BRRRRRR! In 27 days I will be loading myself and a suitcase full of wool clothing onto the plane headed for Samara. Yes! I’m going in the winter. I have several official CrossRoads meetings and gatherings scheduled as well as opportunities to celebrate the Winter Holidays with my Russian friends and have the experience of a Russian winter–which, is such a huge part of their culture that I feel the need to see it for myself. Even if only once. I have heard about the huge yulka (yolka?) fir tree decorated in the main square and the ice rink that…
Sneaky peeks inside
Taking photos inside the Russian cathedrals is frowned upon/disallowed/against the rules/subject to scolding/just plain forbidden! But, being the clueless foreigner that I am (not), and sometimes finding myself away from the tour group and/or unnoticed, I was able to capture a few photos of the breathtaking interiors of both ancient and modern Orthodox churches.
Ah, the Volga
Imagine floating. Imagine cool water-scented breezes. Imagine an ever-changing shoreline for 9 days. Here’s some of what I saw from the deck of our ship as we cruised the Volga (the longest river in Europe and the lifeline of trade in Russia for hundreds of years.) I’m now a fan of river cruises. How about you?
Naturally
The spring weather in Samara this year was a bit “off” resulting in a rather drab display of flowers–yes, very disappointing for me in that I am used to a steady stream of bouqets, like lilies of the valley, lilacs, tulips, and the grand finale: peonies. But all the blooms were late, wimpy, or non-existant here in the city. So, imagine my delight as our cruise ship landed in places where nature flourished and blessed me with its vibrant colors, cool shadows, and air-freshening fragrances. It was worth the wait.
Oh, my aching feet
Ancient cities have ancient walkways–cobbled, cracked, uneven, tiled. Lovely to look at, charming even. But not so easy on the “dogs.” Nevertheless, the places our feet trod were photo worthy. Sometimes looking down is interesting too. Thank God for his provision: a soft path of earth. The most beautiful of all.
