Pelmeni

When we took our cruise on the Volga River, my sister-in-law Katherine and I went to a cooking class and learned to make pelmeni, which are Russian dumplings.  The meat filling is wrapped in a thin, non-leavened dough.  As soon as we got back from our trip, I ordered a pelmeni mold but it has just been sitting in my cabinet for the last year and a half.

My excuse for breaking it out and actually making the pelmeni was Emma Larson's mission call to the Baltics Mission where she will be serving in Estonia.  I've known Emma since she was a cute little two year old and it was great getting to know grown-up, confident, talented and strong in the gospel Emma. Interestingly enough she will be the only missionary at the Mission Training Center learning Estonian.  It isn't a very big mission and there are only 6 sister missionaries there right now.  Another fun thing is that Emma has the voice of an angel and has been a standout in several choirs.  Guess what?  Estonians love choir!  Choir is a required course in all Estonian schools.  They are going to LOVE Emma!

 Since a lot of Estonian food is actually Russian food, pelmeni seemed like the perfect dinner to share with the Larson family.  

You make a fairly basic dough, roll it out very thin and then place it on the pelmeni mold and roll your rolling pin across it so that the shapes are distinctive.  The filling is a mixture of raw ground pork and beef with some grilled onions..

 After you have the filling placed on each shape, you put another thin sheet of dough on top, toll again until the shapes are definite. 

Then you just press them through,  crimp the edges, and boil. 

They can be topped with just about anything from catsup to sour cream to mushroom gravy.  We loved the gravy!

A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow....and although George fits the bill, I'm not talking about him! talking about the wonderful novel by Amor Towles A Gentleman in Moscow. The story is fiction but it is set in the very real Hotel Metropol.  

When we visited Moscow I was determined to go and see the setting for one of my favorite novels of the year.  I'd looked it up on google maps thinking that George and I would have to venture out on our own to find it.  Turns out, the tour group walked right past it to get to our bus.  Easy!  And it was only a short walk from our hotel!  Perfect!  

My favorite quote from the book "And when that celestial chime sounds, perhaps a mirror will suddenly serve its truer purpose-revealing to a man not who he imagines himself to be, but who he has become."

Trust me on this and read this great book!  You won't regret it

The Hotel Metropol takes up most of a city block. Right now the entry is on the right but I suspect that after a renovation the entry will be just behind that blue bus. 

When I look up at the windows on the top I imagine that as the count's attic rooms. 

The ornate lobby reminded me of this quote from the book:

“After all, what can a first impression tell us about someone we’ve just met for a minute in the lobby of a hotel? For that matter, what can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration—and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour.”

Staff only....

Entryway stairs.  It is all quite grand.

George and I just walked in there like we belonged....and no one questioned us.  That might have been because the security guards didn't seem to speak English! 

Sofia's piano - at least in my mind it was! 

"Looking back, it seems to me that there are people who play an essential role at every turn.....as if Life itself has summoned them once again to help fulfill its purpose. Well, since the day I was born, Sofia, there was only one time when Life needed me to be in a particular place at a particular time, and that was when your mother brought you to the lobby of the Metropol."

With my new book loving friend Marla. 

Moscow

I guess I have read and seen too many spy novels because I had a picture in my mind of Moscow as a dark, frightening place full of sad looking people.  I was totally wrong!  It's a vibrant city full of happy, prosperous looking citizens going about their daily life just like in many other cities I've visited.  All over Russia, the people were friendly and accommodating.  They seem to enjoy the tourists and give good service.

I enjoyed our time in Russia - from the small towns along the Volga to the big booming metropolis of Moscow- it's a fascinating place.  If you have a chance to go - DO IT!

Why I Love Cruises

Anyone who knows me knows that I love traveling!  I love everything about it - the hotels, the new cities, the people I meet.  However I will have to admit that after about a week of living out of a suitcase  (which means that I am constantly looking for something) I'm always super excited to get on a cruise ship and unpack.

So Reason #1 that I love cruises is unpacking, even if the room is super small.  For us the measure of 'small' will forever be, "Well it is larger than the compartment on the Silk Road Train." 

Reason #2 - Sunset photography

Reason #3 - On-board shopping 

Reason #4 - Porthole views 

Reason #5 - Friends like Chuck and Nancy Harrington and John and Katherine

Reason #6 - Barbecues on deck on a beautiful sunny day! 

Reason #7 - Our wonderful waitress 

 Oksana  

We loved her so much that we would race to dinner to be sure and be at her table! 

Reason #8 - Also a careful captain who got us out of the storm on the lake as quickly as he could;  a very competent hotel manager who kept things running smoothly; and a really fun tour director 

Reason #10 - A concert pianist who delighted us with Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff music - perfect for cruising along the Volga in Russia!

Reason #9 A Russian professor who taught us Russian history as well as current affairs. 

 #11 - Russian costume night - a chance to be a princess for the evening!  Or I should say a Tsarina!

#12 - All the behind the scenes people who manage the small details like getting all this luggage to the right cabins and then to the right buses! 

Looking back on my list of things I enjoy - this quote seems appropriate! 

Most Beautiful Churches I've Seen

One of my favorite things about traveling with Fun For Less is the opportunity to hear from Michal Wilcox.  And one of my favorite things about him is the respect he has for other religions.  I have learned so much from him and my appreciation of all religions has grown as well.  In Russia he taught us about the Russian Orthodox Church.  Surprisingly, we share many common beliefs.

During the Soviet times 98% of churches in the USSR were closed as well as thousands of monasteries and 60 seminaries.  Now churches are being rebuilt and faith is experiencing a reawakening.  During our visits, the beautiful cathedrals were state run museums but some are being returned to the church in 2019.

The two cathedrals we visited in St. Petersburg rank as the most beautiful churches I've ever seen.  I still have to rate Sagrada Familia #1 but then I have a soft spot for anything in Barcelona!  And, since 1995 when we moved there, we have seen it change from a construction zone to a stunningly beautiful basilica so it holds a special place in my heart.

In St. Petersburg we visited two main churches.  First St. Isaacs which was constructed between 1818 and 1858. 

And then the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.  Construction on this one began in 1893 and was finished in 1907. 

When we were there, the top was under scaffolding but it was still quite impressive! 

There is so much gold inside of St. Isaacs that the whole building seems to be filled with light.

The architects knew how to direct our gaze, and presumedly our thoughts, heavenward.

Absolutely beautiful!  Definitely celestial looking!

In Russian Orthodox churches there is a sacred doorway called an iconostasis which separates what we might call the 'holy of holies' from the rest of the church.  As you might guess these are simply divine.

The whole scene causes a person to pause and look at the Savior.

The iconostasis in the Church of the Spilled Blood is different but equally inviting. 

This main door of the cathedral is a work of art in itself.

 Look at the detail in that carving. 

The walls of the Church of the Spilled Blood are totally covered with gold mosaics depicting Bible stories. In the center of this area is an artistic representation of Jesus with the little children.  

My personal favorite - the Annunciation to Mary. 

In each of the very highest domes, there is a face.  Our guide warned us not to strain our necks looking up so high.  It was worth a stiff neck the next morning!  

In one is a very unusual mosaic of a young, beardless Jesus.

And in another a mature Jesus

In each of the others, one can see a woman.  

Not sure who they are but I assume Mary. 

George's brother John noticed this mosaic which clearly shows God the Father, Jesus Christ and a dove representing the Holy Ghost.  The official belief of the Orthodox on the trinity is "Eastern Orthodox Christians believe in a single God who is both three and one (triune); the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, "one in essence and undivided". The Holy Trinity is three "unconfused" and distinct divine persons (hypostases), who share one divine essence (ousia); uncreated, immaterial and eternal." Not sure I totally understand that.

One of their beliefs that Michael Wilcox shared with us is best explained through a metaphor on the atonement.  Western thought often describes  the atonement as more of a legal question.  Jesus pleads for us at the bar of God as an advocate.  We have broken laws so we need a defense lawyer to lessen our punishment.   This isn't incorrect, but the Orthodox explanation of the atonement is so tender.  They explain the atonement with the idea that we are born in his image but sin prevents us from remaining like him.  In essence, sin makes us sick and we are in need of a physician to heal us.  Jesus restores our divinity and makes us whole again.  

St Petersburg

I loved St. Petersburg!  It's known as the Venice of the North with its 342 bridges and Venice-like canals.  The architecture reminded me of Paris.  A truly beautiful city!

We started our day at the Peterhof Palace which was built by Peter the Great and, keeping with the Paris theme, is very reminiscent of Versailles. 

After exploring for several hours we took a hydrofoil back into the city.  Of course I noticed the World Cup Stadium.  Unfortunately this was where Russia beat Spain and sent them home earlier than we had wanted. 

We disembarked right in front of the world famous Hermitage Museum which has the largest collection of art in the world...yes more than the Louvre! Our guides said that if you took 1 second to see each piece of art, it would take you 10 years to see it all.  Others say that to see everything would take a visitor 18 years.  Either way it is just enormous.  See that line in the front.  That is the line for people who had tickets to enter at a certain time.  That was us.  The wait wasn't as long as I had feared when I first saw that the line went all the way around the corner.  

 Once inside, the place was absolutely packed.  Chinese tourists have discovered St. Petersburg and the museum was FULL!  The crowds and the heat didn't contribute to a relaxing experience. I wondered why they didn't have the priceless art in a temperature controlled environment - to say nothing of having the mobs of tourist more comfortable and more relaxed.  In spite of that, the art was just breathtaking.

Two  Di Vinci's were among my favorites. 

I had to fight the hordes to get this close but I am so glad I did.

After several hours absorbing the culture we were treated to a scenic boat ride on the canals and were able to enjoy a light lunch. 

Our guides continued to give us information and history of their much loved city but I'm afraid no one paid much attention to them.  

 Instead we all were focused on this little boy who was on every bridge, sometimes waving and other times blowing us kisses. 

 We were told that he runs 4.4 miles to keep up with our boat.  Can you see him?

 All of us were delighted...well, all the tourists were delighted our guides less so.  They don't like these kids since they take all our attention away from what they want to share. 

 I remember practically nothing of what the guides said, but I will always remember him.  

 Naturally when we got off the boat, he was waiting - just in case we wanted to give him a few rubles for his troubles.  We were all pretty generous which is good since we learned that he does have to share his spoils with the ship captain.  He is a cutie!

I'd love to spend a day in St. Petersburg in the winter when everything is covered with snow.  One thing we learned about Russians is that they don't see the winter as a negative.  They embrace it and even make a wish on the first snowflake they see.  I also LOVE the snow.  'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow' is my mantra in the winter.