Tag: Russia

Our Perestroika

What’s engaging about the 2010 documentary, My Perestroika, and that was largely absent from my own visit to Russia isn’t so much the views of Moscow but the captured moments of real Russians, those not selling anything to tourists or…

Roads through Russia

The story in the film Roads to Koktebel, that of a widower trekking to the Black Sea with his young son in the hope of starting a new life, seems emblematic of the Russian experience. The characters are resolute, obdurate.…

The Kremlin: Napoleon Was Here

The Tsar Cannon in the Kremlin, Moscow. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

I’m not sure what I expected to see within the walls of the Kremlin, the centuries-old fortress that is the seat of the Russian government. That old cannons from Russia’s own War of 1812 were there surprised me as these…

Russia, Contrariwise

Five months back from Russia, I am still challenged to write about my trip, still trying to even begin understanding this vast country. Russia seems to me to be a nation of contradictions, the brute of a country cousin to…

Getting Out of the House and Staying Put

Venice, Italy

I travel because I want to try out different lives. Could I remember the names of all the trees and remedies to become a shaman? Would throwing my slop into the streets of medieval Rouen be too much for me?…

Mixing Pleasure with Business

Given my vocation—writing about the environment and law—it’s virtually impossible for me to silo work and play. Most often, they are one and the same, which is the way I want my life to be. I am sometimes surprised by…

Romanov Dynasty Ended 94 Years Ago This Week

Former Czar Nicholas II and his family were killed in Yekaterinburg on July 16 or 17, 1918. The whereabouts of their bodies was unknown for years until they were discovered in 1979. The bodies were exhumed in 1991, and today…

Cruise Ships: Where Smaller Is Better

Disembarking from a small ship is quick and easy. Photo credit: L. Tripoli.

Cruising always promised glamour and excitement for me. My grandmother, tired of being married and with an empty nest, ran away, not to join the circus, but to sign on with a cruise line. I have yellowed postcards from her…