Travel Russia Today

In September, I had the pleasure of traveling to Norway and visiting the quaint city of Bergen. This Unesco town still retains much of its charm. The old wharf area, known as Bryggen, showcases many of the original timber warehouses. Unfortunately, these monuments to history are slowly disappearing as they are all wood and susceptible to fires. As a matter of fact, while I was there, one of the old timber buildings a few blocks off the wharf caught fire and the plumes of smoke could be seen for miles.

The city itself, is easily walkable from the wharf to the art museums to the fish market. The fish market is a great place to wander around. Test your taste buds by tasting the wild and farm raised salmon, and see if you can taste the difference. Here is a great place also to stock up on unusual foods such as reindeer or moose sausage. The mustard with dill sauce is not be missed.

While in Bergen, I checked out the Clarion Hotel Havnekontoret-not be confused with the Clarion Admiral hotel. This hotel is not what I expected from the name Clarion. The hotel is only 2 years old and is built in the former harbor masters building.

The lobby is very chic with lots of chandeliers and velvet and purple touches (but not too over the top, it didn’t look like Prince lived there!). They maintained the original concave ceiling entryway with its beautiful murals. Guests can take the original stone stairs to the tower for great views of the harbor. The rooms all feature dark hard wood floors, leather headboards, flat screen TV's and L’ Occitane bath products. Some rooms have harbor views.

I went to Prague this last month on one of the regular yearly visits to my hometown. It is always hectic to try and see all my relatives and friends, to indulge in all the home-made delicacies that my grandmas prepare just for me and to catch up on what is new in town. This time it seemed that there is a lot of construction going on. Shiny new malls take over the beautiful historic landmarks like the functionalist building of the Czech Commercial Bank or the complex of barracks and stables from the eighteenth century on the Republic Square. This made me worried about one of my favorite little museums in Prague, the Cubist House of the Black Madonna.

I rushed through the Celetna Street to see if it’s still there. Oh well, the bookstore that used to be on the ground floor was replaced by a clothing store, but at least the Museum is still open and as far as I can tell, it is not going anywhere. Foreigners usually stop in front of this intriguing building designed by the genius functionalist and cubist architect Josef Gočár, but never venture in. Big mistake!

The permanent exhibition here is devoted to the art of the first half of the twentieth century and to Czech cubism in particular. Not many people know this but Cubism had huge influence on Czech artists, including architects – there are several Cubist buildings in Prague. The exhibition is modest as far as quantity but of such high quality that I could spend hours staring at the sculptures, paintings or even furniture by Josef Gočár, Otto Gutfreund, Josef Čapek (brother of the writer Karel), Václav Špála or Jan Zrzavý just to name a few. I love everything about this period of Czech art, it was blunt, uninhibited, intelligent and fun and, to put it simply, beautiful. If you have time in Prague, do not miss getting to know it!

Recently I had the opportunity of visiting Russia for the first time. I come from the Caribbean where our European next of kin come from “La Madre Patria” (Spain) and our vision of Europe ended just around Germany. I was a child during the Cold War, so we were educated in the perception that Russia was a “foreign” land very, very far away. As I grew up, we heard stories about the opening of countries in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Russian Empire on the news. All this felt very distant for they didn’t relate to my scope of the world.

Then, I found myself on a flight to Moscow on a familiarization trip. I had no idea what to expect. I had read a lot about St. Petersburg and Moscow but nothing I read was like what I actually found and experienced.

We arrived in Moscow and took a connecting flight to St. Petersburg. This required taking a ride from the International airport to the Domestic airport in the morning traffic and under heavy snow. First thing that shocked me as very familiar was the large crowd of people in front of the arrival door fighting for the attention of the arriving passengers. Taxi??? Need Taxi??? Come with meee, not heem!!! I wondered, am I in Russia or did they take me to a Latin American country? This felt just like arriving in any airport in Mexico or in Central or South America (except for the cold and the fur hats!!!).

We arrived in the Domestic terminal for our connecting flight and another familiar sight, people traveling with HUGE bags, boxes and suitcases. They were all covered in triple layers of transparent Saran wrap and everyone was checking their bags with no prior thought of excess baggage limitations. (Is it possible that Latino’s have Russian ancestors?) While we waited in line to check our baggage, I started people watching. You could see what a variety of ethnicity's co-exist in this country. Some people had Mongolian features, others looked very Nordic and others were very exotic, with dark hair and very light eyes.

While I was in the line waiting to check my baggage, I was checking out their outfits, their hairdos, their bags and shoes and when it was my turn, I noticed the Russian airline employees in the counter had very long fingernails decorated with colorful decals and VERY bright nail polish. The Russian ladies just love to wear very high heels and love to carry large handbags with big buckles and shiny accents. Each of them wear very bright colors, tight sexy clothes and amazing fur coats. Most of the younger women wear heavy makeup, dark eyeliner and exotic hairdos and they just love to wear really big and fancy jewelry. What a difference from how I saw the Russians in the movies!! These ladies looked just like Latinas but in a lighter shade of skin tone!

For a Latina on her first trip to Russia, I have to say, I felt totally impressed and am looking forward to returning sometime soon. The Russians and us must share a common ancestor someplace….

I am your typical American and everyone who knows me will agree with that 100%. I drive a gigantic SUV, watch Sunday football (American football!) and most of all love that I can buy all my groceries at one place- my gigantic Publix! This is not to say that when I travel, I do not indulge in some different activities, such as visiting the local market. For those of you that have not traveled outside the US borders, you are really missing out.

In nearly every foreign city, especially those in Europe, you can find a local market (typically in the town square) that sells everything from fruit to shoes. I was just in Croatia last week and we decided to visit the fruit and yummy cheese market in Split (they sell sheep cheese that is to die for). Before I go on, I want to tell you that the market is beautiful, the fruit is ripe and delicious and the shoes are Nine West- this is really a must see!

So, we entered the market, thinking this would be a leisurely stroll- boy were we wrong. One of my first encounters with a local lead to a smush and grind into my foot (OUCH!). The people shopping here mean business! The market is an everyday occurrence for the locals and just as we lose our patience and get annoyed with lines and crowds at our stores, so do they.

This beautiful novelty, so I thought, turned out to be a survival of the fittest. I was run into, stepped on and repeatedly pushed out of the way for I was only walking (not sprinting through the market). I was starting to think I took on some sort of super power that made me invisible (boy would my nephew think I was the coolest person ever). Since I am a pretty laid back person, I have to tell you that I thought this was all pretty amusing- in a painful kind of way. The day ended and fortunately I did not have to visit the Croatian hospital so all in all, it was a fun and interesting (to say the least) experience.

Do not let this deter you from the markets, they are great. I just want you to go prepared and warn you to bring your closed toed shoes and some heavy duty shoulder pads, you will need them.

I’m sure many of you, like myself, have been blessed with unruly, time consuming hair. Whether I straighten my hair or curl it, it takes at least 20-30 minutes and requires some heavy artillery such as a blow dryer, ceramic straightener, and/or curling iron. When I first started traveling overseas I had a lot of questions relating to hair and travel such as - are the blow dryers powerful enough to dry my thick mane and will my $200 straightener work in Eastern Europe and Russia if using a converter? I now have the answers to those questions and would like to enlighten all of you.

All five star hotels in Eastern Europe and Russia have blow dryers in the room or upon request at the reception desk. Whether they are powerful enough is really hit or miss as I have had both wimpy dryers and supersonic dryers. For guaranteed satisfaction, I recommend purchasing a small, but powerful dryer to take along just in case. If drying isn’t your biggest worry, stick with the hotel dryers.

Straightening can be a problem. Even with a converter, the standard European voltage is very powerful and can be damaging to your straightener. My colleagues and I have learned this the hard way having blown out two $200 straighteners and almost setting fire to a hotel room (hotel to be left unnamed). I recommend leaving your really expensive tools at home and purchasing a suitable, but less expensive model that wouldn’t leave you heartbroken if it died. Folica even sells dual voltage straighteners, which can handle the high voltage better.

My last and most important piece of advice is to always prepare for the worst. Bring hair ties, clips, and even a hat just in case you find yourself without any hair styling provisions. Being able to style our hair properly while traveling overseas is the goal - being able to look good when all equipment fails is priceless.

On a recent trip to Copenhagen I had the opportunity (and the great pleasure) to visit Nimb. Nimb is more than just a hotel - it is a concept. Having heard of this new “creation” I was actually quite surprised when we walked up to a double glass door that leads directly from the sidewalk into a small, quietly elegant reception area. There is no grand portico, driveway or even an area to pull into and the Nimb, from the street, appears to have little to draw you in.

Once inside all this changes. The reception area is simply a bellman’s like desk to one side and a huge arrangement of absolutely gorgeous flowers on a glass table in the middle of the floor.

Nimb is rather like a large estate manor, with the feel of a home and gourmands are well catered for. Apart from the Nimb Restaurant there is a Vinotek – a brickwork, basement level, wine cellar that allows guests to sit at long wooden tables and sample even the best of vintage wines by the glass accompanied by light snacks and cheeses.

Nimb also features a deli where they sell products from their own dairy. But for me the biggest attraction in the deli was the Summerbird Chocolates. I was treated to one of these on a welcome plate of chocolates and when I put that chocolate in my mouth I thought I had gone to heaven. They don’t come cheap and the best are sold the old fashioned way – individually and boxed on the spot. This means they wouldn’t last the eight days before my return to the United States and therefore my friends and colleagues only have my word for it but trust me, these chocolates are simply divine!

Opening onto the street they also have their own hot-dog stand (the surprises never end) where they serve gourmet hand-made sausages on freshly baked bread. This is known as The Grill since, after all, it is so much more than a hot dog stand but is simple and very affordable. Accompany this with the organic chocolate milk produced in the dairy – what a treat!

But the gourmet coup de grace is Restaurant Herman where executive chef Thomas Herman (a native Dane) casts his spell over his pots and ovens and creates some of the most wonderful dishes ever to grace a plate. As per the hotel, his philosophy is that eating should be a recollection whereby “everything we eat should remind us of something or someone and allows us to stay connected to the world”. With Thomas in the kitchen, guests’ recollection goes into overdrive!

When the owners closed the property and decided on a refurbishment from head to toe they wanted to achieve one look – Quality – and they have succeeded in a big way. Even if you don’t stay here you should visit one of the restaurants. Restaurant Herman doesn’t come cheap and a full quality gourmet experience will run you about $400.00 per person. Lesser options are possible and Restaurant Nimb has an ever-changing menu that is quite affordable. At the Vinotek you can sip on a glass of wine and imagine you are in a winery in France but whatever you do, don’t miss out on one of those chocolates in the deli – I guarantee you won’t be able to stop at just one.

See it in January and February at the Estates Theater

The people of Prague take great pride in the fact that Mozart felt so good in their city that he said: “My Praguers understand me.” They love music and relish in the claim that every Czech is a musician. I am the exception to this rule, although I do love music. I also love surprises and crazy ideas. A famous Czech musician, Martin Smolka, and a popular actor and screenwriter, Jaroslav Dusek, came up with such an idea a few years ago. They created a unique opera inspired by the victory of the Czech Ice-Hockey Team at the Winter Olympics in Nagano.
An opera about ice hockey! It is an outlandish idea, right? But if you think about it, operas tell a love story, celebrate heroes, and culminate in a tragedy or victory and, for Czechs, Nagano was exactly that; a love story of mythical proportions – almost a century long obsession with hockey. A Czech hero of the 20th century – the genius goalkeeper Dominik Hasek whom some wanted as the next Czech president is the opera’s hero, defending his goal with a powerful counter-tenor. And finally a victory that was celebrated by thousands of fans crowding the Old Town Square and boosted national pride that is usually nonexistent among my countrymen.
The Opera Nagano (in three periods and overtime) premiered at The Estates Theater in 2004 and is now coming back to mark the 10th Anniversary of that epic victory in 1998. If you travel to Prague in January or February, you should not miss it. It will not only give you an insight into the psyche of those gloomy looking Czechs, but will surprise you with beautiful music, unexpected stage setting and costumes and especially, the great sense of humor.