July 7, 2007

Today is 07/07/07!! Several Russians chose to get married today. We were touring several new hotels in the area and weddings and receptions were in full gear! Luck 7 day!

Roads in Russia: As a rule, they are bone crunchers! I had the extraordinary pleasure to sit in the back seat on a two-hour bus ride yesterday. Not fun. Air time out of my seat was measured in feet a few times! Digestion is easier this way. Kidneys got a real workout. Sleep was impossible. Today I beat everyone to the bus and sat near the front!

We visited a dairy farm today. To see the sights, we were asked to don blue suits like a team of surgeons preparing for a major surgery. We saw the cows and we saw the product of the cows (not the milk – the other). We trekked in it as we saw the milking area being prepared for milking. All that trouble to wear the suit (hat and booties included) just to see the cows and their milking area. The bonus came when they served us the dairy products that are produced by the milk: cheese, yogurt, kafir, cottage cheese, sour cream. Of course, my favorite was the strawberry and blueberry drinkable yogurt!

We then visited a rural farmer, some calling him a ‘peasant.’ He, in fact, called himself a peasant. We saw a few cows, some fields with potatoes and a house that we would describe as a ‘rancher.’ Going behind the house, there were plants, flowers, vegetables, turkeys, geese, a dog, fruit trees. What we did not notice right away was a table about 30 feet in length that was stocked full of all the bounty of a Russian rural farmer in the summer time! What was supposed to be a tea (chai) break turned into a major meal. Blini with blueberries, homemade rolls with berries inside, other larger rolls with other delicious tastes inside, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, ‘baked milk,’ tea, vodka, compote, kvass, potatoes, moonshine, honey, and more!! We were blown away! The family had originally balked at the idea of hosting some ‘outsiders’ but then when they made the decision to let us see their place, they decided the only thing to do was to do it up right! Many in our group were making comments like, “This is best Russian experience we’ve had!”

After seeing another hotel in the area we went for lunch. This will be the 5000 calorie day! Another new and fancy hotel followed by a stop at a ceramics producer and store, a little shopping and our day was coming to a quick end.

Olesya and Alex took me to her Granny’s dacha on the south side of town. Tea, cake, ice cream, and coffee were the bought snacks there. Alex and I started with the red raspberries that were ripe and moved through two rows eating the largest ones we could find. We scoured for strawberries, but they were mostly done. We found the cherry tree and took some samples and also tasted something I had never seen: goriviches?? (sp and pronun.??) They were like grapes growing on a bush with thorns, but they were not grapes. Some were green while others were turning a bit red. New species found in Russia today!

Grocery store: breakfast goods, a movie ($4), and toilet paper for a curious American in our group. More on that later! Home for sleeping and sleeping in on sleep-in Sunday!