Feb and Mar 07--Through Feb and Mar, I had the opportunity to make my
first trips to Ukraine. During both trips I had the chance to
visit Kyiv (sometimes spelled Kiev), the nation's capital. It is
a city rich in history--actually lauded as the center and birthplace of
the Slavic Rus. The city was founded by three brothers and a
sister, theoretically of viking origin. Here are some photos of,
Kryshatyk, the central main street. Also, a couple of photos of
Independence Square where the Orange Revolution occurred in 2004.
During my second trip, I had the chance to visit Sevestapol, a port
city on the Black Sea. This town is not only the home of the
Ukrainian Navy, but the Russian Black Sea Fleet as well. In
addition to these two claims to fame, it is also the site of a
Greco-Roman settlement dating back to the fifth century.
Additionally there is a museum...
29 Nov -- Northwood, England.
Northwood, England--about 20 minutes out of London by train-- is the
home to not only a Royal Navy Base, but NATO's Martime Component
Command-Northwood. We took a quick two day trip to attend a
conference. Again, we had the pleasure to have a native in the
group (actually born and raised in London). We took a car to
Lille, France (about 45 minutes from the house) and then a train from
Lille to London. It was my first time to travel through the Chunnel--the tunnel under the English Channel that separates England and France.
A first view of Northwood from the train on the way into town
We rode the train in and made a few manadatory souvenir stops for one
of the team members, we stopped and had a quick coffee (or, if you're
me, a Diet Coke). The Christmas decorations were up in many
places so it was pretty festive.
A high end store sports holiday lights as others peek out from behind a double-decker bus.
After walking around London's west-end, Leicester Square
for a while, one of the guys and I decided that we should take
advantage of the over 20 live plays and musicals...we purchased tickets
to see Chicago
the next night (Phantom of the Opera and Wicked didn't have seats we
wanted) and then we all headed off to the Hard Rock "Rock Shop" (in
London, the Cafe and Rock Shop are in different places we found
out...) In the basement of this Hard Rock, we found a really cool
museum. We happened to arrive in time for the hourly tour, so we
went down and listened to a groovy, trippy guy guide us through the
memorabilia...we even got to take some cool pictures!
Guitars from innumerable legends and other memorabilia from icons such
as BB King, Freddie Mercury (jacket and furniture), Elvis (TCB neckland
and karate black belt and gee), John Lennon (eye glasses and hand
edited lyrics to Imagine and Instant Karma), and Jimi Hendrix (guitar,
sofa, wall decorations).
 
Guitars belonging to Rush's ALex Lifeson and Clay's favorite Stevie Ray Vaughan.
We had dinner in a nice restaurant in London's Chinatown and then made our way back to Rickmansworth Station and the then to the hotel.
The next night, we finished with the conference, rushed back to the hotel, and headed to the Cambridge Theatre
to see Chicago. We ate a quick dinner in a little restaurant a
few blocks from the theater. The show was very good...the music
absolutely spectacular. It was a very interesting staging of the
musical, with the orchestra (or band, really) actually on stage the
entire time. It had a very minimalist feel. But, when all
was said and done, it felt nice to let my brain do something creative
and "cultural".
Our last morning, we had enough time to have breakfast, check out, and
get to Waterloo Station with a little bit of time to spare. Since
Waterloo station is in the middle of town and only a block away from
the Thames River, we took a quick walk and got some great photos of the
"Eye" , 12 Downing Street, Big Ben, and the Tower of London (from afar).
I also got a great couple of photos of WWI and WWII memorials...they
still had poppies and flowers around them from Remebrance Day
(Armistice or Veterans Day)...it was very moving and a great way to end
the trip.
Click the photo for the 13 seconds that made me cry...
17 Nov -- Rome, Italy.
This was a quick three day trip to sit in on the first ever Russian
delegation from the General Staff Academy coming to present a series of
lectures to the NATO Defence College. We were lucky enought ot be billeted in the Mercure delta Colloseo The hotel is about a quarter mile from the Colosseum.
I was fortunate enought to have a room with a window (sort of a port
hole that looked directly out over it). While we were at the
College all day each day, it was nice to be able to come back to the
hotel and have that ancient building be the last thing I saw as I went
to bed each night.
We did take advantage of the little time we had to site see. The
first evening was just a quick dinner with a few of the people there in
Rome to attend the lectures. We ate at a small pizza and pasta
place (imagine that), walking distance from the hotel and
Colosseum. The pizza was good and the wine was stronger than I
expected.
The second night, we took advantage of the native Italian attending the
course and struck out on the subway to go see Trevvi Fountain and
whatever else we could get to.
 
Finally made our way back to the subway. What we
didn't know was that they had closed it for repairs and by the time got
to the next closest one, the trains had stopped running for the
night. SO, we decided to walk back and let our friend give us a
running commentary on what we were seeing and call it "a tour".
We saw the Presidential Palace and Park, the Forum, and the beautiful
Memorial to the war dead. The story as told by our "guide" is
that just after World War I, Romans wanted to build a memorial to the
war dead, especially the "unknowns". The Princess went out to the
fields and picked a an unidentified soldier's remains to symbolically
represent all of the fallen. On its way back to the capital city
by train, the soldier passed through and stopped at every train
station so people could pay their respects. Italians also lined
the train tracks and waved flags and banners as the train passed
between stations. Once the soldiers remains reached Rome, they
were interred within the monumental structure sitting on a hill
designed to honor him and his fellow countrymen. It is truly an
awe-inspiring site, especially when lit at night, even if the picture is fuzzy.
On the final night, we had a nice dinner
at a nice, casual restaurant (no pizza!). The pasta was good, the
bread was better, and the wine was strong (again...I never
learn). After dinner, we made a quick walk around the colosseum
to see if there was any vendors (or cool souvenirs the boys might
like). No vendors, but some great pictures!
9 Nov 06 -- Oberammergau, Germany. This quaint little Bavarian town is the home of the NATO School.
There are no big hotels, no fast food, hardly any traffic lights.
Its not close to anything, except some really beautiful and really big
mountains. There's a little creek in the center of town and a
nice little shopping area.
On Wednesday afternoon (traditionally
"down" for schools), we made the 30 minute drive to Garmisch, Germany--a famous ski resort and home of the Marshall Center.
While the temperatures were quite warm, there was snow on the
mountaintops (as always I've been told).
Despite the opportunity
to eat some German food, the team decided instead to eat at
McDonalds. Well, in an effort to continue my global McDonalds
reserach, I decided to end my meal with Schokoballs.
From what I
could figure, the deep fried balls are made of the dough from the
cherry and apple pies and then filled with something like Nutella...nope,
I'm not kidding...deep fried chocolate...Germany is good. (By the
way, Nutella is a BIG hit at our house these days...we have a huge vat
of it in the kitchen...)
One of our friends who is permanently assigned at the NATO School
invited us to a special restaurant they frequent (really no more than a
large open room in the first floor of a man's house) for roasted pig
joints, potato balls, and red cabbage. While I'm not much of a
roasted pork person, I will have to say it was pretty wonderful...not
to mention the potatos...even the red cabbage wasn't too bad. And
in addition to some fabulous German Leiffe beer, we had apricot liquour
(REALLY STRONG) for after dinner drinks. It was a night of
friendship, fund, and LOTS of food.
27 Sep - 14 Oct 06--The long trip to Moscow...
The following photos are from inside various subway stations...the art
is really beautiful (and it makes it a little easier to figure out
where you are since they are all different)...
 
We also made a visit to Victory Park.
It is a huge museum and monument to Russian efforts in World War II, or
"The Great Patriotic War". There is a wide promenade leading up
to the monument and museum; one side is lined by a series of
pillar/columns that illustrate a different battle of the war. The
other saide has a series of fountains. This site, like many other
war memorials, is visited by new brides and grooms. They lay
flowers at the monuments, take photos, and commemorate one of the most
significant days of their lives by paying tribute to their war heros
and their sacrifices.
The monument itself is a huge pillar.
The pillar is encircled with bas relief and the names of each of the
significant battles and is said to be one centimeter tall for each
Russian who died in the war. There is also a huge beast in the
front with the body of a fish and the head of a dragon almost
severed--it is a folklore way of representing Germany.
The museum itself contains floors of items and diplays depicting every
facet of the war imaginable. I took so many pictures, I could set
up an entire website of just that...however, I have included below a
few pictures of the lifesize dioramas (you know, the shoe box with
cotton ball clouds and plastic dinosuars from third grade?).
These dioramas were absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The artwork was not
only incredibly life-like, but the lighting and the integration of the
artifacts was amazing.
We spent some more of our time at the Novodevichy Convent and Cemetary.
There are no words to describe the quiet beauty of the convent,
especially when set against the backdrop of a huge city like
Moscow.
The cemetary out to the side is one of the most
significant cemetaries for high profile Russians in the modern era
besides the Kremlin itself. The graves are marked not just by
gravestones, but in many cases monuments and statues of the
deceased--represented in the height of their strength and
vitatlity. Chekov, Shostakovitch, and even Kruschev are burried
here. It is an amazing place.
Of course we visited markets again, as well. We made stops at
Ismailovsky Park as well as a smaller farmer's market where we sampled
some vegetables and then had a pirrogue for lunch. We spent a
longer time at each place during this trip--almost four hours at
Ismailovsky Park--and had the chance to see beautiful antiques,
religious icons, and all types of original artwork. It is illegal
to take antiques or icons out of Russia, so we had to just look
(although some people in our team bought some very nice replicas).
We ate lots of sushi (OK, the rest of the team did...not me so much),
visited Red Square with lots of the guest speakers who came during our
stay, and generally enjoyed our time there. While we worked hard,
the rich history and totally different environment were exciting every
day.
22-26 Aug--Johnna had her first trip to
Moscow. After leaning quite early in the morning, she boarded her
plane in Brussels, made a connection in Germany, and then arrived at
one of Moscow's two airports in the late afternoon. After a hour
or so wait to get through customs, she and the teammates she met up
with from the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, found the ride
arranged for them before they left and headed out for the hotel across
town. Moscow is a very big city, so it took an hour or so to get
to the hotel,
which itself is a very nice place. It is on the edge of the
Moscow river and beside what they call the crystal bridge because it is
a foot bridge over the river encased in glass to protect travelers from
the elements as they cross. If you look at the link, you can see
another
picture of the sculpture and fountain from the home page as well as the
atrium area in the lobby with stairs leading up to the business
center. There is a nice fitness area and several pretty (and
pretty expensive) restaurants and shops with prices so extravagant
that I won't even tell you the prices. Additionally, the hotel is
immediately next to the Kievskaya subway station (pictured below) which
made getting around fairly easy.
Our first evening, we set out for dinner in an area called The
Arbat. This is a sort of trendy bohemian area which apparently is
not as cool as it once was but is still a highly visited area based on
the restaurants, street vendors, and whatnot. We ended up eating
in an Uzbeki restaurant where I had chicken and a Greek salad.
The photo below is taken on the way to the Arbat. In the distance
you can see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. It is one
of seven sister buildings throughout the city with the same scale and
architecture...others include the State University of Moscow (Harvard
and Yale and Duke and Stanford all rolled into one school), the
Ministry of Defense, and the Hotel Ukrainia.
Our second day, we finished our meetings and headed out for a little
sightseeing (for my benefit) at Red Square. It was dusk and so
very pretty (although only one picture came even close to coming out
well). It was very bizzarre to stand in the middle of Red Square,
look down and see the lines on the cobblestones where the soldiers
marched and the weapons were displayed during May Day Parades. St
Basil's Cathedral is every bit as colorful as in pictures (and
portrayed in the "Its A Small World" ride at Disney, thanks to
refurbishment efforts by the current administration). The GUM
which used to be the store where commoners stood in line to get their
day-to-day goods such as bread has been turned into an upscale shopping
mall...very odd.
After this little detour, we continued on for dinner at a
Japanese sushi place which is a favorite of one of the guys in our team
who is in Moscow a lot. While I'm not much of a sushi fan myself
(the concept of eating raw fish seems a little neanderthal-ish to me),
I had a wonderful beef and rice dish. I did, however, bow to peer
pressure and taste the wasabi (a very spicy Japanese
horseradish). It wasn't bad, but I prefer jalapenos and salsa any
day of the week.
The third night, we went back to the Arbat, but
this time we ate at a traditional Russian restaurant. I had
another Greek salad, some frites (even in Russia they're called
frites), and what I thought was going to be a chicken leg...well, it
wasn't. There was chicken involved, but it was not the drumstick
I thought it was. There was a little bone peeking out of the end
like a drumstick, but when I picked it up and took a bite, it was more
like meatloaf made of chicken and formed into a drumstick shape.
Not bad, but not what I was expecting (and craving). Oh
well, at least teh comany was good (see below). Afterwards, a few us decided to do the trendy thing and
visit the Hard Rock Cafe,
just across the open street. After about 30 minutes, the lights
went down and we saw all of the waiters and waitresses move to the
dance floor (whch luckily was very near us). They then proceded
to do a choreographed routine to Y.M.C.A. by the Village People.
It was sort of amusing because some of them I guess didn't get that
they were making letters Y,M,C,and A with their arms during the chorus,
they sort of made Y, backwards C, C, backwards C. In any case,
they performed with zeal and were tipped accordingly when they waited
on us the next time. We left early and headed back to the hotel
to get ready for our last day of meetings.
Dinner with Hans, Maria, and Knut...Johnna's new German and Greek friends
Our final evening as a
whole team, we ate at a wonderful Azerbijiani restaurant where I had
chicken (I know, not again!), but this time with some great rice and
flavored with apricots. It was the best meal we had the whole
time (with the exception of the day one of the military assistant
attaches invited us to his house for lunch and we had taco salads...the
other American and I in the group worked with the hosts to teach the
other team members how to "properly" build a taco salad).
Other highlights of the trip included a trip to a nearby market (where
they sell everything from gorgeous vegetables to shoes to duct tape and
plumbing supplies) and a farmers market of sorts (where our Hungaian
teammate introduced me to a drink whose name is pronounced like
"Qwas". It is made from barley bread...it is faintly sweet and
has a hint of apple flavor. Some people drink it instead of beer
since it is non-alcoholic). There was also fresh fish and cheeses
and caviars, and exotic fruits and vegatbles. I got lucky because
by the time we got to the caviar area, the Hungarian had given up on
having us "have just a taste" of everything we saw...now I know why
we had a shot of vodka at the beginning of every meal. It's like
an antiseptic...it kills whatever comes next.
On the last day, we journeyed to Ismalovsky Park where there is a
tremendous market, not so much focused on everyday items, but rugs and
leather and military memorabilia and babooshka nesting dolls as far as
the eye can see. I did a lot of window shopping, but in the end
only bought a little traditional dress for Lexie, some movies for the
boys, and a leather jacket for myself for the next visit to Moscow. I also brought back a list
of things for Clay to pick from for the next time.
After a quick trip back to the hotel, we loaded up, went back to the
airport and departed. I once again connected through Munich and
barely made my connection. Clay and the boys picked me up and we
came home.
12-14 Sep 06 -- Johnna returned to Moscow for a few days of
meetings. Although there was a different team, we still had the
opportunity to visit a few sites in the evenings once work was done for
the day. Luckily, we had three Russian speakers in the group (one
of whom went ot school in Moscow for a year and another who worked in
the US Embassy there for two years). Between the two of them, I
managed to pick up some interesting details and factoids. But the
main purpose of this update is to provide some long overdue pictures,
so here they come...
This trip, we staying in a different hotel in a different part of
town. Imagine my surprise when I opened my door (a little
concerned because I heard the sound on the TV turned WAY up) to find
this...
Now for the pictures you really wanted to see...
One of the entry arches into Red Square. It is a resconstruction
since the originals were destroyed during the Soviet era so that tanks
could enter Red Square during parades. To the right is the State
Historical Museum, pictured below from outside Red Square (the gates in
the picture above are on the left side of the building in the picture
below).
This is a close-up of the statue you see in the photo above.
It depicts Zukhov, a WWII hero.
The following photo is of the Kazan Cathedral,
a beautifully restored Russian Orthodox church situated directly on Red
Square. The inside of the rotunda is hand painted with paintings
of saints, Disciples, and relgious figures from Russian history.
The smell of incense is heavy and the mood is quiet and introspective.
Changing of the guard at the Tomb of the War Dead,
dedicated to those who fell in WWII.
Behind the soldier facing left is the eternal flame.
Russian Orthodox cathedrals...absolutely gorgeous.
Statue in Alexandrovsky Park near the Kremlin and Eternal Flame.
This statue immediately reminded me of the statue of horses breaking free entitled "The Day the Wall Came Down"
that is located at the George Bush Presidential Museum in College
Station (when you hit the link above, be sure to check the image
gallery as well as the description).
The statue and water you see in the photo above are situated in a nice, almost
Riverwalk-like area with restaurants favored by young people and
tourists. See if you can figure out where we ate dinner
(here's a
hint...it was pizza):
This is a beautiful high rent shopping area...
the type where you make an appointment to shop.
But an open economy does not seem to have had the opportunity to
trickle down just yet. In a city renowned for its artistic and
classical music contributions, we found a string quartet from one of
the professional companies playing in the subway entrances for extra
money. I cannot tell you how bizzarre but absolutely wonderful it
was to unexpectedly hear Vivaldi's Four Seasons. We stopped for a
few minutes, relaxed and enjoyed the performance, made a contribution,
and went on our way. The subways are also a place to see
wonderful mosaics, bas reliefs and statues. The photos below show
a staue at the top of a set of escaltors as you emerge from the subway
back to ground level. Below it is a photo from one of the actual
loading platforms. If you look to the sides of the subway lines
graphic, you will see bas-reliefs--or pictues carved or etched into a
flat surface. The craftsmanship is absolutely amazing. 
And...from a distance...about 3-4 blocks away, one of the team members
said, "Oh yeah, there's the former headquarters of the KGB.
There's a torture museum there now or something...I'm not sure."
Anyhow...here's the view from a distance
And last but not least, on our way back to the airport, we passed by
the beautiful achitecture of of the State University of Moscow...I was
also able to capture the Luhzniki Stadium where Madonna played two
evenings before...
Coming soon (maybe): audio of the string musicians from the subway and a short video of the changing of the guards.
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