Kizhi Island

Cities are great places but I’ve always enjoyed a walk in the country, above all else….

The Island of Kizhi was one of the most interesting places I’ve visited in a long time. It’s a small island about 3 miles long and only a ½ mile wide. The only way to and from this island is by boat or airfoil in the wintertime.

This wooden Church was built without nails and has 22 timbered onion domes. It was an early Pagan Center and I enjoyed walking from one end of the island to the other.

There is a small group of people living here today but mostly a tourist attraction. They have a heliport landing spot in an emergency and communications with the outside world but it’s very isolated.

The water is clean enough to drink, directly from the lake, and I saw several people carrying buckets from the lake to their homes.

I like the simple life and this church and farmland would be a nice place to spend a few weeks communing with nature.

City Views

Walking is the best way to view a new country, and the slower pace, the better the chances to see people and experience their culture. Here are some of the sights we experienced while wandering around in the “Big Cities”.

I’ll also have some “Country Shots” posted soon.

I like big cities because the “best of culture” is always there but there is nothing like the fresh air and water of the country. Big cities are interesting but I wouldn’t want to live there. Charleston has a population of about 50,000 people and for me, that’s enough people in one place.

Locks on a Bridge

When we were in St. Petersburg I found these “locks” fastened to the ornamental railings of a bridge over one of the canals. When couples are married, they inscribe their names on a “lock” and fasten it to a structure as a symbol of their love towards each other.

A favorite pastime of mine is watching people and trying to understand their customs and way of life. People of all nations always have more in common than differences. This young couple was celebrating their marriage by visiting the highlights of Moscow near a future Olympic site.