by Oliver | Nov 21, 2015 | Trans-Siberian Railway, Travel Posts |
Today, I ventured out in the snow toward the Kremlin in Kazan. The main difference between this Kremlin and the Moscow Kremlin is its construction of a white sandstone rather than red brick. Inside is the Qolşärif Mosque (pronunciation sounds like to “Cool-Sheriff”...
by Oliver | Nov 20, 2015 | Trans-Siberian Railway, Travel Posts |
My impression of Russians based on my previous visit here was Russians were a cold, reserved people. In Moscow, I do not recall many smiles. The lack of helpful English signage did not give me a warm, welcoming impression. My visa application process was arduous,...
by Oliver | Nov 17, 2015 | Trans-Siberian Railway, Travel Posts |
Nizhny Novgorod is among the largest cities in Russia. For many decades it was known as Gorky, for the Russian Writer, Maxim Gorky. The Soviet Union deemed it a “Closed City,” meaning no foreigners were allowed to visit. This was due to military research and...
by Oliver | Nov 16, 2015 | Trans-Siberian Railway, Travel Posts |
Today, I departed Moscow toward Nizhniy Novgorod on the first leg of my Trans-Siberian Railway trip. Anxiety did not escape me. The Cyrillic alphabet, compounded by my inability to converse in Russian, does not nurture seamless navigation. My biggest fear is missing...
