Good grief it is the last day of September. What happened! Today I got up at 0630 and in keeping with my new schedule I got on the AT and headed to the MAC. It was dark so I had to use my new rear and front lights. It takes about 1h20' to complete my routine at the MAC. It will take a little longer when my shoulder heals and I add pushups, chin-ups and about 3,000 additional meters on the Concept 2 rower. The rowers at the MAC work much smoother than my Concept 2. I think it is because my spring is probably worn.
After the MAC I pedaled home and took Ms P on a walk around the block. I then had breakfast and headed out to the Kava House. Today's DFP had several articles on the Feds effort to convict several Detroit contractors. After the Kava House I loaded Ms P into the C2 and ran several errands. I stopped at the Kentwood Cycle shop to see if they had any bikes that I might like. No Luck. I then stopped at Gander Mountain to look for some winter socks. My last stop was Master Cleaners to pick up my dry cleaning. I had all my winter wool coats and wool sweaters cleaned. My final job this afternoon was to clean the garage and move all the lawn furniture into the clean garage.
Tonight Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. There was not much on TV so I read the GRP and played some games on Nancy's itouch. At 2100 we all headed upstairs. I need a good night's sleep because tomorrow I am helping the OHNA plant trees. After the tree planting Nancy and I will head downtown to see some more of Artprize.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday September 29, 2010
Wednesday morning my easy morning and I do not get up until 0705. This morning I get on the AT and pedal to Bill's for the breakfast special, 2 eggs, American fries, 3 links and toast, for $3.75. It was very good. When I get home about 0930 I take Ms P out and then load the AT on the C2 and head for Holland State Park. It is a beautiful fall day with temperatures in the 70s and not a cloud in the sky. The leaves are turning. I pedaled from Holland State Park up Lakeshore to Port Sheldon. It took about 3 hours. I thought I was really moving as I pedaled north but on my way back I knew why. I had a strong wind at my back. Heading south I had to buck this wind and I was really tired. I have been thinking that maybe I need some more gears on my bike. My single speed can be difficult to ride especially when I am on a steep grade. When I am on a "rails to trails" the grade is flat. Today I could not climb several hills and had to get off and push the bike uphill.
When I got home I took a quick shower and then a 30 minute nap. Tonight is cereal night and I mixed yogurt with my raisin bran. We had a problem with a leaking pipe below the sink. Nancy had to remove all the item below the sink and dry it out. I took off the drain pipe and headed to Rylee's. I needed two new washers. It cost $1.50. I put the drain back together and it works fine.
Not much on TV so I read the paper, played some games on my itouch and then headed to bed. The weather today was great and is one reason to live in MI.
When I got home I took a quick shower and then a 30 minute nap. Tonight is cereal night and I mixed yogurt with my raisin bran. We had a problem with a leaking pipe below the sink. Nancy had to remove all the item below the sink and dry it out. I took off the drain pipe and headed to Rylee's. I needed two new washers. It cost $1.50. I put the drain back together and it works fine.
Not much on TV so I read the paper, played some games on my itouch and then headed to bed. The weather today was great and is one reason to live in MI.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday September 28, 2010
Tuesday morning and I get up at 0700. Today I am changing my routine. Instead of a light breakfast after my at home routine, I will eliminate the at home routine and do all my exercises at the MAC. Breakfast will be after the MAC but before the Kava House. Everything seemed to work out fine. After breakfast I headed to the Kava House and had my coffee, free refill Tuesday, and read the papers.
When I got home from the Kava House I loaded the AT on the C2 and headed to Kent Trails and Millennium Park. I wore my GPS so I now know my standard ride is 15 miles. It was a beautiful fall day and perfect for a bike ride. I think all the robins have headed south because I have not seen one is a week. I thought I saw a loon in one of Millennium Park's ponds. Could I be wrong?
Tonight Nancy is fixing her special dish for dinner. We are having pasta with tomato sauce. We are also going to watch NCIS at 2000.
When I got home from the Kava House I loaded the AT on the C2 and headed to Kent Trails and Millennium Park. I wore my GPS so I now know my standard ride is 15 miles. It was a beautiful fall day and perfect for a bike ride. I think all the robins have headed south because I have not seen one is a week. I thought I saw a loon in one of Millennium Park's ponds. Could I be wrong?
Tonight Nancy is fixing her special dish for dinner. We are having pasta with tomato sauce. We are also going to watch NCIS at 2000.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday September 27, 2010
Monday morning and I get up at 0650. The temperature was in the high 40s when we got up. It was also dark because sunrise is not until 0736. I am back doing my routine at 100%. After the at home routine I get on the AT and head for the MAC. This morning I am layered to protect against the cold. My bike helmet has a lot of exposed area so I might have to get out the snowboard helmet. The snowboard helmet is much warmer than a traditional bike helmet.
The MAC was very crowded. I guess everyone is now back on the fall schedule. Being Monday I shaved my head and face this morning. When I left the MAC the sun was shining brightly. I read both the WSJ and DFP but I must be so saturated with all the negative political reporting that I did not find anything worth commenting on.
When I got home I had a quick lunch. As a sure sign of colder weather I loaded up my car with all my wool sweaters and coats and headed to Master Cleaners. My big project this afternoon is cutting the grass. The grass was quite long and so it took me 3.5 hours to get the job done. This evening Nancy had to work at the gardens so Ms P and I were home alone. For dinner tonight I had cereal but instead of using milk I mixed some plain yogurt with the cereal. It was quite good. I read the paper and watched a little TV. Nancy got home about 2030. I headed upstairs at 2045 to write this blog. Remember as the days get shorter and colder you must still get your daily 30 minutes outside.
The MAC was very crowded. I guess everyone is now back on the fall schedule. Being Monday I shaved my head and face this morning. When I left the MAC the sun was shining brightly. I read both the WSJ and DFP but I must be so saturated with all the negative political reporting that I did not find anything worth commenting on.
When I got home I had a quick lunch. As a sure sign of colder weather I loaded up my car with all my wool sweaters and coats and headed to Master Cleaners. My big project this afternoon is cutting the grass. The grass was quite long and so it took me 3.5 hours to get the job done. This evening Nancy had to work at the gardens so Ms P and I were home alone. For dinner tonight I had cereal but instead of using milk I mixed some plain yogurt with the cereal. It was quite good. I read the paper and watched a little TV. Nancy got home about 2030. I headed upstairs at 2045 to write this blog. Remember as the days get shorter and colder you must still get your daily 30 minutes outside.
Sunday September 26. 2010
Sunday morning and the alarm goes off at 0646. It is a back to normal Sunday. First I take Ms P out to do her bidness and then I bring my laundry basket upstairs. At 0740 Nancy and I head to the MAC. Today I swim for 45 minutes. My shoulder is still sore so I do more kicking than stroking. After the MAC we head to Meijer's for our weekly supplies. I top off the Taurus and gas is $2.72 per gallon.
At home Nancy fixes her world famous poached eggs. Today the eggs are on English muffins. The muffins are so good I have several more with peanut butter. I read the funnies and the sports page and then head up for my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap Nancy and I head downtown to Artprize. We were worried about traffic and finding a parking space but I got into the Louis/Ottawa ramp with no problem. We start looking at displays in Leo's and then go across the street to the Bob. The Bob has a lot of displays both outside and inside. After leaving the Bob we cross the Blue Bridge and head to Gerald Ford Museum. Along the way are several big art sculptures. After walking around downtown we end up at the GR Art Museum. Downtown was loaded with families viewing all the art projects. Our final stop was 50 Monroe to look at a project that was done by a fellow MAC member Jo Valenti. Nancy and I have known Jo for over ten years.
For dinner tonight Nancy fixed hot dogs. It was a good American meal. We watched the news and 60 minutes and at 2100 we headed upstairs.
At home Nancy fixes her world famous poached eggs. Today the eggs are on English muffins. The muffins are so good I have several more with peanut butter. I read the funnies and the sports page and then head up for my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap Nancy and I head downtown to Artprize. We were worried about traffic and finding a parking space but I got into the Louis/Ottawa ramp with no problem. We start looking at displays in Leo's and then go across the street to the Bob. The Bob has a lot of displays both outside and inside. After leaving the Bob we cross the Blue Bridge and head to Gerald Ford Museum. Along the way are several big art sculptures. After walking around downtown we end up at the GR Art Museum. Downtown was loaded with families viewing all the art projects. Our final stop was 50 Monroe to look at a project that was done by a fellow MAC member Jo Valenti. Nancy and I have known Jo for over ten years.
For dinner tonight Nancy fixed hot dogs. It was a good American meal. We watched the news and 60 minutes and at 2100 we headed upstairs.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday September 25, 2010
Saturday morning and I am heading to "Bill's" for breakfast. It is very dark and I did not have a headlight. For breakfast I had fried eggs, hash browns, sausage links and toast. It was a great breakfast for $7.70. After breakfast I pedaled home and then loaded the AT on the car and headed to GR Bike Company to purchase a headlight.
I ended up at Riverside Park where I pedaled to Rockford. It was windy and cool but I really enjoyed the ride. I pedaled about 23 miles. It took two hours. After the ride Nancy and I headed to Costco. We made several small purchases. For dinner tonight Nancy fixed toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. It was a great meal for a cool, fall day. We talked with Steve and family tonight via Skype. It is now 1900 and I have finally caught up on my blogs. I will head downstairs, read the paper and watch a little football. I might even turn on the electric blanket tonight. Remember always keep a good thought.
I ended up at Riverside Park where I pedaled to Rockford. It was windy and cool but I really enjoyed the ride. I pedaled about 23 miles. It took two hours. After the ride Nancy and I headed to Costco. We made several small purchases. For dinner tonight Nancy fixed toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. It was a great meal for a cool, fall day. We talked with Steve and family tonight via Skype. It is now 1900 and I have finally caught up on my blogs. I will head downstairs, read the paper and watch a little football. I might even turn on the electric blanket tonight. Remember always keep a good thought.
Friday September 24, 2010
Friday morning and I am not as tired as I thought I would be. The temperature is going to drop today. I am now doing my exercises at 100%. It was suppose to rain this morning so I wore my raincoat and shorts for my trip to the MAC. Of course it did not rain. It did rain hard while I was inside the MAC. I delayed my leaving for about 15 minutes to allow the rain to pass over. At the Kava House I did read both the DFP and WSJ but I found nothing that caught my fancy.
I had my normal lunch and then Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Meijer's Garden. ArtPrize has some large sculptures located at the Gardens. Nancy and I walked around and viewed the sculptures. I like large metal sculptures. I think Nancy likes paintings. After the Gardens we stopped and got some beer because tonight we are attending an OHNA TGIF party.
The TGIF was held at 901 Chippewa and it was billed as a backyard get-together. However, everyone spent most of the evening inside. The temperature had dropped to the 50s. Yesterday it was in the high 80s. We talked to a lot of neighbors and it was good to see such a large turnout. After the party we went straight to bed.
I had my normal lunch and then Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Meijer's Garden. ArtPrize has some large sculptures located at the Gardens. Nancy and I walked around and viewed the sculptures. I like large metal sculptures. I think Nancy likes paintings. After the Gardens we stopped and got some beer because tonight we are attending an OHNA TGIF party.
The TGIF was held at 901 Chippewa and it was billed as a backyard get-together. However, everyone spent most of the evening inside. The temperature had dropped to the 50s. Yesterday it was in the high 80s. We talked to a lot of neighbors and it was good to see such a large turnout. After the party we went straight to bed.
Thursday September 23, 2010
Thursday morning and it is hot. The weather folks say no rain until tonight. On my way to the MAC it started to rain hard. I was totally drenched. After the MAC I headed to the Kava House. I left my wet clothes at the MAC and wore some spare workout clothes I had in my locker. I was glad it was so hot because I probably would have gotten a cold if the weather was more seasonal.
I spent most of the afternoon cutting up the branches that had blown off the spruce. I finished the afternoon with a 1.5 mile walk. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We watched some TV and then headed to bed.
I spent most of the afternoon cutting up the branches that had blown off the spruce. I finished the afternoon with a 1.5 mile walk. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We watched some TV and then headed to bed.
Wednesday September 22, 2010
Wednesday morning and today I have breakfast club. I get up at 0545 and take Ms P out to do her bidness. It is very dark but I noted several large branches were blown off the big spruce in our front yard. The neighbors have experienced even more wind damage. The morning radio said that because of power outages many schools in the area were closed. Breakfast was about 15 minutes late at our meeting because of an outage. The speaker today talked about the Artprize organization. In fact the Women's Civic Club where we hold our meeting was a venue. After his short talk we got to view about 10 displays.
After the meeting I head to Wal-Green to get a flu shot. I then stop by Berger Chevy to get my oil changed. Around noon I got on the AT and pedaled to the MAC for a 30 minute swim. In the afternoon I started writing my blog about the river cruise. I finished the afternoon off with a 3 mile walk. It was very hot.
Tonight was cereal night. Our cable went out so after reading the GRP I headed upstairs to work on the river cruise blog.
After the meeting I head to Wal-Green to get a flu shot. I then stop by Berger Chevy to get my oil changed. Around noon I got on the AT and pedaled to the MAC for a 30 minute swim. In the afternoon I started writing my blog about the river cruise. I finished the afternoon off with a 3 mile walk. It was very hot.
Tonight was cereal night. Our cable went out so after reading the GRP I headed upstairs to work on the river cruise blog.
Tuesday September 21, 2010
Tuesday and I am slowly getting back into my weekday routine. I increase my exercises to 67% and at both home and the MAC, I had no shoulder pain. I even remembered to order a medium at the Kava House because it is Tuesday, free refill day.
After lunch I head to Rylee's Hardware to get some bolts and nuts to attach my rear light on my bike. It is so dark in the morning I need a light. I also spend part of the afternoon trying to clean up my desk. I am not very successful. On Monday I took a 3 mile walk in the afternoon but today I cannot because I have to get ready for an event at the GR Public Museum.
Artprize starts on Wednesday. This is the second year that the art competition is being held in GR. Last year Artprize was a huge success. Many artists have their work displayed at the museum. Tonight's event is a sneak preview. Snack and free drinks are provided for members of the museum. Nancy and I had a great time. It was nice because we were able to talk to several artists. Artists from all over the USA and 14 countries have their work on display. Of course a $250,000 first prize is a good incentive.
When we got home we noted that the TV was posting severe thunderstorm warnings for the area. After we had gone to bed the storm really blew through. Ms P got very hyper and the wind was very strong. A warm front was in back of the storm.
After lunch I head to Rylee's Hardware to get some bolts and nuts to attach my rear light on my bike. It is so dark in the morning I need a light. I also spend part of the afternoon trying to clean up my desk. I am not very successful. On Monday I took a 3 mile walk in the afternoon but today I cannot because I have to get ready for an event at the GR Public Museum.
Artprize starts on Wednesday. This is the second year that the art competition is being held in GR. Last year Artprize was a huge success. Many artists have their work displayed at the museum. Tonight's event is a sneak preview. Snack and free drinks are provided for members of the museum. Nancy and I had a great time. It was nice because we were able to talk to several artists. Artists from all over the USA and 14 countries have their work on display. Of course a $250,000 first prize is a good incentive.
When we got home we noted that the TV was posting severe thunderstorm warnings for the area. After we had gone to bed the storm really blew through. Ms P got very hyper and the wind was very strong. A warm front was in back of the storm.
Monday September 20, 2010
Monday morning and I get up at 0630. Ms P is back to her normal routine but I am having some difficulty. I still cannot perform any pushups or chinups but I do all the other exercises at 50%. Today I even rowed 500 meters. I got out the AT and pedaled to the MAC. Usually I get to the MAC about 0945 but today I got there before 0900. I did my MAC routine also at 50%. I did, however, resume my dead lift exercise at a low weight. I did not experience any pain. I did experience some pain when I stepped on the scale and saw a 10# increase in weight.
It was good to be back at the Kava House. I read both the DFP and WSJ. After two weeks of super large lunches I had some difficulty getting back to my normal lunch. My normal lunch consists of a piece of bread with peanut butter, a hardboiled egg, an apple and several pieces of a super cheese that Missy gets in Ohio. This afternoon I drove to Comcast and got a new remote.
For dinner I had a bowl of cereal with raspberries. I topped dinner off with a glass of wine. We watched a little TV and headed to bed early.
It was good to be back at the Kava House. I read both the DFP and WSJ. After two weeks of super large lunches I had some difficulty getting back to my normal lunch. My normal lunch consists of a piece of bread with peanut butter, a hardboiled egg, an apple and several pieces of a super cheese that Missy gets in Ohio. This afternoon I drove to Comcast and got a new remote.
For dinner I had a bowl of cereal with raspberries. I topped dinner off with a glass of wine. We watched a little TV and headed to bed early.
Sunday September 19, 2010
It is Sunday because the alarm goes off at 0646. We get out of bed and get ready for the MAC. The MAC opens at 0800 and we were in the swimming pool by 0805. Normally we swim for 45 minutes but agree today to swim only 30 minutes. My shoulder is still sore so I only did a modified breast stroke. After the swim we head to Meijer's to replenish our larder. Our basket was very full.
Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I read several sections of the paper and then took a short nap. After the nap I got out the lawn mower and started cutting the grass. The grass was incredibly long. It took four hours to complete the task.
We watched some football and then 60 minutes. Once again Bob and Nancy headed to bed early.
Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I read several sections of the paper and then took a short nap. After the nap I got out the lawn mower and started cutting the grass. The grass was incredibly long. It took four hours to complete the task.
We watched some football and then 60 minutes. Once again Bob and Nancy headed to bed early.
Saturday September 18, 2010
I get up at 0600 and cannot go back to sleep. I get dressed take my Kindle and walk to the Caribou Coffee shop. The Kindle's battery is dead so I buy a Cleveland paper and an apple fritter. When I got back to Missy's home everyone was up and wanted breakfast. We drove to Joe's and we all had a big breakfast. After Joe's we load the Taurus, including Ms P, and head to GR.
The trip was uneventful. Nancy stayed awake and talked to me all the way home. She did not want me falling asleep. We unpacked and Nancy fixed pizza for dinner. We were early to bed. Jet lag has set in.
The trip was uneventful. Nancy stayed awake and talked to me all the way home. She did not want me falling asleep. We unpacked and Nancy fixed pizza for dinner. We were early to bed. Jet lag has set in.
Saturday September 11, 2010: Week Two
Russian River Cruise, Week Two
Saturday, September 11, 2010: Weather, 47L, 58H, partly sunny. Today we are still on Lake Onega and we are going to visit the industrial city of Petrozavodsk. Petrozavodsk is a city of 270,000 folks and is located on 62⁰ north latitude. This is as far north as we get on our trip. The city was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 because he needed the iron from the region to make his weapons for the Great Northern War. Petrozavodsk was occupied by the Finns during WWII. We took a bus tour around the town and then we had some free time to walk along the pedestrian way constructed along the water's edge. The walk has an assortment of postmodern sculptures. Some folks took in the Karelian Folk Show but Nancy and I just walked along the lake's edge.
For dinner we had a Russian Market Buffet. It was billed as "very traditional Russian food". After dinner we watched a presentation on Russian Fairy-Tales. It was put on by the staff. It was very entertaining.
Sunday, September 12, 2010: Weather, 54L, 68H, partly cloudy. Today we visited Svirstroy a village of 1200 people. Svirstroy is located on the river between Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga. It is 150 river miles from St Petersburg. The village was built in the 1920s to provide homes for workers building a local hydroelectric plant. The village was occupied and destroyed by the Nazi during WWII. Today most of the residents work at the hydro plant or in the timber industry. We visited a local home. We had tea and a local pastry called pirozhi. After lunch aboard the boat we headed for St. Petersburg.
Monday, September 13, 2010: Weather, 50L, 61H, showers. Today is our first day in St. Petersburg. We start the day with a bus tour and visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. The tombs of all czars starting with Peter the Great are located here. In the afternoon Nancy and I took a trip to Peterhof. Peterhof is a summer palace located outside of St Petersburg. Peterhof is on the Gulf of Finland. We saw a beautiful palace with gold plated domes and the grounds had over 150 fountains. The fountains and gardens were spectacular. The Russian Czars went first class. Viewing all this wealth I was surprised that the revolution did not take place earlier than 1917. Two percent of the population enjoyed 98% of the wealth.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010: Weather, 53L, 68H, showers. Today is a heavy touring day. We start with a visit to St Isaac's Cathedral which our guide said was the third largest domed cathedral in the world. We had lunch at a local restaurant and then spent the afternoon touring the Hermitage. The Hermitage is a must see in St Petersburg. The Hermitage is made up of 7 buildings including the Czar's Winter Palace. The winter palace was the retreat of Catherine the Great. It housed her private art collection. The Hermitage houses the works of many famous artists. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, el Greco, Rembrandt all have work on display. The Hermitage is the most spectacular example of the wealth of the Czars.
After this busy day we head back to the boat for dinner. I had the salmon as my entree and ice cream for dessert.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010: Weather, 51L, 65H, mostly sunny. Today is my easy day. Nancy and I take a shuttle bus to downtown and walk around. We visited several stores and got a feel for the main shopping center. The area we walked around was very upscale.
Nancy and several women went to the ballet in the evening. I and several other guys sat around and drank beer. Nancy really liked the ballet and I thought the beer was good.
Thursday, September 16, 2010: Weather 48L, 61H, cloudy. This is our last tour day. In the morning we get on the bus and travel to Catherine Palace and Park. The palace and park were another example of the "spare no cost" attitude of the ruling class. We spent several hours walking around the palace and grounds. In fact by this time I had seen so much wealth that I was totally saturated.
In the afternoon we visited a music school in St Petersburg. The school is the equivalent of our high school. Our tour company Grand Circle Travel donates money to this school. We were entertained with a concert. It was very good.
Friday, September 17, 2010: Weather, who cares. We set the alarm for 0230. We have a quick breakfast and then head to the airport to catch our 0600 flight. We have layovers in Frankfurt, Germany and Chicago before landing in Cleveland at 1800. It was a long day. Nancy is too tired for dinner but Missy, AJ and I have dinner at a local pub. I have a hamburg and beer.
Saturday, September 11, 2010: Weather, 47L, 58H, partly sunny. Today we are still on Lake Onega and we are going to visit the industrial city of Petrozavodsk. Petrozavodsk is a city of 270,000 folks and is located on 62⁰ north latitude. This is as far north as we get on our trip. The city was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 because he needed the iron from the region to make his weapons for the Great Northern War. Petrozavodsk was occupied by the Finns during WWII. We took a bus tour around the town and then we had some free time to walk along the pedestrian way constructed along the water's edge. The walk has an assortment of postmodern sculptures. Some folks took in the Karelian Folk Show but Nancy and I just walked along the lake's edge.
For dinner we had a Russian Market Buffet. It was billed as "very traditional Russian food". After dinner we watched a presentation on Russian Fairy-Tales. It was put on by the staff. It was very entertaining.
Sunday, September 12, 2010: Weather, 54L, 68H, partly cloudy. Today we visited Svirstroy a village of 1200 people. Svirstroy is located on the river between Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga. It is 150 river miles from St Petersburg. The village was built in the 1920s to provide homes for workers building a local hydroelectric plant. The village was occupied and destroyed by the Nazi during WWII. Today most of the residents work at the hydro plant or in the timber industry. We visited a local home. We had tea and a local pastry called pirozhi. After lunch aboard the boat we headed for St. Petersburg.
Monday, September 13, 2010: Weather, 50L, 61H, showers. Today is our first day in St. Petersburg. We start the day with a bus tour and visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. The tombs of all czars starting with Peter the Great are located here. In the afternoon Nancy and I took a trip to Peterhof. Peterhof is a summer palace located outside of St Petersburg. Peterhof is on the Gulf of Finland. We saw a beautiful palace with gold plated domes and the grounds had over 150 fountains. The fountains and gardens were spectacular. The Russian Czars went first class. Viewing all this wealth I was surprised that the revolution did not take place earlier than 1917. Two percent of the population enjoyed 98% of the wealth.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010: Weather, 53L, 68H, showers. Today is a heavy touring day. We start with a visit to St Isaac's Cathedral which our guide said was the third largest domed cathedral in the world. We had lunch at a local restaurant and then spent the afternoon touring the Hermitage. The Hermitage is a must see in St Petersburg. The Hermitage is made up of 7 buildings including the Czar's Winter Palace. The winter palace was the retreat of Catherine the Great. It housed her private art collection. The Hermitage houses the works of many famous artists. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, el Greco, Rembrandt all have work on display. The Hermitage is the most spectacular example of the wealth of the Czars.
After this busy day we head back to the boat for dinner. I had the salmon as my entree and ice cream for dessert.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010: Weather, 51L, 65H, mostly sunny. Today is my easy day. Nancy and I take a shuttle bus to downtown and walk around. We visited several stores and got a feel for the main shopping center. The area we walked around was very upscale.
Nancy and several women went to the ballet in the evening. I and several other guys sat around and drank beer. Nancy really liked the ballet and I thought the beer was good.
Thursday, September 16, 2010: Weather 48L, 61H, cloudy. This is our last tour day. In the morning we get on the bus and travel to Catherine Palace and Park. The palace and park were another example of the "spare no cost" attitude of the ruling class. We spent several hours walking around the palace and grounds. In fact by this time I had seen so much wealth that I was totally saturated.
In the afternoon we visited a music school in St Petersburg. The school is the equivalent of our high school. Our tour company Grand Circle Travel donates money to this school. We were entertained with a concert. It was very good.
Friday, September 17, 2010: Weather, who cares. We set the alarm for 0230. We have a quick breakfast and then head to the airport to catch our 0600 flight. We have layovers in Frankfurt, Germany and Chicago before landing in Cleveland at 1800. It was a long day. Nancy is too tired for dinner but Missy, AJ and I have dinner at a local pub. I have a hamburg and beer.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday September 1, 2010: Russian River Cruise, week 1
The following is a brief narrative on the first week of Bob and Nancy's two week Russian River Cruise between Moscow and St Petersburg. It was a great trip and I will only hit the highlights.
Wednesday: September 1, 2010: We slept in today so that we would be well rested for our big adventure. We loaded up the Taurus with our baggage and Ms P's baggage. Ms P will be staying with Missy while we are gone. In fact, if Ms P behaves she might stay in Ohio. We leave home about 1000 and our first stop is Dunkin Donuts for coffee and, of course, donuts. The trip to Lakewood was uneventful. Missy and AJ gave us a warm welcome. We all went out for dinner at a local pub. It was another early night for Bob and Nancy.
Thursday: September 2 our big travel day. Our flight leaves for Dulles in Washington at noon. Missy gets us to the airport by 1000. The flight to Dulles was smooth. Our next leg is a flight from Dulles direct to Moscow. As we were boarding the plane the ticket taker stopped us to announce a change of plans. Because of overbooking in Economy Class we are being upgraded to Business Class. Surprise! Surprise!. The stewardess greets us with a glass of champagne. It is a great way to start a flight. The Business Class seats are great. You can actually sleep in a horizontal position. The only way to travel.
Friday: September 3. We arrived in Moscow about 1100 local time, Friday, September 3. It took awhile to get our passports checked but when we finally cleared this hurdle a Grand Circle rep met us and would get our bags and deliver us to the boat. There was only one other couple on our flight so we rode to the boat in a small van. It was about an hour ride to the boat from the airport. My first impression of Moscow was that their infrastructure was well maintained and all the bridges I saw looked new. Our boat was moored at a quay on the Moscow River. The boat was named the Tikhi Don and on our cruise would be 200 passengers and 100 crew members. The boat was 410 feet long and 52 feet wide. It had five decks and it drew only 9 feet. Our room 235, was small but well laid out. We had plenty of room to store our belongings. The weather when we arrived was cloudy and cool, 54⁰, and wet. (For comparison it was 94⁰when we left Ohio.)
At 1730 we attended a Ship and Safety Briefing and at 1900 we had a light dinner. Nancy and I turned in early.
Saturday September 4, 2010: Weather, 44L, 54H, Mostly sunny: This is our first full day. We start each day with a breakfast buffet. It is a great buffet. We have a selection of fruits, breads and cereal. Every day scrambled eggs are available. I especially liked the porridge (oatmeal) and pancakes with a fruit sauce. The coffee was American style. After breakfast we went on a bus tour of Moscow. The bus tour gave us a feeling for the city.
Our first stop on the tour was a cemetery where a lot of famous Russians are buried. We saw the burial memorial to Nikita Khrushchev and Mikhail Gorbachev's wife. Famous authors, poets, artists and musicians all had very elaborate sites. The sites were very small but this cemetery was not like any I have seen in the states. After the cemetery tours we drove around Moscow looking at the sites and then stopped for lunch along a pedestrian mall. This was the only time we had to buy lunch. After lunch we went to the main Metro terminal. We took a short ride on Moscow's famous subway. The terminals we stopped at were beautiful. They were well maintained and the lighting was great. The escalator ride into and out of the terminal was fun. The escalator's are very fast and steep. In fact the Moscow subway is very deep and so the need for speed.
At 1900 dinner was served. Dinner is a sit down affair and consists of appetizer, soup, Entrees and dessert. We had a glass of wine at all dinners. I had the pan fried fish and Nancy had the chicken skewer. The soups on our trip were excellent. We had soup two times each day and we never had a repeat. Dessert was an apple crumble with ice cream.
The 200 passengers on our tour are organized into groups of 36. We were the orange group with an English speaking program director. Our program director was a college instructor from Tula, Russia. His name was Sergi. We had a great group and Nancy and I got to know most of the folks.
Nancy and I were tired so we headed to bed early. Our bus tour today gave us a feel for Moscow. My first impression was how many waterways Moscow had. We saw water taxis and small tour boats everywhere.
Sunday September 5, 2010: Weather, 52L, 60H, Partly cloudy: Nancy and I are getting into the routine. Breakfast is a 0700 and we are always on time. Today we continue the Moscow city tour. We visit St Basil's church and it is spectacular. The bus stops at several other venues so we may take pictures. Lunch is onboard the boat and I select the soup, of course, a cheeseburger and dessert.
In the afternoon three WWII veteran were onboard to discuss their experiences during the war. The Russians refer to WWII as the "Great Patriotic War". The USSR lost 27,000,000 during this war. It was especially brutal on both sides. It was interesting to hear the stories of the veterans, two men and 1 woman. They were all in their mid 80s and very alert and articulate.
A circus show was scheduled for tonight but was postponed until Monday because of a big celebration in downtown Moscow.
Monday, September 6, 2010: Weather, 53L, 65H, mostly sunny: I was first in line for breakfast. Today is our last full day in Moscow. We get in our tour bus at 1000 and head for a tour of both the Armory and Kremlin. Our first stop is the Armory a museum/art gallery. After the Armory we have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. The afternoon includes a tour of the Kremlin. I enjoyed the tour of the Kremlin. We visited several churches within the walls of the Kremlin.
Tonight we are going to a Circus Show and so we have a light dinner at 1645. The Circus was very entertaining. A lot of the acts reminded me of the old Ed Sullivan show where he would bring circus acts from Europe. After the show a dinner was served but Nancy and I went to bed instead.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010: Weather, 52L, 65H, Partly cloudy: Today Nancy and I signed up for a tour of the Tretakow Gallery. The gallery contained works of Russian artists.
When we went on all the tours we were provided with electronic receivers and earphones. This was a nice innovation because we could hear the guide without having to crowd together.
After lunch on board the boat, we cast off on our river cruise. The river cruise covers over 1,000 miles. We go through 18 locks and get a good look at wild and scenic Russia. We start on the Moscow River and then go a short distance on the Volga. As we head north we go on a series of manmade reservoirs and we see several impressive hydro electric plants created by impounding several rivers, Sheesna and Kovzha. As a civil engineer I was very impressed with the scope of these projects. All the infrastructure looks well maintained. We also pass through the two largest lakes in Europe, Ladoga Lake and Onega Lake. The waterway had a lot of small freighter and barge traffic. The shores which were nearly always visible were heavily forested. I noted a lot of birch and pine trees.
In the afternoon we had a safety drill and then attended the Captain's Welcome Cocktail hour. The boat had two bars. The dinner was called the Captain's Welcome Dinner.
At 2100 we attended an Accordion concert. Russian folk tunes were played. Every night they had dancing at 2200 but Nancy and I were in bed by 2130.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010: Weather, 52L, 65H, Partly Cloudy: The boat was moving about 6 mph all night and we passed through several locks. Today we are going to stop at the town of Uglich located on the Volga River. Uglich was founded in 937 and today has a population of 37,000. It is 136 river miles from Moscow. Ivan the Terrible used Uglich as his base in the war against the "Golden Horde". We had a walking tour of the city.
Before dinner we had a talk on Russian History. For dinner I had the soup, fish and dessert. There was another music concert at 2100.
Thursday, September 9, 2010: Weather, 43L, 56H, Partly cloudy: We continue to chug along. At 1030 they had a Bloody Mary Happy Hour. I felt obliged to attend.
Today we are making a stop at Goritsy a small village of 600. Goritsy is located 565 river miles from Moscow. There is an optional tour of the "Convent of Resurrection". Nancy and I did not take this tour because we wanted to walk around the village. My first impression of Goritsy was that I am finally seeing a typical Russian rural village. All of the homes were made of wood with corrugated steel roofs. Why corrugated steel was the roof of choice I do not know. Several of the homes were log homes. In fact we saw some folks making a log home. They were using native pine. They used a chain saw to cut the logs to size. This is the first time I saw a rusted car. In Moscow all the cars looked new. The village looked poor. However, every home had a satellite dish. I was surprised that I did not see a snow mobile. After all Goritsy is at the same latitude as Hudson Bay. The major street was paved but all the side streets were dirt. I really enjoyed our walk around this town.
At 1745 they had a Vodka Presentation. We were given a demonstration of how to tell the good vodka from the bad. We started with the lowest rated vodka. A shot was poured and we were told how to drink the vodka like a native. We had three more shots with the last shot being the superior grade vodka. I could tell the difference. However, I think I will stick with beer. The Russian beer was real good. After dinner Nancy and I turned in.
Friday September 10, 2010: Weather, 48L, 62H, partly cloudy: The river cruise continues. Today we are going to visit the village of Kizhi. Kizhi is an island located in Lake Onega. It is 2.5 miles long and 656 yards wide. Lake Onega is the second largest lake in Europe. It is 250 miles from St Petersburg. We had a walking tour of the Village. The island has two large wooden Russian Orthodox churches in addition to centuries old homesteads that we were able to visit. We also saw steam bathhouses. Kizhi is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE. I really enjoyed our tour and will post some photos soon.
For dinner tonight we had a Ukrainian dinner. We turned in early.
Wednesday: September 1, 2010: We slept in today so that we would be well rested for our big adventure. We loaded up the Taurus with our baggage and Ms P's baggage. Ms P will be staying with Missy while we are gone. In fact, if Ms P behaves she might stay in Ohio. We leave home about 1000 and our first stop is Dunkin Donuts for coffee and, of course, donuts. The trip to Lakewood was uneventful. Missy and AJ gave us a warm welcome. We all went out for dinner at a local pub. It was another early night for Bob and Nancy.
Thursday: September 2 our big travel day. Our flight leaves for Dulles in Washington at noon. Missy gets us to the airport by 1000. The flight to Dulles was smooth. Our next leg is a flight from Dulles direct to Moscow. As we were boarding the plane the ticket taker stopped us to announce a change of plans. Because of overbooking in Economy Class we are being upgraded to Business Class. Surprise! Surprise!. The stewardess greets us with a glass of champagne. It is a great way to start a flight. The Business Class seats are great. You can actually sleep in a horizontal position. The only way to travel.
Friday: September 3. We arrived in Moscow about 1100 local time, Friday, September 3. It took awhile to get our passports checked but when we finally cleared this hurdle a Grand Circle rep met us and would get our bags and deliver us to the boat. There was only one other couple on our flight so we rode to the boat in a small van. It was about an hour ride to the boat from the airport. My first impression of Moscow was that their infrastructure was well maintained and all the bridges I saw looked new. Our boat was moored at a quay on the Moscow River. The boat was named the Tikhi Don and on our cruise would be 200 passengers and 100 crew members. The boat was 410 feet long and 52 feet wide. It had five decks and it drew only 9 feet. Our room 235, was small but well laid out. We had plenty of room to store our belongings. The weather when we arrived was cloudy and cool, 54⁰, and wet. (For comparison it was 94⁰when we left Ohio.)
At 1730 we attended a Ship and Safety Briefing and at 1900 we had a light dinner. Nancy and I turned in early.
Saturday September 4, 2010: Weather, 44L, 54H, Mostly sunny: This is our first full day. We start each day with a breakfast buffet. It is a great buffet. We have a selection of fruits, breads and cereal. Every day scrambled eggs are available. I especially liked the porridge (oatmeal) and pancakes with a fruit sauce. The coffee was American style. After breakfast we went on a bus tour of Moscow. The bus tour gave us a feeling for the city.
Our first stop on the tour was a cemetery where a lot of famous Russians are buried. We saw the burial memorial to Nikita Khrushchev and Mikhail Gorbachev's wife. Famous authors, poets, artists and musicians all had very elaborate sites. The sites were very small but this cemetery was not like any I have seen in the states. After the cemetery tours we drove around Moscow looking at the sites and then stopped for lunch along a pedestrian mall. This was the only time we had to buy lunch. After lunch we went to the main Metro terminal. We took a short ride on Moscow's famous subway. The terminals we stopped at were beautiful. They were well maintained and the lighting was great. The escalator ride into and out of the terminal was fun. The escalator's are very fast and steep. In fact the Moscow subway is very deep and so the need for speed.
At 1900 dinner was served. Dinner is a sit down affair and consists of appetizer, soup, Entrees and dessert. We had a glass of wine at all dinners. I had the pan fried fish and Nancy had the chicken skewer. The soups on our trip were excellent. We had soup two times each day and we never had a repeat. Dessert was an apple crumble with ice cream.
The 200 passengers on our tour are organized into groups of 36. We were the orange group with an English speaking program director. Our program director was a college instructor from Tula, Russia. His name was Sergi. We had a great group and Nancy and I got to know most of the folks.
Nancy and I were tired so we headed to bed early. Our bus tour today gave us a feel for Moscow. My first impression was how many waterways Moscow had. We saw water taxis and small tour boats everywhere.
Sunday September 5, 2010: Weather, 52L, 60H, Partly cloudy: Nancy and I are getting into the routine. Breakfast is a 0700 and we are always on time. Today we continue the Moscow city tour. We visit St Basil's church and it is spectacular. The bus stops at several other venues so we may take pictures. Lunch is onboard the boat and I select the soup, of course, a cheeseburger and dessert.
In the afternoon three WWII veteran were onboard to discuss their experiences during the war. The Russians refer to WWII as the "Great Patriotic War". The USSR lost 27,000,000 during this war. It was especially brutal on both sides. It was interesting to hear the stories of the veterans, two men and 1 woman. They were all in their mid 80s and very alert and articulate.
A circus show was scheduled for tonight but was postponed until Monday because of a big celebration in downtown Moscow.
Monday, September 6, 2010: Weather, 53L, 65H, mostly sunny: I was first in line for breakfast. Today is our last full day in Moscow. We get in our tour bus at 1000 and head for a tour of both the Armory and Kremlin. Our first stop is the Armory a museum/art gallery. After the Armory we have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. The afternoon includes a tour of the Kremlin. I enjoyed the tour of the Kremlin. We visited several churches within the walls of the Kremlin.
Tonight we are going to a Circus Show and so we have a light dinner at 1645. The Circus was very entertaining. A lot of the acts reminded me of the old Ed Sullivan show where he would bring circus acts from Europe. After the show a dinner was served but Nancy and I went to bed instead.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010: Weather, 52L, 65H, Partly cloudy: Today Nancy and I signed up for a tour of the Tretakow Gallery. The gallery contained works of Russian artists.
When we went on all the tours we were provided with electronic receivers and earphones. This was a nice innovation because we could hear the guide without having to crowd together.
After lunch on board the boat, we cast off on our river cruise. The river cruise covers over 1,000 miles. We go through 18 locks and get a good look at wild and scenic Russia. We start on the Moscow River and then go a short distance on the Volga. As we head north we go on a series of manmade reservoirs and we see several impressive hydro electric plants created by impounding several rivers, Sheesna and Kovzha. As a civil engineer I was very impressed with the scope of these projects. All the infrastructure looks well maintained. We also pass through the two largest lakes in Europe, Ladoga Lake and Onega Lake. The waterway had a lot of small freighter and barge traffic. The shores which were nearly always visible were heavily forested. I noted a lot of birch and pine trees.
In the afternoon we had a safety drill and then attended the Captain's Welcome Cocktail hour. The boat had two bars. The dinner was called the Captain's Welcome Dinner.
At 2100 we attended an Accordion concert. Russian folk tunes were played. Every night they had dancing at 2200 but Nancy and I were in bed by 2130.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010: Weather, 52L, 65H, Partly Cloudy: The boat was moving about 6 mph all night and we passed through several locks. Today we are going to stop at the town of Uglich located on the Volga River. Uglich was founded in 937 and today has a population of 37,000. It is 136 river miles from Moscow. Ivan the Terrible used Uglich as his base in the war against the "Golden Horde". We had a walking tour of the city.
Before dinner we had a talk on Russian History. For dinner I had the soup, fish and dessert. There was another music concert at 2100.
Thursday, September 9, 2010: Weather, 43L, 56H, Partly cloudy: We continue to chug along. At 1030 they had a Bloody Mary Happy Hour. I felt obliged to attend.
Today we are making a stop at Goritsy a small village of 600. Goritsy is located 565 river miles from Moscow. There is an optional tour of the "Convent of Resurrection". Nancy and I did not take this tour because we wanted to walk around the village. My first impression of Goritsy was that I am finally seeing a typical Russian rural village. All of the homes were made of wood with corrugated steel roofs. Why corrugated steel was the roof of choice I do not know. Several of the homes were log homes. In fact we saw some folks making a log home. They were using native pine. They used a chain saw to cut the logs to size. This is the first time I saw a rusted car. In Moscow all the cars looked new. The village looked poor. However, every home had a satellite dish. I was surprised that I did not see a snow mobile. After all Goritsy is at the same latitude as Hudson Bay. The major street was paved but all the side streets were dirt. I really enjoyed our walk around this town.
At 1745 they had a Vodka Presentation. We were given a demonstration of how to tell the good vodka from the bad. We started with the lowest rated vodka. A shot was poured and we were told how to drink the vodka like a native. We had three more shots with the last shot being the superior grade vodka. I could tell the difference. However, I think I will stick with beer. The Russian beer was real good. After dinner Nancy and I turned in.
Friday September 10, 2010: Weather, 48L, 62H, partly cloudy: The river cruise continues. Today we are going to visit the village of Kizhi. Kizhi is an island located in Lake Onega. It is 2.5 miles long and 656 yards wide. Lake Onega is the second largest lake in Europe. It is 250 miles from St Petersburg. We had a walking tour of the Village. The island has two large wooden Russian Orthodox churches in addition to centuries old homesteads that we were able to visit. We also saw steam bathhouses. Kizhi is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE. I really enjoyed our tour and will post some photos soon.
For dinner tonight we had a Ukrainian dinner. We turned in early.
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