunate to travel the world. There are so few trips or experiences I would never do again. But there are a few: I probably would not take the Trans-Siberian Railway again. It is a long trip, covers one third of the earth's surface, the food is horrible, and the taiga and tundra are endless. And you know I passed on a "free" trip to Kiev, Ukraine! TSR facts: The TSR is the world's longest direct train service. With two scheduled trains, an express departing once every two days and a regular service departing daily, the url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Ftravel%2Fmaps-and-graphics%2FWorlds-longest-train-journeys%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C3dca477b386a4d46225208d9f093a53e%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637805339198551602%7CUnknown%7C... read more

In countries other than the U.S., making a decision between taking the plane or train is worth a cost comparison. While we do not have that luxury here, a quick review of some other countries reveal some good cost comparisons. Most of us know about the great deal in Europe, the Eurail pass. I bought my first one back in the Seventies. Then a few decades passed before I bought a four country pass: Hungary, Austria, Germany, and Slovakia. I may buy another for an upcoming trip in October, that will include: Poland, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, and perhaps Greece. Only a few of you will remember the old Pan Am world pass. The version I am familiar with allowed unlimited travel on their network for two weeks!! I used a mini version of this ... read more

Many of you ask how I travel, mostly solo these days. Sheri and Mike seem to mastered the couch potato movement in all of its pandemic glory. But for me, I would rather go, like Eddie Aikau, only I translate it to "Gerry would go." Many of you ask about how I go about making these trips. Some are set in stone before I go, some are done "on the fly" when visiting new and unknown places. And some are combinations, with only a round trip flight sandwiching the lack of a set itinerary. As I have gotten older, hopefully, aged somewhat gracefully, the great unknown has become more challenging. I don't seem to have the stamina for more than three weeks on the road. And I do not pack as much into each day as ... read more

As of today, January 2, 2018, forty of our fifty states are under a severe weather warning. Here are a few cold places I have visited: Vladivostok is in url=https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F07%2F24%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fvladivostok-china-haishenwai-tourists.html%3F_r%3D0&data=02%7C01%7C%7C84fb850128614f95ce0508d552b76efe%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636505870162792546&sdata=TYuCIis%2BRLA1Y4tjfvT83VcEHrmuLqXMk2%2BIh1PfkeI%3D&reserved=0Russia’s Far East, near the country’s border with China. Average January temperatures reach url=https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yr.no%2Fplace%2FRussia%2FPrimorsky%2FVladivostok%2Fstatistics.html&data=02%7C01%7C%7C84fb850128614f95ce0508d552b76efe%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636505870162792546&sdata=nHn5zPoPE... read more