Is it Venice?

These are the photos of my friend that lives in... oh no, not in Venice!
In SPb!
St. Petersburg. There are not so many cities that provoke so great love in the hearts of so many persons. SPb is a city that steals your heart. Forever.
If you want to visit Russia, think about SPb. Yes, you are right, I'm the part of that very nourished group of persons that believe SPb is the most beautiful place in the world.

On these photos is the outpost of SPb, Kronstadt. It's a town of sailors. If you visit SPb in summer (and I hope, you have this possibility), you can buy a ferry excursion that will visit Kronstadt. It's an excellent way to relax -a ferry.


«Форты Кронштадта» на Яндекс.Фотках

 
«По воде вокруг города Кронштадта» на Яндекс.Фотках

 This temple is built for the sailors that died in the fights against the enemies of the homeland. It's dome is visible from all the parts of the gulf.

 
«Морской собор в Кронштадте» на Яндекс.Фотках

Bathing Before Christmas

I want to precise that it's about orthodox Christmas and it means about Jan.6/ 7. My friend went in Siberia for a short vacation and found an interesting place in one of the towns they visited: a bath with hot mineral water. They say, the inhabitants of Siberia are very healthy because they like "banja" -Russian bath. After they take the bath, they go out anf swimm in the rivers or rub themselves with snow. That show the photos here. 


«Покровом снежным, бело-синим вокруг окутала зима...» на Яндекс.Фотках

«Жаркая банька» на Яндекс.Фотках

 But it's the first time I hear that there are such pools with hot mineral water used to enjoy the cold winter. My friend told me, she caught cold before the vacation but after this bath everything passed.
 

«Купание пред Рождеством...» на Яндекс.Фотках

Autumn in Russia

Autumn is the best time of the year. I love it everywhere, in any place of the world. Sometimes they say that autumn is sad or cold. But it's not so.

We spoke about autumn in Alaska with some friends some days ago. You know that I sell cruises and they told me that the best time to go in Alaska is summer. But if you like nature -and the cruise in Alaska is the time dedicated to the nature first of all- you HAVE to see Alaska in autumn. Not only for incredible colors that you can't see in an other places or seasons. There are many animals visible in this period because they graze in the open places.

Well, you can't maybe see all those animals if you visit Russia. They do not feel so free there. But the nature is very beautiful there, too. Here are some photos my friends took these days. I'm sure you will feel the calm, the silence, the infinity. Unfortunatelly, you can't feel the smels of the autumn... Imagine them.



Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках



«вид с холмов города Владимира» на Яндекс.Фотках

 
Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

 
Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

Some Views of Russia...

Russia... You look in the morning from your tent and think if you have just to wash yourself... But somebody prepared just coffee on the fire and it's smell pulls you out... You make some exercises to extend your members ...and the day begins. Other infinite spaces wait for you here.


«река Уфа в тумане» на Яндекс.Фотках
«Александовская сопка под дождем» на Яндекс.Фотках
«река Уфа» на Яндекс.Фотках

Sochi is in Russia

I have a day of nostalgy today. I think about my mother, about my country, about my happy young past days.

My mother lives in Sochi today. You could hear this name maybe. It's a costal city with subtropical climate in Russia. And my mother is there. She has 70 years this year. And I have seen her 3 years ago last time... I'm nostalgic and sad. There is not job here, in Italy, and I can't visit my mother because I have not job. So, I can only look at this photos.

Winter in Moscow

Moscow is a city where I was different times but don't feel it as a place I know good enough. Moscow is too big to know it. Than, it changes very quickly. I found these very interesting photos that show the capital from very interesting point of view. Winter. Not too cold -it seems to me, because there is fog and the water in Moskwa-river is not frozen else. But there is snow on the streets. Beautiful...


«Сиреневый туман...» на Яндекс.Фотках


«Декабрь в Москве» на Яндекс.Фотках


«Зимние сказки Москвы» на Яндекс.Фотках

---------------------------------------------
By the way, if you are interested in river cruises in Europe, in Russia or you would like to sail for  Scandinavia/ Russia or Baltic capitals, you can write me at liudmila-@hotmail.it and we will discuss the possibilities of a splendid dream cruise vacation for you. You can throw a glance on cruise booking online too

Forget or Not Forget?

I've watched the Victory parad on the Red Square. I had very special feeling. But only a day before I could not agree with some persons that said we have not to forget that war. Today I found these photos and, sincerely, think, I was not right yesterday.

I've seen incredibly quantity of the photos of happy German soldiers near their hanged victims. (the last one -exist different photos of smiling soldiers near that girl, she was a partisan)
More photos here: http://zakkusufair.livejournal.com/847510.html?view=4118166#t4118166

Great Lakes: Baikal

With this post I want to begin the discovery of the great lakes and the first of them had to be Baikal. It is my big dream to visit it. I even have relatives that live not too far from this lake, but I never had time to go there. I lived always in the European part of the SU and I needed too much time and money for such a journey. So, I think, it will remain only a dream for me, forever.

But they say, there are different reasons to visit those places.


«Байкальские сосны» на Яндекс.Фотках

First of all, the splendid nature. Than marvelous persons (the people in wild places are very good -something like this I just had in my life when I visited Karelia). Finally great food and mystic places. They tell about real shamans and healers. There are many interesting fishes and animals -there is even a seal there!

Unfortunatelly, my friends write me -and I partecipated at the action of protest too- the government of Russia wants to open a dangerous fabric. And to destroy the entire eco-system.


«Вид на Байкал и исток Ангары» на Яндекс.Фотках

What is Kizhi?

«Кижи» на Яндекс.Фотках

Some days ago I began to write about the antique Russian church architecture. You can remember these 2 posts The Golden Ring of Russia, Russian Churches Of XII Century
where I told about very interesting examples of wooden churches and wanted to write some posts about them.

The first place is entire island -national park, Kizhi, in Karelia Russia, in front of Finnland, where you can see not only churches but different types of houses too. The church on the photo is made without nails, the pieces were made so, that they take one other.

Unfortunatelly, the church is not every day open for tourist to protect precious icons. But the visit is interesting in any case for the walk you can make through the park. And you can visit houses of the population (with guide) too.

Interesting is that all that buildings are real. They were disassembled, taken on the island and assembled once more.


«Церковь во имя Покрова пресвятой Богородицы .» на Яндекс.Фотках

The Golden Ring of Russia

These are the "open air museums" not too far from Moscow. Some antique towns with unique architecture from XII century. The region is called Zalesye and the towns are Sergiyev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, Rostov Velikiy, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Gus-Khrustalny, Suzdal, Vladimir, Rybinsk, Uglich and Alexandrov. (Read Russian Churches Of XII Century too)

Unfortunatelly, I had never the possibility to visit these towns. It's sad, you kow. We travel around the world and do not visit the places of our country, our nation. I know, it's the same for everybody all over the world.

This is Rostov Velikiy (not Rostov -it's another city)


«Изображение 154» на Яндекс.Фотках

Here is Suzdal


«Покровский собор 1530г.Покровский женский монастырь.» на Яндекс.Фотках

Russian Churches Of XII Century

If we want to speak about Russian architecture that I love so much ( The Golden Ring of Russia ), we have to remember the churches of Velikij Novgorod. The pure beauty (inspired by Byzantine art, they say) impress your imagination. So, if you plan to "study" them, don't forget this destination.

The church "Spas At The Nerediza"


«...» на Яндекс.Фотках

To See In Russia

There were many virtual travels in Russia for me this week. In one of them I knew about "new russian style" in architecture and could confront 2 of the most important, I think, rapresentants of it. It can be that I'm not right in the definition. On the first photo is the original russian stile, on the second photo the "new" :-) On the first photo is the temple built in 1554 (the period was large but I give the rough date). This cathedral is situated in Moscow.

The second, in Sankt Petersburg, finished in 1907, wanted to imitate the first.


«...........» на Яндекс.Фотках


«Храм Воскресения Христова.» на Яндекс.Фотках

It's Time To Visit The Most Cold City In The World

«Дорога в Якутск» на Яндекс.Фотках

Yakutsk. If you want to visit the most cold city in the world you have to understand the peculiarities of the place. The tempersture can reach -50°C (-70°C seems to me was the record) there, but winter is the best time to make this journey. Why? Look at these photos:


«Дорога в Якутск» на Яндекс.Фотках


«Дорога в Якутск» на Яндекс.Фотках

But it's a normal modern city with many interesting places, people and things that you will never see elsewhere...


«см дальше..» на Яндекс.Фотках


«княжна» на Яндекс.Фотках

...and spectacular virgin nature


«Усть-Нера, Якутск-Магадан» на Яндекс.Фотках

Сascades Of Emerald Valley

This is the last post about my mountain-excursion in Emerald Valley in Sochi.
Caucasian Mountain-Tour, "Emerald Valley", first part
Caucasian Mountain-Tour, "Emerald Valley", second part
Dolmens Of The Emerald Valley, Sochi

As I said you, important points of this tour were cascades. In 2 different places. And than dolmens and a witches cave that was closed for visits in that period because dangerous.

I think there are few words to say in this post. The photos tell everthing about the beauty of the place. Incredible and unique beauty. Unfortunatelly I can not tell you the feelings you have there. It's like you are in a temple and the God is here, near you.

By the way, in summer these cascads are full of persons. They come to bath there, in the "plates" that are under every cascade.

Caucasian Mountain-Tour, "Emerald Valley", second part

After the bee's farm we had to stay in our minibus about an hour or two else till we reached the last aul and had to change vehicle.

There are not roads there, so the locals use these military cars, off-roads, to cross their land. We have seen them near every house that were there. I think, every family earns money transporting tourists. Our guide said, there are incredible quantities of persons that want to make a bath in the cascades we had to visit that day.

It was not so far till the house where we had to eat and to rest a little, but ... to reach it we had an other "extreem". Nothing terrible, but it is not very normal, this bridge.

In the house where we had to rest there was an other presentation of local foods. This time they were mostly wines. The daughter of the owner told us about the wines her father makes and we could taste them all. After that "second breackfast" with "chebureki" (puff pastry with meat inside -mmmmm.....) and we were ready to continue. After that good wine and 4 hours of the car I did not want other as sleep, sincerely, ...





I have to say you with all sincerity: when I came home and looked at my arm and side, I was afraid to see all that parts of my body black from bruises. Thanks God I did not look at my butt...