We walked the couple of miles to our usual restaurant for lunch, only to find it had closed down, but after a bit of searching we found a nice one in the town centre.. We both had a beef stroganoff with mash and a side of grilled veg, plus apple pie and ice cream for dessert The very friendly restaurant cat appeared after we had finished eating so didn't get any scraps....
You are probably right, @Chrissy Cross they specialise in weddings, and have another large dining hall beyond where we were, plus it's a hotel as well.
The weather forecast is good for the weekend at 24c (75f) with plenty of sun, so we will head for the country on Friday morning for a long weekend at Lisa's dacha. We have also organised a long weekend of 4 nights in the south west of Russia, a trip of around a 1,000Km from here. We will go by high speed train from here to Moscow about 4 hours then another high speed train to Vladimir for 2 hours plus a taxi journey of 35 Km to Suzdal. We will leave at 5:30 am from here next Friday (26th May) and arrive in Suzdal around 2pm. We have never been to this area before so are looking forward to it. Suzdal is one of the oldest Russian towns. In the 12th century it became the capital of the principality, with Moscow being merely one of its subordinate settlements. Nowadays Suzdal is the smallest of the Russian Golden Ring towns with population of just 9978 (2015), but a major tourist attraction. Several of its monuments are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The town's history dates back to 1024 and in 1125 Yury Dolgoruky made Suzdal the capital of the Rostov-Suzdal principality.Suzdal began to function as a capital at the time when Moscow was still a cluster of cowsheds. In 1157 Andrei Bogolyubsky moved the capital from Suzdal to Vladimir, from which time the principality was known as Vladimir-Suzdal. Set in a fertile wheat-growing area, Suzdal remained a trade centre even after Mongol-led invasions. Eventually, it united with Nizhny Novgorod until both were annexed by Moscow in 1392. After a decline in political importance, the town rose in prominence as a religious center with incredible development projects funded by Vasily III and Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy merchants paid for 30 charming churches, which still adorn the town.[15] Thus Suzdal reached remarkable ratio of churches to citizens: at one point, forty churches for four hundred families. In 1864, local merchants failed to coerce the government into building the Trans-Siberian Railway through their town. Instead it went through Vladimir, 35 km (22 mi) away. As a result, Suzdal was bypassed not only by trains, but by the 20th century altogether. Furthermore, in 1967 Suzdal earned a federally protected status, which officially limited the development in the area. That is why the place remains largely the same as ages ago – its cute wooden cottages mingling with golden cupolas that reflect in the river Kamenka, which meanders sleepily through gentle hills and flower-filled meadows. Today, the town operates as an important tourist center, featuring many fine examples of old Russian architecture—most of them churches and monasteries. Although having just under ten thousand residents, Suzdal still retains a rural look with streams and meadows everywhere and chicken and livestock a common sight on the streets, some of which remain unpaved. This juxtaposition of stunning medieval architecture with its pastoral setting lends Suzdal a picturesque charm, and in the summer, artists and easels are a common sight Here are a few pics from the web, hopefully there won't be any snow... The Guest House we are staying in......
A Few Days In The Golden Ring There are around 12 towns in the "Golden Ring" we visited and stayed in two Vladimir and Suzdal. The Golden Ring (Russian: Золото́е кольцо́) is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow, the capital of Russia. They formerly comprised the region known as Zalesye. These ancient towns, which also played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church, preserve the memory of the most important and significant events in Russian history. The towns have been called "open-air museums" and feature unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 12th–18th centuries, including kremlins, monasteries, cathedrals, and churches. These towns are among the most picturesque in Russia and prominently feature Russia's onion domes. LINK This is the view from our bedroom widow over the apple trees in blossom in Suzdal... a couple of dramatic evening shots after a storm...
A Second Few Days in the Golden Ring We visited the town of Sergiev Posad on our second trip to the Golden Ring, it's a small town 70Km north west of Moscow, we travelled there by train changing in Moscow, it's about a 7 hour trip. One of the highlights of our time here was the Trinity Lavra, which is an amazingly beautiful monastery, we were overwhelmed both with the size and beauty of the place with many churches in it's grounds. It's visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists daily, we went twice, the day we arrived it was drizzling andvirtually deserted, the second time on our last day when the sun came out the place became packed... The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (Russian: Тро́ице-Се́ргиева Ла́вра) is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to over 300 monks. The monastery was founded in 1337 by one of the most venerated Russian saints, Sergius of Radonezh, who built a wooden church in honour of the Holy Trinity on Makovets Hill. Early development of the monastic community is well documented in contemporary lives of Sergius and his disciples. In 1355, Sergius introduced a charter which required the construction of auxiliary buildings, such as refectory, kitchen, and bakery. This charter was a model for Sergius' numerous followers who founded more than 400 cloisters all over Russia, including the celebrated Solovetsky, Kirillov, and Simonov monasteries. St. Sergius supported Dmitri Donskoi in his struggle against the Tatars and sent two of his monks, Peresvet and Oslyabya, to participate in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). At the outbreak of the battle, Peresvet died in a single combat against a Tatar bogatyr. The monastery was devastated by fire, when a Tatar unit raided the area in 1408. Our first damp visit... The second visit a completely different experience ..... The white building above is the Assumption Cathedral built in the 16th century... It took 26 years to construct the six-pillared Assumption Cathedral , which was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1559. The cathedral is much larger than its model and namesake in the Moscow Kremlin. The magnificent iconostasis of the 16th–18th centuries features Simon Ushakov's masterpiece, the icon of Last Supper. Interior walls were painted with violet and blue frescoes by a team of Yaroslavl masters in 1684. The vault contains burials of Boris Godunov, his family and several 20th-century patriarchs. As the monastery grew into one of the wealthiest landowners in Russia, the woods where it had stood were cut over and a village (or posad) sprang up near the monastery walls. It gradually developed into the modern town of Sergiyev Posad. The cloister itself was a notable centre of chronicle-writing and icon painting. Just opposite the monastery walls St. Paraskeva's Convent was established, among whose buildings St. Paraskeva's Church (1547), Introduction Church (1547), and a 17th-century chapel over St. Paraskeva's well are still visible. The view from the road by the main entrance: More photos of various churches and other buildings on the site: It was the lilac season and the sweet scent was everywhere....
Our No 16 Tram Ride Here are the videos of our day out on Tram No 16, it weaves it's way through the suburbs of the city some 6 miles in all, it was a dank miserable looking day, but the tram was toasty warm inside, in contrast to the near freezing temperature outside.We didn't have to wait long about 5 minutes, it was the second one to come.... ...................................continued
.......the Metro back to our local restaurant Some Babushkas outside the Metro station selling their produce in freezing temperatures... The meal several kinds of grilled meats with chips (fries)
@Terry Page, you see so many beautiful place, I wonder how long it would take you to become bored here in the USofA. Ok, ok, now don’t everyone else beat me to death. I’ve been to many places here in our great counrty, and I don’t think anyplace else can best the views America has. But I’ve never seen such elaborate old places, or the many varieties of people as Terry has shown us. If we got ‘em, I’d love to see ‘em.
I guess it would take another lifetime @Ina I. Wonder, I spent a month in California about 15 years ago and loved it, in fact Lisa and I were planning to come next year to visit Russian friends in Massachusetts, and tour the area, but visas to the US from Russia have been suspended until further notice
Great photos, Terry. Thanks agoain for sharing. Of all your Peruvian shots, your eastern European shots,and now Russia, the kone shot i like best, and I don't know why really is one of your Bohrium Cemetery photos. This one.
@Terry Page , thanks to you and Lisa for taking us along on your journeys. I hope y'all do get to visit the US sometime. I'd love to show y'all the beauty of North Carolina.