Expecting to Fly

Hike to Phelps Lake and the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve

2011-09-06T13:24:00.000-06:00

Phelps Lake overlook

On our first hiking day we decided to do a two car hike, leaving one car at the LSR Preserve for the end of the hike and the other at the Death Canyon Trailhead where we started. We had done the one mile hike up to the Phelps Lake overlook in 2008, but on that day we continued on into Death Canyon up to the intersection of the Alaska Basin Trail.

Today we were looking for something more moderate so we descended to the lake, turned south and hiked along the east side of the lake to the LSR Preserve, an 1,100 acre parcel, formerly part of the Rockefeller's private ranch, donated to the park in 2007. The Rockefeller estate, at the expense of more than $20 million, restored the land to its natural state, removed and relocated the existing ranch buildings, built a LEED certified visitor center and constructed 8 miles of trails before the Preserve opened to the public in June, 2008. It was a beautiful day for a six mile warm up hike.

down the switchbacks to the lake

small beach on Phelps Lake

in the preserve

Yellowstone's Lower Loop - Waterfalls, Wildlife, Geysers!

2011-09-05T13:44:00.000-06:00

Below is a slideshow of our trip:

I hoped to be able to find space for a couple of nights in Yellowstone, but everything was booked solid by the time we finalized our plans to go back to Jackson Hole. Brad had backpacked in the park during college, but I had never been to Yellowstone, so we decided to spend one day in the park, even though it is quite a drive from Jackson. A fellow ER member had recently posted on the club's online forum about a great tour experience through Ana's Grand Excursions so we decided to leave the driving to someone else, enjoy the scenery from a roomy van, and have the benefit of a guided excursion. We booked the 12 hour Lower Loop tour which covered both the canyon and Geyser Basin areas.

Kepler Cascades

Ana picked us up in her large Mercedes van at Teton Pines at 7 AM and we set off north through Grand Teton National Park as the sun was coming up. We made a few photo and wildlife spotting stops, took a bathroom break at Jackson Lake Lodge and stopped at Kepler Cascades, all with the goal of arriving at Old Faithful at the time it was estimated to erupt. She had the timing down to a tee.

Old Faithful

Beehive

Luckily for us, right after the Old Faithful show, the nearby less predictable Beehive Geyser, that typically erupts at an interval of between 8 and 24 hours, began to indicate that it would soon go off. A small geyser, named the Beehive Indicator, sends up a small fountain a bit before the Beehive Geyser erupts. Beehive's eruptions last about 5 minutes and are 200' high, exceeding the 105 to 185' average height of Old Faithful. The fountain maintains its full height for the duration of the eruption, dropping just slightly near the end, versus that of Old Faithful that spurts up and down. Most visitors to the park take the time to see Old Faithful because it is so predictable, but you have to be lucky to see the Beehive.

After a quick tour of the Old Faithful Inn and a visit to their deli to stock up on sandwiches we were off to the Middle Geyser Basin where we spent an hour or so marveling at the gorgeous colors while taking photos from the boardwalks that run through the area.

Midway Geyser Basin contains a collection of large springs. Rudyard Kipling immortalized this basin by calling it "Hell's Half Acre" when he visited in 1889.

The basin contains two of the largest hot springs in the world. Grand Prismatic Spring, nearly 370' in diameter, is on a large mound surrounded by small terraces. Excelsior Geyser, which erupted nearly 300' high before the 1900s, is now a dormant geyser and considered a hot spring. Another colorful spring is Turquoise Pool, known for its pale blue color. Across the Firehole River from Excelsior and Grand Prismatic springs are a series of small isolated, pristine springs and mud pots.

steam runoff into the Firehole River


Excelsior Geyser crater

Temperature 199°F ; 276' x328' ; once the largest geyser In the world; last known major eruptions occurred during the 1880s. No observed eruptions were known until 1985 when it erupted for two days. Excelsior is now a productive thermal spring, discharging 4,050 gallons of boiling water per minute. Numerous vents boil and churn the water within the crater, covering it in a dense layer of steam.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Temperature 147-188°F; 250' x380'. Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone, and is considered to be the third largest in the world. The colors begin with a deep blue center followed by pale blue. Green algae forms beyond the shallow edge. Outside the scalloped rim a band of yellow fades into orange. Red then marks the outer border. Steam often shrouds the spring which reflects the brilliant colors. Grand Prismatic discharges an estimated 560 gallons per minute.

Turquoise Pool

Temperature 142-160°F; 100' x110', Turquoise Pool was named for its milky, white bottom and gem-like, blue-colored water. Suspended mineral particles in the water also add an opalescent iridescence. Turquoise has no apparent overflow channel, instead water drains through seepage. There is an underground connection with Excelsior Geyser. When Excelsior was active, Turquoise lowered nearly ten feet and took nearly a year to recover.

While we spent time photographing the Grand Prismatic Spring. Excelsior Geyser and the Turquoise Pool, Ana took the van and found us a shady picnic table in one of the areas a bit further down the road. Imagine our surprise when she brought us back to a table covered with a red checked cloth and set with plates and silverware. Nice touch!

During lunch she filled in some more information on the park and especially about the devastating fires of 1988, that burned for months, charring 793,000 acres or 36% of the park. Ana provided a nice mix of park information, wildlife, geology and nature talks, fun anecdotes, and general chit chat with us. She spaced out the info talks so that we weren't overwhelmed and provided lots of snacks, water and other amenities during the course of the day.

After lunch we walked the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail. You can take an interactive online tour to learn about all the geo/hydrothermal wonders in this area.

After that, we were on to the Canyon area of the park for a few short hikes to see some of the waterfalls and more gorgeous scenery before the three hour or so drive back to Teton Pines. On the way back we stopped for some champagne and snacks at Jenny Lake, arriving back home around 7:30 PM; a full, informative and fun day of some of the highlights of the park! We highly recommend Ana's Grand Excursions!

Return to Jackson Hole and the Tetons

2011-09-04T11:18:00.000-06:00

Our friends Dave, Susy and Ann joined us for a week in Jackson Hole, staying at an Exclusive Resorts residence at Teton Pines, about 10 minutes down the road from the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. This was our second visit - we stayed there for a few days around Labor Day in 2008. We enjoyed perfect weather on this trip as you can see from the posts about our hikes, rafting and other activities. This time we also scoped out the Jackson and Grand Targhee ski areas for a possible winter trip, although we are a bit intimidated by the steep terrain and cold weather climate. ER's units here, 1,958 sq. ft. townhouses are smaller than the typical club residence. According to portfolio management plans they are looking at upgrading here so we hope they acquire some new residences in the mountain village.

German Resistance Memorial Center

2011-08-22T15:42:00.000-06:00

courtyard where the 20 July conspirators were executed. photo by Adam Carr courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The following inscription was engraved in the wall of the entrance to the commemorative courtyard:

“Here in the former Army High Command, Germans organized the attempt to overthrow the lawless National Socialist regime on July 20, 1944. For this they sacrificed their lives.”

When visiting Berlin one is overwhelmed by the terrible history of the the years 1933-1945. After visiting the Topography of Terror, Sachsenhausen, other memorials, museums and historical sights the question that continually comes to mind is how could all this have possibly happened without almost total complicity from the general population? I have read a lot, listened to a college lecture series about Hitler, seen documentaries and taken tours and I still grapple with that question. When I read about this museum of resistance I was very interested to see that side of the story.

What we learned here through an exhaustive collection of documents and photographs is that there was no large, unified resistance in Germany analogous to the movements in France, Norway, Poland and many other European countries. In Germany small, isolated groups and networks existed. The museum tells the story of some of them - resistance from the Labor movement, on the basis of Christian beliefs, by Jews, youth, ordinary citizens, the White Rose, the Kreisau Circle, Red Orchestra movements and most comprehensively the planners of the July 20 coup attempt.

The museum is located in the former headquarters of the Army High Command. 26 different topics are covered in the permanent exhibition and special and temporary exhibitions are shown a separate floor. A lot of space is devoted the the story of the assassination plot against Hitler by von Stauffenberg, other military officers and concerned civilians in 1944. The 2008 movie, Valkyrie, does a good job of retelling the story. Another film I recommend about the White Rose group is Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, an Oscar nominee for best foreign film in 2005.

Most of the displays have German text but an English audio guide is available to explain the exhibits. The English version of the center's website is available with lots of background and biographical information on the various groups.

Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst, who were executed for participating in the White Rose resistance movement

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

2011-08-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

damaged spire and new belfry - photo by Null8fuffzehn, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

©Rossen Vassilev - licensed under a Creative Commons License

After our morning at the Pergamon Museum we took the metro over to West Berlin to see the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a symbol of Berlin's resolve to rebuild the city after the war, a constant reminder of the destruction of war and a poignant representation of the theme of reconciliation.

aerial photo of the site today

Germany's history is complicated. Our Berlin Walks guide gave us some historical overview during our first day's overview tour. Compared to other European countries unification came late to Germany, occurring in 1871 with the proclamation of The German Empire. This era was known as the Second German Reich and Germany was ruled by the Hohenzollern Emperors or Kaisers Wilhelm I, Frederick III and Wilhelm II. The German Empire lasted until 1918 when Germany became a federal republic after their defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II.

The original church was built in the 1890's under the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II who decided to name the church in honor of his grandfather, Wilhelm I. It was largely destroyed during bombing in WWII although part of the spire and most of the entrance hall survived. When the new church was designed public pressure influenced the decision to incorporate the damaged spire and the entrance hall into the contemporary design.

The Memorial Hall is inside the base of the damaged spire. It documents the history of the church and contains several of the original objects from the church. Mosaic flooring and wall decorations portray the Archangel Michael fighting the dragon as well as Hohenzollern princes and other German monarchs. Display panels and photos recount the story of the old church and its destruction. A damaged statue of Christ that was originally on the altar of the church stands in the middle of the end of the hall. To its right is the Cross of Nails made from nails in the roof timbers of Coventry Cathedral (damaged by a German air raid in 1940). To the left of the statue is an icon cross which was originally given by the Russian Orthodox Church and returned to Germany in 1988.

Reinforcement is in process on the steeple and stone facade, It was under scaffolding so I have included some photos taken by others. The new church is a modern octagonal building located next to the Memorial Hall. Clad with 11,000 blue windows (the glass was a gift a reconciliation gift from France), the new church is flanked by a hexagonal bell tower, constructed on the site of the former main nave of the destroyed church.

serene, meditative interior of new church

Museum Island and the Pergamon Museum

2011-08-20T07:57:00.000-06:00

Berlin has a staggering number of museums - even the most dedicated and tireless museum buff would be overwhelmed. Five of the major museums are located on the northern portion of a small island in the Spree River, hence the name Museum Island: The Altes Museum (Classical Antiquities), the Neues Museum (prehistorical and historical collections, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection), the Alte Nationalgalerie (19th century painting and sculpture), the Bode Museum (Italian portraits, numismatic collections, Byzantine art, sculpture) and the Pergamon Museum (Classical Antiquities, Islamic Art an art from the Ancient Near East.)

In 1999 Museum Island became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. A master redevelopment plan of the island is in progress with a target completion date of 2015. The goal is to connect all the museums together in one large complex, while still retaining their architectural autonomy. In the future, access to all the museums will be through a new reception building and the museums will be connected together by a new "Archeological Promenade" with the goal of presenting "over 600,000 years of human history in a temple city of art and culture."

Pergamon Altar - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

We spent the morning at the Pergamon Museum, which is really three museums in one, containing the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Museum of Islamic Art. It is best to get an early start as this is Berlin's most visited museum with more than a million visitors per year and the entrance line becomes quite long; we arrived a bit after opening and only had to wait a couple of minutes to buy our tickets, but when we took a break an hour or so later the line stretched out the door into the courtyard. Audio headsets are provided free of charge to explain the highlights of the dizzying array of items on exhibit.

frieze detail

The most visited exhibits are the 2nd century BC Pergamon Altar, famous for its 371 ft' long sculptural frieze depicting the struggle of the gods and the giants, along with the 6th century Ishtar Gate, the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon and the 2nd century AD Gate of Miletus from Roman times. Also of note is the façade of the throne hall of King Nebuchadnezzar, a reconstructed Neo-Assyrian palace from the 12th century BC, and artifacts from the earliest history of the written word.

Gate of Miletus

Ishtar Gate

par of lions guarding an Assyrian palace

Sachsenhausen

2011-08-19T17:07:00.000-06:00

main entrance

Tidy neighborhood just outside the camp

model of triangular camp layout

Today we took a Berlin Walks tour to Sachsenhausen concentration camp located in Oranienberg, a 25 minute train ride north of Berlin. More than 200,000 people were imprisoned here between 1936 and 1945. At first the Nazi regime mostly imprisoned its political opponents here. Later they were joined in ever-increasing numbers by members of groups defined by National Socialist ideology as racially or biologically inferior. Due to it's proximity to Berlin it was used primarily as a prisoner work camp and was the headquarters for administering the other German camps.

Over 30,000 victims perished here under the Nazis from exhaustion, disease, malnutrition, were executed or died as a result of medical experiments. The total included more than 10,000 Russian war prisoners who were brutally treated and executed. Thousands of other prisoners died on death marches after the evacuation of the camp by the SS at the end of April 1945. Shortly after liberation by the Allies the camp was used by the Soviets as Special Camp 7 imprisoning around 60,000 political prisoners between 1945 and 1950, with up to 12,000 losing their lives here in those five years.

Today Sachsenhausen functions as a museum and memorial. Some of the buildings were left partially intact or reconstructed, but most were razed and are portrayed by an outline of gravel. The personal stories of many of the prisoners are recounted in exhibition halls. Since 1993 a new objective has been to also tell the history of Soviet use of the camp. It was an interesting, albeit depressing and disturbing day.

Sachsenhausen was the site of one of the largest counterfeiting operations - code named Operation Bernhard - a secret Nazi scheme to destabilize the British economy by flooding the country with counterfeit bills. A team of 142 prisoners was established here to carry out the plan.

At left is the shoe testing track. Prisoners were forced to march or run back and forth on this track all day, often heavily laden, to test materials and shoe designs for Germany Army soldiers.

prisoner barracks

monument built by the Soviets dedicated to the Russian liberators of the camp, extolling the triumph of communism over Nazi fascism

more contemporary memorial dedicated to the victims of the camp

Topography of Terror

2011-08-18T17:34:00.000-06:00

Topography of Terror museum and Documentation Center located behind a remaining section of the Berlin wall

After our morning visit to the Museum of the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie we shifted historical periods to the rise of Nazi Germany. The excellent Topography of Terror Museum is located across the street from the German Finance Ministry (formerly the headquarters of the Lufwaffe) on the former site of the headquarters of the SS and Gestapo. The buildings were largely destroyed by Allied bombing and the ruins were demolished after the war. An open air, glass sheltered exhibit, built into a trench in part of the old foundation of the buildings, traces the history of National Socialism and its victims during the years 1933-1945. The Documentation Center, which opened in 2010, houses permanent and temporary exhibits, an extensive library of documents, seminar facilities and the offices of the foundation that oversees the site.

You could easily spend several days here as the amount of information is powerful, overwhelming and quite grim. A must for visitors to Berlin and especially for history buffs.

We chose to concentrate on the outside permanent exhibit:

"The exhibition “Berlin 1933–1945: Between Propaganda and Terror” addresses National Socialist policy in Berlin and its consequences for the city and its population. It shows how the National Socialists were able to gain a foothold in “red” Berlin and gradually establish the city as the political center of its leadership. The main chapters of the exhibition are arranged in different colors in a trench along the exposed segments of a cellar wall and provide information about: Berlin in the Weimar Republic (I), Establishing the Führer’s Dictatorship (II), Berlin and the “People’s Community” (III), Wartime in Berlin 1939–1940 (IV); and Berlin and the Consequences of the Nazi Regime (V).

Most of the exhibition panels are made of glass, making it possible to view the excavated ruins behind them. The exhibition presents photos, newspaper articles and documents. Media stations provide in-depth information on selected topics."

and an inside temporary exhibit about the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

"Facing Justice - Adolf Eichmann on Trial - Fifty years ago, in April 1961, the Jerusalem District Court opened proceedings against Adolf Eichmann, former SS Obersturmbannführer and head of section IV B 4 for “Jewish Affairs.” The trial became a major media event. But it was not only a single perpetrator in the Holocaust who was brought before the public eye. For the first time, descriptions by victims received attention around the world. In Jerusalem the era of contemporary witnesses had dawned. Eichmann’s appearance before the court also triggered discussions about the guilt and responsibility of individuals within the Nazi system. This exhibition, designed around the original film footage from the courtroom, was dedicated to these two aspects of the trial: witness testimony and the perpetrator’s strategy."

Another excellent book that I read this summer to illuminate our travels was Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts, focusing on the rise of Hitler's power and specifically on the story William Dodd and his family. Dodd was the first US Ambassador to Hitler's Germany and one of the few to comprehend and warn of the dangers of the Nazi regime. This reads like a gripping thriller, brought more to life for me since we had seen so many of the locations portrayed in the book.

Berlin Wall

2011-08-18T16:38:00.000-06:00

remaining wall sections

Today we turned the focus of our sightseeing to 20th century history, exploring the events and diplomacy leading up to the building of the wall and the stories of those who lived through the tumultuous times until the wall fell in 1989.

The Wall was built to stop the huge number of people, for the most part their best and brightest citizens, from emigrating or defecting from the GDR. More than any other event the Berlin Crisis cemented the feelings of mutual hostility of the Cold War that would last for decades.

Soviet & American tanks face off

Not very many sections now survive of the once 26 mile long wall that divided East and West Berlin. (The total length of the wall dividing West Berlin from the GDR was almost 100 miles long. ) Most tourists probably visit the section near the Topography of Terror Museum, Checkpoint Charlie and the East Side Gallery along Muhlenstrasse, a half mile section of the wall painted by over 100 artists. A double row of cobblestones marks the course of the wall around the city.

We spent several hours in the fascinating, but totally disorganized and cluttered Checkpoint Charlie Museum (Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) that documents the history of the wall, the ongoing resistance and many daredevil escape attempts. This is a museum where you definitely want to pop for the audio guide! The exact number of people who died trying to escape from East Berlin and East Germany is not officially known - estimates are that up to 200 people died trying to cross the wall from East Berlin and up to 800 died outside Berlin trying to cross to the west from East Germany.

memorial dedicated to the victims who died trying to cross the wall

Anatomy of the wall:

Some interesting resources:

Berlin 1961 by Fredeick Kempe - available in a multimedia iPad version with archival news footage from NBC News. One of the best books I've read this year.

New York Times View from the Wall : photos and memories of the wall, before and after its fall.

Exhaustive historical coverage and commentary from the NYT reflecting on The Berlin Wall - 20 Years later

Berlin orientation

2011-08-17T15:00:00.002-06:00

After a fabulous buffet breakfast at Vox and subsequent early check-in at the Grand Hyatt we decided to take the Berlin Walks four hour Discover Berlin tour to get oriented. We love walking tours in European cities - and, really, who could resist their pitch:

Our all-in-one tour!

We cover ALL the main sights in the city center: see the Berlin Wall, stand above the site of Hitler's bunker, walk through the Brandenburg Gate and see a HUGE amount more!

Our guides' superb story-telling skills weave the themes of Prussian, Imperial, Nazi, Cold War and 21st century Berlin into a detailed narrative, using the latest historical research.

find out:

how a swampy fishing village became an Imperial Capital
why the Reichstag fire in 1933 set the stage for Hitler’s rise to power
stand above Hitler's bunker, find out why there’s nothing left to see of this or any other Nazi leader’s shelter; visit the sites of the SS and Gestapo Headquarters
walk through the extraordinary new Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, designed by Peter Eisenman
find out why the Nazis burnt books on Bebelplatz in May 1933
how Hollywood star, Marlene Dietrich, was "discovered" in her home city
where Albert Einstein taught, before Nazism forced him to leave Berlin
how and why Berlin was divided after the war
why the Royal Palace was blown up after the war and the controversy over its rebuilding today
who built the Wall in 1961 and the momentous events of its fall in 1989
visit a former "Ghost Station", where East German border guards once patrolled deserted platforms.
where successful escapes were made over the Wall; see remains of the Wall and follow its path, the "Deathstrip" to Checkpoint Charlie – find out the role this crossing point played in the Cold War
how Potsdamer Platz went from wasteland to commercial hub of 21st century Berlin!

We got directions from the concierge to the nearby metro station. We intended to buy a multiple-day pass to cover our stay. Postdamer Platz is a large station but we couldn't see a ticket counter and initially ended up in the train part of the station, rather than the metro. There was hardly anyone waiting on the tracks so we figured we must be in the wrong place and found the S station on a different level. After we fumbled around with the ticket machine and could not figure out how to purchase a multi-day option, we decided to just hop on the train and look for a human later. In Berlin you are on the honor system to buy and validate your ticket. You are subject to a 40 euro per person fine if an inspector checks you, but that seemed unlikely since we were only going 2 stops. We figured that if we had been able to conquer all types of public transport in Kyoto then Berlin should be a breeze, which it ended up being.

Discover Berlin walking tour - part 1

2011-08-17T14:00:00.072-06:00

We met our terrific Berlin Walks guide, Jim, at the appointed meeting place, a restaurant at the Hackescher Markt metro stop, and set out on the tour, passing most of the main sights in East Berlin. A photo tour of our four hour tour follows.

First we strolled past Museum Island, situated where two branches of the Spree River meet and the site of five of Berlin's extensive museums, the most popular being the Pergamom containing amazing collections of classical and ancient near east antiques and the Nueues Museum with Egyptian and papyrus collections and the bust of Nefertiti.

From there we went to Palace Square, site of the former Hohenzollern palace, razed by Hitler so he could use the area for his massive rallies. The Berlin cathedral takes up one side of the square. Hitler made his speeches from the portal of what is now the Altes museum. Large-scale renovations continue in the area, and particularly of the museums that will all be linked together. They are currently raising funds to rebuild recreations of the palace walls.

We crossed the river, proceeded down Unter den Linden and then passed by Humboldt University, attended by Einstein, Lenin, Marx and our Minnesota born guide Jim.

Across from the university law library is Bebelplatz, one of the sites of Nazi book burning in 1933. A memorial containing empty bookshelves that could hold 20,000 volumes is viewable through glass in the plaza. There is also a plaque honoring the prophetic 1820 quote by poet Heinrich Heine "Where they burn books at the end they also burn people."

Nearby is the Neue Wacht memorial dedicated to the victims of war and tyranny.

And the former Arsenal, now the German History museum.

We continued west down Unter den Linden, past the Russian Embassy, to Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, beyond which begins the large Tiergarten Park, once the royal hunting grounds. The Aldon Hotel (where Michael Jackson dangled his baby off the balcony) is located on Pariser Platz near the gate, as is the US Embassy and the Museum of the Kenendys. The Berliners were evidently quite taken with JFK when he visited in 1963.

Russian Embassy - note the hammer and sickle

continued...

Discover Berlin walking tour - part 2

2011-08-17T13:45:00.073-06:00

The Reichstag's glass dome rises 155' above the ground; a sloped spiral ramp climbs into the dome affording visitors a birds-eye view of the politicians when in session; 360 mirrors reflect light into the legislative chamber

We took a half hour break near the Brandenburg Gate to use the restroom and grab a snack or beverage and then Jim started up the second half of the tour. You can see the Reichstag dome from the gate; Jim gave us a lot of background historical information and made some suggestions as to how to avoid the long visitor lines.

Below is a photo of the Bundestag and of the memorial dedicated to the 96 politicians who opposed Hitler.

each slab remembers one man - his name, party, date and location of death (mainly in concentration camps)

Jim also talked about Berlin's "Ghost Stations", subway and train stations that were closed when the Berlin Wall went up in 1961 to prevent traffic between East and West Berlin. One of these was Unter den Linden, officially reopened in 1990 and renamed as Brandenberg Tor. When the first people entered the stations after the wall fell they found that they looked exactly as they had in August, 1961 - the ads and signage remained the same.

new and old signage

From there we turned south and walked along Ebertstrasse and through the evocative Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Completed in 2005, my guidebook stated that it was the first formal German government sponsored Holocaust memorial.

We continued down Wilhelmstrasse towards the site of the remaining Wall. Goebbel’s and Hitler’s bunkers - now buried with rubble and covered by parking lots and apartment buildings - were located in this part of the city along with other major Third Reich buildings, most destroyed during the war with the main exception being the Nazi Air Headquarters, now occupied by Germany's Finance Ministry. The south end of the huge building is next to one of the remaining sections of the Wall.

Near there is the excellent Topography of Terror museum, documenting the years 1933-1945, built on the former site of the headquarters of the SS and Gestapo, next to a remaining section of the wall. Cobblestones in the streets mark the former location of the wall. These remembrance cobbles run throughout the city, sometimes even through the middle of buildings.

The Checkpoint Charlie border crossing location, a kitschy recreation, is manned today by two actors playing American guards, next to the interesting but incredibly cluttered Museum of the Wall.

Our tour ended at the Gendenmarkt, a lovely square flanked by twin churches.

Five days in Berlin

2011-08-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

East Berlin stoplight

We stopped in Berlin on the way back from the Russia trip, catching an early morning Air Berlin flight from St. Petersburg. It was all German efficiency upon arrival as we sped through passport control and grabbed our luggage, almost first off the carousel. A sea of pale yellow Mercedes taxis were lined up outside. We grabbed a cab for the short 20 minute ride to our hotel, arriving at around 8 AM in time for a wonderful breakfast.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt, located near Potsdamer Platz. The hotel is very minimalistic, modern and influenced by Bauhaus design. I utilized my complementary suite upgrade from Hyatt's Visa promotion and we were delighted to be ushered to our huge two-room corner suite after spending 11 days on the substandard Amakaterina.

photos of our Grand Suite at the Hyatt - heavenly after a Russian riverboat!

The club floor was undergoing renovation so our perks included full breakfast in their Vox restaurant, afternoon tea and drinks and "snacks" in a different restaurant from 6 - 8 pm. The first night we decided to check out the snacks... Well, they presented everyone with a menu including hamburgers, Thai coconut soup, Thai salad, plus other items that easily constitute dinner. We ended up eating there two of our five nights.

We spent five days exploring Berlin, immersing ourselves in history, art and culture. Berlin is quite a happening city with enough to do to easily keep you busy for a week. There is construction and renovation going on everywhere. The public transit system is comprehensive, easy to navigate and if you look at all confused anywhere you will be approached by friendly people offering assistance. Virtually everyone speaks English. It was hard to imagine what this bombed out city looked like after WWII given what it looks like today. We were especially struck by all the memorials and history museums explaining and acknowledging their past.

Brandenberg Gate at night - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

My review of the Amakatarina

2011-08-17T09:45:00.053-06:00

Now that I have finished recounting our trip, which was very interesting, regretfully I must finally comment on the riverboat on which we traveled, the Amakaterina. This was the first time I have ever posted a review on the cruisecritic website, but felt that given AMAWaterway's hype of the inaugural season that people considering a river cruise in Russia would benefit from the opinion's of others.

So, below is my review on cruisecritic.com

Interesting itinerary but not a luxury experience

I will start with a few snippets from the March 2010 AMA press release:

“March 25, AMAWATERWAYS TO INTRODUCE MS AMAKATARINA IN RUSSIA

The completely renovated ship will be the largest and most luxurious vessel sailing the Volga-Baltic Waterways.

The 212-passenger ship boasts 24,025 square feet of space dedicated to 106 cabins. Seventy-six of those cabins feature balconies. Passengers can choose from an impressive 10 cabin categories spanning four decks to meet their personal needs. Four different suite categories offer incredibly spacious accommodations ranging in size from 280 square feet to a luxurious 432 square feet…

“From the time that we first launched our Russian Waterways program, it has proven to be one of our most popular and successful itineraries. Now, we are taking Russian Waterways to the next level of luxury and comfort with the AMAKATARINA. We are overseeing every detail of the ship’s renovation. This will allow us to make sure the vessel is perfectly tailored to the high standards that AMAWATERWAYS passengers expect,” said Rudi Schreiner, president of AMAWATERWAYS.”
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Now we will talk about reality. This was our first river cruise and we were not encouraged by the reviews coming out of the earlier sailings. We lowered our expectations as suggested and tried to roll with the punches.

We traveled two days early to Moscow and toured on our own to see some of the sights not covered on the AMA itinerary. We arrived at the boat around 4 PM and embarkation was easy, our cabins were ready and our luggage was delivered right away.

Unfortunately, or maybe wisely, AMA published no photos of the ship or even design drawings until after the inaugural sailing so we were only going on their descriptions when we booked. This was a mistake. The cabins range from 110 sq. ft. to 432 sq. ft., the majority being 238 sq. ft. or less. Only the 15 “suites” are 270 sq. ft. and up as opposed to AMA’s press release claims of 280 sq. ft. and up. We booked early so we could get one of the larger cabins, a Marinsky “suite”, at 320 sq. ft.

Accommodations could best be compared to those at a Motel 6. While our cabin was spacious the extra space was not utilized any differently than the narrower deluxe or superior cabins, it just had several extra ft. between the bed and the desk. One would expect booking a “suite” priced 63% higher than the standard cabin rate that you would have a nicer bathroom, extra storage and at least one comfortable chair. Not true.

luxury... not really

The bathrooms are tiny, consisting of a sink with no counter space, a medicine cabinet that opens the wrong way into the bathroom (taking up almost the entire space) and a small shower with a 1” step down into the shower with its plastic curtain, hence their description in their promotional material of having a “separate” shower. The hot and cold water taps are reversed and the handles turn the wrong way. The towels are pretty thin. They do not change them at night, just in the morning and the prevailing humidity and small bathroom space pretty much guarantee that they won’t dry by evening. The hair dryer is one of those institutional ones attached with a hose, and not even in the bathroom, but mounted on the wall next to the bed.

There is a desk on one wall and they could easily have added a desk drawer and a line of drawers underneath. There is only one outlet in the entire room. The only storage in the room consists of a wardrobe with hanging space and shelves, but no drawers. We found that all of our stuff fit in the wardrobe, but would recommend bringing additional hangers and putting your socks, underwear, etc. in packing cubes to store on the shelves. Our “sitting area” consisted of two desk chairs and a small table positioned blocking the balcony door. The bed was OK – we like firm mattresses - but there is only one pillow so it is difficult to read in bed.

If AMA oversaw “every detail of the renovation” then the person in charge of making sure it was “tailored to the high standards that AMAWATERWAYS passengers expect” certainly missed the mark.

the infamous "rat pear" dessert

welcome aboard!

Our first clue about what was to come food-wise came at the welcome snack that was laid out in the Symphony bar area. There was a platter of open face “sandwiches” with a piece of spam or cheese slowly drying out on a slice of white bread; no condiments. There were soggy animal crackers and some stale cookies, tea and coffee. We had a peek at the first night’s dinner menu consisting of chicken broth or zucchini cream soup, chicken breast with lemon sauce or Russian baked vegetables in a pot, Russian ice cream with cherry sauce. Not exactly a gala “welcome aboard” dinner!

In general throughout the cruise the food was overcooked and not very good, but edible. I uniformly ordered the vegetarian entry and cannot personally recommend ordering meat, chicken, fish etc. There were a few logistical problems, such as dinners for half the table arriving 20 minutes apart, but they only happened a couple of times. With each sailing I think the wait staff is improving with experience. The same wine is poured every night - a Russian Chardonnay that tasted more like Sauvignon Blanc and a Russian Merlot. The main dining room is very crowded and a problem in the morning at the breakfast buffet as people try to squeeze through tight spaces with their food. Every morning you could sign up to eat dinner in the smaller Symphony restaurant. Same menu, same food, just a smaller less crowded dining room.

terrific on board guide, Nastya, tries on her new hat

The young restaurant staff worked very hard and we thought that they were a bright spot, as were the young college students who accompany the tours, hand out headsets, make sure all are accounted for, etc. The onboard lecturer was interesting, had a great sense of humor and gave a good overview of Russian history along with life in current times. Housekeeping was so-so. Several nights we did not get our turn down with the daily two bottles of water and friends had to actually tip someone to take away the birthday cake that had been left sitting in their room for days. The reception staff was not very organized or knowledgeable. They often gave out inaccurate or contradicting information, or were unable to answer basic questions. Internet was iffy – off and on, mainly off. In addition, before the cruise some basic questions posed to AMA’s home office resulted in inaccurate information. I was not left with an impression of a well-managed, professional tour company.

On a positive note, the tours and guides everywhere were uniformly very good to excellent. The only thing I would have skipped was the shopping stop at Arabat St. in Moscow. We learned a tremendous amount about Russia. Moscow and St Petersburg are must-see cities and seeing smaller towns along the Volga was interesting as well. We did not have Marina as our cruise director, but a young man and woman, who tried hard but they weren't seasoned in their jobs - quite a few communication and other issues arose, but nothing major or a big deal for us personally. Schedules were changed several times. Overall I observed a lack of customer service orientation and proactive thinking from many of the staff that may be a cultural thing along with a training issue.

Most people we talked with were not terribly happy and felt their expectations were not met. Given AMA’s hype of a new luxury experience in Russia I doubt they will find many repeat clients from among those on our trip.

Restoration and Storage Center of the State Hermitage Museum

2011-08-15T16:23:00.071-06:00

Medieval frescoes from Smolensk and Pskov

icon storage

When visiting the Hermitage many wonder why the art hasn't been damaged or totally destroyed. Most major museums including the Louvre, also located in an old palace, have their temperatures carefully controlled. The Hermitage can be blisteringly hot in the summer and quite cold in the winter. Windows are left open for air circulation. While the Winter Palace provides a wonderful backdrop to all the magnificent art, one does wonder whether a contemporary facility would be more appropriate.

Fortunately the State Hermitage has been undergoing an upgrade of their restoration and storage facilities since 2003, relocating items that were previously housed in old overloaded buildings to a new complex in the Staraya Derevnya district that will eventually comprise eight specialized high tech, environmentally controlled buildings.

The depository is operated on the principle of "open storage"; tours are conducted and visitors can now see items from the collections of the Department of Western European Art, the Department of the History of Russian Culture, the Oriental Department, the Department of Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, as well as the Laboratory of Scientific Restoration of Easel Paintings that were previously unavailable to the general public.

Most visitors are unaware of this opportunity. Available by appointment only, we arranged our visit through Exeter International, who rightly touts it as one of their "Extraordinary Experiences." We were met by a docent who guided us through various levels of the building, using codes and other methods (biometric?) to access different floors and storage rooms. One of the anachronistic procedures that I found to be most charming in such a futuristic and secure setting was their continuing use of seals identifying the last curator to access an object.

Tent presented by the Turkish Sultan Selim III to Catherine the Great in 1793

Carriage used during coronation of Alexander II

State Museum of the Political History of Russia

2011-08-15T14:35:00.016-06:00

This museum is off the beaten tourist track, but we all thought it was one of the most interesting stops on our trip. Founded in 1919 as the Museum of the Revolution and originally housed in the Winter Palace, it was relocated in 1955 to the former mansion of Matilda Kshesinsksya, a prima ballerina and lover of final Tsar Nicolas II before his marriage. The exhibits and collections detail the political history of Russia during the pivotal years of the late 19th century to today. The museum's collections include posters, banners, letters and documents, documentary photographs, old newspapers, personal belongings of political figures, and some 500,000 items of memorabilia from these politically turbulent times.

recreation of Lenin's office

We toured just some of the exhibits with a museum guide who took us through the rise of the Bolsheviks, the Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev years into the 1970's. There was a lot we did not have time for; this place is a treasure trove for any student of history. A whole wing of the museum was undergoing remodeling as exhibits were being updated to the present day. The English version of their website includes lots of information about the collections and special exhibitions.

Just as we experienced at the Museum of Contemporary History in Moscow we found it quite interesting how open they appeared about tough topics, especially in the section devoted to Soviet dissidents and the Gulag.

Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Palace

2011-08-15T12:46:00.048-06:00

We also visited Alexander Palace, located near Catherine's Palace. It was commissioned by Catherine the Great for her favorite grandson, the future Alexander I. Completed in 1796 the palace was used by Alexander as a summer residence. When he became tsar he relocated to the much more ostentatious Catherine's Palace and gave it to his brother, the future Nicholas I as a summer residence. In the future it was used as a summer home for the Romanov heir apparent.

Alexander I

Nicholas II

The final tsar, Nicholas II, was born here and it subsequently became his family's final living quarters during the early days of the revolution and the initial place of imprisonment for his family after he abdicated and before they were exiled to Siberia and subsequently murdered.

The palace was turned into a museum until the beginning of WWII when most of the valuable objects were relocated for safe keeping. The German army used it as a military command headquarters during their occupation. After the war it was given to the Soviet Navy instead of being restored as a museum.

Today some of the palace has been renovated under the auspices of the World Monuments Fund and is currently used to exhibit items from the final years of Tsarist Russia and contains a collection of personal effects and historical documents related to Nicholas II and his family. While nowhere near dazzling as the two nearby former imperial residences, Alexander Palace provides an interesting look into Russian history.

The Russian Imperial Family, 1913 - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


some of Alexandria's icons

much more simple interiors than at Pavlovsk and Catherine's Palace

Amber Room Workshops at Catherine's Palace

2011-08-15T10:38:00.000-06:00

Between our tours to Pavlovsk and Alexander's Palace we visited the workshop where the Amber Room was painstakingly restored, located on the grounds of Catherine's Palace in an unassuming building with no sign. On a guided tour we saw the craftsmen at work, learned a bit about different types of amber and how they carve it and add color. Today the craftsmen make items that are available for sale in the palace gift shop as well as exquisite items that are presented as diplomatic gifts. They have a website touting their products and projects.

This by-appointment-only tour lasts about 30-45 minutes. The workshop is small, cluttered and extremely dusty. If you are at all sensitive to fine particles of dust you will probably be uncomfortable but otherwise it is fascinating to see this once you have seen the incredible Amber Room.

secret formulas are concocted, heated and used for coloring the amber

A bit of history - the Amber Room at Catherine's Palace was originally constructed at Charlottenburg Palace in Prussia in the early 1700's; in 1716 the Prussian King gave it to Peter the Great to celebrate peace between Russia and Prussia. Peter had it shipped to Russia and installed in the Winter House in St Petersburg. In 1755 his daughter, the Empress Elizabeth, moved it to Catherine's Palace Where she had the room redesigned to fit its new larger space. In all over six tons of amber were used.

The room was looted by Germans during WWII despite attempts by the curator to hide the contents behind the wallpaper. The amber panels were packed up, shipped back to Germany and reinstalled in the Konigsberg castle museum in 1941. It was dismantled again in 1943 and crated up for safekeeping. In 1944 the Allies destroyed the city and its museum and the original Amber Room was was presumed destroyed. There are lots of theories about whether it survived the war and possible whereabouts.

Reconstruction of the room began in 1979, financed by donations from Germany. In 2003 after 25 years of reconstruction the Amber Room was opened to the public at Catherine's Palace.

the restored Amber Room today - photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

waiting for our tour

Catherine's Palace

Pavlovsk

2011-08-15T10:21:00.030-06:00

exterior - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

interior courtyard

We toured the nearby Catherine's Palace on our first trip to St. Petersburg and today returned to Pushkin, aka Tsarskoye Selo, to take in two additional imperial estates.

In 1777 Catherine the Great gave a large parcel of land near her palace in Tsarskoye Selo to her son Paul to celebrate the birth of her grandson, the future Alexander I. Construction began on the palace in 1781, at which point Paul and his wife Maria departed on a year long journey to France, Italy, Germany & Austria.

to give some idea of the riches they acquired:

"King Louis XVI presented them with four Gobelins tapestries, Marie Antoinette presented Maria Feodorovna with a sixty-piece toilet set of Sèvres porcelain, and they ordered more sets of porcelain and purchased statues, busts, paintings, furniture and paintings, all for Pavlovsk."

amazingly the clocks still work today

and upon their return:

"A shipment of antique marbles, statues, busts, urns, and pottery discovered and purchased at Pompei, arrived in 1783. Sixteen sets of furniture, over two hundred pieces, were ordered from Paris between 1783 and 1785 for the State Rooms. In 1784, twelve Hubert Robert landscapes were commissioned for Pavlovsk. The couple purchased ninety-six clocks from Europe. The Imperial Glass factory, made special chandeliers for each room." (source: Wikipedia)

Paul became tsar after Catherine's death in 1796. At that point he enlarged Pavolovsk and made many upgrades to bring it in line with what he considered to be suitable for a royal residence. Paul was murdered in 1801 and Maria turned the place into a memorial to him. She expressed the wish that none of the furniture be removed and that it be preserved as a family museum. After her death in 1828 her heirs respected her wishes.

detail in the Italian Hall

State bedroom

Pavlovsk continued as a museum after the Russian Revolution. When the Germans attacked Russia in June, 1941 the curators began packing up the furniture, art objects and other treasures. By the third week in August they had sent away 13,000 pieces plus all of the documentation. Statues that were too heavy to be transported were buried in the grounds. The Germans occupied and completely trashed the place, cut down some 70,000 trees and removed the remaining furniture and all of the books in the library over the next 2 1/2 years.

interior after WWII

At the end of the war the Russians made the decision to reconstruct Pavlovsk and it was able to be painstakingly restored thanks to the safe keeping of many of the possessions and preservation of documentation about the palace.

private chapel

dining room

and some music to accompany the tour

Sunday morning in St Petersburg

2011-08-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

Having visited so many churches during this trip we were interested in attending a Russian Orthodox service. Our guide chose the St. Nicholas Cathedral, a turquoise and white Russian baroque cathedral, crowned with golden domes and cherub capped columns. The design, by a pupil of the Italian architect Rastrelli, was inspired by 18th century Italian prints. The church is located in the old sailor's district. It was one of the few churches in St. Petersburg that was not closed during Soviet times and functions as a memorial to honor sailors lost at sea. The memorial service for the 118 sailors and officers who died when the nuclear submarine Kursk sank was held here.

Our timing was perfect as the Sunday morning service was in full swing in the Upper Church. Tourists are not allowed beyond a rope at the back of the church, but we had a good view of the priest and the parishioners as they made their way around the church in clouds of incense, bowing and praying at the many icons.

retired ladies conduct a curbside nmarket

official indoor market

negotiating for some pickles

After stopping at an indoor market we walked around Dostoevsky's old neighborhood, hoping to pop in to the memorial museum, which unfortunately had not yet opened for the day. The Museum is located in the apartment building where he lived during the beginning of his career and also during the last few years of his life.

church attended by Dostoevsky

The following photos are from the end of the day when we requested a stop at the Church of the Spilled Blood for some photos - we had all been there before. Since it was Sunday we were able to easily drive around the central sightseeing area and have a refresher course from our guide on some of the buildings, gardens and public spaces before returning to the boat.

Alexander Nevsky Monastery Tikhvin Cemetery

2011-08-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

Since we thought that the Novodevichy Convent and cemetery were highlights of our Moscow sightseeing we decided to check out another cemetery in St. Petersburg. While lacking the charm and whimsy of Novodevichy, this spot was worth a short stroll on a Sunday morning.

The monastery was founded by Peter the Great in 1710 to honor Alexander Nevsky, the 13th century military commander, national hero and patron saint of St. Petersburg. Located appropriately at the end of Nevsky Prospekt, it was built on the site that Peter the Great believed was the location of a famous battle where Alexander Nevsky defeated the Swedes, although history has proven that the battle took place some 12 miles away. The complex houses some of the oldest buildings in St. Petersburg as well as two cemeteries containing the elaborate tombs of many luminaries of Russian music, literature, theater and art (most of whom were unfamiliar to us.)


Dostoevsky's grave

Tchaikovsky's grave

pianist Anna Nikolayevna Yesipova's grave

popular Russian movie star Nikolai Cherkasov's grave

Return to St. Petersburg

2011-08-14T10:38:00.000-06:00

After almost a week of navigating various rivers and lakes the Amakaterina reached the Neva River and St Petersburg, our final destination. We docked quite a ways outside of the center of St Petersburg at the Utkina Zavod Pier. Transportation to the main sightseeing area around Nevsky Prospekt took about 45 minutes to an hour of driving in a heavy traffic or involved taking a shuttle bus over to the closest metro station and then going five stops. There was also the option to take the hydrofoil into the city center, the most efficient means of getting there.

This was our second visit to St. Petersburg; we last visited here for three days on our Regent Baltic cruise. Having seen the major highlights in 2005 - The Hermitage, Peterhof, Catherine's Palace, the Yusopov Palace, various cathedrals and other main city sights, we skipped the AMA tours and booked two days of private tours with Exeter International and on the final day went into the center of the city on our own.

On our first day Andi, Doug, Brad and I were picked up by our guide at the pier and then attended a short bit of a Russian Orthodox service at the extravagant St Nicholas cathedral, walked by Dostoevsky's last apartment (now a museum), went to the cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky monastery (burial place of Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky and many more luminaries), visited a farmers market and a typical grocery store, had some more borscht for lunch, went to the high tech storage facility for the excess stuff the Hermitage isn't displaying and had a guided very interesting tour of the Museum of Political history to deepen our knowledge of Soviet times.

Andi never got tired of borscht - today she tried hot AND cold

The next day our friends Ngaire and Ken joined the four of us and we headed out of town for a tour of Pavlovsk and Alexander palace, lunch in small restaurant in a guard tower of Alexander Palace and a by-appointment-only visit to the amber workrooms at Catherine's Palace where they originally did the restoration of the panels in the palace's Amber Room and now make exquisite items for state gifts.

On our final day we took the boat's shuttle bus downtown and wandered around, bought some dolls at the market near the Spilled Blood Cathedral and then went back for our final lunch and afternoon on the boat.

Subsequent posts will feature some photo highlights from our three days here.

love padlocks on a bridge near the Church of the Spilled Blood

Sivirstroy

2011-08-13T12:29:00.000-06:00

The Svir River connects Europe's two largest lakes, Onega and Loadoga. The region has been considered severe and wild ever since it was settled 5,000 years ago. It was a place of exile during tsarist times and targeted for its hydro-power potential during Soviet times.

We awoke to a cold, rainy day. We docked at Svirstroy, a small Russian village, around noon. The scheduled activity was to be a shish kebab picnic lunch, which was rained out. I imagine boats only stop here as it is 150 miles from St Petersburg and they feel have to stop somewhere. Some people went ashore to shop for souvenirs, but for most it was a "sea day".

Andi, ever the devoted shopper, ventured ashore and had this to say abut the town:

"There were all these wood huts that looked like a summer camp and a small beach and across the harbor, a pepto colored hydroelectric plant. I ventured further into the hutted area and I noticed that, while devoid of folks, they were filed with merchandise. There was hut after hut. The first hut had mink hats and gloves. Have you ever seen mink mittens? Toasty warm and ever so cheap? Hmmm, a little negotiating and I got good deal as I was the only customer in a sea of rain. A few minutes later I walked off with my mink mittens."

not too appetizing - indoor shish kebab...

Andi playing with some of her matryoshka dolls

Kitzhi

2011-08-12T13:02:00.000-06:00

Kizhi is a small island, (only 4 miles long by 1/2 mile wide), on Lake Onega, the second largest lake in Europe. Riverboats stop here for tours of a museum of wooden architecture created over hundreds of years, including churches, chapels, houses, barns, granaries and windmills.

The architectural jewel is the Transfiguration Cathedral, built in 1714, crowned with 22 onion-shaped domes built on a cascade of barrel-roofs constructed with 30,000 shingles made of aspen wood. The shape and size of the domes vary from tier to tier. Restoration was in progress so we were not able to see the interior. We did go into the nearby 10 domed Intercession Church, built in 1764 without the use of any nails, as well as some of the houses and other structures where we learned about 19th century Russian life.

19th century farmhouse and outbuildings

interior including typical dowry items

This was easily everyone's favorite stop on the cruise and we all enjoyed our walking tour immensely even though we visited in the late afternoon of an overcast, intermittently drizzly day. A lovely series of photos, entitled "Kizhi, Almost Unreal", by professional photographer Oleg Semenenko, shows the island in different seasons and light conditions and is well worth a look, as are the other photo galleries from the museum's web site.

18th century Chapel of the Archangel Michael

windmill from the village of Volkostrov

The Monastery of St. Cyril in Kirillov

2011-08-11T11:27:00.000-06:00

We docked around noon at the Russian village of Goritsy, located on the banks of the Sheksna River, which is a tributary of the Volga. After lunch we set off in buses for the short ride to The Monastery of St. Cyril of the White Lake, about 4 miles away.

Founded in 1397 with a small population of monks, the monastery enjoyed the support and gifts of tsars and princes over the years and grew into one of the most influential and best endowed monasteries in Russia. In the 18th century it was one of the largest land owners in the country, controlling 400 villages and thousands of serfs. The complex covers 26 acres and is surrounded by thick walls with 23 towers constructed during the mid 17th century when it became a fortress during the wars with the Swedes and Poles. Its remote location and fortification also made it ideal to use as a prison for political exiles over the centuries.

Holy Gates and Church of St John

frescoes decorated the Holy Gates

A cobbled road lined with birch trees leads from the Kazan Tower to the Holy Gates, the Church of St John and the entrance into the main part of the monastery. The complex contains two priories with 11 churches, most of which date to the 16th century.

The monastery was secularized by the Bolsheviks and turned into a museum in 1924. In 1998 monks were readmitted to the smaller of the two priories, the Ivanovsky, dedicated to the patron saint of Ivan the Terrible. We toured the larger Uspensky (or Assumption) priory and visited the museum of icons.

Assumption Cathedral

Church of the Archangel Gabriel

Even though the monastery was turned over to the state the Bolsheviks recognized the value of the icons and other treasures

Just touching the lake water can make you feel years younger according to the local legend

Yaroslavl sightseeing

2011-08-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

Assumption Cathedral

these three ladies comprised the choir - they sounded fantastic

Our excursion for today was a city tour of Yaroslavl with a visit to the Assumption Cathedral, the Transfiguration Monastery, the Governor's House which now houses the art museum, followed by some free time in the city center.

The Assumption Cathedral was originally built out of stone in 1210. Destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1937, it was rebuilt in its current splendor in 2010, in time for the 1000 year celebration. The construction was somewhat controversial since the church is much larger than the original and there were fears that its size would somehow jeopardize the city's UNESCO status, which turned out not to be the case. We arrived just in time for a small service being held in the church.

Next up was a visit to the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, founded in the 12th century, although the cathedral, surrounding walls, watchtowers and gates date to the 16th century. Located on the banks of the river it was built to also function as a citadel in case of war. The cathedral is the oldest building in the city.

While we were there we were treated to a short bell concert.

We also had a guided tour of the Yaroslavl Art Museum, housed in the Governor's House. Upon arrival we were greeted with the news that the governor's daughter would be our guide! All the guides were pretty young women with excellent English skills, dressed in period attire. We toured the collection of 18th - 20th century art and then all the AMA groups met up in the ballroom for a short chamber music concert, some champagne and dancing.

We were given some free time to wander in the city center where we came across a whimsical park and had a chance to see the Church of Elijah the Prophet.

Christmas worm or reindeer?

Leslie, Ngaire and Andi pose with the love bug

Church of Elijah the Prophet

interior - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

History of Yaroslavl

2011-08-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

panorama courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Continuing our journey up the Volga another 66 miles, we arrived this morning in Yaroslavl, another one of the Golden Ring cities. While Uglich is a small town, Yaroslavl is a large industrial city with a population of around 600,000. The city stretches along both sides of the Volga for 18 miles at the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers.

Bear worshiping Finno-Ugric tribes lived in the area from the 8th to the 10th century and were fond of ambushing passing merchant ships. The merchants requested that Prince Yaroslav the Wise defend them. He was greeted by a ferocious bear and won the ensuing wrestling match, thus cementing his reputation. He then ordered a church to be built and founded the city in 1010.

1000 year anniversary park - note the bear shaped flower beds

In 1218 Yaroslavl became the capital of its own principality but was sacked and destroyed by Mongol-Tatar invasions in 1238. Ivan the Great annexed the principality to Moscow in 1463. During the Time of Troubles in 1598 it became the capital of Russia when Moscow was endangered by the Poles. The capital was transferred back to Moscow in 1613.

arrows commemorate the struggle during the Polish invasion


1505-16 Transfiguration Monastery Cathedral - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The economy thrived in the 17th century and Yaroslavl became the most prominent mercantile center of the upper Volga region. One sixth of Russia's wealthiest merchant families kept homes there and by the end of the 17th century the city had built 50 new churches. It continued to be a prominent cultural center even after Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg.

17th century St John the Baptist Church

17th century Church of Elijah the Prophet

By the middle of the 19th century over 80 plants and factories were operating here and in 1870 a railroad was laid to Moscow. Pre-revolutionary turmoil and strikes along with the uprising of 1905 and 1917 Revolution affected the city and brought about economic decline. During Soviet times more factories were established, including the country's largest tire manufacturing center. During WWII most of the city's factories were converted to production of armaments for the Soviet Red Army.

city park - commemorating the tires?

postage stamp celebrating the millennium of Yaroslavl

In the 1960's Yaroslavl expanded across the Volga as more industrial development took place. In 2005 the city was granted UNESCO status and preparations began for the celebration of its millennium. Most recently it has been the location for global policy conferences. This summer, shortly after our visit, regrettably the city was in the news when an airline crash there claimed the lives of the majority of their pro hockey team.

Today some Yaroslavl streets have multiple names from different historical eras

Uglich

2011-08-09T11:00:00.000-06:00

Church of Dimitry on the Blood

town coat of arms

After two nights at the Park Hyatt and two nights on board the Amakaterina last night we departed the Moscow River Terminal and began our five day journey via the Volga River, across Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga to St Petersburg on the Neva River. We arrived at our first stop, Uglich, approximately 165 miles from Moscow, around 6 PM.

Uglich is one of Russia's Golden Ring cities - a group of ancient cities northeast of Moscow. The name Uglich comes from the Russian word "ugol", which means angle, and refers to the sharp turn in the Volga where the town is located. Written records date back to 1149.

Ivan the Terrible bequeathed Uglich to his infant son Dimitry in 1584. His seventh wife Maria and Dimitry were banished there while his dim-witted brother, Fyodor, became tsar and Boris Godunov became regent. Seven years later Dimitry was found dead in the palace courtyard with his throat cut. Many believed that his death was arranged by Boris Godunov. A wooden chapel was built at the spot of his death, followed by a wooden church in 1630 and a stone one in 1692. The church became known the Church of Prince Dimitry-on-the-Blood. Frescoes inside the church depict events connected with his death.

Palace of the Princes

We disembarked and met our guide for a walking tour of Uglich, starting with a mini-concert by a fantastic a capella choral group in the 18th century Transfiguration Cathedral. Of course they sang the Song of the Volga Boatman for us. This was followed by a visit to the Church of Dimitry and the 15th century Palace of the Princes. Following our tour we had some free time to shop for souvenirs in a local market. At around 7:30 PM we were picked by vans up in groups of twelve and transported to a local home for a visit with a family and home cooked meal, which was one of the highlights of the trip.

Nina the younger in the garden

Nina the elder greets her guests

Our group went to a house on the outskirts of town that was the summer home of a mother and daughter, both named Nina. From October to May they live in town where Nina the younger works as a dance instructor and also tours with a folkloric dance group. A long table was set for us and we were welcomed with shots of home made whiskey with a pickle chaser and then treated to a meal of cabbage soup, carrot and cabbage slaw, brown bread and potatoes. Dessert was a homemade cake with apricot and blueberry preserves. We all proclaimed it to be the best meal so far, and much better than the food on the boat.

During dessert we asked Nina the younger about her dance group. Her mother jumped up, put on a CD and Nina performed for us and included one of the men in our group for a bit of her performance. After dinner we had a tour of the house and explanation of some of their personal possessions. A good time was had by all!

Yvonne toasts with her whiskey and pickle

Andi and Brad settle in

Nina's folk dancing group - she is in the center, sitting

Final thoughts on Moscow

2011-08-08T21:30:00.000-06:00

© Andrew Griffith

Moscow was a surprise. We had been to St. Petersburg six years ago and were so impressed with that city and thought that Moscow would be drab and depressing in comparison, present logistical problems due to language and not have that many sights to see. We were so wrong! You could easily spend five plus days here and still find things to see and do.

Moscow totally exceeded our expectations. It is a contemporary, clean, fascinating, upscale (at least at the center) city with good food, great hotels and fascinating tourist attractions, history and museums. The new Russia, for better or worse, is on display here. But it is EXPENSIVE! Fortunately we had two free nights from a Hyatt promotion and were able to cash them in at the Park Hyatt avoiding paying $1,000 or so per night. Still, two cups of coffee or one so-so glass of wine ran me $20, our friends had a dinner of beef stroganoff and borscht plus a couple of glasses of wine for $300, a simple pizza lunch for two ran about $50.

We did just fine on our own on our first day in the city, taking in Red Square, the Diamond Fund, St. Basil's, The Museum of Contemporary History along with a bit of shopping at the GUM Department Store. We hired a private guide and driver for our second day for the four of us - it was pricey but we all deemed it worth it due to our delightful and extraordinary guide Anna from Exeter International who arranged our private visit to the Cold War Bunker, gave us incredible insight into life in Russia today along with a comprehensive overview of Russian history through our visits to the Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Exeter guide Anna

We boarded our riverboat, the Amakaterina (more about that later...), after our day with Anna and had two additional days of touring including a city tour, a return visit to Red Square, a tour of the Kremlin grounds, the Armoury museum and the Assumption Cathedral, lunch and sightseeing on the Moscow River, a guided tour of the Tretyakov Gallery, a metro tour and more. In hindsight we are sorry we missed the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art but otherwise felt we covered everything we wanted to see. Staying downtown is definitely a better idea than touring from a boat docked in the river terminal - transport to and from can take an hour each way in Moscow's congested traffic.

Below are some additional photos from Moscow. Shopping was upscale - all the luxury brands have a foothold here. And the prices are at least double what you would pay in the US. Luxury cars were parked everywhere - most often with chauffeurs. Initially I planned to do a photo montage of cars, but was intimidated when I couldn't figure out if a driver/bodyguard was waiting in the car behind the smoked glass. We benefited from arriving on Thursday - traffic was lighter in the city over the weekend and the brides were out in force on Friday and Saturday posing in their finery at popular sites around the city.

Throughout our trip we tried to get a handle on why Moscow was so expensive and how ordinary Russians could possibly afford to live there. We got different figures from different guides as to the amount of people's average salaries, cost of apartments, etc. Salaries are higher in Moscow than elsewhere, but the cost of living is much higher also. Only the very wealthy live in downtown Moscow; others have long commutes from the outskirts. Many people work multiple jobs; unemployment is minimal in Moscow. Several generations in a family live together in small quarters; retired peoples' pensions don't cover their expenses and many are back in the work force in order to get by. They, particularly, miss the old days. Corruption is deemed to be rampant and a huge problem.

GUM food court

40,000 ruble caviar = $1,200

luxury cars...everywhere!

State Central Museum of Contemporary History

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The State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, formerly known as the Museum of the Revolution, is located near Pushkin Square in a classical mansion that was the headquarters of the aristocratic English Club. Steps were taken to establish the museum in 1917 after the abdication of the last tsar. The museum's first exhibition, "Red Moscow", opened in 1922. Over the years as the collections grew the focus of the museum changed from concentrating on the history of the 1917 revolution to covering the contemporary history of Russia from the second half of the 19th century to the 21st century.

The rooms in the museum progress chronologically beginning with the political history of Russia from 1856 through the 1880's, then on to economics and, social and political life from the 1880's to the beginning of the 20th century, the Russo-Japanese War, on to the revolutionary events of 1905-1916, then the revolutionary events from February to August 1917. A lot of space is devoted to the formation of the Soviet state, the Civil War from 1918 - 22, the new economic policies and the USSR in the 1930's.

The next rooms focus on WWII, the post war period, changes in Soviet leadership after Stalin, the Khrushchev and Brezhnev years and Perestroika during the Gorbachev years. The last rooms cover the collapse of the Soviet Union and formation of the Russian Federation, economic reforms under Yeltsin and finally lead up to the election of Putin in 2000. The introductory exposition hall covers more current events and news and is supposedly updated every month.

the cult of personality - logo goods evidently were available!

Stalin's desk

Stalin - beloved by all!

You definitely need a guide here as there is a lot to see and absorb and there are no English descriptions, although each room has a laminated sheet available in English explaining the displays. Old photographs and other artifacts provide a good visual understanding. Enterprising English speaking PhD candidates should be drafted to add English display commentary. The English version of the museum's website has lengthy descriptions of the exhibits. We spent several hours here and were glazed over when we left, but found it fascinating and thought we learned a lot. We were all quite surprised at the comprehensive and honest presentation of the often difficult reality of Russian history.

Andi poses with the first canine cosmonaut

Moscow Metro and Arbat Street

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there are no English signs

Our final afternoon in Moscow we took a metro tour followed by some free time on the very touristy Arbat St.

In response to Russia's growing population Stalin needed to solve the transportation problem; his solution was an underground system that not only transported people but glorified him and the achievements of communism. The stations were built utilizing the finest materials and featured high arched ceilings and huge chandeliers. They are filled with heroic statues, paintings, mosaics and reliefs extolling the triumphs of socialism and depicting great moments in Russian and Soviet history.

There are no English signs in the metro; it would definitely help to get a bit of working knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet. Most tourists probably just count the stations and then get off.

We visited several stations including Ploshchad Revolyutsii with its marble arches flanked by pairs of bronze sculptures depicting the people of the Soviet Union. One notable statue is of a frontier guard holding a dog - many believe that good luck will come to you if you rub its nose. We saw many people doing this while we all took photos.

Ploshchad Revolyutsii - photo © Andrew Griffith

photo © Andrew Griffith

We also visited Kiyevskaya, built at the height of the Soviet Baroque style at the beginning of Khrushchev's time. This station features frescoes depicting life in the Ukraine and celebrating the unification of Russia and the Ukraine. Maybe it was just a coincidence that Khrushchev was born in the Ukraine?

Kiyevskaya - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Kiyevskaya

And finally a few photos from Arbat Street. We all kind of wished we had figured out how to get back to the boat on the metro after being let loose on this kitschy area full of overpriced souvenir shops.

Maroushka dolls are everywhere

Kremlin Museums - the Armoury and the Diamond Fund

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Faberge egg - 1904 - music box with model of the Kremlin; a look through the windows reveals the iconostsis and icons of the Assumption Cathedral

There is so much to see and do in Moscow, but the Kremlin Armoury and the Diamond Fund should be on the must-do list. Lest you find difficulty understanding the roots of the revolution in Russia you have only to pop into these two fabulous museums for a reality check and a glimpse at just how over-the-top rich those tsars really were.

The Armoury was founded in 1806 as the Imperial Court Museum and created out of three royal treasuries: the Court Treasury containing the regalia of the tsars and ambassadorial gifts; the Stable Treasury including royal harnesses and carriages used during state ceremonies; and the Armory, a collection of arms, armor, and other valuables gathered from the country’s storehouses. The mission today is to collect and preserve the national relics, monuments and sacred treasures of Russia. After the 1917 revolution the Armoury became the depository of Russian Orthodox art from the Kremlin cathedrals, monasteries and other churches that were closed or demolished during the Soviet years, as well as of many treasures siezed from private collectors. The 4,000 plus artifacts date from the 12th century to 1917.

Orlov diammond

The Diamond Fund contains the collection of Russia's most valuable gems such as the coronation crown of Catherine the Great, the 190 carat Orlov Diamond, exquisite jewelry, tiaras, raw cut diamonds, platinum and gold nuggets and other gems including the world's largest sapphire (260 carats.) Part of the exhibit included contemporary jewelry that we all thought was exceptionally exquisite. The valuables of the Diamond Fund are a part of the State Depository of Treasures administered under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance.

The exhibition occupies two halls. The first hall displays a variety of precious and semi precious stones, cut and uncut diamonds, platinum nuggets from the Urals, gold and contemporary jewelry made by the craftsmen of the State Depository of Treasures for the exhibition. The second hall is the Historic Hall that displays insignia of the state and secular jewelry from the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the literature only two other world collections are equal in status - the crown treasure of Great Britain and the treasure of the former Shah of Iran.

The Armoury museum occupies two floors; the lower floor is dedicated to treasures directly linked to Russia's rulers. There are court dresses and religious vestments, including Catherine the Great's coronation dress, ceremonial robes and Peter the Great's high boots and cane. There is state regalia and ceremonial objects, including Ivan the Terrible's carved ivory throne and the gold and turquoise throne given to Boris Godunov by the Shah of Persia. And of course jewel laden crowns. Displays also include decorative saddlery and state carriages.

Upstairs the first two rooms contain Russian gold and silver from the 12th Century onwards, a sumptuous collection of jewelry, tableware, icons and decorative objects. Most visitors make a beeline to showcase #20 containing the famous Faberge eggs, presents exchanged between the tsar and tsaritsa every Easter. The next two rooms contain a collection of weapons that don't draw nearly the interest of the other incredible treasures.

Our ship guide Nastya at left and tour guide Olga on the right

A note bout Faberge: The workshop was founded in St Petersburg in 1842; approximately 500 people worked in the firm's workshop making items such as snuff boxes, opera glasses and jewelry. They invented souvenirs of various materials in the form of Easter eggs with surprises inside. For example, there is an egg made out of gold, platinum, onyx, crystal and other gemstones with a gold model of Trans-Siberian railroad carriages that fits inside the egg, which is engraved with a map of the Railway. The eggs are so imaginative and technically brilliant that you will want to spend a lot of time looking at their details, but this area was very crowded and we didn't have much time there.

Entrance to the Armoury is via a timed ticket and you have just an hour and 45 minutes to complete your visit. Access to the Diamond Fund is limited to 20 people at a time, so if you are on a group tour in Moscow it is unlikely that it will be included due to logistical purposes. Theoretically you have a maximum of 20 minutes to view the collection. Security, as you can imagine, is extremely tight and you must check virtually everything before entering. We visited it on our own before we boarded the Amakatarina. Photos are not allowed so I have included several from both museums from Wikipedia.

Diamond Fund

The Armoury

All museum photos courtesy of Wikipedia

The Kremlin

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birds-eye view of the Kremlin - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Kremlin walls, Grand Kremlin Palace and cathedrals as seen from the river

facade of the Grand Kremlin Palace - home of Russia's Tsars in the 19th century, and later the center of Soviet power

The Kremlin, Russian for "citadel", sits in the heart of Moscow overlooking the Moskva River, St. Basil’s, Red Square, and Alexander Garden. The site has been continuously inhabited since the second millennium B.C. Today, it serves as the official residence of Russia’s president. The walls, built in the 15th century, enclose a triangular area of 68 acres, including four palaces and four cathedrals. The fabulous Armoury and Diamond Fund museums are located here.

Kremlin Arsenal

The Poteshny Palace

We visited the amazing Diamond Fund on our own on our first day in Moscow. Today with our AMA guide we visited the heart of Kremlin, including Cathedral Square, the interior of of the Cathedral of Annunciation and the Armoury museum.

Photo opportunities abound at Cathedral Square - its hard to reduce the number of photos I want to post! The Cathedral of the Annunciation was utilized as the personal church of Moscow's princes and tsars now functions as a museum. The Cathedral of the Assumption is the oldest and most important church in the Kremlin; every tsar from 15th century onwards was crowned here. The Cathedral of the Archangel was used for weddings and burials of the tsars and contains 46 royal tombs. The Church of the Deposition was the personal chapel of the Moscow Metropolitans and Patriarchs.

Grand Kremlin Palace and Cathedral of the Annunciation

Cathedral of Annunciation

Church of the Twelve Apostles

Church of Deposition next to the Terem Palace

Church of the Deposition of the Virgin's Robe

Onion domes on top of the Terem Palace

Cathedral of the Archangel Michael - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral of Dormition - also known as the Cathedral of Assumption

Ivan the Great Bell Tower - marks the exact center of Moscow

iconostasis in the Cathedral of the Annunciation - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


The Tsar's Bell - broken during casting and never rung

The Tsar's Canon

Views from the Moscow River

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view of the Kremlin Palace and cathedrals from the river

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

On our first day of touring from the Amakaternia we revisited Red Square in the morning and then took a luncheon cruise on the Moscow River to see some of the city's highlights from that vantage point.

Kotelnicheskaya apartment block - One of Stalin's "Seven Sisters" skyscrapers

University technical building

Statue of Peter the Great - looking a bit like Christopher Columbus

Space shuttle and Ferris wheel in Gorky Park (photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Red October Chocolate Factory (photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Novodevichy Cemetery

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Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007)

Prima ballerina Galina Ulanova (1910-1998)

Yuri Nikulin - famous Russian clown (1921-1997)

Anton Chekhov - at right (1860–1904)

Our visit to the cemetery was another one of the highlights of our Moscow sightseeing. Strolling through the park like setting among the graves of Russia's "who's who" was an interesting history lesson.

Inaugurated in 1898 next to the convent, Novodevichy or New Maidens Cemetery contains the tombs and unique gravestones of famous Russian writers, poets, musicians, actors, political leaders and scientists. During Soviet times it was second in prestige only to burial in the Kremlin walls; today it is nearly full with some 27,000 graves and used for only the most symbolically significant burials.

Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) - the only Soviet leader not buried in the Kremlin walls

Raisa Gorbachev (1932–1999)

Stalin's wife - under protective glass to prevent vandalism (photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Boris Brunov, actor (1922-1997)

Artyom Borovik - investigative journalist (1960-2000)

Novodevichy Convent

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photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Novodevichy Convent, also known as New Maidens Convent, was founded in 1524 on the banks of the Moscow River. Surrounded by fortress walls and 12 battle towers it was used to guard the outskirts of the city, but its main function was as a convent for noble women and as a prison for pesky and rebellious royals. Notable women sequestered here included Irina, the wife of the feeble minded Tsar Fyodor, the sister of Boris Gudonov, Peter the Great's half sister who ruled as regent from 1682-1689 when she was deposed by Peter and stashed in the convent, and Peter the Great's first wife who was deemed by him to be a nag.

The primary church is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk, modeled after the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Kremlin. The interior is quite stunning with its 17th century frescoes and five tiered iconastasis.

The convent was closed by the Bolsheviks in 1922 but returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945. The nuns returned here in 1994. Today it is a working convent but functions mainly as a tourist attraction and provides a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of Moscow.

Peter the Great's half sister Sophia's, tomb

Bunker 42 - Nuclear Cold War Bunker

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"Bunker-42 is a symbol of greatness and power of our Motherland. This is an object of our pride and respect of the commonwealth and builders heroical efforts. At the same time it is a memory of any armament race futility and necessity of maintenance of peace in the world."

Located behind a green gate with a red star, in an unassuming leafy neighborhood, flanked by a small onion domed church and a school is the entrance to Bunker 42, a top secret cold war bunker, located 60 meters under the shell of a three story building. When it was constructed in 1951 local residents were told that the metro tunnels were being expanded, and indeed that is how the some 2,000 workers, working in shifts around the clock, entered the facility from below. The function of the facility was to sustain communication for the government in the event of nuclear attack. The facility was in operation until closed in the late 50's when seepage of water into the tunnels became a problem, maintenance and upkeep became too expensive and with the realization that the facility would not stand up to current nuclear weapons.

Upon arrival our identities were checked, we were given our "papers", and we proceeded 18 stories down in the elevator to begin our tour of the 7,000 sq. meter facility. First we watched a gripping, disturbing move about the Cold War and the countless nuclear tests staged by the Russians and Americans. You really realize how intent both sides were on readiness and the potential for mutual destruction.

We were led through tunnels, halls and the Duty officer rooms. Museum exhibits include Soviet era communication equipment which you can test out. You can also try on Soviet uniforms and gas masks and pose with Kalashnikov rifles. A "surprise" air raid drill adds to the creepy atmosphere of the tour. It is almost unfathomable to me that so many people could have worked here secretly for so many years, maintaining a state of readiness for the worst. I'm sure they had many other sites like this during the Cold War.

Decommissioned and sold off in auction in 2006, the Bunker 42 is now privately owned and offers all kinds of events and tours. Concerts, weddings and parties are common as are corporate team building events. Like most Russian sightseeing attractions it is far more expensive to visit here as a foreigner than as citizen of the Russian Federation. Although it was a very unsettling experience, we all thought this was one of the highlights of our time in Moscow.

Andi tries out the communication equipment

model of the facility - note the church and other buildings at street level

rent the bunker for your next party!

St Basil's Cathedral inside and out

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One of the most recognizable symbols of Moscow, St Basil's Cathedral was originally built by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate his victory of the Tartar conquerors. It was consecrated in 1561 with the original name of the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat. Google recently honored the 450th anniversary of the cathedral with a distinctive doodle.

The church was designed with nine chapels (each chapel represents a victorious assault on the city of Kazan) on a single foundation, each topped with an onion dome. The interior chapels are filed with icons, frescoes and other artwork. Rumor has it that Ivan the Terrible had the architect blinded so that he could never design anything as beautiful again.

Today St. Basil's is secularized and part of the State Historical Museum; the interior, with its warren of dark chapels and passageways can be visited for a fee. We toured it on our own, but would have benefited from the explanations of a guide.

Red Square

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by day

by night photo © Andrew Griffith

Voskresensky Gate

Today was a day on our own to explore some sights that we would not be seeing on our private tour scheduled for tomorrow and on our two days of tours with AMA. After paying about $20 for two cups of coffee we were ready to roll.

First stop was Red Square, a short stroll from the Park Hyatt. Red Square did not get its name from the red brick buildings, nor from red as a symbol of communism, but from the Russian word for beautiful, that also can mean red.

We entered through the Voskresensky or Resurrection Gate on the north side of the square, which also includes the State Historical Museum. To the east is the Kazan Cathedral and the GUM Department store. Lenin's tomb and the Kremlin walls encompass the west side and St. Basil's Cathedral and the palaces and cathedrals of the Kremlin are on the south.

Kazan Cathedral - razed by Stalin, rebuilt in 1993

soldiers posing in front of the State Historical Museum

Lenin's Tomb

eternal flame


on duty

St Basil's Cathedral

Kremlin grounds

GUM Department store - now a luxury mall

Arrival in Moscow

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We arrived in Moscow via Dallas and London without incident a bit before 8 PM. We exited the plane and lugged our carry on luggage down a series of steps. No escalators here. We emerged into a totally chaotic scene at passport control - there were masses of people with no discernible lines. We rather unwisely decided to stick with a guy from our plane, an ex-pat journalist, assuming he had a handle on how to get through the chaos. We haplessly watched as those more in the know shamelessly cut in, especially from the side, and more or less pushed their way to the few manned passport control stations. We finally made it through after 90 minutes, whereas our friends breezed through when their flight landed earlier that afternoon. A word of advice - travel with a baby or pretend you are pregnant and you can cut the line!

Since our plane had landed so long ago we didn't really know where to look for our checked bag, but luckily we spotted it lying on the floor in the middle of the pandemonium and proceeded en masse through customs and found our driver. We were surprised he was still waiting! Then we had to lug everything down several flights of stairs to the parking lot and off we went in his a Mercedes for a 45 minute drive to the Park Hyatt.

Kremlin at night

After all of our childhood Cold War brainwashing we expected Moscow and its outskirts to be quite drab, but we were wrong. Domodedovo airport, located south of Moscow, is surrounded by bucolic looking countryside of alternating farmlands and forests with tidy, colorful, large homes. Driving towards the city we quickly left the countryside and proceeded along a four lane city street with traffic lights, passing scores of tall apartment buildings, office buildings, gas stations, plenty of green space and lots of KIA billboards. We could have been on the outskirts of a large city anywhere, Traffic must be a nightmare during the day, but at 10 PM it was moving right along. After about 40 minutes we entered the heart of downtown Moscow looking quite grand with lit up churches with onion domes and grand buildings.

GUM Department store on Red Square

The Park Hyatt is located a short walk from the Kremlin and Red Square. We checked in, connected with our friends and went up to the rooftop terrace for a nightcap. Fortunately the four of us were able to use Hyatt points for our stay so we did not have to pop for the $1,000 or so a night room charge, but sticker stock set in upon gazing at the Conservatory menu.

For a quick conversion, 500 rubles = $16; 1000 rubles = $32.

The Virgin mojito, below, consisting of mint leaves, lime juice and Perrier is not quite a "deal" at 590 rubles!

Upcoming - Russian RIver cruise

2011-07-27T16:52:00.002-06:00

We leave soon for our first river cruise on AMAWaterways newly refurbished boat, The Amakaterina, (aka MS Rostropovich) on a trip up the Volga from Moscow to St. Petersburg. We chose this boat because it looks to be the most upscale on the market with much larger cabins than a typical river cruise boat - ours will be 320 sq ft. and has a balcony. Although the food and service has gotten mixed reviews since it was launched in late May we are hoping that every sailing is improving. We've set our expectations a bit lower and expect a different experience than on the ocean cruises we've taken. This will be a return visit to St Petersburg for us - we were there on a Regent cruise in 2005 - so we have booked two days of private tours to see some new sights.

I've been spending my days brushing up on some history and listening to lectures from the Teaching Company on the Classics of Russian Literature, by Northwestern University professor Dr. Irwin Weil. When I was at Northwestern in the 1970's I took a couple of courses from Dr. Weil and he was one of my favorite professors. He is an infectious speaker and loves his subject, peppering his lectures with lines of Pushkin's poetry in Russian, singing a few bars of the opera Boris Godunov, bringing you into the mind of Dostoevsky's protagonist Raskolnikov, all the while transporting you back in time to the historical setting. He sounds exactly the same as he did 40 years ago. I'm planning to download some classics to my Kindle and immerse myself while on the trip.

our itnerary

Las Conchas Fire

2011-07-15T14:55:00.002-06:00

day one view from our neighbors' portal

Just when we began relaxing a bit with the knowledge that the Pacheco fire was further away from our house than we originally believed, our neighbors emailed an ominous looking iPhone movie taken from their portal on the day the Las Conchas fire started, June 26th, now traced to a tree in the Jemez mountains that ignited when it blew over into a power line.

Imagine being out of town and in the middle of the Mediterranean and seeing these photos! Even though this fire was 30 plus miles from us it was very scary.

We followed the progress of the fire via the web and neighbor emails. Upon our return from our cruise, five days into the fire, Los Alamos was evacuated and the fire had surged to over 100,000 acres. Smoke hung in the air, flames were visible from our house and we had ashes covering our terrace and patio furniture. Strong prevailing winds from the south pushed the fire north and west and the firefighters were able to keep the fire from burning any of the Los Alamos lab or town, a great relief to everyone since we all have read about stored nuclear contaminants at the lab. The residents of Los Alamos were allowed to go back home last week and the lab reopened shortly after the 4th of July.

As of today the fire, the largest in New Mexico history, covers 150,000 acres (approximately 235 square miles) and is 61% contained. Steep and inaccessible slopes on the north and southwest edges of the fire are a barrier to fully containing the fire since for safety reasons the firefighters can't work on these slopes. The fire has destroyed land in the Valles Caldera Trust, about half of Bandelier National Monument and thousands of acres on the Santa Clara pueblo lands. Fortunately there was minimal damage to the Pajarito ski area. Many areas where we like to hike are toast. This week they reopened part of Bandelier and the staging area/information center at the Valles Caldera. One of these days we will get up the courage to drive over to the Jemez Mountains and take a first hand look.

A great resource for daily updates is the inciweb site. At left is the progression map showing the growth of the fire by day. It literally exploded on the first couple of days surging to 43,600 acres on the first day.

dramatic photos over the course of the past several weeks:

fire blazing above Los Alamos

wading in to the action

burning in the Valles Caldera

fighting it from the air

Crews work to protect the Pajarito Mountain ski area

the fire creeps along near a forest road

evidence of regrowth in burned areas - from inciweb 7/15/11

Pacheco Fire

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smoke billowing out behind our house - photos by Bob Smith and David Neunuebel

The Pacheco Fire began June 18th in the Santa Fe National Forest. Original reports were that it had begun in Pacheco Canyon, which is literally a few ridges east of our house. Imagine our unease at learning about this while we were on a Mediterranean cruise. After a few days a map of the fire's location two miles from the ski area was published on inciweb and we realized that it had started much further north and east than we initially pictured, not really in Pacheco Canyon, but slightly north of "Aspen Ranch", grazing land owned by the Tesuque Pueblo. Prevailing winds from the south and west pushed the fire to the north and east further into the National Forest and away from us, which was a big relief.

So far the investigators have not determined the cause, however there are no power lines up where it started and there had been no thunderstorms, so the assumption must be that it was human caused, probably by an abandoned campfire. Investigators are still requesting information from anyone who was seen in that area the day or day before it started. Shortly after the start of this fire virtually all public land was closed and remains so.

As of today the fire maxed out at 10,250 acres and is 80% contained. It did not reach the ski area or damage the Santa Fe watershed, although it burned some of our favorite areas to hike, including much of the Borrego trail where we hiked last September: see Aspen Ranch loop post. Fortunately we have received some rain in the last week and there is currently no observed fire behavior up there. This one was way too close for comfort!

photo from inciweb

Pacheco Fire location and progression

Santa Fe Folk Art Market

2011-07-08T16:24:00.044-06:00

opening night

Angeline Bonisiwe Masuku - 3rd time attendee - last year we bought the basket she's holding

"The mission of the Market is to foster economic and cultural sustainability for folk artists and folk art worldwide and to create intercultural exchange opportunities that unite the peoples of the world.

The Market fulfills its mission by providing opportunities for some of the world’s finest folk artists to participate in an annual festive, two-day event. The Market takes place on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, New Mexico adjoining our renowned partner, the Museum of International Folk Art. We implement programs that benefit international folk artists and the local community.

Every July, more than 120 select folk artists from over 45 countries travel to historic Santa Fe where thousands of national and international visitors gather to admire and buy distinct folk art forms that express the world’s diverse cultures.

Sales at the Market directly benefit artists and their families and help sustain communities worldwide-- participants take home 90% of all sales."

Thursday night artist procession

This was the 8th year for The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. It began in 2003 with a small folk art exhibition, “Focus Folk Art,” at the local Clay Angel pottery store. Since then it has grown into the country’s largest venue for authentic quality international folk art and a major international force in the cultural and economic sustainability of folk artists. This year the market attracted over 22,000 attendees.

We attended the Thursday night opening festivities at the Railyard and the market opening fundraiser party on Friday night.

Today I received the letter below from the executive director with news of the market's rousing success:

A Letter from Charlene Cerny: "Best of all, our Market artists--always the stars of the show—were thrilled with the enthusiastic response of our buyers. Their collective sales totaled a record $2,314,065! Average booth sales were $17,399—another record-breaker."
"

Aboubakar Fofana, master indigo artist from Mali, works on his display

Mediterranean Cruise Redux

2011-06-29T12:16:00.099-06:00


Path of Ancient Cultures

Jun 17          Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Jun 18          Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Jun 19          At Sea
Jun 20          Haifa, Israel
Jun 21          Haifa, Israel
Jun 22          Ashdod, Israel
Jun 23          Ashdod, Israel
Jun 24          Limassol, Cyprus
Jun 25          Antalya, Turkey
Jun 26          Rhodes, Greece
Jun 27          Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
Jun 28        Istanbul, Turkey
Jun 29          Istanbul, Turkey

Last October we embarked on our ill fated "cruise to nowhere"; in addition to a full refund we were given substantial incentives to book a "re-do" with Regent. Many of the passengers we knew took them up on the June 17th sailing on the Mariner from Athens to Istanbul - The Path of Ancient Cultures. Originally scheduled to make two stops in Egypt, the itinerary was altered last spring to eliminate Cairo and Alexandria and call on Crete and an additional night in Israel instead. As we plan to do a dedicated trip to Egypt, hopefully next year, we were happy with the itinerary changes.

Our trip did not start very auspiciously when our flight to Chicago was canceled, but all worked out fairly quickly when we were re-booked to Dallas and then on British Air t London, arriving with plenty of time to make our connection to Athens. A general strike was called for Greece the day we departed, and since we were scheduled to arrive in Athens around 5:30 PM, we decided to book a night at the Sofitel at the Athens airport and a transfer to the ship the following day. All worked out well; it was great to just walk less than a hundred yards over to the Sofitel and settle in for a nice dinner at their top floor restaurant and a comfortable night's sleep rather than fight the traffic and perhaps leftover protesters in central Athens.

The Upgrade Fairy graced us about a week prior to departure and we moved up to a 739 sq. ft. Mariner Suite complete with separate bedroom and living room, large balcony, 1 1/2 baths, plus use of an iPad and other perks for the cruise. We could definitely get used to this!


Mariner suite

the ship pulls away from the dock this time

This was our 6th cruise on Regent, having sailed on the Voyager to the Baltic, Norway and the British Isles and on the Navigator to the Black Sea and Alaska. This was our first time on the Mariner and I decided it is my favorite of the three due to the layout of the public spaces. Of course that Mariner suite probably had something to do with it... We qualified for "gold" status this cruise and enjoyed increased loyalty benefits including a lovely caviar party on the front deck as we sailed into Istanbul. It was a terrific cruise with consistently good weather and interesting ports; subsequent posts will chronicle our days.

plenty of shopping opportunities for evil eyes on this cruise - photo by Ray Schuette

the Mariner docked in Rhodes

Regent's Caviar Party as we sail in to Istanbul

2011-06-29T00:00:00.039-06:00

On this cruise, crossing the 75 night level, we qualified for the Gold tier of Regent's Seven Seas Society frequent guest plan. Regent bumps you into the next level for the whole cruise if you cross a milestone any time during that voyage. A new perk for us was an invitation to their exclusive event for those in the Gold, Platinum and Titanium members. On this sailing the event was a private caviar and mimosa party on a forward deck as we cruised into Istanbul around 11:00 AM. Membership has its privileges...

photos by Ray Schuette

Istanbul - Dolmabahçe Palace

2011-06-28T15:32:00.076-06:00

Imperial Gate

patrolling the Bosphorus

We have been to Istanbul twice before and have seen all the major sights, so we decided to take a quick afternoon tour to the Dolmabahçe Palace and then walk back to the ship.

Dolmabahçe was built in the mid 19th century when evidently the Sultans were looking for an upgrade from their digs at Topkapi Palace. It was inhabited by six sultans and the last caliph up to 1924 when ownership was transferred to the new Turkish Republic. Atatürk, founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence during the summers. It opened as a palace-museum with ts original furnishings in 1984. One is free to enjoy the park along the Bosphorus but the only way to see the interior of Dolmabahçe is on a guided tour wearing plastic booties on your feet.

Architecturally designed as a traditional Turkish house with a hall in the middle surrounded by many rooms, it shows its Western influence with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical elements. The Palace and grounds stretch over 11 acres and 650 yards along the European shore of the Bosphorus. It contains 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths and 68 toilets!

Photos were not allowed inside, but some of the more over the top elements include the world's largest Bohemian crystal chandelier weighing 4 1/2 tons and the Crystal Staircase built of Baccarat crystal, brass and mahogany. There are many large and incredibly valuable Turkish carpets along with 150-year-old bearskin rugs presented to the Sultan as a gift by the Czar of Russia.

enjoying the park

Ephesus with an Expert

2011-06-27T15:26:00.046-06:00

Celsus Library

ongoing restoration at the Terrace Houses

our guide

This was our second visit to Ephesus. In 2000 we stopped here on a Sea Goddess cruise and toured the site during the day, returning at night for a private concert at the Celsus Library. For our return visit we booked Regent's "Ephesus with an Expert" tour.

Photos from our day posted here.

Ephesus dates back to the 3rd century BC, and has always played a significant role in science, culture and the arts. In 1989, Ephesus Museum archaeologists focused on the ruins of Ephesus' earliest settlement. The enclosure for archaeological remains at Ephesus elegantly reconciles historic conservation with accessibility for visitors.

Upon arrival, you will be met by an expert archaeologist and together, you will discuss and explore the finds collected from Ephesus and the terrace houses.

Next, a visit will be made to the Ephesus Museum's Hall of Artemis to view exhibits of works, statues and architectonic fragments found during the excavations of the Temple of Artemis and other locations in Ephesus. From here, you will continue on to see the ruins, including the grand amphitheater; one of Ephesus' most impressive buildings. You will then visit the 2nd-century Library of Celsus before exploring the ruins of the Scholastic Baths, Odeon, Lower Agora and State Agora.

Your tour will conclude with a visit to the terrace houses located on the slopes of Bulbul Mountain, and opposite the Hadrian Temple. Built for wealthy citizens, the homes' interiors were constructed with the highest standards of their day, and featured mosaics, frescoes and interior courtyards with open ceilings.

amphtheater

Nike from Hercules Gate

Temple of Hadrian

what a Terrace house may have looked like

artifacts in the museum

Terrace house interior walls

restorer at work

mosaic floor

seems our guide arranged a but of music too

Rhodes

2011-06-26T15:22:00.051-06:00

Rhodes harbor - top photo by Ray Schuette

Suleiman Mosque

14th century Palace of the Grand Masters

We took a break from ancient archaeology today and spent the morning wandering around the Old Town of Rhodes, still enclosed by its medieval wall and one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though quite touristy and full of souvenir selling shops, the town was still very picturesque with evidence of its Crusader and Turkish past.

Rhodes has been inhabited since the Stone Age. After the Trojan war the rapid progress and development of the ancient civilization of Rhodes began, examples of which can be seen in the archaeological sites of Lindos, Ialyssos and Kamiros. Rhodes was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which was completed in 280 BC, but destroyed by an earthquake in 224 BC. It would have been quite something to see the huge statue stretching across the harbor.

The Knights left imposing evidence of their presence in Rhodes, building impregnable walls, gates, churches, hospitals, Inns and palaces. Their stay in Rhodes lasted 213 years, until 1522, when the Turks took over. They remained in power until 1912, when the island taken over by the Italians. After the end World War II Rhodes, along with the other islands of the Dodecanese, was incorporated within Greece.


15th century hospital of the Knights - now the archaeological museum

Antalya - Ancient Ruins of Perge and Aspendos

2011-06-25T15:22:00.109-06:00

Perge

Today the Mariner made its inaugural call in Antalya on the southwestern coast of Turkey. I imagine it will become a regular stop as there was a wide variety of sites to see and things to do here. Most of the excursions offered were archaeological in nature; we chose the excursion to Perge and Aspendos. I'm sorry in hindsight that we did not visit the archaeology museum as well.

relief of Artemis on column

Perge was founded in around 1000 BC and was sited 12 miles inland as a defensive measure. During the Hellenistic period it was one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the ancient world, famous for its temple of Artemis. It was an important city for Christians during the Byzantine period because the apostle Paul visited in 46 AD and preached a sermon here.

Roman gate

You enter the site through the Roman Gate built around 200 AD. To the right was the agora or marketplace. The center courtyard and shops were surrounded by a wide stoa, a covered walkway. The floor of the stoa and shops was made of colored mosaics. The next building is the imposing Hellenistic city gate, dating to the 3rd century BC, that was designed to protect the city with its twin towers and a horseshoe-shaped courtyard at the back. In 121 AD, the horseshoe-shaped courtyard was redesigned as a courtyard of honor. Behind the courtyard stood a triple arch.

Hellenistic gate

butcher shop sign in the agora

After passing through the Hellenistic Gate there was a broad marble paved double colonnaded street that ran 300 meters long leading to the acropolis. The street was divided by a water channel running down the middle. At the end of the street is the the Nymphaeum, a large fountain from which the water flowed down to the channel.

the Nymphaeum or fountain

Baths

The excavated Roman baths lie southwest of the agora. Different rooms were set side by side serving different functions such as a dressing room, cold bath, warm bath, hot bath and exercise area. The heating system can still be seen beneath some of the rooms.

Greco-Roman theater at Aspendos

Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival in residence

After several hours at Perge we moved on and visited the Greco-Roman theater at Aspendos, one of the best-preserved theaters of antiquity. Built in 155 by the Greek architect Zenon, the theater provided seating for 7,000. It is used today for opera and dance performances, although it is hard to imagine the liability issues raised by the incredibly steep and uneven steps. I climbed to the top but many tourists were content to view it from below.

You can see a virtual reality view of this magnificent site here.

upper gallery

During our entire trip we had very good guides, with one exception - our guide today. He accompanied us for a brief time to the agora at Perge and then set us free to explore on our own. All the other tours we saw were being guided through the entire site. Likewise when we got to Aspendos he gave us a bit of background and then let us loose for unguided exploration. And on the 45 minute or so bus ride back to the ship he remained largely silent.

Cyprus - Omoodos Village

2011-06-24T15:18:00.058-06:00

After our visit to Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo we drove up into the mountains to Omodos, a small wine making village. We visited the Holy Cross Monastery, saw a medieval wine press and had some free time to wander the streets, enjoy the shade and check out the locally made lace and embroidery.

Cyprus - Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo

2011-06-24T15:16:00.048-06:00

Kourion - Complex of Eustolios - villa with a view

Sanctuary of Apollo

The ship docked in Limassol on the southern coast of Cyprus. We joined a tour to the archaeological sites of Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo followed by a visit to the mountain village of Omodos.

Kourion was most likely founded in Neolithic times due to its strategic position high on a bluff overlooking the Mediterranean. It endured from antiquity until the early Middle Ages, passing through different phases during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Christian periods. The city reached its height in Roman times, as evidenced by the remains of a stadium, theater and lavish baths.

We visited the complex of Eustolios, the villa of a rich resident, dating to the end of the 4th century to the early 5th century A.D. The complex consists of many rooms surrounding two courtyards and an elaborate bath establishment. Mosaics dating from the Christian era depicting fish, birds and flowers decorate the floors of the Roman baths and the adjoining villa. Also visible is the highly sophisticated underfloor heating system. We visited the Roman theater, which has been restored and now a summer venue for music and drama performances.

a Regent entertainer gives an impromptu demonstration of the acoustics

Temple of Apollo

About a mile west of Kourion is the Sanctuary of Apollo, one of the main religious centers of ancient Cyprus, where Apollo was worshiped. Apollo was regarded as the God of light, sun, poetry, music and the woodland protector of the city of Kourion. The small Temple of Apollo was one of the most sacred shrines of ancient Cyprus. Legend has it that the penalty for touching its altar was to be hurled from the nearby cliffs into the sea.

Roman baths