June 7

Yaroslavl

[We’re still at the Governor’s House – in the backyard to look at art.  It was a whirlwind tour – we had to run to get back to the bus . . . ]

[The photo above was the first one taken in the garden.  The one below, the identifier, was the last one I took as we were racing for the bus . . . ]

[The Governor’s House from the backyard garden . . . ]

[It was about here that I believe Pam got this shot . . . ]

[This was nice . . . ]

[The Super loves her animals . . . ]

[Isn’t he cute?]

[We were racing around trying to visit every sculpture in the garden . . . ]

[You may have noticed that while I was shooting the identifiers I was also taking selfies . . . ]

[Flowers (not sculptures) . . . ]

[Out of the Governor’s House and back at the Church of Elijah the Prophet . . . ]

[This is known as “the Government building in the middle of Yaroslavl.”  Seriously.  That’s all I could find on it . . . ]

[We’ll visit the inside in a bit . . . ]

[Seriously, “Government building of Yaroslavl region.”  May also be known as city hall?]

[And now a walk this way . . . ]

[Sighting the church behind us as we head to a different neighborhood . . . ]

[Yaroslavl’s coat of arms . . . ]

[We arrived at Alexander Nevskiy Chapel in the city park . . . ]

[And the fountain and themed flower beds thereof . . . ]

[And across the street to the Central Market . . . ]

[Quite a place . . . ]

[Whoa, that’s our chef!  Leonidas Kritharas, from Greece, the executive chef on the Viking Akun  . . . ]

[I don’t think he was making baklava . . . ]

[Back out to the Nevskiy Chapel park . . . ]

[And past what certainly appears to be a restaurant . . . ]

[And back to what I guess is called government center . . . ]

[The most beautiful church of the city, the Church of Elijah the Prophet is the pride and joy of Yaroslavl and the favorite tourist attraction. It was built in 1647 – 1650 and is one of the most complete and best-preserved monuments of Yaroslavl. Built on the site of two churches, the Intercession and Elijah, the church is considered a real masterpiece of ancient Russian art. The main structure of the temple is a massive building on high foundation topped with five heads resting on light drums. The drums are decorated with arches and columns and surrounded by the rows of kokoshniks. But the main thing is, of course, the interior painting, made by famous Kostroma masters. They have no equals in beauty, richness and brightness of colors (advantour.com) . . . ]

[Will some day be on the Olympic hockey team.  I should have got her autograph . . . ]

[And now inside the church . . . ]

[I don’t know what to say about all this . . . so I won’t . . . ]

[(Psst, it’s all kinda spectacular sensory overload . . . )]

[From the wonders of inside art . . . to outside art . . . ]

[As we stroll through another park to Assumption Cathedral . . . ]

[Assumption Cathedral of Yaroslavl was laid down in 1215, a year before the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery that survives to the present day. The Assumption Cathedral was more than once rebuilt and was destroyed in 1937, but on the occasion of the celebration of 1000th anniversary of the city it was restored on its original place.  Today Assumption Cathedral, that you can see at the Spit of the Volga and the Kotorosl’, is much different from the previous cathedral and first of all by its large size. But, the natives will certainly get used to its appearance, and the cathedral will become of the main sights of the city (geomerid.com.]

[An eternal flame burns in front of The Assumption Cathedral in Yaroslavl, Russia. It is flanked by monuments to men and women who served in the “Great Patriotic War” of 1941-1945. The cathedral was rebuilt in 2010 (alamy.com).]

[The sunny weather really made the golden cupolas glisten . . . ]

[Let’s go in . . . ]

[And back out again.  It must have been a non-photos inside . . . ]

[And the ringing of the bells, bells, bells, bells . . . ]

[Now I seem to recall choir practice was going on inside . . . ]

[So, onward to the Volga-Promenade . . . ]

[The oldest part of Yaroslavl is located on the cape at the confluence (there’s that word again) of the rivers Kotorosl and Volga. The area is known as the “Arrow” of Yaroslavl (Google images).]

[And now were heading back to the confluence of tourists and our bus . . . ]

[Back to the boat.  I already miss Olga.]

[After a long day out amongst ’em, a bowl of nice hot soup really hits the spot.]

The wicked at heart probably know something.  ~  Woody Allen

Up Next: Maybe volleyball?

June 7

Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl is the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, located 250 kilometers (160 mi) northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden  Ring cities, a group of historic cities northeast of Moscow that have played an important role in Russian history. Population: 591,486  (Wikipedia).

[On this morning we’re cruising the Rybinsk Reservoir, the 3rd largest lake in Europe (and the largest manmade body of water on the world) at 1,770 square miles.]

[It was sunny, but brisk.  So the Super decided to remain cozy in the confines of our little breakfast “cafe.”]

[We were out and about because the bridge advised of an upcoming photo op . . . ]

[Tom’s already outside, Pam’s on her way . . . ]

[And there’s our first sighting . . . ]

[The Nativity Church was built at the end of the 18th century (approximately in 1790) in Krokhino settlement (Belozersky District of Vologda Oblast). The church was at the water’s edge on the coast of Lake Beloye, at the origin of the Sheksna River.  At the beginning of the 1960s, Krokhino, Karlugino and other settlements of Belozersky District got into the inundation zone at the time of construction of deep Volga-Baltic Waterway.  The level of water in Lake Beloye has risen to guarantee depth for ships, and ancient villages and their whole history have gone underwater. The inhabitants of the inundated areas disassembled their houses and moved away.  The Nativity Church in Krokhino, famous for its location, is more likely to collapse as it stands in water. The Nativity Church became well-known because of the tourist routes that travel on Sheksna River. In 2009, a project to salvage the church was organized (Wikiedia).]

[In an otherwise isolated area . . . ]

[Moving onward . . . ]

[From sunrise . . . ]

[Across big water . . . ]

[Land ho!]

[And now, the morning’s next big photo op . . . ]

[We’re approaching Mother Volga . . . ]

[The Super’s getting excited . . . ]

[There she is!]

[Mother Volga stands on a spit of land on the reservoir side approach to the locks at the Rybinsk dam. With out stretched hand she faces the huge reservoir, one of the largest in Russia. She holds a document in her other hand, said to represent the plans for the for the lock and a bird flies at her feet.  The system of dams on the Volga have provided electricity to vast areas. Words of Lenin are engraved on the base of the statue -“Communism is the power of the Soviets plus electrification”. However in recent years there is increasing concern about the the ecological damages and pollution caused by the system of large reservoirs on the Volga.  Mother Volga displays a stylish white forelock, courtesy of the local gulls  (waymarking.com).]

[And next . . . ]

[After completing our pass of Mother Volga . . . ]

[She’s at the confluence of the Volga and Sheksna Rivers.  And no, “confluence” is note a dirty word . . . ]

[The lock at Rybinsk is at a busy junction, serving Volga River traffic headed to and from both Moscow and St. Petersburg. There are two parallel lock chambers, each 950 feet long and 98 feet wide. The rise/drop here is 46 feet but the chambers fill or empty rapidly.  Before the construction of the Rybinsk Dam, 1935-1941, the Sheksna River joined the Volga near this point. The locks are located in the bed of the Volga while the associated power plant lies in the bed of the Sheksna (waymarking.com).]

[And now through the lock . . . ]

Now let’s see the preceding sequence from the vantage of my smart phone camera, lest there would be immediate FaceBook worthy photos . . .

[And coming out of the lock . . . ]

[Vvedenskiy Tolga Convent is located on the outskirts of Yaroslavl, on the left bank of the Volga River. Founded as a monastery in 1314, it was named after the Tolga River flowing nearby. In 1987, after nearly sixty years of closure, it was reopened as a convent (russiatrek.org).]

[Pam checks it out . . . ]

Meanwhile, back to the camera camera . . . 

[It’s time for another class before they release us upon the local populace . . . ]

.

[Sasha is teaching us all about Mr. Gorbachev.  We agree he was a most significant figure of the 20th century . . . ]

[Still in view of the convent . . . ]

[Unknown church . . . lighthouse?]

[Tom and the Super in class . . . ]

[We have landed, the “Alex”bus awaits us . . . ]

[Lenin statue in bustling downtown Yaroslavl (as big as Minneapolis and St. Paul combined, with the same climate) . . . ]

[Church of Elijah the Prophet . . . ]

[The most beautiful church of the city, the Church of Elijah the Prophet is the pride and joy of Yaroslavl and the favorite tourist attraction. It was built in 1647 – 1650 and is one of the most complete and best-preserved monuments of Yaroslavl. Built on the site of two churches, the Intercession and Elijah, the church is considered a real masterpiece of ancient Russian art. The main structure of the temple is a massive building on high foundation topped with five heads resting on light drums. The drums are decorated with arches and columns and surrounded by the rows of kokoshniks. But the main thing is, of course, the interior painting, made by famous Kostroma masters. They have no equals in beauty, richness and brightness of colors (advantour.com).]

[Then it was on to the Governor’s House where, out of dozens of other decrepit old men, the lovely and talented Olga selected me to dance with her.  She was in early 19th century attire, as were the musicians. This is Olga, addressing us all, in perfect English . . . ]

[The aforementioned similarly-attired musicians . . . ]

[The similarly attired ballroom . . . ]

[My fan club (OK, they were there to see Olga) . . . ]

[And here come the dancers . . . ]

[With the aforementioned similarly-attired Olga . . . ]

[These guys had a definited attire advantage on me . . . ]

[Now joined by the “fan club” . . . ]

[Fortunately, the “fan club” did not join the musicians . . . ]

[Now you know how to do it!]

[And here we go, the Super grabbed my camera so there would be photographic evidence . . . ]

[I tried to be delicate . . . ]

[A perfectly executed right heel lift . . . ]

[And a spin (we opted not to go for the lift and toss) . . . ]

[Do-si-do . . . ]

[And allemande left . . . ]

[Well, I did make her laugh.  I think it was an Ole and Olga joke . . . ]

[And another spin . . . ]

[And this was the last spin (uffda) . . . ]

[Spasibo, Olga!]

[The Super won a flower for her journalistic coverage of the ball . . . ]

[Olga recovered in time to continue leading our tour.  Believed to be a “governor” on the wall behind her . . . ]

[Empress Ekaterina II . . . ]

[Seriously, I love this!]

[Rustic Love (does not involve a “confluence”) . . . ]

[Really liked this one, too!]

Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.  ~ Woody Allen

Up Next:Why not Russia?

June 6

Goritzy

[Heading into another “can’t see across” lake this morning. Lake Beloye (White Lake) is the 7th largest lake in Europe at 440 square miles. It’s part of the Volga-Baltic waterway as we’re heading south now, ultimately to Moscow.]

[A teaching session by Sasha.  We really enjoyed the Russian history lessons.  Sasha differed somewhat from Russians in general.  He thinks Gorbachev was the most important leader of the Soviet Union.  One of his peers, can’t remember if it was Alexey or Vadim, think it was Yeltsin because he brought capitalism to the country.  I’m in the Gorbachev camp, thinking he was one of the most important people of the 20th century.  But then I’m just a retired guy from Alex . . . ]

[The Church of the Nativity in the village of Krokhino.  For 50 years, it has been surrounded by water after the village was flooded during the construction of the Volga-Baltic Canal in 1964 (www.rbth.com).]

[Hence, we’re here as a result of the Volga-Baltic Canal . . . ]

[[I]n 1964, during the construction of the deep-water Volga-Baltic Canal, the water level in the Sheksna River was artificially raised – and the village was submerged by the lake, leaving only the white-stone church rising out of the water (www.rbth.com).]

[In Goritzy, a merchant house museum – the person standing in the door will be identified two photos down . . . ]

[We’re leaving the museum, must not have had any inside photo ops . . . ]

[This is Natalya, the person standing in the door.  She runs the place.  My Mom’s name was Natalia.  I told her that when I asked to take her picture.]

[Next:  Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, translated into English as White Lake [translation of the town name of Beloozero] St. Cyril’s Monastery, used to be the largest monastery and the strongest fortress in Northern Russia. By the 20th century, the town of Kirillov had grown nearby (Wikipedia).]

[The vast walled area of the monastery comprises two separate priories with eleven churches, most of them dating to the 16th century. Of these, nine belong to the Uspensky (Dormition, the Orthodox equivalent of the Catholic holiday known as the Assumption of Mary) priory by the lake. The Dormition cathedral, erected by Rostov masters in 1497, was the largest monastery church built in Russia up to that date. Its 17th-century iconostasis features many ancient icons, arranged in five tiers above a silver heaven gate endowed by Tsar Alexis in 1645. A lot of valuable objects kept in the sacristy are personal gifts of the tsars who visited the monastery (Wikipedia).]

[Inside, lots of restorations going on here . . . ]

[Walk this way . . . ]

[Restorations financed by tourism?  Well, why not . . . ]

[A rose by any other name . . . ]

[Let there be blue skies . . . ]

[Our guide, name now lost in the ether of 4 months time . . . ]

[But we can blow up her name tag:  “Lyuba.”]

[She’s likely telling the story of the cupola?]

[Again, designer scaffolding . . . ]

[May be getting mixed messaging?]

[OK, back with Lyuba . . . ]

[She’s telling the story of White Lake . . . ]

[Lake Beloye or White Lake is in the northwestern part of Vologda Oblast.  The town of Belozersk is located on its coast. In terms of area, Lake Beloye is the second natural lake of Vologda Oblast (behind Lake Onega), and the third lake also behind the Rybinsk Reservoir. It is one of the ten biggest natural lakes in Europe (Wikipedia).]

[I believe she told us the lake has healing or restorative powers (though I could find nothing in the literature).  All you had to do was touch the water.  Dr. Kiehne, showing a nimbleness beyond his years, squatted and touched the water.  Final results have yet to be determined . . . ]

[From cupola to cupola . . . ]

[Back on the bus, Gus.  The Super looks chilled . . . ]

[Nice views from the other side . . . ]

[No, not the entire lake . . . ]

[The bus guide with rolling commentary . . . ]

[We’re back to the ship which has moved from Goritzy to . . . ]

[Kuzino . . . ]

In time for fine shipboard dining . . . 

[More people you meet along the way. Dasha, from Russia, is there every morning at breakfast and still there when we leave after dinner at night. Rina, from the Philippines, is there to pour our wine every night. They will make 14 trips between St. Petersburg and Moscow this season. As you can see from their attire, it was “traditional” Russia night . . . ]

[Mmmmmmmmm, borscht!!!]

[And other food products . . . ]

[Purchased by the Super on the open market this day . . . ]

[The aforementioned Rina . . . ]

[Pouring our wine . . . ]

[We ate with them several times. Interesting couple whose names I can no longer remember, of course.  This was an anniversary night for them.  As I vaguely recall, I believe he escaped from behind the Iron Curtain as a young boy, on his own. I think they live in Pennsylvania or Michigan, or maybe Ecuador, who remembers such things?]

Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel.  ~  Yogi Berra

Up Next:  Yeah, Russia.

September 21

Homecoming Weekend

[The weekend began, as usual, with the Hall of Fame luncheon at Broadway Ballroom for three new inductees . . . ]

[Good lunch!]

September 22

[I somehow managed to miss the Homecoming parade and game (we won both), but we did make the fundraiser for the Education Foundation the next night . . . ]

[‘Twas a big crowd at Holiday Inn . . . ]

[The Super managed again to come away with 6 bottles of wine at the auction . . . ]

[And here she comes again with another “jewels” victory!]

[Woo-woo!]

September 26

[The AGC Wednesday fine dining moved to The Depot as the dining season at the golf club ended last week . . . ]

September 27

[And the monthly Class of ’65 lunch invaded Angelina’s where we talked about such as cataract surgery . . . ]

September 28

[And then the annual fundraiser for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra at Broadway Ballroom . . . ]

[The Super presents sumphony violinist Lesley Donahue with a bag of MY bathtub toys for her two young daughters . . . ]

[The Super and Kathy Schultz check out the auction items . . . ]

[Music fans begin to arrive . . . ]

[The Super and Kathy are still shopping . . . ]

[A string quartet begins the evening’s entertainment . . . ]

[Then the full orchestra . . . ]

[Erik was wondering if they needed a guitar player . . . ]

[And dancers took the floor . . . ]

[Dressed in our finest finery for the symphony . . . ]

[With a flutist with Trumm Drug connections . . . ]

[Then a tuba quartet . . . ]

[A flutist with Carlos Creek connections . . . ]

[Did I mention the Super got 6 more bottles of wine here?]

[John and Fran Obert?  No idea?]

[Students from senior college dance with freshmen from Alexandria Area High School . . . ]

[The high schoolers are violinists and sat at our table where they displayed a unique ability to devour meatballs . . . ]

September 29

[Where we noted the change of seasons . . . ]

[Then an afternoon at Carlos Creek Winery with the Salty Dogs.  You may recognize fiddler Greg as the tuxedoed violinist with the orchestra the previous night . . . ]

[They drew an SRO crowd – winery crew kept bringing in more tables and chairs . . . ]

[Foreground Dave was also Class of ’65, but he was only in Alex from 7th through 9th grades . . . ]

[Joined by a bride-to-be . . . ]

See the leaves fall; gee, the leaves are clumsy.  ~  (I forgot)

Up Next:  The next stop in Russia?

June 5

Kizhi

3:00 am and we’re on Lake Onega, the 2nd largest lake in Europe (4,000 square miles). We’re heading to Kizhi Island, at 62 degrees north the 3rd farthest north I’ve ever been (Fairbanks and Reykjavik at 65 degrees north). It’s now also much colder – gonna need the woolies today. And we’re trending toward White Nights – almost to 24 hours of daylight here . . .

[A cruise boat race across Lake Onega . . . ]

[First sighting of land structures . . . ]

[But the 9 days of sun and warmth have given way to cool and rainy . . . ]

[A marker “island” . . . ]

[Navigation markers . . . ]

[Aproaching the Kizhi Island Open Air Museum . . . ]

[And there it is . . . ]

[This morning on Kizhi Island. Temperature low 40’s, on-and-off hard rain, great day to visit the 22-domed Transfiguration Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site.]

[Whereas Mandrogy made no pretense of being anything other than a tourist trap (and they should be trapped every once in a while), Kizhi is the real deal.  Kizhi is an island near the geometrical center of Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia. It is elongated from north to south and is about 6 km long, 1 km wide and is about 68 km away from the capital of Karelia, Petrozavodsk.  Settlements and churches on the island were known from at least the 15th century.  In the 18th century, two major churches and a bell tower were built on the island, which are now known as Kizhi Pogost.  Nowadays, the entire island and the nearby area form a national open-air museum with more than 80 historical wooden structures. The most famous is the Kizhi Pogost, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Wikipedia).]

[Photo by Pam . . . ]

[On the ground, did I mention it was cold and rainy?]

[But we puddled on . . . ]

[And there is our destination.  The light created by the changing weather was perfect here – the church appeared “lit” against the dark cloud background . . . ]

[The church is the last surviving original example of an elaborate form of north Russian church architecture consisting of ascending octagonal tiers buttressed with rectangular extensions at the points of the compass. The various components of the pine log structure are crowned with barrel gables, which support cupolas covered with aspen shingles. For the 22 cupolas of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior there are some 30,000 shingles, which were replaced in a restoration during the 1950s. The shingles are cut in a curved form to fit the contours of the cupola frame and are wedged into place beginning with the top row, which fits into a neck at the base of the cross (www.wdl.org). As is obvious, the church is currently undergoing another restoration.]

[In 1714, the 22-dome Transfiguration Church was constructed and soon after the bell tower was added, thereby completing the Kizhi Pogost. The bell tower was entirely rebuilt in 1862 (Wikipedia).]

[Not an easy makeover, the scaffolding alone is an architectural wonder . . . ]

[The existing cupolas . . . ]

[Other buildings in the “museum” . . . ]

[An amazing place considering its isolation . . . ]

[A visit inside where we’re not in the way of the work . . . ]

[Our youngish guide was obviously very proud of this historic building . . . ]

[Tom was digging it too!]

[Duck, low door . . . ]

[The view from the far side . . . ]

[Our guide gave detailed reports of the structure’s original design and how it’s being restored . . . ]

[It was an elaborate explanation, I believe I understood at the time, but now I don’t recall the specifics – something about upgrading the foundation?]

[And this was an overview as to how these buildings were designed to be comfortable during the long, cold winters . . . ]

[Maybe a little too cozy inside?]

[Where we were . . . ]

[A parting shot, sharing the stage with passengers from another boat . . . ]

[Heading back to the ship as the rain kicks up again . . . ]

[Whew, made it . . . ]

Evening boat time . . . 

[An invitation to a PAR-TAY!]

[Some PAR-TAY snacks . . . ]

[An invitation to the bridge of our Viking Akun. My technical question was how often do they have to change wiper blades. 5 years. I guess they don’t have to drive on salty roads?]

[The captain knew enough English to grin at my question . . . ]

[Oh, and back to the PAR-TAY, with toasts from the officers . . . ]

[As usual, an ending for your dining and dancing pleasure . . . ]

The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become until he goes abroad. I speak now, of course, in the supposition that the gentle reader has not been abroad, and therefore is not already a consummate ass.  ~  Mark Twain

Up Next:  Russia (maybe?) . . .

June 23

OK, a couple days at home before fall . . .

[Morning on Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[Great Blue Heron in Lake H2Obert . . . ]

[Finally, pelicans on Lake H2Obert – we hadn’t seen any all summer?]

OK, fall . . . 

[Sunday morning.  Sunny.  Projected high of 72.  Road trip in the convertible?]

[Why not?  Put the roof down, head past Lake Le Homme Dieu, on an 83-mile trip to Park Rapids for – Art Leap, an “open studio event” featuring artists and guest artists and other culturally rich destinations in the Park Rapids area, will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23. The 2018 event has expanded from 14 studios to 22 sites. Highlights of Art Leap include music, hors d’oeuvres, live demonstrations and seeing fall colors at their peak while driving from studio to tudio (business.parkrapids.com).  Plus, Jami would be there.]

[Past Blakes by the Lakes above; past Sunnie’s below . . . ]

[Up scenic County Road 42 north, coming up to the Lake Darling (left) – Lake Le Homme Dieu (right) isthmus . . . ]

[Rotary Beach on Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

[Over the connecting channel . . . ]

[Alexandria’s mountain on the east side of Le Homme Dieu . . . ]

[Now coming up to Interlachen and the Theatre L’Homme Dieu turn . . . ]

[Interlachen . . . ]

[Past L’Toile du Nord vineyards . . . ]

[Classic roadster . . . ]

[Real men drive pink . . . ]

[Attempted selfie when the Super started by the roof up.  We hadn’t thought that the weather might by different 80 miles north of us.  As we approached Sebeka, it began to get cloudy and when we reached Park Rapids the temp was in the low 50’s – we hadn’t dressed for that!]

[Sebeka in sight . . . ]

[“suh-BEE-kuh” (for non-natives)]

[Shortly thereafter, welcome to Menahga . . . ]

[“Gateway to the pines” . . . ]

[St. Urho, the patron saint of Finland . . . ]

[See, I told you it was the gateway to the pines . . . ]

[Played there a couple of times – didn’t much care for it . . . ]

[When we arrived in Park Rapids, we found Jami – hanging out with Deb and Paul Trumm  – and dressed for winter . . . ]

[They were enjoying music behind Smoky Hills Art (these 2 photos by Jami) . . . ]

[It was early afternoon and we were hungry . . . ]

[So, welcome to – Bella Caffé – That’s Italian for beautiful coffee!  And much more… espresso, lattes, Chai tea, mochas, cold drinks, panini (grilled) sandwiches, antipasti (Italian for hors d’oeuvres), cheese and dipping oils, crostini, salads, wine and beer from many different countries, undeniable deserts! Visitors will find high-speed wireless Internet, unique styles and architecture, a solarium and, best of all, great people who are committed to making your visit more than you expected (bellacaffeon3rd.com).]

[We wandered in search of Art Leap stuff, which led us to the old courthouse, now the Nemeth Art Center . . . ]

[Jami reaches for hydration . . . ]

[And this is Kari Grace singing (originally from Mpls, now Bemidji) while Nate Luetgers paints . . . ]

[We had a nice visit with both of them . . . ]

[Ruthie’s photo . . . ]

[Always willing to share “ART” . . . ]

[“America Gothic” . . . ]

[“American Gothic” (part 2?) . . . ]

[Again, “art” . . . ]

[We should go before it gets dark . . . ]

[Signing in . . . ]

[Signing out . . . ]

[Yes, it is Smoky Hills Art mural . . . ]

[Where the guys were singing when we first arrived . . . ]

[And from the front as we were leaving for home . . . ]

[RDO’s processing plant, where all your McDonald’s french fries come from – iinvolved in many issues concerning water use and lake pollution . . . ]

[Back home again to scenic County Road 42.  We put the roof back down when we hit Sebeka and rode the wave to 75-degree weather in Alex . . . ]

[Now it’s Le Homme Dieu on the left and Carlos on the right . . . ]

[Late afternoon sky over Lake Carlos.]

Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.  ~  David Letterman

Up Next:  Still thinking Russia . . .

June 4

Mandrogy

[And on the 8th day, we finally “sailed.” We cruised out of St. Petersburg on the Neva River last evening. In the morning we awoke to this. We’re on Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. It’s 6,800 square miles – a great lake – with 50,000 lakes and 3,500 rivers over 6 miles long in its basin. Yup, lotsa water around here! The Neva, incidentally, is the main river of St. Petersburg though it’s only 46 miles long – but it’s relatively wide and deep as it flows from Lake Ladoga to the Gulf of Finland.]

[Just outside our room, looking back to the Panorama Bar, our continental breakfast nook . . . ]

[Here it is closer-upper – my first stop every morning as an early riser . . . ]

[Convenient, and a great place to hang out . . . ]

[Beautiful here . . . ]

[Like northern Minnesota . . . ]

[Just cruising at 60 degrees north latitude . . . ]

[On the Svir River . . . ]

[Outdoor dining, with a view . . . ]

[And now it was time for class with Margot in the Sky Bar . . . ]

[The daily lecture series imparted useful overviews of the next port of call.  Mandrogy dead ahead . . . ]

[Along the Svir . . . ]

[Rush hour on the Svir?]

[Cruise ship competition . . . ]

[Gorgeous here, and there’s Mandrogy on the left . . . ]

I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but I’d never heard of this place . . .

[“Welcome, dear English-speaking visitors,” as our favourite Russian guide would say, “to our wonderful, make-believe, treasure-island town of Mandrogi”.  Located in thick forest on the Svir River — halfway between bustling St Petersburg and the lonely island of Kizhi, famous for its towering, onion-top churches — Mandrogi was bombed out of existence by the Germans in World War II.  More than half a century later it has been reconstructed, in dreamy, idealised, fairytale form, by Sergei Gutsait, a St Petersburg businessman and arts benefactor.  First came a hotel, followed by hideaways for artists and, eventually, a village full of attractions, unashamedly targeting tourists shuttling back and forth between St Petersburg and Moscow on tour ships such as our Viking Ingvar.  In recent years, there have been more additions. They include a small zoo, a working windmill, a school, a post office, a football pitch, an exhibition centre and an airstrip famously used by visiting Russia president Vladimir Putin.  Once again, the name of the “disappeared” village, which in the local language roughly means “thresholds” or “boundaries”, appears on the official Map of Russia, albeit in very small letters (www.escape.com.au).]

[Tom alights in Mandrogy and begins firing immediately . . . ]

[After eight days in large metropolitan areas, we were now officially in the middle of nowhere . . . ]

[The population is 238, and appears now to be totally dependent on tourism (?) . . . ]

[It was another beautiful day – 9 days in a row.  The next day, and the rest of the trip, returned to more “normal” weather . . . ]

[The Super leads the charge to the first place of tourism . . . ]

[It was touristy, but in a lovely setting . . . ]

[Likely a more comfortable slide covered in ice and snow . . . ]

[Another nifty workshop where artisans plied their wares . . . ]

[Let’s take the local “Uber” for a ride around town . . . ]

[Students . . . ]

[And more students . . . ]

[Windmill with cruise ship backdrop . . . ]

[Significance unknown to me . . . ]

[Onward, O Uber!]

[A large wooden building . . . ]

[When you come to the fork in the road . . . ]

[This unique building seems to have Tom overwhelmed . . . ]

[As we ride through the lovely woods, wishing we could visit with our driver . . . ]

[The backup Uber engine?]

[Walden Pond . . . I mean, Pushkin Pond . . . ]

[More unique structures . . . ]

[When cruise boat denizens collide . . . ]

[Pam gave it a try . . . ]

[As I recall, she did pick up a splinter . . . ]

[The Super and Pam visit with a crafter.  I don’t recall if purchases were made . . . ]

[Egg, potato, mushroom, or meat . . . ]

[Some noted they were quite tasty (like our pasty?) . . . ]

[Is it safe to come out?]

[Another visit with a crafter . . . ]

[Folks are dressed for cold, but it was actually quite lovely . . . ]

[The proverbial Russian bear . . . ]

[Why are there two?]

[Where we are in relation to other places . . . ]

[Photo by Pam . . . ]

[This one looks authentic . . . ]

[Little Red Ryding Hood’s cabin?]

[Back aboard ship . . . ]

[Vaya con Dios, Mandrogy!]

Before we rejoin ship activities, a little fun with Pam’s horse ride photos . . . 

[That’ll be 4 million rubles, please . . . ]

Back for “school” and dinner . . . 

[Thanks for the goodies, Olya!]

[And now Margo’s teaching about the next day’s destination . . . ]

[The ship’s captain interviewed by Vadim . . . ]

[Tom and I both capturing this window scene . . . ]

[People you meet along the way. Cherry is from the Philippines. Naturally, I called up George Carlin’s YouTube of “Cherry Pie” for her – made another Carlin fan . . . ]

[The aforementioned George Carlin video.]

[Appears this has something to do with food . . . ]

[Oh my!]

[After dinner aft . . . ]

[Has subsequently become my computer background display . . . ]

Don’t worry about the world ending today, it’s already tomorrow in Australia.  ~  Charles M. Schulz

Up Next:  The next stop . . .

September 14

That time of year again. The Stomp has had weather issues in the past; and this year the forecast was for possible storms on Friday and Saturday.  Fortunately, they didn’t happen.  But Saturday and Sunday produced heat indices in the mid-90’s!  

[Friday was overcast with a bit of dewpoint.  We went out early afternoon for Anthony Miltich.  This was the first photo op that caught my eye . . . ]

[Then Anthony caught my eye . . . ]

[Good stuff from our old friend . . . ]

[We were there with our usual music partners, Dave and Karin Berg . . . ]

[And were subsequently joined by Dave’s brother Loren and his wife Dee . . . ]

[Dave and Karin thought they heard the pop of a wine cork from bottle of Reserve Marquette.  They, the Super and me, would leave a little early to nap before going to see Dan Mahar at the Garden Bar that evening . . . ]

September 15

Saturday was just too damn hot!!

September 16

[Sunday morning on Lake H2Obert – starting to take on the look and feel of fall . . . ]

[Before the last day of Grape Stomp, we had the Anderson’s annual pot luck and stinging insect festival – this year at Smokey Timbers . . . ]

[Yes, the Alexandria Andersons!  Happy Birthday, Alice!  (Sorry we forgot your card in our car.  It happens.  All the time.)]

[I’m always amazed that potlucks always seem to have the right combinations of food products?]

[Dig in, Harvey!]

[In case we forget where this took place . . . ]

[We started eating outside, but the wasps and flies overwhelmed our food . . . ]

[Our departing walk up the hill (that’s Lake Miltona is beyond the tree line) . . . ]

[The Super heading up hill to our car . . . ]

[It was hot again, with 30 mph winds – a good day for a ride in the country with the convertible roof down . . . ]

[Pretty ride from Smokey Timbers to the winery through farmlands in or near harvest season . . . ]

[See a bit of Lake Miltona here . . . ]

[Now we’re on the homeward stretch to the winery with Lake Ida to the right . . . ]

[Mid-September, leaves they are a’changin’ . . . ]

[The sunlight sparkles off the cars parked at the Grape Stomp . . . ]

[And we’re there . . . ]

[Vendor tents amassed . . . ]

[Turning in past some grape vines . . . ]

[To field parking . . . ]

[Premature wine . . . ]

[And we were there for Josie . . . ]

[It was too windy for videos . . . ]

[She’s two weeks into her sophomore year at Concordia Moorhead . . . ]

[But it was the biggest Sunday crowd I can recall – I think Josie did pretty good with her tip jar!]

When life gives you lemons, make grape juice and let them wonder how you did it.  ~  Unknown

Up Next:  Gotta be . . . Russia

June 3

St. Petersburg, continued . . . 

[After our morning adventure, we’re now heading back into the city . . . ]

[Leningrad Hero City Obelisk, May 1, 1945, in Vosstaniya Square. . . ]

[The artsy shot . . . ]

[I have reason to believe this is the Anichkov Bridge.  Why?  (Next slide please . . . )]

[The Anichkov Bridge is the oldest and most famous bridge across the Fotanka River. The current bridge, built in 1841-42 and reconstructed in 1906-08, combines a simple form with some spectacular decorations. As well as its four famous horse sculptures (1849–50), the bridge has some of the most celebrated ornate iron railings in Saint Petersburg  (Wikipedia).  Note the horse sculptures at the beginning (or end) of the bridge.]

[The City Duma is located at the corner of the avenue and Dumskaya Street, opposite the Merchant Court and Grand Hotel Europe. Its distinctive tower, formerly used for fire observation, can still be seen the whole length of Nevsky Prospekt after the crossing with Fontanka River (Wikipedia).]

[Great Gostiny Dvor (left and center), vast department store on Nevsky Avenue across from the Duma (right), is the city’s oldest shopping centre and also one of the first shopping arcades in the world . . . ]

[Pushkin statue in Arts Square . . . ]

[Gathered outside the State Russian Museum.  We did not partake, likely due to time constraints . . . ]

[And now, from inside the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood (did I mention previously no inside photography?) . . . ]

[Built between 1883 and 1907, it contains over 7,500 square meters of mosaics, possibly more than any other church in the world . . . ]

[Let’s browse (which is what you say when you are at a loss for describing the things you are looking at) . . . ]

[Though the church is not overly large, it overwhelms . . . ]

[I believe the Super’s feet . . . ]

[Mosaics from floor to ceiling . . . ]

[One from the Super . . . ]

[This could be a notice to pickpocketers that the blue plate special crowd is here?]

[A well-educated guess would be that this has something to do with ballet . . . ]

[OMG, there’s Freddie again!]

[He appears to be advertising for Rock Pub . . . ]

[The Grand Palace . . . I seem to be catching on to Cyrillic?]

[The Senate and Synod Building, by appearance . . . but it didn’t recall it being in this neighborhood?]

[Now the group is on the move in search of . . . a boat!]

[And there they are!]

[We had a bit of a wait – so we just worked on our tans . . . ]

[Finally, away we go.  This had to be a blind overhead shot because I see my Antioch cap in the left foreground . . . ]

[St. Pete, here we come!]

[The Super gives the are you taking my picture(?) look . . . ]

[Our fans wait on the bridge above for our arrival.  I searched the internet (“bridges in St. Petersburg”) for identification.  The railing design is an identifying design feature.  But, I couldn’t find it . . . ]

[No Russian city should be without one . . . ]

[The letters “h-o-t-e-l” are on the building, so my guess is that it’s a hotel . . . ]

[No Russian city should be without one . . . ]

[A yellow building of some import or I wouldn’t have taken the photo?]

[Or maybe a place I’d recognize from the other side?]

[Appear to making a right turn here into another canal . . . ]

[We’re on the Kryukov Canal; the other boat is from the Griboyedov Canal . . . ]

[St. Nicholas Naval Academy . . . ]

[And its bell tower . . . ]

[Vege Apartment Building . . . ]

[Built for the owner of a chocolate factory (hence, the color?) . . . ]

[A skywalk?]

[“Spirit of the White Nights” music . . . ]

[Mariinsky Theatre (opera) . . . ]

[A $700 million project opened in 2013 . . . ]

[Self identified . . . ]

[Local fans?  Favorite photos I posted on FB . . . ]

[Mom and daughter?]

[Yusupov’s Palace . . . ]

[Neat looking building – government, embassy, hotel?  Dunno . . . ]

[St. Isaac’s Cathedral, for old time’s sake . . . ]

[Blue Bridge (surprise!) . . . ]

[The Pochtamtsky Bridge . . . ]

[The golden dome . . . ]

[Nicholas I in St. Isaac’s Square . . . ]

[Au Pont Rouge department store . . . ]

[It’s taking too long to find all these buildings . . . ]

[Let’s just browse . . . ]

[BCeM npnbet! (“Hi all!”, in Russian)]

[And now into “big water” . . . ]

[We’ve left the canals and ventured out onto the rougher waters of the Neva across from Peter and Paul Fortress . . . ]

[Peter and Paul, close up . . . ]

[Marble Palace . . . ]

[Palace Bridge . . . ]

[And surroundings . . . ]

[And its ornateness . . . ]

[STS Mir is a three-masted training ship . . . ]

[Wedged a bit around the left corner, the Cruiser Aurora, a famous Russian warship now a museum on the Neva . . . ]

[Peter and Paul . . . ]

[Peter I’s Summer Palace escape, the Letniy Palace, where the Fontanka meets the Neva . . . ]

[Well, I’m just shocked . . . ]

[I could find nothing on this uniquely stlyed bridge (among dozens of photos of St. Petersburg bridges) . . . ]

[Or of this building of obvious import near that bridge?]

[We may have stumbled into an old KGB area?]

[And this church, in the same area, also chose to remain anonymous?  Spooky!]

[Thank goodness the Faberge Museum chose to identify itself . . .

[Heading into the final turns of our waterways tour . . . ]

[I believe this may be the area where Russian oligarchs are snapping up waterfront properties . . . ]

[Well, isn’t this a nice view?]

[Russian commerce . . . ]

[And of course these photos tell you that . . . ]

[We’re heading back to the boat.]

Back on the boat, we’re about to finally begin our cruise part of the trip . . .

[Sing along with me.  For some undecypherable reason (OK, probably early to bed), we never spent an evening with the lounge duo?]

[Why, thank you, I will have a champagne!]

[Dr. Kiehne up close and personal with a weight-bearing pole . . . ]

[Or maybe he was just waiting for the drink tray to come by . . . ]

[We appear to be moving?]

[We are, as our singer snaps some departure photos . . . ]

[Dosvedanya to”our” bridge . . . ]

[And now it’s a bon voyage PAR-TAY!]

[Pam works the starboard side . . . ]

[Our sail away dinner . . . ]

[I have no idea, or remembrance of, what it was . . . ]

[OK, this is fish . . . ]

[And this must be dessert.  And dessert comes at the end.  And this is the end of our visit to St. Petersburg.  St. Petersburg is a very cosmopolitan city which likely explains why it is the epicenter of Russian trolling and hacking of our political system.  Absent any immediate remedy for that, we now head off into the Russian countryside . . . ]

It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, and certainly not desirable, as one’s hat keeps blowing off.  ~ Woody Allen

Up Next:  Russia, Russia, Russia

September 12

We had a midweek mini-family reunion. We’re a farflung group who can’t get together much.  But Jami and Danny came down from “the Harn,” stayed overnight, and the next morning just missed the arrival of brother Cam and cousin Beth from the Cities ubering Aunt Mary Kay and Uncle Tom from Desert Mountain, Arizona.  The following is a recounting of the events for sister Gretch in our nation’s capital . . .

[Danny fortunately is, among other things, an electrician.  So, here he replaced our old exterior lights as I took them down . . . ]

[An old one . . . ]

[A new one . . . ]

[By gosh and by golly, we’re up and running . . . ]

[Woo-woo . . . ]

[Then they joined us for our usual Wednesday night fine dining at the golf club, evenually deploying a couple trays of Happy Birthday cupcakes for the assembled masses . . . ]

September 13

[The next morning they had to return to the Harn . . . ]

[So, away went “Smartie” . . . ]

[Within a half hour, the uber from the Cities arrived.  After an hour or so of chatting in and about the new house, we all went to the golf club for lunch (weren’t we just there?).  Here I capture Cam’s better side.]

[The Arizonans enjoyed reading about the club’s past under the glass table top.  Tom and Cam had both played in the Resorters several times in the past.  From l-r:  The Super, Mary Kay, Tom, Cam, Beth . . . ]

[After a leisurely lunch, we suggested a visit here . . . ]

[The Arizona Obert’s have art galleries in Arizona and Cam is a gardener extraordinaire, so we were pretty sure all would enjoy the museum . . . ]

[Fortunately, John Buck’s art was still on display just off the lobby . . . ]

[But first checking out the merchandise “aisle” . . . ]

[Hmmmmmm . . . ]

[Then through the boat and resort displays . . . ]

[This work by Myron Sahlberg has become synonymous with the museum . . . ]

[A longtime area feature . . . ]

[Cam checks out the lake cabin display . . .]

[The final room – for the big boats . . . ]

[Then out the back door to the gardens . . . ]

[Cam could name all the plants; the rest marveled at what an entertainment and wedding venue this place has become . . . ]

[Waiting for the sun that never arrived . . . ]

[Family photo time . . . ]

[Relatives abound . . . ]

[Fellow residents of Victoria Heights back in the glorious days of the glory days . . . ]

[And then we all said good-bye until next time . . . ]

You keep your past by having sisters.  As you get older, they’re the only ones who don’t get bored if you talk about your memories.  ~   Deborah Moggach  [In fact, we three brothers make her gasp for breath in laughter.]

Up Next: Russia?