Entries categorized as ‘Travel’
Olga and Pavel, Arkhangelskoe, Russian Federation, 2008
Outdoor cafés are wonderful places. In itself, an outdoor café requires only some tables, chairs, and perhaps an umbrella to block the sun and rain, but nothing more is necessary. What makes an outdoor café so special is that it takes on the culture and characteristics of it’s location, whether it is on a street, in a park, on a city square, or along a seacoast. There is no need to create an atmosphere because the atmosphere is already authentic. When food is a cultural experience, there can be no better place to enjoy it than amongst the culture and geography from which it was created. (more…)
Categories: Culture · Travel
Tagged: Cafés, Moscow, Olga, Russia
Forest, Near the Bay of Finland, Russian Federation, 2008
European Russian is a geographically divided country. In the south stretches the grassy steppe, the territory of ancient Rus and the birthplace of the Russian state. In the north stretches great forests, the place of refuge for the Slavs from the invasion into the steppe by the Golden Horde in the 13th century. In these forests later arose the princedoms of the Golden Ring, Muscovy, and finally modern Russia. (more…)
Categories: Culture · Travel
Tagged: Golden Ring, Moscow, Russia, St. Petersburg
Marketplatz, Wurstfest, New Braunfels, Texas, 2008
Wurstfest is the Texas version of Oktoberfest that is held in New Braunfels, Texas each year during the first week of November. Olga, Asya, Irina, and Kate all attended the festival with us. It’s a fun place for an exchange student to absorb a little Texas culture. The two Muslim girls did not attend because (more…)
Categories: Culture · Exchange Students · Travel
Tagged: Asya, Exchange Daughter, Exchange Student, Food, Irina, Kate, Olga
