Russia, what an experience!  Though I've always been semi-affected by a sort of wanderlust, this was the trip that really lit the spark for me.  Just a bit of background...  my friend Wendy was a Slavic Studies major who's always held a soft spot for Russian history ever since she first cracked open a copy of Crime and Punishment by Dovstayevski.  (Incidentally, this is one of my favorite books as well).  When she and her husband Michael invited me to come visit them during their one-year stay in Mother Russia.... how could I pass up such an opportunity?  Read on below and click on a link or two to see some pictures.

If you are at all interested, I kept a journal of sorts while I was there...  just to keep my thoughts in order and to keep the whole alien experience from overwhelming me.

Here's a picture of Wendy and Michael.  It's a rather dilapidated section of building... I believe we were in Saint Petersburg here.

A lovely photo of the "lobby" leading up to Wendy and Michael's apartment.  It may look ghastly, but I swear there was much worse than this to be seen if you took the time to look.

Honey, could you go check the mail?

Here, in vastly evident contrast, is the entryway to the Hermitage... the grand museum/palace built by Peter the Great in his city/capital, Saint Petersburg.

Here's another picture of the entryway.  I'm sorry to say that photos such as this can hardly convey the awe you feel when you first step into these gigantic rooms, covered with paintings and ornate fixtures/carvings.

The Hermitage was just stuffed full of priceless paintings... many of them not available for photography, since they were stolen from occupied countries which to this day are still clamoring for their return.  Van Gogh's, Monet's, Rembrant's...   you name it, you can find it there.

Here's a dramatic skylit dome, showing a bit of the carving one could see from the interior.

It was often difficult to decide whether to look at the fabulous art in the Hermitage, or the incredible handiwork of the building itself.  Not only were the walls and ceilings incredibly ornate, but the floors themselves were often works of art, covered with either mosaics, or various stains of inlaid wood.

Here's a picture of the countryside that might give you some notion of just how green this area of Russia is.  This was taken in the morning during our train ride from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.

It was a very pleasant train ride, as we had rented our own coupee for the long trip.   Here's a photo of us drinking and merrymaking.

Saint Petersburg was often covered with vast quantities of pookh...  a white fluffy substance that came from the peeling bark of certain trees in the area.   Here's a photo of Wendy and myself playing around a bit.

Didja know Saint Pete's is so far north that the sun doesn't really set for a week or two during the summer?  This photo was taken near midnight.  Notice the sun still striking the rooftops at that late hour.

Musical tradition is has very strong roots in Russia, their people having a great love and passion for classical music.  Here's a picture of a little boy who played the cello most exquisitely.

Rivaling the Hermitage in majesty is Peterhoff, Peter the Great's fabulous summer palace.  Here's a photo of the amazing fountain outside.

Here's the same area... taken from a different angle.  The gravity-powered water fountains were incredible to see under the summer sun.

The channel from the fountain lead right out to the Bay of Finland, merely a few hundred yards from the palace.

The entire estate was covered with either fountains or lush wooded area such as this.

Okay, now to the real famous stuff.  Here's a photo of the Red Square in Moscow.

And, of course, a photo of Saint Basil's Cathedral, the most famous landmark in the land.  Interesting side-note...  Ivan the Terrible had the architect's eyes removed after he finished this masterpiece - so that he might never build such a thing of beauty again.

No summary of Moscow is complete without a mention of the Metro.  This is the heart and soul of Moscow, used by over half of its populace every day.  This bustling area was magnificent and depressing at once, being covered with amazing marblework and statues, as well as being filled with many sad and dejected Russians.

I hope you enjoyed your visit!