Sicily to UK. Departure Day — Arrival Day.

Sicily to UK. Departure Day — Arrival Day.

We woke up in Trapani, in beautiful comfortable La Casa di Andrea, bright and early and went outside. Mediterrania — to the left of us… Monti di Trapani — to the right… Here we are — driving to Palermo airport… Good bye, Sicilia! Hello, foggy 

Sicily. Day 4. Trapani. Erice. Museo del Sale. Cinisi. Terrasini.

Sicily. Day 4. Trapani. Erice. Museo del Sale. Cinisi. Terrasini.

And we lived to tell the tale. No one came after us in the middle of the night, no kidnapping took place. We woke up to the delicious pizza leftovers from Salemi. I love having dinner leftovers in the hotel room in the morning — 

Sicily. Day 1. Palermo: Ballaro Market. Palermo Cathedral. Marina.

Sicily. Day 1. Palermo: Ballaro Market. Palermo Cathedral. Marina.

The first morning in Sicily started slow. We slept in without tracking time. It was nice not to have any plans and enjoy the time, the open balcony, sounds coming from the street, slow shower. Our affittacamere had four units. Three of them were vacant. 

Sicily. Departure Day — Arrival Day. From Ridgewood to Frankfurt, to Milan, to Palermo.

Sicily. Departure Day — Arrival Day. From Ridgewood to Frankfurt, to Milan, to Palermo.

— Small or large? Barista at the Newark Airport’s Terminal C was a broken record. So were the travelers ordering beer at her counter: — Large. An airport bar, a starting point of a journey, it hands a legitimate excuse to do nothing and choose 

Russia. The Last Day in Moscow and Departure

Russia. The Last Day in Moscow and Departure

Our last day. We visited my mom and my brother. This has been their place for the last ten years. Maybe because mom and I have lived apart for so long I do not completely accept her relocation. It feels like she is still around 

Russia. Day 9. Saint Petersburg. Along Nevsky Prospect to Vasilyevsky Island

Russia. Day 9. Saint Petersburg. Along Nevsky Prospect to Vasilyevsky Island

“If the weather is so good, Petersburg is so unfamiliar to you that you certainly want to walk, you will not regret. I advise you to always start from the Lavra…”                              

Russia. Day 7. Back to the Golden Ring — Yaroslavl, Rostov the Great

Russia. Day 7. Back to the Golden Ring — Yaroslavl, Rostov the Great

Leaving the Myshkin house, with its overgrown garden was not easy. In the morning, we walked around quite a bit taking pictures. It was sad knowing that most likely we will never come back here again. The world is big and time is scarce. Final 

Russia. Day 6. Myshkin — Volga, Banya, Vodka

Russia. Day 6. Myshkin — Volga, Banya, Vodka

— Go look around the house. It’s different in the morning, — Tanya said when I waddled into the kitchen still in my pajamas. It was. At night, the circle of chairs in the living room on the second floor set the mood for a conversation 

Russia. Day 5. Motley Crew Hits the Road. The Golden Ring  Fragments — Sergiev Posad, Kalyazin, Uglich,  Myshkin

Russia. Day 5. Motley Crew Hits the Road. The Golden Ring Fragments — Sergiev Posad, Kalyazin, Uglich, Myshkin

The business of renting a car in Moscow is not for the faint at heart. Last night, we tried so many different places, even Charlotte without much Russian found a few numbers to call. It seemed like car rental offices in Moscow did not have 

Russia. Day 4. Moscow. Down through the Underground to the Not Good Apartment

Russia. Day 4. Moscow. Down through the Underground to the Not Good Apartment

Fourth day was the day to take care of business and renew my papers. Most of it was spent in Soviet style offices waiting on line, curtsying, smiling, providing champagne and candy to grouchy officials who didn’t even notice me. Nothing changed in that department.